How will Bill 23 affect College Ward residents?
The More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, often referred to as Bill 23, is a new law from the Province of Ontario that changes a number of regulations that govern how municipalities, like Ottawa, operate...
I have said many times that we need more housing and housing that people can afford. I support that the province wants to address this need and further bold actions already taken by Ottawa, but I have serious concerns about what this means for municipalities in Ontario, residents of Ottawa, and College Ward
This legislation makes housing a question of quantity and diminishes the important role municipalities play in providing for quality and support for growth. It also limits the City’s ability to fund growth by removing some development and parkland charges, compromising our ability to deliver a livable, resilient, and attractive City. Development charges are one-time fees on new residential and non-residential properties to help pay for a portion of the growth-related infrastructure requirements, like sewers and roads.
The More Homes Built Faster Act came as a surprise to Ottawa. As you may know, Council approved a new Official Plan (New OP) in October 2021 that set out a vision for increasing the density and diversity of Ottawa’s neighbourhoods. The New OP received provincial approval on November 4, 2022. Ottawa City Council approved a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan in October 2021, and a new Parkland Dedication By-law in July 2022. Staff are currently preparing Transportation and Infrastructure Master Plans, all needed to plan for the infrastructure, services, and amenities needed in our city.
Traffic and Parking
Under the Act, one of our greatest planning tools–background studies for services and infrastructure–is no longer an eligible use of development charges. The cost of studies is relatively small compared to the cost of implementation, and these studies save the City millions in capital and operating costs. If funding for studies is compromised, the City will be less able to “future-proof” growth to ensure traffic and transit stays smooth and safe. The More Homes Built Faster Act also prohibits regulating minimum parking requirements, likely leading to more on-street parking.
Density
Intensification is familiar to us in College Ward, but with this new Act, the City is limited in managing how this happens. It overrides some zoning by-laws, such as those regulating minimum unit size, and now allows for up to three units in a house. Municipalities can no longer seek details about exterior design or landscaping features, unless related to matters of heath, safety and accessibility through Site Plan Control, the process that allows the City to influence development so that it is safe, functional and orderly. Buildings of up to 10 residential units will be exempt from Site Plan Control entirely.
Financial Impacts
City staff believe the financial impact to Ottawa from the The More Homes Built Faster Act is in the range of $26 million annually. If growth will not pay for growth, taxpayers will. A funding gap already exists for growth-related costs, making it more difficult to fund renewal and ensure parks, community facilities, and services keep pace with new demand, especially in existing neighbourhoods, like those in College Ward. Without new revenue sources, improvements could be delayed, levels of services reduced, or have the costs passed on to taxpayers.
Ottawa’s Heritage
The More Homes Built Faster Act affects Ottawa’s ability to take care of our historic buildings and neighbourhoods. Right now, staff bring forward a handful of designations each year and they maintain a list of about 4000 properties on a heritage register that are not designated (protected by law). New limits to the heritage register, and changes to what can be designated, will make it more difficult for the City to address reconciliation, equity, and diversity in its heritage program and will likely also result in greater uncertainty for owners and residents, leading to more formal and costly appeals.
Parks and Recreation
Reduced funding from development growth for parks affects the City’s ability to provide and improve recreational services needed for functional and enjoyable neighbourhoods. Changes to the fees which supported these amenities and services will require the City to reevaluate its existing plans, adding more costs to Ottawa. For example, new caps on parkland would impact stormwater management and may require the reopening of master servicing studies to avoid flooding.
Water Management and the Natural Environment
Working with our local conservation authorities, the City of Ottawa has shown that balanced growth leads to better and more sustainable outcomes. These conservation authorities, who provide responsibility and oversight, have been amended under the Act. This, combined with changes to rural development policies, wetland and other environmental policies, and the emphasis on growth expansion, will have long-term impacts such as increased flooding risk and the loss of diverse and mature ecosystems.
As we learn more details about the The More Homes Built Faster Act, I will be providing you with updates.
In my opinion, the Bill is not going to help build affordable housing, but it will impact available services and property taxes. I’m pleased to say that the City of Ottawa – elected members and staff alike – are committed to doing what we can to mitigate the harmful aspects of the bill. I encourage you to reach out to your MPP, and do not hesitate to contact my office.
People are still getting bounced from one level of government to another when they have a question or concern about wildlife, said Johnson. It happened to a member of her staff earlier this month when the staffer had concerns about a sickly-looking coyote repeatedly sighted in the City View neighbourhood.
“Many jurisdictions have a finger in the pie of our green space. They all have some, but not all of the responsibility,” she said. “It should be easy to make one call and ensure that the correct responding agency knows about the situation. We have a wealth of expertise.”
"Residents need to understand that if you do see wildlife and you want that interaction to be successful, you need to do what you can to leave it alone. Sometimes we get caught up in getting a photo or, telling our neighbors and sometimes the best thing to do is to leave it alone so that it can return to the forest," said Johnson."
By Emma Weller, CBC
April 1, 2024
Dan Brunton was shocked when he came face-to-face with a bear at his home a few years ago near Mud Lake.
He was curious when he heard rustling in his garbage can, presuming it was a raccoon. As he walked up to scare it away, the head of a roughly 90-kilogram black bear popped out of his garbage.
"We get young bears coming into the city fairly regularly, but this adult was a real surprise," said Brunton, a retired ecological consultant.
These kinds of encounters may be more common this year.
Earlier this month, the province issued a warning that bears might be coming out of hibernation early this spring due to warmer temperatures.
And with a lack of natural food sources available this time of the year, they'll be on the hunt for other meals.
"The problem there is that if [an animal] doesn't go away and there's some interaction with people, which is almost always the people's fault … the animal dies," Brunton said.
"That's the most common outcome of these things."
In his scenario, authorities safely got the bear back into its habitat, Brunton said — but that's not always the case.
Weaved throughout Ottawa's neighbourhoods, the Greenbelt and the Ottawa River have created homes for urban wildlife, right next to some people's backyards.
While residents reap the benefits of the city's green space and ecosystems, they also at times struggle to coexist with that wildlife.
Given Ottawa's amount of greenspace, the city has a greater responsibility when it comes to managing the city's relationship with urban wildlife, said College ward Coun. Laine Johnson.
Last year, a bear wandered into the Bridlewood neighbourhood looking for food after coming out of its hibernation and was killed by Ottawa police.
"We were all deeply disappointed," Johnson said. "If we had been able to respond in a different way, I think we could have saved that bear. And unfortunately, that was not the case."
Bears and other animals often saunter into nearby neighbourhoods in search of food, with garbage, bird feeders and vegetable gardens all serving as tempting options.
People who live around areas where urban wildlife thrive need to be educated on how to respond appropriately when animals roam onto their streets, Johnson said.
Johnson said her office will be releasing a wildlife strategy plan in September. She's also urged the City of Ottawa to invest more money to help harmonize the relationship between humans and wildlife.
Another issue that contributes to wildlife around Mud Lake and other densely populated parts of the city is that people tend to feed them, said Chris Myles, a conservation officer with the National Capital Commission.
In his experience, Myles said, when there are conflicts between humans and wild animals, that's almost always what they're about.
"They come to look at us as food sources. So rather than scuttle off, when they see somebody coming up the trail, they may start to associate you with food."
