Shaping North York’s Future: Mayor Meets Community Leaders on Secondary Plan

On October 10, ahead of Thanksgiving weekend, Mayor Olivia Chow met with a group of Willowdale community leaders at North York Civic Centre. We are grateful she took the time to spend time hearing from our community. The discussion was requested by the leaders and focused on the North York at the Centre Secondary Plan.

Residents and community leaders raised several key concerns:

• Infrastructure lag: Population growth in North York has surged 145% over 20 years, yet investment in community centres, libraries, and green spaces has not kept pace.

• Economic development: North York is home to the highest concentration of office space outside the downtown core, but lacks a clear economic development plan.

• Recognition and funding: As one of five designated city centres, North York experiences growth higher than other areas, but funding and tools to support this growth remain limited.

• Expansion beyond provincial requirements: Staff’s emerging preferred option proposes expanding density boundaries, raising concerns about potential negative impacts on neighbourhoods.

  
  

Mayor Chow’s Response

The Mayor heard residents’ concerns and emphasized the importance of creating spaces that foster community connection. She highlighted the need for community centres, libraries, and green spaces where residents can gather, socialize, and build relationships. Reflecting on historical underfunding due to provincial downloading and aging infrastructure, she noted the long-standing backlog in public investment.

She also noted recent provincial changes that make it harder to fund infrastructure, including Bill 23, which reduced the City’s development revenue by $2 billion, and Bill 17, which allows developers to defer development charges while infrastructure obligations remain, and will have a $1.9B cash flow impact to the City. 

Mayor Chow stressed the importance of continued community consultation, gentle density, better design, and stronger infrastructure investment, and the need to continue engaging with the Province, as the provincial Ontario Land Tribunal has the final say on development.

Mayor Chow is committed to working closely with me and city planners on next steps. Her goal is a community-focused approach that balances thoughtful planning, public involvement, and sustainable growth.