Remove Toronto from the OMB, new bill urges

NDP’s Cheri DiNovo to table private member’s bill amid provincial review.

Thestar.com
Nov. 14, 2016
By Kristin Rushowy

The NDP will introduce a private member’s bill to strip the Ontario Municipal Board of its power over the City of Toronto - legislation MPP Cheri DiNovo said she’s happy to expand to include other municipalities.

“There’s a general will on the part of municipalities to make changes,” said DiNovo at a press conference Monday morning, noting this is the third time the NDP has tried to remove the OMB from Toronto’s planning process.

“It’s timely because right now the province is undergoing a review of the way the OMB works.”

Cities and citizen groups are fed up with having their decisions overruled by a body that has long been criticized as ruling in favour of developers and not taking the wishes of local citizens and governments into account, she said.

“It’s undemocratic and it’s unaccountable and it needs to be abolished,” said Councillor Joe Cressy (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina), who was on hand for the press conference with fellow downtown Councillor Mike Layton (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina).

“In Toronto, we need to be free of its jurisdiction. The Ontario Municipal Board removes planning from local neighbourhoods and local governments.

He noted Toronto city council has voted for the province to abolish the OMB in 2008 and 2011, and in 2011, voted overwhelmingly to remove Toronto from its oversight.

Layton said “far too often city planners are forced to make decisions that are, in fact, against the interest of the city because of the worse outcome we would have to settle for at the Ontario Municipal Board.”

The OMB hears land-use appeals on a variety of cases from homes to condo developments that go against city plans. It has the power to overturn council decisions, many that have been arrived after extensive public consultation and reviews by city staff.

It was last reformed a decade ago, told to keep local communities’ wishes in mind, though critics say little has changed.

The Liberal government recently announced it was launching a review of the OMB with an eye to reforming it, to make sure local decisions are not ignored.

This Tuesday, the governing is holding a public town hall meeting in Toronto to discuss changes.

Cressy, however, said the government has been reviewing the OMB since 2003, and it’s time to act.