'Difficult to track': MZOs add another layer to York Region school board’s new schools planning process

COVID-19 won’t hinder construction of three new York Region board schools

Yorkregion.com
April 29, 2021
Dina Al-Shibeeb

First, the good news:

COVID-19 isn’t hindering the construction of three new schools by the York Region District School Board after Ontario mandated that non-essential construction be halted amid its prolonged lockdown.

After all, York Region is forecasted to grow to a population of 1.79 million, with 900,000 members of the workforce among them, by 2041 from its current 1.11 million people.

During an April 19 meeting aimed at updating YRDSB trustees on the board’s state of affairs, director Louise Sirisko assured participants that the planning construction is set to continue. However, one staff member highlighted to Sirisko that the lockdown is still delaying the consultants’ abilities to continue their engineering work needed for technical reports.

Construction for the new schools is expected to begin April 2023 in Aurora, Vaughan and Whitchurch-Stouffville. Two other schools for E.J. Sand Public School in Markham and Sharon Public School in East Gwillimbury are set for replacement, which means revamping older school facilities where conditions warrant.

However, YRDSB trustees now have to be informed when the board has to factor in minister’s zoning orders (MZOs) in their planning process.

Under the Tory-led government, MZOs, which override local planning authorities such as municipalities, are increasingly used to accelerate intensification amid a shortage of rentals and housing.

While municipalities can caste votes in favour of or against an MZO, it isn’t binding, as it gives Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark the power to give the final stamp on a proposed project by a developer.

Gilbert Luk, a manager, property and system operations at YRDSB, explained to the trustees that there have been about 38 MZOs between 2019 and 2020 in Ontario, with some generating controversy, such as the previous case of building a giant Amazon warehouse on wetlands in Pickering, which was later abandoned.

“It's difficult for us to sort of keep track of all these MZOs,” Luk added, since they can be requested by councillors or landowners, requiring thorough communication that the MZOs exist.

"These MZOs aren't circulated as they typically are,” he added. “We only find out about them pretty much like everybody through the media, and then sometimes we would ask planners at their respective municipalities, who may or may not know about it.”

To add another layer that’s making the planning process more opaque is that planners might not be sure who requested these MZOs, or “what's going on exactly in terms of all the details for the planning process.”

With all the difficulty navigating through the MZOs, luckily so far there haven’t been any issues for the YRDSB.

The board had already two schools approved in Vaughan as high-density projects as part of the city’s Block 41 and Vaughan Mills Secondary Plan before the request of two MZOs at the locations.

However, YRDSB is currently in talks over MZO O. Reg. 610/20 in Markham with the northern portion touching Whitchurch-Stouffville, which doesn’t have a school.

However, even before the approval of the MZO was granted, YRDSB had discussion with the landowners, consultants and the town over the need for a school site there.

“The discussions have been hopeful and positive.”