Province uses MZOs to fast-track four more developments, including movie studios in Mississauga and Markham

Thestar.com
Aug. 30, 2021
Tess Kalinowski

Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark has fast-tracked another four developments, allowing them to bypass the usual municipal approvals process.

On Friday, Clark issued four Minister’s Zoning Orders, known as MZOs. They will expedite the building of movie studios in Mississauga and Markham; a giant logistics centre in Cambridge; and Cherry Blossom Village, a residential facility for adults with complex special needs in Tay Township, part of Simcoe County.

Although some municipal politicians praise MZOs for expediting new employment opportunities, other councillors and residents say they circumvent the planning process and curtail citizens’ rights to have a say in what gets built in their communities.

A spokesperson for Clark said the MZOs were requested by the local municipalities, “like every MZO issued by our government on nonprovincially owned lands.”

It is up to those jurisdictions to do their due diligence and consult with their communities, said an email from spokesperson Zoe Knowles.

“With local economies hard-hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially Ontario’s arts and culture sector, these MZOs are removing red tape to accelerate job-creating projects in Markham, Mississauga, and Cambridge -- so they can move at the pace that communities need,” she said.

The four most recently approved projects bring the number of MZOs to at least 57 issued under Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government since it was elected in 2018.

An investigation by the Toronto Star has shown the government’s use of MZOs has benefited developers with close ties to some municipal leaders and the Ontario PC Party.

Cambridge resident Alan Van Norman accused the province of “throwing out good planning processes that were meant to protect innocent people.”

“It is true some MZOs have merit. It is also true most do not,” he said, adding that MZOs were designed to solve emergency problems and address planning in remote areas.

“(Premier Doug) Ford is always talking about red tape. He used to talk about standing up for the little guy. All that has changed,” he said.

In Markham, the MZO clears the way for a film production studio, hotel and mixed “employment blocks” for “entertainment, hospital and innovation,” by SOW Capital Limited.

Councillor Karen Rea said Markham wants the jobs that development will bring but she doesn’t like the MZO process.

“It’s a way to fast-track development without public input,” she said. “I can see MZO for long-term care facilities but not for a movie studio.”

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said the MZO shaves at least nine months off the time to develop a Studio Bottega film production centre that will create 3,200 construction-related jobs; 4,300 studio operation jobs; and 1,300 ongoing studio support positions.

“Wages and business incomes are expected to range between $300 million during construction and rise to $530 million after the first year of operations,” she said in a statement.

But, Crombie said MZOs should only be used in “extraordinary circumstances” after consultation and with the consent of council.

“MZOs should clearly focus on affordable housing, public health and significant job creation and investment,” said Crombie.

She warned that MZOs need local support because they can result in higher infrastructure costs that would be born by municipalities. They “also have the potential to create fragmented communities.... By circumventing the planning process, an MZO ignores the official and master plans of the municipality,” said Crombie.

Mississauga Coun. Carolyn Parrish said the MZO means only a modest alteration to zoning that would have taken another year to come to the same result.

“It cut out mandatory public meetings, which would have attracted no members of the public since there are no residential developments anywhere near this project,” said Parrish.

“Time is of the essence in the movie industry in that studios book their film studios 24 months in advance. Mississauga already has a growing film industry in converted industrial buildings so we are becoming a significant hub,” she said.