Ontario Building 40,000 More Homes Near Transit in York Region

News.ontario.ca
April 21, 2022

With new transit-oriented communities (TOCs) at the future Bridge and HighTech stations along the Yonge North Subway Extension, the Ontario government is building more than 40,000 homes near transit in York Region. By building transit-oriented communities around the subway extension in this growing region, the government will also reduce gridlock, create economic opportunities and support 19,000 new jobs in the region. As a result of TOC proceeds, the province will also fund and build an additional transit station at Royal Orchard, further improving access to transit for residents in Thornhill, Markham and York Region.

“After decades of inaction by previous governments, our government is saying ‘yes’ to building housing and subways,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Others will find any reason to say ‘no’ to delay desperately needed housing and transit with more studies, committees or reports. Instead, our government is keeping costs down for families by building more homes and tackling gridlock head-on by building subways, Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.”

The TOCs at Bridge and High Tech stations will bring new housing, parkland, commercial, retail and community spaces all within walking distance of transit. By building more homes through these high-density and mixed-use communities, the province can also offset the construction costs of Royal Orchard station through TOC proceeds.

“This is a leap forward towards achieving our transit vision to help bring more housing, jobs and convenient transit for the people of York Region,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “We are making tremendous progress as part of our province’s transit-oriented communities program that will help increase ridership, reduce gridlock, spur economic growth within the region and offset the cost of critical transit construction, which puts money back into the taxpayers’ pockets.”

Minister’s Zoning Orders are being used to support the development of Bridge and High Tech TOCs, which will help cut unnecessary red-tape and deliver more homes and transit sooner to the people of York Region.

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is using every resource to address the housing supply crisis head-on,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “These Minister’s Zoning Orders will help create transit-oriented communities while building more than 40,000 much-needed new homes for Ontarians and their families.”

Ontario continues to work with its municipal partners to create more transit-oriented communities that will increase the supply of housing, including community housing. The province recently announced it is partnering with the City of Toronto and the private sector to build five transit-oriented communities along the Ontario Line, which will create approximately 7,000 more homes.

“Our government recognizes how important it is to build reliable, modern rapid transit that will connect communities across York Region and beyond,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “The Yonge North Subway Extension will unlock people’s access to housing and jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help build Ontario’s economy.”

Quick Facts

• Through the Transit-Oriented Communities Program, Ontario is rethinking the relationship between transit, housing and commercial spaces to create complete communities and adopting a forward-thinking, integrated approach to city building.
• Transit-oriented communities help build more housing, jobs and community amenities around transit to create vibrant, sustainable, and complete communities. They also allow Ontario to leverage third-party investments to explore new funding avenues, to deliver the cost-efficient transit solutions commuters have been waiting for and get projects built while saving taxpayers’ dollars.
• The transit-oriented communities model has been implemented successfully in many other jurisdictions around the world including in Vancouver, London, UK, Sydney, Australia, Bay Area, California, Washington, DC, and in Tokyo, Japan.