Inclusion of Vaughan's McMichael Canadian Art Collection in province's realty plan raises sale concerns

McMichael gallery part of recent Ontario government announcement expressing its intent to exert more control over province's real estate portfolio through the Improving Real Estate Management Act, 2023

yorkregion.com
Brian Capitao
Dec. 4, 2023

Could the McMichael Art Collection be sold off? A recent government announcement has people worried.

Frank Domenic Cirinna, an Ontario teacher who was raised in Woodbridge and lived in Vaughan for 20 years, fears that the provincial government has marked that area because it does have real estate plans in that vicinity pending.

“Essentially, it sounds like the ability to, whether is to actually sell or at the very least to lease or otherwise be build upon the land,” said Cirinna.

Cirinna notes that the scenic area would be in high demand.

“Most likely, the way I see it is, yeah, there could be a development there, a small development for either a bunch of row homes or, most likely, more so, a small development of large mansions ... They would have their backyards facing the McMichael Art gallery,” Cirinna added.

Cirinna is quite familiar with the area, as he used to bike there quite often growing up, with his father as well as his wife when they were dating.

“With the aging Vaughan population, you can very easily see the strategic need for more long-term care in the Kleinburg, Vaughan area. And that would be a suitable target for development. Just in terms of proximity to where their children live. Look at Sonoma Heights right over there, the main Kleinburg neighbourhoods as well,” said Cirinna.

Cirinna adds that the proximity of the area is not only strategic but would align with the private-public partnerships or P3 model that many governments currently follow.

Recently, the City of Vaughan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between themselves, the McMichael Art Collection, and the Vaughan International Film Festival (VFF), where it laid out future plans.

As part of the MOU, a “creative industries centre of excellence” was in the works that would feature a new exhibition, education, event, studio and theatre spaces for Vaughan’s emerging arts scene.

But as of Thursday, Nov. 16, with the provincial government announcing the proposed Improving Real Estate Management Act, that all could change.

The proposed legislation would see the McMichael have its real estate powers realigned. It would effectively give the government the final decision-making power and the government able to veto any planned real estate changes.

The bill lists the McMichael as part of six organizations being affected by these changes. The “approach would prohibit these organizations from undertaking specific realty activities and/or require that they obtain necessary government or ministerial approval.”

Yorkregion.com reached out to the McMichael and they declined to comment on the status of the MOU following the announcement.

According to the local city councillor, Marilyn Iafrate, it would be a challenge for them to sell the land as the majority of it is protected TRCA land. Iafrate mentions that the deal the government struck with the province when they acquired the McMichael land was that the gallery would always be there.

“The McMichaels’ who donated this land and turned it over to the province with the provisory that it has to always be a gallery. So unless they're planning to sell the land to somebody who's going to maintain the gallery, but you just can't sell the land that was gifted with an attachment saying it could only be used for this,” said Iafrate.

However, Cirinna disagrees.

“I don't think that they will stick to the agreement or at the very least, what will come from it will not be what the average person interprets as what is agreed upon,”

Iafrate thinks it’s an issue of oversight.

“Another great move by the province, you can't open your mouth and just shoot out things without doing your homework. And in this case with the McMichael, I don't think they did their homework,” said Iafrate.

When questioned about if this news would hinder the McMichael from expanding in the future, Iafrate mentioned that the move seems contradictory as the province gives money to help the art gallery stay competitive.

“You need to keep moving forward with art galleries, you can't stay stagnant because you've got to be offering new things and new ways of doing things. For the life of the gallery --- and the province does invest quite a bit of money every year to the gallery,” said Iafrate.

“I can't see why they would be shooting themselves in the foot by putting a lot of restrictions on the property. So I don't know. That's just my take,” she added.

Now, people are speculating that with more government control over the spaces, the province could do as they please.

The news release announcing the changes does say that it would allow for the government “to better manage and oversee real estate more cost-effectively and efficiently” which in turn, could “create opportunities, such as the sale of surplus properties, to better support government priorities” in the name of housing and long-term care.

When asked about the status of the MOU, the City of Vaughan said they have no update.