Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed changes to the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025 - Accelerating Delivery of Transit-Oriented Communities. Town staff understand that due to current economic challenges, including those pertaining to international trade, and the current housing crisis, it is important that the Province of Ontario strives toward making it faster to build new homes and infrastructure like transit, roads, and water and wastewater systems. Town staff offer the following comments for the proposed Act:

General Comments:

The Town has two GO Stations that based on the proposed expansion to the definition of Transit Oriented Community Project will now be subject to the Transit-Oriented Communities Act, 2020. This will allow the Province to designate areas for TOCs to be built. The Town is committed to incentivizing appropriate redevelopment and intensification adjacent to the GO Stations. The Town requests that the Province consults with municipalities in advance of designating TOC so that future proposals are appropriate and align with the Town’s plans for these areas.

Exempting approvals for municipal agreements and ancillary TOC project agreements

A better understanding of which agreements could be exempt from requiring municipal approval would assist municipal staff in communicating these changes to members of Council and the public. It is important to understand that although exemption of agreements is being proposed, Metrolinx would still be responsible for all costs related to their project that may impact municipal infrastructure. Please consider providing examples in future postings for ease of understanding the proposed change.

To effectively support the growth and development envisioned by these changes, the Province should ensure that a substantial portion of the savings from streamlined approvals is reinvested directly into local infrastructure.

If the Province expands the TOC framework, it is important to ensure that mid-sized municipalities like Halton Hills also benefit from investments that support transit-oriented growth. Future GO expansions or improvements near Georgetown and Acton should be leveraged, and the Town encourages the Province to include such locations in its TOC strategy.

Leverage the expanded definition of TOCs to align future growth with the Mobility Master Plan, ensuring that new TOC developments are well-connected, pedestrian-friendly, and support active transportation modes.