I strongly endorse the…

I strongly endorse the Province’s initiative to establish consistent development standards across Ontario. We must be able to design and build anywhere in the province with confidence that the same standards apply. This ensures efficiency, predictability, and quality.

If Ontario is to reduce the increasing threat of flooding under escalating storm pressures, the Province must act decisively. This means incorporating every available tool to mitigate future flooding risks and protect communities. I was one of many Ontario residents with a house that flooded in July 2024 with contaminated sewer water. It was a 7 month storm imposed renovation, with insurance companies unable to meet the demands of the time, the work was invasive and subpar and created physical and emotional hardship.

Development standards should be grounded in science and reflect the findings of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) as outlined in the Climate Resilient Built Environment (CRBE) Initiative. The evidence is clear: rainfall intensity, storm frequency, and unpredictability are projected to rise sharply in the coming years and decades.

We must achieve effective, climate adaptive standards that mitigate risk. I suggest considering the following tactics:

1.Updating the stormwater management planning and design manual to align with the latest scientific findings by the National Research council of Canada (NRC)
2.Adopt province-wide lot-level water balance requirements with clear, predictable performance standards
3. Recognize and include all acceptable lot-level stormwater control methods — such as green roofs —as source controls to reduce runoff and relieve pressure on overburdened municipal systems.
4.Integrate Toronto’s Green Roof Construction Standard into the Ontario Building Code to guarantee consistency of installation across the province
5.Introduce incentives and allocate capital funding for lot-level stormwater infrastructure, reducing the frequency and cost of underground stormwater system replacements

By embedding resilience and sustainability into development requirements, Ontario can build not only faster, but smarter, while creating communities that are prepared for the climate realities of tomorrow.