I am writing to formally…

I am writing to formally oppose Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025. While the stated objective is to speed up construction and transit delivery, this legislation achieves these goals by systematically eroding the procedural rights of renters and compromising the safety of cyclists.

1. Destabilizing Housing Security (Schedule 12) The amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act in Schedule 12 create a "pay-to-play" system that disadvantages low-income tenants. By requiring tenants to pay half of any claimed arrears before they can raise conduct issues—such as a landlord’s failure to maintain the unit—the bill effectively silences tenants who withhold rent due to unlivable conditions.

Furthermore, the bill introduces rigid vulnerabilities for renters:

Removal of Discretion: Section 58 moves the definition of "persistent late payment" to regulation, potentially removing adjudicative discretion. This could lead to automatic evictions for tenants who are consistently late due to payroll cycles but otherwise pay in full.

Reduced Appeal Windows: Section 209 reduces the timeline to review an order from 30 days to 15 days, prioritizing administrative speed over a tenant’s right to due process and ability to correct legal errors.

Incentivizing "Own Use" Evictions: Section 48.1 removes the requirement for landlords to pay compensation for N12 evictions if 120 days' notice is given. This removes the financial disincentive for bad-faith evictions and eliminates critical support for tenants facing forced, no-fault moves.

2. Undermining Safety and Mobility (Schedule 5) The prohibition on new bicycle lanes under Section 195.3 is short-sighted and dangerous. By banning municipalities from repurposing motor vehicle lanes for active transportation, the Province is effectively freezing the expansion of safe cycling networks.

This creates a fundamental policy contradiction. While the government promotes "Transit-Oriented Communities," it is simultaneously prohibiting the "last-mile" bicycle infrastructure necessary to connect residents to those transit hubs. Additionally, the reimbursement framework in Section 195.9 creates a perverse financial incentive for municipalities to remove existing infrastructure, further degrading urban mobility options.

Conclusion Bill 60 sets Ontario on a path toward a denser, more expensive rental market with fewer protections, while legally prohibiting the infrastructure needed to make those communities livable and safe. I urge the government to withdraw these detrimental schedules.