The above Acts fail to…

The above Acts fail to ensure the development of healthy living environments and are a violation of the essence of what it means to be a Canadian. Canadians have a right to trees, grass, sunlight, birds and fresh air. The Acts invite the violation rather than protection of these rights.

Despite warnings that our neighbourhood (Bathurst and Bloor in Toronto) is in the lowest 20 percentile of park space per capita (less than one umbrella per person), the above Acts promote densification that would add thousands of people to existing park space. Christie Pits functions as a GTA recreation destination and attracts significant crowds throughout the summer. The only retreat from city noise is our much smaller Bickford Park which now hosts people from the crowded Trinity Bellwoods park; Dupont Street with it thousands of new residents; and eventually Dufferin Grove. Our parks have become profit centers for developers rather than essential infrastructure for well-being.

The Planning Act also fails to require community and recreation services for the thousands of people it wishes to add to downtown Toronto. Rather than ensuring the provision of "third places" where people can gather to celebrate art and culture...we allow developers to add gyms in their basements where people can run on treadmills wearing their headphones. We are degrading our City environment by destroying trees and picnic destinations to make space for basement treadmills... and then we argue for more mental health facilities to deal with the impact. This violates every principle of city planning. It is insanity.

OUR PARKS HAVE BECOME SELLING POINTS FOR DEVELOPERS RATHER THAN PROTECTED HAVENS FOR RESIDENTS.

As a small example, the recent approval of Avenues Zoning in Toronto fails to recognize that Bickford Park is within the Ravine and Natural Feature Protection area (as shown on the City’s mapping) and is essential to Toronto's renewal of certification by Birds Canada as a Certified Bird Friendly City.

Bickford Park is part of the Garrison Creek Ravine system and is an essential bird migration route. The City of Toronto has invested heavily in the Garrison Creek Ravine and Bickford Park enjoys a sprinkler system that supports birds, pollinators and essential tree canopy.

Adding a thirty story condo to the north end of Bickford park will ensure the death of thousands of birds from uncontrolled window lighting. The restored chimney on the Bickford Center is essential roosting habitat for our threatened chimney swifts and possibly the only chimney that has been protected in southern Ontario despite provincial regulations. Toronto has invested millions in this infrastructure and the above Acts do nothing to protect the investment.

Instead, the Avenues Zoning aspires to add many thousands of people along Bloor Street without adding park space and without adding community recreation, arts and health services.

We need to gain some self respect and honour what we have created in Toronto rather than posting a FOR SALE sign on everything that we have built. Please ensure that we do much better in the future. CANADA IS PRECIOUS. LET'S STOP GIVING IT AWAY.