The proposed Minister’s…

The proposed Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs) for Midtown Oakville blatantly fail to meet the Ontario government’s own post criteria for issuing MZOs. There is no municipal support, Town Council has not endorsed the project and community opposition is clear and documented; no justification for overriding established provincial, regional, and municipal planning policies, including OPA 70; and no credible urgency, given the proponent’s own timeline shows construction effectively starting after 2030 with build-out stretching two decades beyond. MZOs are meant to be exceptional tools, not a self serving substitute for proper planning, yet the only rationale offered here is “zoning certainty,” which in reality serves a single purpose: to lock in speculative land value, shift risk from the developer to the public, and freeze an outdated proposal while stripping the Town of its ability to adapt to real housing needs, infrastructure capacity, and changing conditions over time.

The Town’s OPA 70 already permits densities up to 6.0 FSI, which is very high by any North American standard, making these absurd densities neither necessary nor acceptable. The MZOs would also eliminate affordable housing requirements, which is what is actually needed. This TOC is not about delivering housing; it is about maximizing developer land value at the expense of livability, infrastructure capacity, and the public interest.

This Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) fails to comply with Premier Ford’s Build Homes Faster agenda and will not deliver a single home before 2031, the Province’s own housing deadline, and will take 25 years to complete. OPA70 is a better alternative and is ready to go. Oakville already meets and exceeds all provincial housing requirements through OPA 70. And Oakville has a proven track record for building houses. There is no necessity or urgency for imposing these MZOs now. In fact, imposing these MZO‘s will eliminate the superior alternative, for the financial benefits of the developer.

I vote NO for these MZOs