This comment is in response…

This comment is in response to the the changes to the Ontario Heritage Act and its regulations in Bill 23 (Schedule 6) - the "More Homes Built Faster Act" recently passed by the Ontario legislature. As a citizen of Ontario and resident of Toronto, I am first of all quite concerned about the manner in which this Omnibus Bill was rushed through the legislature. While the comment period has been extended, it is obvious to me that the government really doesn't care what Ontarians think about the legislation or what its ramifications will be on our quality of life. However, I will take this opportunity to ensure that my comments are received. The changes to the Heritage Act will take away the ability of the City to protect its heritage buildings, many of which provide the much-needed "gentle density" housing this government claims to be promoting. Instead, the priority seems to be "development" - under the guise of providing housing, older buildings can now more easily be demolished and replaced with giant condominium towers, full of "luxury" units priced over $1 million. To claim that this is about providing housing is disingenuous at best. "All listed properties on the Heritage Registry to be Designated or removed within 2 years." What is this about, if not simply grabbing more real estate for Real Estate Investment Trusts, asset management firms and other "investor" tools?