Bill 17, Protect Ontario by…

Bill 17, Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025, marks the first major legislative move on housing post provincial election. The bill proposes several regulatory changes that are aligned with Toronto Region Board of Trade (Board) priorities including: the need to accelerate transit delivery, support Transit-Oriented Communities (TOCs), address the structural fiscal challenges facing municipalities, the need to streamline regulatory and policy barriers to enable more housing quickly; and address the question of development charges and how the costs of enabling infrastructure for new housing will be shared.

While no silver bullet exists that will solve the housing supply and affordability issues that impact the Toronto region’s long-term competitiveness - the Board appreciates the opportunity to provide input on these proposed policy changes. We look forward to working closely with the province to ensure that the resulting regulations and policies deliver real results in accelerating the delivery of all housing types.

• The Board supports efforts to deliver transit faster and maximize Transit-Oriented Communities (TOCs) along rapid transit lines but emphasizes the need for Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario to apply lessons learned from the Crosstown and Ontario Line experiences.

• It is important to ensure that TOCs are planned as vibrant, mixed-use communities that offer a range of housing types alongside essential services, amenities, and office space. In light of the ongoing challenges in the condominium market, this comprehensive and integrated approach is more important than ever.

• These comments can also be applied to ERO-025-0504: Bill 17- Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025 – Accelerating Delivery of Transit-Oriented Communities