I have a number of very…

I have a number of very serious concerns about the Province’s proposed use of Minister’s Zoning Orders (“MZO”) in respect of the Transit-Oriented Community (“TOC”) planned for Oakville Midtown.

These MZOs represent a profound override of local democracy despite Oakville’s full compliance with provincial policies and proven track record of growth and housing development. The Town’s Official Plan Amendment for Midtown (OPA 70) was developed transparently, with public input and Council approval. In contrast, the TOC was advanced behind closed doors under confidentiality agreements, promoting a predetermined developer driven plan with superficial consultation. I believe that this represents an abuse of provincial power resembling the governance failures exposed in the Greenbelt scandal, where planning regulations were overridden to benefit private interests. The Province should not repeat that mistake by going forward with a bad product produced by a seriously flawed process.

In addition, the proposed use of MZOs to facilitate the development of the Midtown Oakville TOC fails to meet the Ontario government’s own posted criteria for issuing MZOs. There is no municipal support as 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 that 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serves a single purpose: to lock in speculative land value, shift risk from the developer to the public, and freeze an outdated proposal while stripping the Town of its ability to adapt to real housing needs, infrastructure capacity, and changing conditions over time.

These MZOs would force extreme and reckless density on Midtown, more than double that of any comparable development in the GTA, without the infrastructure to support it; creating chaos and overwhelming transportation and services that are already overstressed, including local roads, transit, the GO station, and the QEW. 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.

Should the Province proceed with the use of MZOs to force the development of the TOC, then the Province should be expected to pay for all infrastructure development costs associated with the Oakville Midtown TOC proposal. It becomes the Province’s project and the Province should pay for it.

I am very much concerned that the use of MZOs to approve a flawed TOC proposal that will set a precedent for other developers to follow when preparing their development plans for Midtown Oakville. There is already evidence of this happening. In my opinion, when Midtown build out is complete, we will be faced with a hyper-dense ghetto in a relatively small space, with limited road access, few amenities to service a large population and potentially inadequate public transit to service the population. I am not convinced that GO Transit is the answer, given Metrolinx’s dubious record in bring transit projects in Toronto online, on time and at or under budget, and their reluctance to engage with local municipalities when planning for the future.

The proposed 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. Oakville’s 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 urge you to revisit the proposed TOC plans and to replace it with plans that conform with Oakville’s OPA70. Further, the plan to use MZOs to permit the development as currently proposed should be dropped immediately. This plan serves no useful purpose and only reinforces distrust by the public in the Province’s use of its powers.