December 22, 2022 Ontario…

December 22, 2022

Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH)
777 Bay Street, 17th Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 2J3

RE: THE PROVINCIAL POLICY STATEMENT, 2020 (“PROVINCIAL POLICY STATEMENT”) AND A PLACE TO GROW: GROWTH PLAN FOR THE GREATER GOLDEN HORSESHOE (“A PLACE TO GROW”)

On behalf of the Toronto Wholesale Produce Association (TWPA), the 21 fruit and vegetable wholesalers operating at the Ontario Food Terminal, I am writing regarding the housing-focused policy review of “A Place to Grow” and the “Provincial Policy Statement” being undertaken by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH).

In general, TWPA is supportive of the provincial government’s efforts to create a streamlined province-wide land use planning policy framework that enables municipalities to approve housing faster and increase housing supply. At the same time, TWPA encourages the Ministry to balance the equally important interests of housing with employment. In particular, TWPA believes that special consideration is required when a Provincially-Significant Employment Zone is involved (either directly or indirectly_, as is the case with the Ontario Food Terminal in Etobicoke and the employers on surrounding lands.

The Ontario Food Terminal and its surrounding lands are major direct and indirect employers in Ontario. On any one day, approximately 5,000 employees work at the Terminal, and the Terminal indirectly employs tens of thousand more throughout the province. Moreover, the lands surrounding the Ontario Food Terminal are just as significant to employment as the lands on which the Terminal is located; many employees work for wholesalers or food processors in the agri-food network of businesses in Etobicoke nearby the Terminal. That is why the City of Toronto has continuously recognized that the Ontario Food Terminal and the surrounding lands play a pivotal role in the provincial agri-food network. It is also why the current MMAH Minister took the step to identify the Ontario Food Terminal as a Provincially-Significant Employment Zone in October 2019, a decision that we continue to applaud.

The Ontario Food Terminal is relied upon by independent grocers, restaurants, farmers and many others – and ultimately regular citizens – throughout the Province of Ontario. The Terminal plays a large role in permitting smaller businesses to compete against much larger or chain businesses. It allows residents of Ontario to access a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, often within walking distance of where they live. It is a major employer and provider that the provincial government should continue to cultivate.

Thank you for your consideration. Once again, we recognize the need for more affordable housing throughout the province, but we also know that residents of Ontario need to work and eat, too.

Sincerely,

Fred Koornneef
Chair
Toronto Wholesale Produce Association