General Questions

What are the Yard Consolidation Studies?
Visit the Background information on the yards page to learn about the Yard Consolidation Studies.

Why is the City conducting the Yard Consolidation Studies?
The City is conducting the Yard Consolidation Studies to address issues related to

• space needs;
• yard utilization needs;
• optimal facility locations;
• state-of-good-repair issues;
• potential environmental contamination;
• energy efficiency of yard facilities; and
• the surrounding land use context

The studies provide a framework for considering all the issues facing the yard systems, and will result in recommendations that use the City's land resources more efficiently and meet the space needs of the City's service delivery divisions while maintaining or improving yard facilities and operations.

Scope/Methodology Questions

Which City agencies, boards, commissions, and divisions are affected by the Yard Studies?
Below is a list of potential ABCDs that may be affected by the Yard Studies:

• Emergency Medical Services
• Facilities & Real Estate
• Fire Services
• Fleet Services
• Parks, Forestry & Recreation
• Purchasing & Materials Management
• Solid Waste Management Services
• Toronto Parking Authority
• Toronto Police Service
• Toronto Water
• Transportation Services

What is a consolidation scenario?
A consolidation scenario takes into account the various ways the City can use the yard properties to accommodate the divisions that require space.

Each consolidation scenario represents a different way of accommodating the operations of each division that occupy the space, including buildings, staff, and capital resources.

There are many ways to accommodate all yard occupants. Facilities & Real Estate and the Working Committee will be working with the consultant to develop several logical and feasible scenarios, which will then be tested with cost-benefit analysis and consultation with the community.

What is a cost-benefit analysis and what costs and benefits are included in the cost-benefit analysis of each scenario?
Cost-benefit analysis is a financial tool used to inform decision-making. It compares the short-term and long-term benefits of a particular scenario to its short-term and long-term costs to identify the scenario with the greatest net benefit to the City. Cost-benefit analysis includes both capital and operating costs and savings, as well as other financial, environmental and social impacts associated with each scenario. Cost-benefit analysis will be used in the studies to inform the recommendations being made by the consulting team.

Will the studies consider energy efficiency, and will new facilities be energy efficient?
Yes. All new yard facilities and renovations to existing yard facilities will be consistent with the Toronto Green Standard, which is a set of performance measures for sustainable development.

The energy efficiency of a building affects the operating costs of a yard facility, which will also be reflected in the cost-benefit analysis of the various scenarios being considered.

There is a yard located near my house, in a residential area. Will the studies recommend moving this yard somewhere else?
There are several instances where residential neighbourhoods have grown around an existing yard. The studies do not only look at yards individually, but also consider the district as a whole and what would be most beneficial to the district.

Some yards may still be required to deliver important public services to residents; other yards may not be required. The study will carefully consider the land use context of each yard, and examine the feasibility of moving yards in residential areas to other locations.

What will be the outcome of the Yard Consolidation Studies?
Each study segment will produce a respetive report recommending the preferred composition of the future yard systems. The reports will include recommendations pertaining to which yards should be consolidated, closed, improved, repaired, expanded, relocated, or whether a new yard should be created.The final Yard Study report for the Etobicoke York District can be viewed here.

Community Consultation Questions

How will the studies affect me?
Municipal yards are critical to the delivery of public services to the residents of Toronto. You may also have an interest in the studies if there is a yard located in your neighbourhood. Whether you are interested in the delivery of public services or the yard in your neighbourhood, the City encourages you to get involved and provide your input to the yard studies team.

How can I get more information about the studies?
Browse this website for all information regarding the yard stuides. If you can't find the information needed, contact the yard studies team.

I live near one of the yards being studied. Will I receive notice of any decisions that are made regarding the future of that yard?
Not officially. All recommendations made by the consulting team will be published in the reports, which will be available on this website. Residents should monitor the website to view reports as they are posted, or subscribe to the mailing list to be informed of updates by e-mail.

Staff will submit final reports on the studies to the Government Management Committee, with recommendations. Any decisions made by Government Management Committee or City Council on the recommendations contained in the final report will be published in the Committee or Council minutes.

Implementation Questions

How will the recommendations of the studies be implemented?
In addition to preparing final reports, the consultant will provide implementation plans that will recommend phasing and financing strategies for the recommended consolidation scenarios.

Once a final report for an individual segment of the studies has been submitted by the consultant to Facilities & Real Estate staff and if its recommendations are approved by City Council, implementation will occur through the City's capital planning process. Some recommendations may be implemented faster than others.

How will the changes affect my neighbourhood?
We won't know precisely how each yard will be affected until the stages of the studies.

It is important to note that there may be no changes to the yards in your neighbourhood. In communities where changes will occur, all efforts will be made to minimize impacts and maintain efficient levels of service.

How will the changes affect my level of service (e.g. waste and recycling collection)?
One of the aims of the yard consolidation studies is to maintain or improve levels of service and not to adversely affect them.

Will the studies make recommendations for properties no longer needed as yards?
The studies may recommend that certain properties not continue to be used as yards, but will not make recommendations on the future uses of those properties. The City's Property Management Committee and the Chief Corporate Office will determine whether the properties are required for other City uses. If a property is not required for other CIty uses, the Chief Corporate Officer may declare it surplus to municipal requirements and direct that it be sold on the open market, or disposed of by some other means.

A yard property has been declared surplus and I would like to buy it. What is the process?

Which standing committee will the studies' recommendations be reported to?
Facilities & Real Estate will report the recommendations of the studies to the Government Management Committee.

When will the reports be submitted to the Government Management Committee (GMC)?
The reports will go before the Government Management Committee as each segment is completed.

When will the report be submitted to City Council?
Reports generally go to City Council the month following approval by GMC.

Project Administration Questions

Who authorized the Yard Consolidation Studies?
City Council approved the studies and the general methodology, scope, and terms of reference for the studies at their December 5-7, 2005 meeting. Read the report

Who is managing the Yard Consolidation Studies?
The Yard Consolidation Studies are being managed by City of Toronto staff in the Facilities & Real Estate Division.

How are the studies being funded?
The studies are funded from the Facilities & Real Estate capital budget, with a maximum $297,000 contribution by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund for the environmental components of the studies.