The City of Toronto launched the Update Downsview Study in Fall 2021. The Study includes the preparation of various deliverables, including bringing up-to-date the 2011 Downsview Area Secondary Plan, which will set out the long-term vision for a complete community centred on transit investment, job creation, parks and open spaces and community services and facilities that will meet the needs of existing and future residents and workers. This is a generational and transformative opportunity to plan for a new community within the City and reconnect the Downsview lands with the surrounding neighbourhoods. The Study is being coordinated with the Official Plan Amendment application made by Canada Lands Company and Northcrest Developments on the existing Downsview airport lands.
In 2018, Bombardier announced that their operations would be leaving the Downsview Airport and Bombardier Aerospace Campus by the end of 2023. The lands are now owned by the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (represented by Northcrest Developments) and Parc Downsview Park Inc. (represented by Canada Lands Company Ltd.). In February 2021, City Council adopted Site and Area-Specific Policy 596 (“SASP 596”) for a portion of the Downsview Area Secondary Plan area which requires, among other matters, an update to the Secondary Plan.
Update Downsview will promote connectivity between existing and new communities through the integration of multi-modal transportation networks, municipal services and infrastructure. Policies that ensure the provision of a complete and transit-oriented community will be applied throughout the Secondary Plan area to facilitate new housing, jobs, parks and open spaces, community services, and several other community benefits.
Update Downsview will consider:
Further, Canada Lands Company Ltd. and Northcrest Developments submitted an Official Plan Amendment application (“OPA”) on October 14, 2021 to amend the Secondary Plan to reflect their vision for their lands. The Update Downsview process will be coordinated with the review of the OPA application made by Canada Lands Company and Northcrest Developments on the airport lands. Information on the OPA can be found on the Application Information Centre.
As part of the Update Downsview Study, the boundaries of the Downsview Area Secondary Plan are proposed to be revised and will continue to be reviewed and refined over the course of the Study based on analysis and public consultation.
Boundaries for the draft Secondary Plan area, Study Area, and OPA application are identified in the following map. The Downsview Area Secondary Plan area is generally bounded by Keele Street to the west, Wilson Heights Boulevard to the east, Sheppard Avenue to the north and Wilson Avenue and Highway 401 to the south.
The boundaries of the Downsview Area Secondary Plan will be reviewed and may be further refined over the course of the Update Downsview process based on analysis and public consultation.
Updates on upcoming meetings and events as well as summaries of what has been heard will be added here as they become available.
The in-person Open House will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the Update Downsview Study as well as share information and seek feedback on the Environmental Assessment (EA) Study. The Open House will present road and servicing network improvements required outside of the Downsview lands. City staff and representatives of Northcrest Developments and Canada Lands Company will be available to hear comments and answer questions.
In addition, representatives from Metrolinx will be available to provide details and answer questions on their study to extend TTC Line 4 westerly to Sheppard West Station. This is a provincial initiative to enhance regional transit options in the Downsview area and is being conducted through a separate process led by Metrolinx.
The virtual Public Meeting will share information and seek feedback on the overall Update Downsview Study, including updates to the draft Secondary Plan, Community Development Plan priorities and actions, Zoning By-law and Urban Design Guidelines. City staff will provide a presentation, followed by a question and answer period.
City staff hosted a virtual public meeting on May 29 and an in-person open house at Downsview Public Library from May 30 to June 3. The purpose of these engagement events was to share information and seek feedback on the Update Downsview Study, including the Environmental Assessment (EA) Study, draft Secondary Plan, Community Development Plan priorities, and Urban Design Guidelines outline. City staff and the Environmental Assessment team provided presentations, followed by a question-and-answer period. City staff and representatives of Northcrest Developments and Canada Lands Company (OPA Applicants) were also available at the library to hear comments and answer questions from the public throughout the week. The virtual public meeting presentation and meeting summary can be found below for viewing and feedback in the coming weeks.
Engagement materials:
Throughout Phase 2 of the Update Downsview Study, the project team delivered a number of public engagement activities to obtain feedback from more than 900 people on the development of the Secondary Plan, Environmental Assessment Study, and Community Development Plan as well as additional input to consider as the study progresses. The Engagement Summary Report provides an overview of the public engagement activities and a high-level summary of the input received between July 2022 and March 2023.
As part of the Update Downsview Study, a series of focus group meetings were held with Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving groups between Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 to inform the development of the Community Development Plan (CDP). Below are the meeting summaries, with additional summaries to follow:
A Virtual Town Hall was held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 8, 2022. This meeting shared information and sought feedback from the public on emerging policy directions, the status of Update Downsview, the Environmental Assessment Study, the related Official Plan Amendment and the Community Development Plan. The meeting included presentations from the City and the OPA Applicant Team (Northcrest Developments and Canada Lands Company). A recording of the presentation and the consolidated meeting summary can be found on the id8 Downsview webpage for viewing and feedback, or alternatively, below:
Engagement Materials for the Virtual Town Hall:
City staff hosted a virtual Public Meeting on June 20, 2022 to provide an update to the Study work to date and development applications in the area, initiate Phase 1 of the Environmental Assessment Study, and provide an opportunity for the public to share feedback. The meeting included presentations by City staff, Councillor Pasternak, and representatives from CLC and Northcrest Developments. The presentations were followed by a Q&A session with questions from the public. The Virtual Public Meeting presentations and meeting summary can be found below for viewing and feedback.
City Staff hosted an in-person Pop-Up from Monday, June 20, 2022 to Saturday, June 25, 2022 at the Toronto Public Library – Downsview Branch. The Pop-Up provided information and sought feedback on emerging policy directions, the status of Update Downsview, the Environmental Assessment Study, and the related Official Plan Amendment (“OPA”) and District Plan applications. City Staff and the OPA Applicant Team (Northcrest Developments and Canada Lands Company) were available to hear comments and answer questions.
In addition to being at the main Pop-Up location at Downsview Public Library, City staff made additional engagement efforts by visiting other locations in the Downsview area throughout the week. A summary of what was heard through the Pop-Ups can be found below for viewing and feedback.
Engagement Materials for the Virtual Public Meeting and Pop-Ups:
City staff hosted a virtual Public Launch Event on January 25, 2022 regarding the Update Downsview project as well as the current development applications submitted by CLC and Northcrest Developments. There were two identical sessions which included presentations by City staff, Councillor Pasternak, and representatives from CLC and Northcrest Developments. The presentations were followed by a Q&A session with questions from the public. The Public Launch Event presentations and meeting summary can be found below for viewing and feedback.
Engagement Materials:
Couldn’t attend the meeting? There are many other ways to get involved:
One of the key deliverables of Update Downsview is a Master Environmental Servicing Plan (“MESP”), which is a long-range plan that examines and identifies the transportation, water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure required to support the needs of existing and future residents, workers and visitors. In collaboration with the OPA Applicant, the City has commenced MESP work through an Integrated Planning Act and Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Act Study (“EA Study”). The MESP will provide a framework and vision for the implementation of the recommended infrastructure improvements.
The MESP will be delivered in accordance with the Master Planning process (Approach 4 – Integration with the Planning Act) to meet the Phase 1 and 2 requirements of the five phase Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process (Municipal Engineers Association October 2000, as amended). The EA Study process includes identifying problems and opportunities, developing and evaluating a range of alternative solutions, and providing opportunities for public input. Phase 1 will identify the Problem and Opportunity, while Phase 2 will identify and evaluate Alternative Solutions and select a Preferred Solution. It is the intent of this EA Study to satisfy the requirements of Schedule B projects while Schedule C projects will require the completion of Phases 3, 4 and 5 through further subsequent study.
The completed MESP will recommend a set of various infrastructure projects, initiatives and policies to support the anticipated growth and development of the Update Downsview area.
The map below illustrates the relevant boundaries for the EA Study, Secondary Plan and OPA application.
Update Downsview will include extensive public consultation in a variety of forms over the entire course of the study. Please contact Alicia Rinaldi with any questions or comments. Alicia can be reached at Alicia.Rinaldi3@toronto.ca or 416-338-6284.
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