In 2018, Bombardier announced that their operations would be leaving the Downsview Airport and Bombardier Aerospace Campus in 2024. 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 2011 Downsview Area Secondary Plan area which required, among other matters, an update to the Secondary Plan.
In October 2021, Canada Lands Company Ltd. and Northcrest Developments submitted an Official Plan Amendment application (“OPA”) to amend the 2011 Downsview Secondary Plan to reflect their vision for their lands.
In Fall 2021, the City of Toronto launched the Update Downsview Study, which included the preparation of an updated Downsview Secondary Plan, Community Development Plan, Urban Design Guidelines, Zoning By-law for Meanwhile Uses, and Master Environmental Servicing Plan. These deliverables collectively set out the long-term vision for a complete community centered on transit investment, job creation, parks and open spaces and community services and facilities that will meet the needs of existing and future residents, visitors and workers.
The Downsview 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.
City staff hosted a virtual Public Meeting on November 21. The purpose of the meeting was to 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 for Interim Uses, Urban Design Guidelines, and Master Environmental Servicing Plan. The meeting included a presentation by City staff, followed by a question-and-answer period through thematic topic-based breakout sessions.
City staff hosted an in-person Open House at Toronto Public Library – Downsview Branch. The purpose of the Open House was to 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 included information on the road and servicing network improvements required outside of the Downsview lands. City staff and representatives of Northcrest Developments and Canada Lands Company were available to hear comments and answer questions.
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.
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).
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:
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.
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.