Toronto's waterfront belongs to everyone.
Major improvements to TCHC buildings in CityPlace. There is more work to do.
No to Doug Ford’s Toronto Islands land grab
No to Doug Ford’s Toronto Islands land grab
Toronto's waterfront belongs to everyone.
It's where tens of thousands of people have chosen to make their home. It's where millions of residents and visitors come every year to enjoy our beaches, parks, trails, cultural institutions, and public spaces. It's one of our city's greatest shared assets, and its future should never be decided without the people of Toronto.
For decades, the City of Toronto has worked collaboratively with the provincial and federal governments to shape our waterfront. That collaboration hasn't always been easy, but it has delivered extraordinary results.
Together, we've transformed former industrial lands into thriving neighbourhoods with tens of thousands of new homes. We're continuing to build complete communities across the East Waterfront, creating housing, parks, schools, libraries, and public spaces for generations to come.
We've invested in award-winning parks, strengthened public services, supported local businesses, and helped cultural institutions flourish. Our waterfront has become a vibrant place to live, work, learn, and visit because governments worked together and because Torontonians had a voice in shaping it.
Today, that collaborative approach is under threat.
The Ontario government's decision to seize City-owned land and designate an undefined area as a Special Economic Zone is deeply concerning. This unprecedented move would suspend municipal planning rules and zoning over lands that have been carefully planned for decades, placing future decisions entirely in the hands of the province.
Just as troubling is what this means for local democracy.
Toronto residents deserve to know what is being proposed, how it will affect their communities, and to have meaningful input before decisions are made. Instead, the City has been presented with uncertainty and asked to simply trust that our interests will be protected.
That's not good enough.
Without a clear proposal, we still don't know what the impacts could be on housing, transportation, public spaces, environmental protections, or the communities that depend on our waterfront every day. We also don't know what precedent this sets for other neighbourhoods across Toronto.
If the province can unilaterally override local planning and seize City land here, where could it happen next? What other community projects, housing developments, parks, or public spaces could be put at risk without consultation or local approval?
These are questions every Torontonian—and every member of City Council—should be asking.
I've heard from hundreds of residents from across my ward and throughout Toronto. They care deeply about our waterfront. Whether they spend time at Hanlan's Point Beach, Harbourfront Centre, George Brown College, or simply enjoy walking along the lake, they share a common belief: our city should continue to grow and prosper, but not at the expense of local democracy.
Torontonians support economic growth. They want a thriving downtown and a successful waterfront. But they also expect governments to work together, not for one level of government to impose decisions on the city without consultation.
The people of Toronto, and the City Council they elect, must have a meaningful voice in decisions that shape the future of our city and our waterfront.
As councillors, regardless of the communities we represent, we have a responsibility to stand up for that principle. Our obligation is to ensure that the people we serve are heard, and that Toronto continues to have a seat at the table when decisions are made about its future.
Our waterfront has been built through partnership, collaboration, and public trust. That's how its future should be shaped as well.
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