2015_August Toronto Condo News

August 2015

From the Editor …….

Two important events affecting condominium corporations

and owners in the next couple of years are covered in this

issue of Toronto Condo News.

Protecting Condominium Owners Act, 2015, when enacted,

is unlikely to have significant implications on well run

condominium corporations that have embraced best

practices and change. The remainder will find it harder to

avoid what could become mandated changes. Beginning on

page 2 we explain how key parts of this proposed legislation

could affect condo owners.

The 15 year grace period for “older” condominium

corporations to fully fund their reserve funds is nearing an

end. Those that have failed to do so will soon be out of

options for delaying funding increases. This will provide

condo owners with greater certainty that their reserve funds

are at an adequate level. See pages 4 and 14 for details.

These and other changes in the coming years are likely to

challenge those condo corporations that have not kept up

with recognized best practices.

Inside ……

Protecting Condominium Owners Act, 2015 Pg 2 Toronto Police Testing Body Cameras Pg 3 Reserve Fund Deadline Approaching Pg 4 Smoking in Common Areas Prohibited Pg 9 Investor-Owned Condo Market Pg 10 Evicting Tenants from Condos Pg 13 Funding Your Reserve Fund Pg 14 Luxury … at a cost Pg 15

…. and more

Innovation in the

Condo Industry

I ndustry innovation is expected to lead to greater

reliability and reduced costs. This tends to happen

when an industry operates according to best practices.

Being relatively new, the condo industry currently has not

yet achieved a set of best practices for all to follow in

achieving efficiency and cost reduction. The cost of this is

paid by condo owners in the form of condo fees.

The term used in business is continuous improvement.

Continuous improvement should motivate condo vendors

to operate more efficiently and pass along some of the

financial savings to the condo corporation. Those that do

so are more likely to remain vendors of the condo

corporation. Those that fail in such efforts are more likely

to be replaced.

Developers, condo corporations, property management

Continued page 7

Toronto Condo News

What Condo Dwellers are Reading

Protecting Condominium Owners Act, 2015

P rotecting

Condominium

Owners Act, 2015 is a 167

page document containing

more than a thousand

revisions to the current

Condominium Act. These

are the proposed

amendments to the Condominium Act, 1998.

This legislation may take up to three years to become law. At that time it will affect

condominium owners, new condominium owners, developers and vendors to the condo

community.

From the perspective of a condominium owner, the proposed amendments strike a new

balance between individual and corporation rights. In some ways this legislation will make

condominium corporations easier to manage. It also places a large, and some would argue

unnecessary, financial burden on condominium owners. It is hoped that concerns identified

in this article, and others that are brought up as this Act moves toward legislation, are more

effectively addressed.

Following are what appear to be the more significant proposed changes in the Act.

Creation of a Condominium Authority

The Condominium Authority will have three responsibilities:

Dispute resolution

Education of purchasers and owners of condominium suites

Director education/training

Continued page 3

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Toronto

Police Testing

Body

Cameras

A year-long project

has 100 Toronto

Police Service officers

testing body-worn

cameras.

The body-worn

cameras will be

activated every time an

officer responds to a

call for service or is

investigating an

individual during the

course of their duties.

Toronto Police Services

provides information

about the use of body-

worm cameras on their

website and their

Frequently Asked

Questions.

Protecting Condominium Owners Act, 2015 continued

Condo Act

Condo Act 2015 continued

from page 2

A Condominium Authority

Tribunal would be

established for the resolution

of disputes primarily between

condominium corporations

and owners or mortgagees.

Any order of the tribunal

would be final and binding.

Questions of law can be

appealed to a Divisional

Court.

The Condominium Authority

can set fees. It will have

authority to assess


and new owners to cover

their fees and expenses. Preliminary information is that

condo owners will initially pay $12 per year to fund this body

which would likely raise in excess of $8 million per year.

The amount can change at the discretion of the

Condominium Authority. Given that the current Landlord

and Tenant Board has a budget of $30 million - not funded

by renters - a Condominium Authority with its broader

mandate could be more expensive.

A corporation, owner, mortgagee or purchaser can apply to

the Tribunal for resolution of particular disputes prescribed

by the regulations. The tribunal can order one party to pay

Continued page 4

http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/bodyworncameras/

http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/media/text/20150421-body_worn_camera_faq.pdf

http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/media/text/20150421-body_worn_camera_faq.pdf

Condo Act




from page 3

compensation for damages

up to $25,000 as a result of

noncompliance plus costs of

the tribunal or proceeding.

Financial penalties can also

be assessed to a maximum

of $5,000. When an order

requires an owner to pay

compensation or costs to a

condo corporation, the

amount can be added to the

common expenses payable

by that owner. When an

order requires a condo

corporation to pay

compensation or costs to an

owner, the amount can be

deducted from common

expenses payable for the

owner’s suite.

Condominium corporations

will be required to file annual

financial returns with the

Condominium Authority and

to notify them of changes to

its directors. They can also

assess an annual filing fee.

While the general purpose of the Condominium Authority is

well intended, the funding mechanism is questionable and a

potentially costly financial burden on condo owners:

Condominium Authority funding is through condo owners

paying an annual fee per suite, annual condominium

corporation fees and additional compliance costs. To the

extent these fees subsidize the Tribunal, condo

corporations would also be financially responsible for

defending against more individual disputes regardless of

their merit.

Continued page 5

Reserve

Fund

Deadline

Approaching

May 4, 2016

T he current Condo

Act came into

force on May 5, 2001.

Condo corporations

registered as of that

date are required to

have their reserve

funds adequately

funded by May 4,

2016.

When the Condo Act

was revised in May

2001 it included a ten

year extension to top

up underfunded

Continued page 5

Condo Act




from page 4

Owners of single family

homes do not pay

additional fees for

“continuing education”

about home ownership.

Neither owners of single

family homes or renters

pay fees to support dispute

resolution. The

Condominium Authority

would place this unique

burden on condominium

owners implying they

require, desire and are

prepared to fund these

programs

Creating a dispute

resolution process forcibly

funded by all condo

residents is troubling. The

reality is that most

condominium owners are

happy with their lifestyle

choice. Disputes are

infrequent and most

condominium owners are

unlikely to avail themselves

of the process. Renters or

owners of single family

homes are not required to

fund a dispute resolution

process for their chosen

form of residency.

The voluntary nature of

condo boards ensures

higher legal costs to

interpret new legislation, represent condo corporations

during Tribunal disputes and a myriad of other new tasks

under this legislation. One condo lawyer “predicts

opportunities for condominium lawyers,… and litigators”

and ”opportunities to act as dispute adjudicators”. Within a

system where condo owners represent themselves at the

tribunal, condo managers and directors are unlikely to be

representing the condo corporation and will likely rely on

their legal counsel for this service.

Cumulative surcharges to condo owners appears to be a

continuing trend that unnecessarily increases the cost of

condo living. Despite lower costs to the city for providing

Continued page 6

Reserve Fund Deadline

continued from page 4

reserve funds. These

funds are to be available

for major repairs and

replacement in

accordance with their

Reserve Fund Study.

This ten year

requirement was

subsequently extended

to fifteen (15) years from

the date of a

condominium’s first

reserve fund for those

condominiums

registered before May 5,

2001.

The intent of this was to

assist condominium

corporations in

addressing reserve fund

shortfalls. It coincided

with introduction of the

HST which placed a

strain on condominium

reserve funds.

Some condominium

corporations may have

allowed their reserve

Continued page 6


Condo Act

Reserve Fund Deadline


funds to remain

underfunded during this

time. As they may soon

have to replace or repair

major parts of their

buildings such as roof,

façade or underground

parking structures, these

corporations may soon

require significant cash

infusions by condo

owners.

Condominium

corporations which have

failed to adequately fund

their reserve funds

during this period will

soon be required to

address this funding

discrepancy to remain in

compliance with the

Condo Act.



from page 5

essential services,

condominium owners pay the

same property tax rates as

single family homes. These

services include trash

collection and infrastructure

for receiving utilities.

Condominium Authority fees

are a continuation of this

layering trend where hidden

fees and costs to condo

owners once considered

nominal are now substantial.

Funding the Condominium

Authority in this way is

unlikely to be supported by

condo owners. Such fees

could result in the

Condominium Authority

being perceived as a

financial burden providing

little or no benefit to a

majority of condo owners.

Condominium Management

Services Act, 2015

This would require that

persons who provide

management services to


be licensed as condominium

management providers or

condominium managers.

Licensees found to have

breached a code of ethics

could be subject to a fine of

up to $25,000.

This would eliminate the opportunity for condominium

corporations to self-manage their affairs without employing a

licensed Condominium Manager.

Condominium Management Providers, which would include

property management companies, are held responsible for

preventing abuses of Condominium Managers. Failure to do

so could result in fines or imprisonment.

The Act would allow for imposition of penalties or required

educational courses on Condominium Managers and

Condominium Management Providers. There is also a

provision for suspending or revoking a license or right to offer

condominium management services.

It remains unclear how the Condominium Management

Services Act improves on the current ACMO certification for

condominium managers. Costs of licensing and educational

courses would ultimately be paid through fees to

condominium corporations. As management costs escalate,

prudent condominium corporations are more likely to

consider use of technology and part-time condominium

management as a way to contain costs.

Condo Director Qualifications (Condominium Authority)

Qualifications and disqualifications for being the director of a

condominium corporation are expanded to include disclosure

obligations and required training.

Any requirement for director training on volunteer directors

could have dire consequences on condo corporations

already having difficulty filling the director role. Quality

volunteer candidates are often unwilling to undergo

mandatory education or training particularly when they

possess desired expertise obtained through experience.

This would lead to degradation in the quality of condominium

corporation directors and less effective management.

Continued page 7


Condo Management

Innovation in the Condo Industry continued

Condo Act 2015 continued from page 6

New Quorum Rules and Expansion of Board Authority

New quorum rules are proposed

for meetings.

A quorum for the transaction of

business at a condominium

corporation meeting would

remain 25% of the suites in the

corporation. The quorum drops

to 15% if it is a third or

subsequent attempt to obtain a

quorum for that business.

For condominium corporations where owners are

disinterested and do not show up for meetings, this change

would aid in meetings such as an Annual General Meeting

where votes for directors do not require a 50%+1 majority.

Where a majority of 50%+1 or more is required for approval,

this amended quorum requirement is unlikely to be

beneficial.

The board will have greater authority to enact by-laws and

rules without requiring a vote of condo owners.

Overall, Protecting Condominium Owners Act, 2015

Pan Am

Games

Legacy

T he Pan Am

games have come

and gone.

They leave a legacy of

benefits to the

residents of Toronto

and surrounding areas.

A new condo

community, Canary

District, in an area

unused for decades

A Velodrome in

Milton

An updated

Etobicoke Olympium

An updated

Equestrian Park in

Caledon

A new Aquatics

Centre and Field

House in

Scarborough

appears to be a well-considered set of amendments to a currently effective Condominium Act.

There is greater protection for new condo buyers and condo owners. As this legislation

becomes law, it is hoped that legislators consider concerns identified here and improve on the

currently proposed changes to better reflect the realities of condo living.

Innovation continued from

page 1

companies, contractors and

service providers are

continuously trying to develop

best practices. Not all are

successful. Condo

corporations must make

choices from among vendors

to identify those that provide

the best combination of

product, service, reliability

and cost.

Following are some areas

where innovation has had a

dramatic positive impact on

the condo industry.

Computers

Computers are the single greatest productivity tool of the

past 30 years. Their introduction has led to the creation of

databases, word processing software and other tools.

Communication among large groups of individuals is more

easily achieved than in the past. Condo corporations are

just recently utilizing computers in ways that have become

standard practice for most businesses.

Continued page 8


Condo Management


Innovation continued from

page 7

Condo Management

Software

Condo management software

offers the greatest potential

for transforming the way

condo corporations are

managed.

From improved record

keeping and communications

to cost reduction and fewer

paid employees, effective use

of condo management

software is expected to

transform the way in which

condo corporations operate.

Display Monitors

The drop in price of display

monitors is transforming

condo communications.

Strategically placed in a

lobby or elevator cab and

connected to a computer,

display monitors for

communications tends to be

more effective and less costly

than paper-based

communications.

Use of this technology

typically requires external

expertise to create effective

communications. Investing

tens of thousands of dollars

on electronic communication

capabilities provides little or

no value without

communications created for

the medium.

Energy and Utility Management

Newer condo

corporations tend to

have lower per suite

and building wide

electricity costs than

comparable buildings

that are more than

about ten years old.

This is because of mandated individual suite metering of

utilities. This leaves older condo corporations with a

dilemma. They can maintain the costlier status quo of

including utilities in their condo fees or convert to individual

suite metering. At one time the conversion cost of doing so

was prohibitive. Today, it makes sense to convert to

individual suite metering in light of the financial savings and

results of past conversions.

Mobile Phone

The role of concierge and security is integrated in many

condo corporations. This requires that the main security

desk be unmanned for periods of time. Use of a mobile

phone allows security/concierge to attend to some desk

responsibilities while also attending to other business

throughout the building.

Online Voting Software

Online voting

software can

revolutionize

condo elections.

Allowing condo

owners to vote in

elections

regardless of their

physical location, expanding the period for voting and

security to prevent manipulation of votes are just some of

the benefits. Condo elections not predetermined by control

of the proxy vote should lead to better condo management.

Continued page 9

Smoking in

Condo

Common

Areas

Prohibited

T he Smoke-Free

Ontario Act

prohibits smoking,

including the holding of

lit tobacco, in the

common areas of a

condominium. This

includes hallways,

elevators, parking

areas and activity

rooms.

Earlier this year

regulations were

updated to prohibit

smoking on restaurant

and bar patios.

Responsibility for

Continued page 9

Condo Management


Innovation continued from page 8

Plumbing

Maintaining a building’s

infrastructure is costly. In condo

buildings water problems may be

the costliest of all concerns.

Uniquely, one vendor has been

quite imaginative in their

approach to this problem. LEaC

Shield brings the cost of dealing

with pinhole leaks down from

between $5,000 to $15,000 per

suite for installing new pipe to as

low as $80 per suite without the

need for costly pipe replacement.

You can read about pinhole leaks

and LEaC Shield’s solution in the

Condo Archives under Condo Building Management,

Infrastructure.

Printers, E-mail

The ability to print and transmit from a computer has

eliminated a majority of outsourced print materials. Yet

some condo corporations still spend thousands of dollars

delivering budget, AGM and other material that many would

prefer to receive via e-mail.

Smart condo boards don’t focus on reducing condo fees.

Condo boards should strive for continuous improvement by

encouraging management, vendors and residents to operate

more efficiently and without waste. Cost savings and

reduced condo fees will result if this focus is maintained.

Smoking Prohibited


enforcement is the

condominium

corporation which

serves as “owner,

operator or person in

charge” according to

the Act. This obligation

includes giving notice

to those smoking in

common areas that

smoking is prohibited,

posting signs

prohibiting smoking

throughout the

common areas and

removing ashtrays.

The regulations specify

the colour, size and

specifications of no-

smoking signs that

must be posted.

Condo corporations

that do not comply can

be subject to fines.


http://www.yscondonews.com/condo-archives.html

Condo Living


Hardwood Floors The Good, The Bad and the Sort of Ugly

Y ou've heard about

potential problems with

relative humidity (RH) - why

it varies from season to

season and what humid air

can do to cold windows and

their frames.

Against that background,

here's my story about the

choice of flooring for our

suite. Two years ago, we

chose Engineered Bamboo

in a nice dark chestnut

colour. It's "uniclic" and

individual boards have fancy

edges so they "click"

together to form one

continuous sheet of wood

wall to wall.

The colour is much deeper

than natural bamboo, and is

likely "carbonized", made brown by cooking starches in the

wood--a little like making sugar by caramelizing it with heat.

This process softens the bamboo by about 30%, a fact not

often mentioned in sales literature. Furniture and dropped

objects leave more noticeable dents than in traditional

hardwood.

Our floor has another

problem -- it's cracking

along the length of the

boards. While it was

installed correctly, the

cracks began to occur

when the RH decreased in

the winter (we could

actually hear a board

give way in the quiet of

the night). Most of the

cracks happened in the

first winter, but the

second winter just past

saw a number of new

cracks appear. When the RH decreases, the top surface of

the wood shrinks and, because it's glued to a number of

other plies, it has nowhere to go but to crack at the glue-

lines. You can see the consistent distance between cracks in

boards with multiple cracks. A cracked board has a rough

feel--the crack itself is raised above the rest of the

Continued page 11

Investor-

Owned

Condo Market

N obody seems to

know how much

of the condo market is

controlled by investors.

Investment properties

can introduce a

heightened degree of

conflict within a condo

community.

While use of

condominiums as rental

housing may be

beneficial to some, their

use as rental stock or

investments can conflict

with the goal of home

ownership.

Canada Mortgage and

Housing Corp (CMHC)

reports that 17.1% of

Toronto condos are

investor-owned.

Based on their survey of

households, this

Continued page 11

Condo Living

Hardwood Floors The Good, The Bad and the Sort of Ugly

Hardwood Floors continued

from page 10

board. When the RH

increases during the summer,

the incidence of new cracking

slowly decreases as well, but

the old cracks remain.

Because the wood expands

the cracks are raised less and

less apparent, but not healed.

So, low RH is likely a major

contributing cause of my floor

problem. Other contenders

are harvesting the bamboo

when it's immature which

decreases its resilience to dry

conditions, poor quality glues

and other manufacturing

methods. China produces

most of the world's bamboo

flooring and the quality of the

product is said to vary widely.

What can one do?

Consider carefully whether

you want to use bamboo.

Natural colour bamboo will be

more resistant to denting than

brown (caramelized) wood.

The manufacturers caution against low RH, sometimes

quoting a 30% minimum. That's hard to achieve in our

building because humidity is not added to our corridor air

and when it gets very cold outside the indoor RH plummets.

Reliably adding moisture to the frequently changing air in our

suites is a challenge and, as we've seen, too much of this

"good thing" for the flooring can create damaging

condensation on the windows.

We're cautioned to carefully select a responsible dealer

when choosing bamboo products, but I question whether

that retailer can know the harvesting conditions, glue quality

and manufacturing techniques of the wood supplied to it

from the other side of the globe. Our RH conditions in a cold

spell in winter could invalidate the warranty with respect to

cracking.

Coming up with a beautiful, resilient and long-lasting flooring

choice wasn't easy. And now that we've made it, I believe

that doing more research and viewing some first-hand

examples could have modified or changed our final choice.

________________________________________________

This article appeared in the June 2014 issue of Manhattan

Matters (Manhattan Place Newsletter) and has been

reprinted with permission.


Investor-Owned

Condo Market


suggests that most

condominium buildings

are below the 25%

threshold where condo

communities are

sometimes viewed as

less stable and more

problematic.

The survey may

understate the number

of investor-owned

condos. It excludes

empty investor-owned

condos and those

rented via free

websites. It also

excludes investors who

own a condo in Toronto

but reside in another

city. Finally, the survey

does not reflect

purchased condos in

unopened buildings.

Investor-owned

condos, according to

others in the industry, is

in excess of 40%.

Some developers

believe the true figure

is 60% to 70%.

continued

Condo Rentals

Evicting Tenants from Condos

New Metro

Supermarkets

Cater to

Upscale

Condo

Dwellers

M etro is updating

most of its 137

Ontario Metro stores

with an emphasis on

fresh and prepared

foods. Metro is

following Whole Foods,

Loblaws and other area

supermarkets in

changing to better serve

the needs of growing

condo communities.

This past March Metro

introduced its new

prototype store. The

store is surrounded by

Continued page 14

L andlords fight an uphill

battle when trying to

evict residential tenants from

condominiums.

Evicting a tenant from a

condominium unit can take

six months or more. During

this time, condo owners

residing in the same building

as a problem tenant may find

their options to be limited.

Tenants are not always

required to follow the same

rules or restrictions as a

condo owner. In a high-rise

condo, this becomes a

community problem when a

tenant’s actions adversely

affect condo owners residing

in the same building.

The Condominium Act

regulates the operations of

Condominium Corporations

within the province.

Condominium Corporations

are governing bodies owned

by condominium owners.

The Residential Tenancies

Act (RTA) governs tenants

regardless of if a building is

an apartment or

condominium.

When condo owners and

tenants reside in the same

building, there can be conflict

between the Condominium

Act and the Residential

Tenancies Act. These two

legislations result in people residing in a single condo

building having different rules applied to them. A problem

tenant, perhaps someone who refuses to stop playing loud

music all night, can disrupt the lives of dozens of condo

owners. Landlords, and condo owners, are at a

disadvantage with dealing with such tenants who feel

protected by the Residential Tenancies Act rather than

being required to comply with the Condominium Act.


Section 94(8) of the Condo Act says …

Within 120 days of receiving a reserve fund study, the board

shall review it and propose a plan for the future funding of the

reserve fund that the board determines will ensure that, within

a prescribed period of time and in accordance with the

prescribed requirements, the fund will be adequate for the

purpose for which it was established.

Condo Finances

Funding Your Reserve Fund

T here is some ambiguity as to what is meant by “adequate”.

One of two funding approaches is generally utilized to ensure that the reserve fund is

“adequate”.

First Fiscal Year Funding

The Act and Regulations state that the reserve fund should be fully funded by the year after the

year the reserve fund study is completed with subsequent increases at the rate of inflation.

This approach requires immediate funding of any deficiencies and reduces the likelihood of

special assessments or future funding problems.

Multi-Year Funding

Advocates of this approach believe that it is not reasonable to require current owners to

immediately implement full funding when most expenses are unlikely to be incurred until future

years. They feel that the fund is “adequate” so long as it can cover anticipated expenses.

Under this approach the reserve fund only needs to contain funds anticipated for the current

fiscal year.

Since reserve fund studies are undertaken every three years, advocates of this approach

generally agree that full funding should be complete by the time of the next reserve fund

Continued page 15

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Metro Supermarkets


condominiums in

Toronto’s west

Lakeshore area. Fresh

and prepared foods will

take up 60% of store

space as compared to

40% of store space in

regular Metro stores.

New format Metro

supermarkets are

intended to cater to

condo-dwelling young

professionals with

disposable incomes

who prefer fresh and

take-out food. The new

stores, which appear

less cluttered, are a

departure from current

stores. They include

brushed concrete

floors, stainless steel

accents and dark-wood

produce tables.

The new stores will

appear more

community focused.

The prototype store

includes a Starbucks

café,.



Condo Life

Toronto Condo News

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Luxury … at a cost Residences at the Ritz Carlton

Funding Your Reserve Fund continued from page 14

study. Others feel that longer periods of time are acceptable to achieve full funding so long as

each current fiscal year’s anticipated expenditures are fully funded.

This approach avoids a one year spike in reserve fund contributions. It also presents

opportunities for manipulation, underfunding and future funding deficiencies. This multi-year

funding approach penalizes future condo owners for prior reserve fund deficiencies.

The Stage 2 Solutions Report, which recommends changes to the Condo Act, attempts to

clarify how reserve funds are to be funded. The report recommends a three year phase-in

period after which time reserve fund increases should be limited to the rate of inflation. The

report further recommends that an unexpected 50% decrease in reserve fund balance two

months after the reserve fund study is complete trigger a potential review.

R esidences at the Ritz-Carlton, located above the Ritz-Carleton Hotel, is home to some of

Toronto’s nicest and most expensive condominium residences.

One of the most luxurious condos in the city, Residences at the Ritz-Carlton offers the

following amenities:

24 hour Personal Concierge Service 24 Hour Valet Parking 12 seat Media Centre

Board Room Lounge Pantry Kitchen

Billiards Room Guest Suite Exercise Room

Yoga Studio Doorman

Employed staff plan social events such as sushi nights, annual BBQ, bartending classes and

Yoga.

Employees at Residences at the Ritz-Carleton are required to undergo a four week training

program. This applies to customer service and cleaning staff.

Continued left panel on this page

Ritz Carllton continued

from this page

Residents of

Residences at the Ritz-

Carleton actively support

the community:

Food and clothing

drives for families in

need

Support is provided to

the Herbie Fund

(complex surgical

procedures to children

from developing

nations) and Yonge

Street Mission (warm

meals during coldest

months of the year)

Neighbourhood park

cleanups

Some popular amenities

in luxury condo buildings

not offered at

Residences at the Ritz-

Carleton:

Laundry service

Room service

Spa services

Housekeeping

services


Community

Highway 401 and Yonge St. Interchange Update

T oronto Condo News continues to follow the saga of the Highway 401 and Yonge St.

Interchange.

The Yonge St. and Sheppard Ave. intersection may be the most congested in the city. The

area has a High Density designation per provincial and municipal policies. This allows

developers to build more and larger residential buildings than in other areas. With this density

comes a need for improved roads and other city services.

With more than 130 high-rise condo buildings along a 2 km stretch of Yonge St., the area is

the largest condo community in the region.

While condo building and population continue to grow in the community, area residents wait for

the city and province to provide adequate road infrastructure.

They have been waiting for more than ten years. One of the major area bottlenecks is the

Highway 401 eastbound

ramp from Yonge St. south.

There has been an

independent study on this

issue and a number of

technical studies with shared

work done by the City and

the Province of Ontario.

During this time condo

buildings continued to

receive approval for

development based on

dubious claims of a

Continued page 17

The Condo

Bible on

Condo Loans

The necessity of

obtaining a common

loan is one of the most

dreaded situations that

an individual

condominium owner

may experience.

Such loans are

desperate measures

taken as a result of

individual owners being

unable to carry on with

Continued page 17


“We will get it done. I’m … eager to

see this project through to

completion.” David Zimmer, MPP Willowdale

Condo Bible on Condo

Loans continued from

page 16

necessary expenditures

to maintain the

condominium complex.

The need for a sizeable

common loan may bring

serious consequences,

forcing out many

condominium unit

owners.

___________________

The Condo Bible delves

into aspects of condo

living that most people

do not consider.

Information on The

Condo Bible for

Canadians is available

at www.condobible.com.

Community

Phase 2 Traffic Modelling Analysis – Environmental

Assessment - and recommendations was complete in March

2015. Mr. Zimmer reports that the report and

recommendations were presented to the Ministry of

Transportation and City officials in mid-April. A Public

Meeting to present the recommendations tentatively

scheduled for late April or early May never took place.

At this time the Ontario Ministry of Transportation must

approve the recently completed Environmental Assessment.

Despite support by both MPP David Zimmer and Councillor

John Filion who represent the area, there does not appear to

be the same imperative by the Province or Planning

Department to address the lingering congestion implications

of the area’s High Density designation.

Given the lack of road infrastructure to support high density

growth, the viability of this policy for other areas of the city

may be suspect.


Highway 401 and Yonge St. Interchange Update continued

401 Interchange Update


negligible impact on area

traffic.

Experience shows these

claims of “negligible impact”

to be less than truthful.

Streets near Yonge St. are

heavily congested and

getting worse. What was

once a three minute drive

can now take 20 minutes.

During the 2014 provincial

election, MPP David Zimmer

identified a new 401

Eastbound ramp from

Yonge Street southbound as

a priority to helping address

area gridlock.

http://www.condobible.com

2015_August Toronto Condo News

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Transcript of 2015_August Toronto Condo News