Immediate Request for Clarity on Guildwood GO TOC Process, Timeline, and Community Engagement

Dear Premier Ford, Ms Hazell, Deputy Mayor Ainslie and Andrew,

On behalf of the Guildwood Village Community Association (GVCA), representing approximately 3,400 households surrounding the Guildwood GO Station, I am writing to urgently request clarity regarding the status, process, and next steps for the proposed Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) at Guildwood GO.

At present, our community feels a significant lack of transparency surrounding this project. Despite ongoing discussions and prior submissions, residents have not been provided with a clear understanding of the project’s status. Specifically, there is no confirmed information regarding:

• Whether, over the near universal objections of the Guildwood community, the project has been approved in any form

• The current stage of the planning process 

• Whether a preferred concept, including height and density parameters, has already been advanced 

• What decisions—if any—have already been made 

• When and how the community will be meaningfully engaged prior to key decisions being finalized

Given the scale of the proposal—approximately 2,500 residential units in towers ranging from 30 to 60 storeys—this level of uncertainty is not acceptable for a development of this magnitude and impact. The community consultation process has also felt purposefully vague, and constructed in such a way as to control rather than evaluate and engage feedback as expressed.

Escalating Concern Based on Oakville Precedent

Recent provincial actions in Oakville have significantly heightened concern within our community.

As outlined in the attached reporting :

• The Province used Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs) to override local planning and fast-track a TOC development of over 6,800 units near Oakville GO Station

• Municipal input was effectively sidelined as these orders override municipal planning authority and are not subject to appeal 

• Key planning decisions regarding height, density, and unit yield were advanced prior to meaningful public consultation 

• Public messaging suggested collaboration, while substantive outcomes appeared to have been predetermined

Further media reporting highlights:

• Confusion and conflicting messaging regarding building heights (45–56 storeys vs. proposed 38-storey cap) 

• Community concerns about density, infrastructure strain, and lack of transparency 

• Perceptions that critical decisions were made behind closed doors, undermining public trust 

This sequence of events has created a strong perception that:

• Community consultation may be procedural rather than substantive

• Local planning frameworks may be bypassed or overridden late in the process

• Density targets may be prioritized over infrastructure, livability, or community fit

The GVCA is seeking explicit confirmation that a true, substantive consultation approach will be taken on the Guildwood TOC, and not a symbolic ‘ticking off the boxes’ approach.

Planning Context and Local Conditions

As outlined in our formal submission to Infrastructure Ontario, the current TOC concept for Guildwood raises fundamental concerns related to scale, infrastructure readiness, and contextual fit.

A key differentiator between the Oakville and proposed Guildwood projects is that the Oakville Go Station is not located smack in the middle of a residential area. The Oakville Go is located in a low density, primarily light industrial area with little close residential areas. 

The proposed Guildwood Go development is immediately adjacent to a long-standing residential community that is composed of real people, who believe that this proposal will erase all the attributes which make Guildwood so unique and tight-knit.

Communities are not just real estate, houses and buildings. What makes communities live and breathe is the character, lives and aspirations of those who have chosen to live there, raise families, grow old and feel part of a tight community. Communities are entirely about people.

While the GVCA supports the objective of increasing housing supply near transit, such development must be:

• Sensitive to the Community culture and character

• Phased in alignment with infrastructure capacity 

• Supported by health care, schools, transit, and community services 

The current concept—six towers up to 60 storeys in a predominantly low-rise neighbourhood—does not meet these criteria and requires substantial revision.  The current concept will essentially add more new residents than what all of Guildwood currently supports. We believe, and so does Guildwood’s diverse population, that this project will end Guildwood as its residents know it.

Additionally, there are well-documented constraints in the Scarborough context, including:

• Overcapacity pressures on healthcare systems 

• Limited access to primary care 

• School capacity pressures 

• Transit infrastructure that is planned but not yet funded or delivered 

Advancing significant population growth in the absence of these supports raises serious planning concerns.

Market Risk, Planning Misalignment and Deliverability

Equally concerning is the risk that TOC developments are being advanced based on outdated and unrealistic housing assumptions, not aligned with current or future potential market demand.

Across the GTA, there is growing evidence that:

• Demand for small, high-density “shoebox” condo units has materially weakened

• Pre-construction condo markets are soft, with numerous cancellations, declining absorption and increasing inventory

• Buyers—particularly families—are seeking larger, more livable housing formats

Proceeding with a development model that overemphasizes small-unit, high-rise density risks:

• Delivering product that does not meet market demand

• Creating long-term vacancy, investor-driven turnover, and reduced community stability

• Failing to achieve the stated goal of building complete, livable communities

This is not just a design issue—it is a fundamental planning and deliverability risk.

Required Clarifications

Given the above, we are requesting direct and specific answers to the following:

• What is the current and confirmed stage of the Guildwood TOC process?

• Has a preferred development concept, including height and density ranges, already been established or endorsed?

• What are the next formal milestones, including planning submissions and consultation timelines?

• What is the defined role of the City of Toronto in reviewing and influencing the proposal?

• Is the Province of Ontario considering the use of MZOs or other accelerated approval tools for this site?

• What specific mechanisms will be put in place to ensure meaningful community input is incorporated before—not after—key decisions are finalized?

GVCA Position

To be clear, GVCA is not opposed to intensification in appropriate locations. However, we will strongly oppose any approach that:

• Predetermines outcomes without meaningful community input

• Overrides local planning frameworks without clear justification

• Prioritizes density targets over infrastructure capacity,  livability and long-term community outcomes

Guildwood is not opposed to growth—but growth must be planned, phased, and aligned with the realities of the community it impacts.

Next Steps

Given the level of concern, the GVCA is requesting:

• A written response addressing the above questions

• Confirmation of upcoming engagement opportunities and timelines

• The opportunity to meet with the project team in the near term

We would appreciate a response at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely, 

Jeff Garrah President Guildwood Village Community Association