Category: Feedback

City Introduces New Changes For Short Term Rental Operators Like Airbnb

July 5, 2024 Michael Leave a comment Feedback, News

The City of Toronto has implemented the following changes for short-term rental operators like Airbnb and booking.com, effective June 30 of this year: 

  • Operators will need to post a physical copy of the emergency contact information and exit diagrams prominently in the rental for the duration of the guest’s rental period. 
  • The 40-day registration revocation process will be reduced to a 10-day process. The appeal process will remain to allow operators to provide evidence and information to explain why their registration should not be revoked. 
  • Revised definitions of short-term rental, principal residence and dwelling unit clarify the bylaw and make it easier for operators to understand the regulations.
  • Licensed multi-tenant house operators will be prohibited from applying for a short-term rental registration. 

Changes coming into effect in September 2024 will reportedly strengthen the principal residence requirements, authorize annual inspections and introduce a limit of one registration per dwelling unit. Starting January 2025, the operator registration fees will increase and operators will be required to choose between registering as either an entire-unit operator (i.e. short-term renting entire home) or as a partial-unit operator (i.e. short-term renting only rooms in the home) for the duration of their registration period. 

More information on the bylaw changes and an updated Good Operator Guide are available at toronto.ca/ShortTermRentals. For any questions regarding the new rules, please email ShortTermRentals@toronto.ca.

UPDATE: Bloor Street West Bike Lane Extension Beginning Week of September 11

May 30, 2023 Michael Leave a comment Feedback, News

THIS HAS BEEN APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL

The public consultation process is complete and you can review the Public Consultation Report as well as other project information at Toronto.ca/BloorWest.

Transportation Services is seeking City Council authority to install the proposed complete street elements on Bloor Street West from Runnymede Road to Resurrection Road as well as accompanying changes to the South Kingsway intersection.  If approved, phase 1 from Runnymede Road to Aberfoyle Crescent would be installed in summer of 2023. Changes to Bloor Street West would be made with materials that can be installed quickly, such as bollards, roadway paint, planters and signage. No major road reconstruction is planned.

Highlights of the proposed design on Bloor Street West include the following:

  • Reducing the speed limit to 40km/hr between Runnymede Road and Kipling Avenue;
  • New cycle tracks with physical separation on both sides;
  • One motor vehicle lane removed in each direction between Runnymede Road and Aberfoyle Crescent;
  • One motor vehicle lane removed in the eastbound direction between Aberfoyle Crescent and Resurrection Road (due to the wider right-of-way and motor vehicle volumes, it is proposed to maintain two westbound motor vehicle lanes in this segment);
  • Centre median maintained between Kingscourt Drive and Royal York Road, and a new painted median over the Humber River and the Mimico Creek bridges;
  • Centre left-turn lane between Aberfoyle Crescent and Green Lanes;
  • Centre lane or median converted to new, centre left-turn lane from Armadale Avenue to South Kingsway; Old Mill Drive to Riverside Drive; Old Mill Trail and Kingscourt Drive; and Royal York Road and Aberfoyle Crescent;
  • Existing turn lanes at major intersections maintained between Prince Edward Drive and Aberfoyle Crescent;
  • Westbound bus lane and right-turn lane on the north side of Bloor Street West from Armadale Avenue to Jane Street;
  • On-street parking retained on both sides of the street from Runnymede Road to Armadale Avenue, and in existing parking lay-bys from Armadale Avenue to Aberfoyle Crescent (in the summer, on-street parking can become cafés beside the sidewalk as part of the CaféTO program); and
  • One painted pedestrian lane on the south side between Kingscourt Drive and Prince Edward Drive to address the existing sidewalk gap adjacent to the cemetery before a permanent sidewalk can be built.

Highlights of the proposed design at the South Kingsway intersection include the following:

  • New cycle tracks and removal of one motor vehicle lane per direction on Bloor Street West;
  • Close the eastern entrance of Mossom Road to southbound vehicles in order to improve safety and predictability of motor vehicle movements at the intersection. The majority of pedestrian collisions have occurred with drivers turning across the South Kingsway crosswalk with pedestrians having the right-of-way. Two irregular driving manoeuvers would no longer be allowed with the proposed closure to the eastern entrance. Mossom Road would be converted to two-way travel for part of its length to provide residential access. A new left-turn lane would be provided at Riverside Drive and the existing left-turn restriction from Bloor Street West would be removed;
  • Extend the length of left-turn lanes for drivers turning from Bloor Street West onto South Kingsway and Jane Street; and
  • Add more green signal time for the busiest motor vehicle movements.

Toronto Life Magazine May Want to Hear From You Bloor West Village

May 26, 2023 Michael Leave a comment Feedback, Media

City magazine Toronto Life is looking for people with interesting real estate/housing stories (buying, selling, renovations, etc) or a strong point of view about a housing issue in the city that they are personally affected by who are willing to tell their stories. If you have an opinion or story to tell, please reach out to Maddy Mahoney, Digital Producer, Toronto Life at maighdlin.mahoney@stjoseph.com.

So How Do You Feel About Hens in Our Backyards?

January 18, 2023 Michael Leave a comment Feedback

Building on the broad public consultations conducted in 2022, the City wants to reconnect with you to hear your opinions on making the UrbanHensTO pilot program permanent and city-wide. Take an online survey to share your thoughts and any additional comments on issues related to the program, such as nuisance, public health, food security, veterinarian care and animal welfare in Toronto. The deadline to submit comments is February 7.

Your feedback from the survey will update the City’s understanding about the program, help staff gauge the extent to which the public support making the program permanent, and inform the final staff report expected at the April 2023 meeting of the Economic and Community Development Committee.

Learn more at toronto.ca/UrbanHensTO.

Do These Things Or Your Pipes May Freeze

December 21, 2022 Michael Leave a comment Feedback

This time of year can often be variable: cold days, mild days, cold days… It will eventually be much colder, longer, so consider these tips to ensure your home’s plumbing is safe:

Locate your main water shut-off valve inside your home and add a tag or label to it, so it is easy to locate and turn off quickly if pipes burst in your home

Seal air leaks in your home and garage to stop cold air from getting in. Check around windows and doors, electrical wiring, dryer vents and pipes

Insulate pipes in your home most prone to freezing including near outside walls, in the basement, or in a garage with an outside water supply. Use foam pipe covers available from building supply or home improvement stores

Keep the house warm even if you’re away to prevent indoor plumbing from freezing, especially in the area near the water meter

When temperatures are below -15C for a few days, you can choose to keep the water moving in your pipes by running a pencil-thin stream of cold water from a tap in the lowest point of the house e.g. a sink or tub in the basement. Ensure the drain is kept clear of debris to prevent overflowing or flooding. However, if you choose to take this step, you will be charged for the water you use. 

More tips including a video on ways to avoid frozen pipes available at toronto.ca/frozenpipes

You May Be Asked To Complete This Survey

November 11, 2022 Michael Leave a comment Feedback

The City has partnered with Ministry of Transportation Ontario, Metrolinx, TCC and other municipalities around the Golden Horseshoe Area to conduct a transit survey. The survey is called the Transportation Tomorrow Survey (TTS).

TTS is a confidential and voluntary travel survey on how Ontarians in the Greater Golden Horseshoe and surrounding area use the transportation system. The information collected is an important data source for local and regional governments, as well as the Province and its agencies. The results will be used in future transportation planning and investment decisions.

You may be hearing from them as Invitations are currently being sent out to randomly selected households to take the survey.

Volunteers Wanted At The Stone Soup Network

October 22, 2022 Michael Leave a comment Feedback, News

The Stone Soup Network is reaching out to residents of Bloor West Village for volunteers to participate on their Steering Committee.

Since 2016, over $250,000 in donated goods and services have been shared with over 3,000 people struggling with poverty in our neighbourhood. Anne Marie Molher, a Steering Committee Member, would be happy to chat with you further about this Steering Committee Volunteer role or connect you with one of their Co-Chairs. She can be reached at 416-763-0870 or 647-627-1775. More information about the Network can be found here.