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City saves historic First Parliament Site

July 22, 2012 Miscellaneous, Toronto History

McConnell moves to expropriate the entire site and council agrees

On Thursday, July 12, 2012, Toronto City Council unanimously adopted a staff report moved by Councillor Pam McConnell that confirmed intent to expropriate the remaining privately owned properties that make up the First Parliament site. The site of Canada’s First Parliament buildings is located between Parliament Street and Berkeley Street, south of Front Street.

“It is very fitting that we reach this historic milestone as we commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812,” said Councillor McConnell. “One of the very last items approved by the old City of Toronto before amalgamation was to declare their intention to bring all of the lands into public ownership. This accomplishes that intent.”

“It has been a very long struggle to bring back into public ownership the lands that were initially set aside for public use,” said Rollo Myers, Old Town heritage activist and Manager of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario. “I want to thank Pam McConnell for her tremendous effort for over 15 years in making this a reality. She has worked very hard in securing an important piece of our nation’s heritage.”

From 1798 to 1813, these lands were the location of Canada’s First Parliament buildings, which were burned in an American attack on April 27, 1813, as part of the War of 1812. The second Parliament Buildings were on this site until 1824. Afterwards, these lands were home to the District Jail from 1838 until 1882, and later of the Midland Railway Roundhouse and the Consumers Gas complex.

While the property at 265 Front Street East is owned by the Province of Ontario –currently the location of an interpretative centre to commemorate the War of 1812. The parcels to be expropriated, at 271 Front Street and 25 Berkeley Street, currently house a car wash and car rental agency. Immediately south of these properties are a City-owned parking lot and Parliament Square Park.

“The history and growth of the Old Town of York and the City of Toronto are very much tied to this site,” said Councillor McConnell. “The action approved by City Council is the significant, final steps of a long process and an enormous amount of effort.”

Leading up to Thursday’s vote, staff in the City’s Planning Division worked with Councillor McConnell to identify options and opportunities to attain the First Parliament site. At the May 2012 Council meeting, City Council adopted Councillor McConnell’s motion that directed staff to work with the property owner of the First Parliament lands to secure the site under public ownership at no net cost to the City. Real Estate Services staff entered into negotiations with the property owner for a land swap, but these negotiations required further Council direction.

The deal adopted by Council in July initiates expropriation proceedings and grants authority to complete a land exchange for the Toronto Public Library property at 281 Front Street East and the property owner paying the difference in land values. The Library site currently houses a processing centre that was already scheduled to be relocated. This move will be accelerated with an expanded centre on Ellesmere Road, consolidating processing operations.

“City staff have done an exceptional job in negotiating and working to a resolution,” said Councillor McConnell. “I particularly want to thank the director of Real Estate Services, Joe Casali, and his team for the countless hours and late nights they put in to bring this together.”

It has been envisioned that the First Parliament Site will be the future home for the St. Lawrence Library, which was scheduled for relocation and expansion into a regional branch in the next five to ten years. Along with the library branch will be a suitable and permanent commemoration and interpretation of the First Parliament Buildings and the other uses of the land.

“City Council is securing a significant legacy for generations to come,” said Councillor McConnell. “Our next step will be to bring people together to create an appropriate commemoration for this landmark and touchstone of our City’s heritage.”

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960

Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
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Communtity Focus — North York

October 18, 2011 First Time Buyers, Miscellaneous, New Toronto Condos & Lofts, North York Condos, Toronto Condos, Toronto Real Estate

by Amy West – New Dreamhomes & Condominiums Magazine

The suburbs meet the city in North York, making it an attractive choice for new homebuyers. Thanks to a new subway extension along Sheppard Avenue, high-rise condos such as Empireâ€™s C-Condos and Tridelâ€™s Pulse are cropping up along the central North York corridor that runs from Finch to Sheppard, while single-family dwellings still dominate east and west of Yonge Street.

Originally North York was known as an agricultural hub made up of scattered villages. It was formed out of the rural section of the township of York. As North York became more urbanized, it was named a borough and later a city. The area boomed following World War II, and by the 1950s and 1960s it resembled other sprawling North American suburbs. To commemorate receiving its city charter on Valentineâ€™s Day, its corporate slogan was â€œThe City With Heart,â€ and it now forms the largest part of the area served by the North York community councilâ€”a committee of Toronto city council.

With a population of around 650,000, the North York of today forms the central part of the northern half of Toronto. Until 1998, it was one of six municipalities that comprised the larger municipal structure of Metropolitan Toronto. That year, the provincial government passed legislation merging these municipalities into a new amalgamated city.

Residents have easy access to a variety of cultural and entertainment venues. Directly beside the old city hall is the Toronto Centre for the Arts, previously known as the Ford Centre for Performing Arts, which opened in 1993. It houses three theatres and features musicals, theatre productions, and other performing arts.

Directly south of city hall in the same complex is the former North York Board of Education building, now home to the Toronto District School Board. To the north in the complex is a mall with subway access. The mall is connected to the North York Central library, the largest full-service library in Toronto. It is a part of a much larger facility that includes a school board work station, swimming pool, snack bar, veterans centre, and hotelâ€”the rooms of which look down on the interior of the mall.

Black Creek Pioneer Village, an authentic 19th-century township, and the Ontario Science Centre, which boasts over 800 exhibits, are North Yorkâ€™s primary attractions. A military base and aircraft manufacturing facility are located at Downsview, although much of the land is now being transformed into a park.

Two of Ontarioâ€™s largest shopping malls, Yorkdale Shopping Centre and Fairview Mall, are in North York along with the smaller Don Mills Centre and Sheppard Plaza. The city is also home to York University and Osgoode Hall Law School, as well as major health-care facilities such as North York General Hospital, Humber River Regional Hospital, and the massive Sunnybrook Hospital complex, which includes a veterans residence and regional trauma centre.

A multitude of sports clubs dot the area, including the North York Storm (a girlsâ€™ hockey league), Gwendolen Tennis Club, and the North York Aquatic Club, which was founded in 1958 as the North York Lions Swim Club and has produced many Olympian swimmers.

The growing popularity of this area can be witnessed by the fact that the section of Highway 401 that traverses it is the busiest section of freeway in North America, exceeding 400,000 vehicles per day and widening to 21 lanes at its intersection with Highway 404.

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Greater Toronto REALTORS Say No to Status Quo at Toronto City Hall

September 13, 2011 Buying Real Estate, Real Estate Taxes, Toronto Real Estate

With Toronto City Council expected to make important decisions on City services and finances soon, REALTORS are calling on Council to move ahead with getting the City’s finances in order and repealing the Toronto Land Transfer Tax.

“We say no to the status quo. Torontonians elected this City Council with a clear mandate to get the City’s finances in order and change the way City Hall operates, including repealing the Toronto Land Transfer Tax. The public does not expect to see Councillors’ convictions crumble when decision time approaches,” said Richard Silver, President of the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB).

REALTORS are contacting City Council to tell them to move ahead with the City’s service review process and are calling on the public to also contact City Council by visiting www.NoHomeBuyingTax.com.

The public spoke loudly and clearly in last year’s municipal election. It is clear that they want change from City Hall and that they want the Toronto Land Transfer Tax gone.

“The public spoke loudly and clearly in last year’s municipal election. It is clear that they want change from City Hall and that they want the Toronto Land Transfer Tax gone. We are making sure that the public is aware that now is the time for City Council to take decisive action to improve the City’s finances,” said Silver.

A recent public opinion poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs found that 75% of Torontonians support Mayor Ford’s commitment to repeal the Toronto Land Transfer Tax. Even when asked to consider the City’s budget shortfall, the public’s support remains very strong, with 68% indicating that City Council should follow-through with the repeal of the Toronto Land Transfer Tax.

“Torontonians want the Toronto Land Transfer Tax abolished; they don’t want excuses. Unfortunately, some City Councillors are still targeting home buyers and would prefer to keep this tax. Getting the City’s finances in order requires comprehensive efforts; it can’t and shouldn’t be done by relying on the Toronto Land Transfer Tax, which unfairly targets one segment of Torontonians: homebuyers,” added Silver.

Torontonians want the Toronto Land Transfer Tax abolished; they don’t want excuses.

REALTORS are also telling City Council that the Toronto Land Transfer Tax impacts Toronto’s economy.

“The Toronto Land Transfer Tax is a job killer: economic analyses have shown that about 40,000 Toronto jobs rely specifically on the economic activity that is generated when people buy and sell homes in the City. For resale housing alone, spin-off spending related to home buying, on things like renovations and moving services, pumped $1.4 billion into Toronto’s economy last year,” said Silver.

REALTORS also believe that getting the City’s finances in order is an important step to ensuring the long-term sustainability of Toronto’s quality of life.

“Home buyers want communities with a high quality-of-life, so REALTORS understand the importance of municipal services. However, just as any household must review its budget from time-to-time, City Hall must get its finances in order,” added Silver.

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416−388−1960

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Laurin and Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto real estate agents. We would be happy to help you find your new Toronto home — be it house or condo or loft. We would also be more than pleased to help you sell your current Toronto property.

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The vast majority of content on this blog is not written by Laurin or Natalie Jeffery. It is written by many different authors, for many different publications and websites.

We re-print these articles here as a collection of Toronto real estate news and information. We aim for this blog to be a one-stop shop for people looking for information on Toronto real estate.

We do not claim any of the information we did not write as our own. We do not work for any publication, nor any builder. We are Registered Real Estate Sales People working for Century 21 Regal Realty Inc. Brokerage.