Mayor's Speaker Series — Questions & Answers
On November 12, we held the Innovation to Action: Mayor's Speaker Series event at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, discussing the timely topic "Growth Is Coming: What's In It for You?" with our panel of experts. It was inspiring to see so many residents engage with thoughtful questions during the live Q&A session. Although time limited us from addressing all of the questions submitted, we’ve compiled detailed answers to every question below to ensure your voices are heard:
Additional Residential Units (ARU)
Q: Are there any housing considerations being given to tiny homes within the city boundaries?
Yes, the City of Burlington is currently exploring this option as part of its Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) initiatives. The Planning Department is currently engaging stakeholders in the industry to develop standard units to streamline development and building permit approvals.
Q: Are there grants for homeowners to build in-law suits to accommodate senior parents?
Yes. The City of Burlington will offer incentives for homeowners wishing to create additional residential units (ARUs) on their property. Starting on December 1, 2024 the City will waive all fees associated with new, eligible ARU permits. Please read Burlington’s press release on this topic here: Enabling More Housing in the City of Burlington.
Q: Is there hope for creative housing solutions for multi-generation families such as alley homes or coach houses or backyard tiny homes?
Yes, the City of Burlington has identified additional residential units (ARUs) such as alley homes, coach houses, or tiny homes, as a strategic means of achieving its housing targets and creating more homes within our city bounds. Burlington is accelerating and scaling up innovative land-use options such as ARUs on private lands through simplified processes, capacity building, incentives, and communications and outreach, as needed.
Q: We have seniors living alone in their homes and young adults desperate to find affordable housing. There is an opportunity for a mutually beneficial solution.
Excellent point! We fully agree with you. The City of Burlington is strategically planning the development additional residential units (ARUs) that would contribute to both the missing middle and affordable housing targets. To do this, the City of Burlington will offer incentives for homeowners wishing to create additional residential units (ARUs) on their property. From December 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026, the City will waive all fees associated with new, eligible ARU permits.
Q: Homeowners would love to turn their houses into rentals to assist with the housing crisis. What is being done with the LTB to protect homeowners rights?
The Landlord and Tribunal Board (LTB) is overseen by the Province of Ontario. Please connect with Burlington’s Provincial Parliament on this topic: Natalie Pierre at natalie.pierre@pc.ola.org or find your Member of Provincial Parliament here: https://www.ola.org/en/members.
Affordable Housing
Q: What housing is being built for homeless and low-income families?
The City of Burlington is moving quickly to address housing challenges. Burlington’s Housing Strategy includes a Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) Action Plan that will expand housing opportunities for residents, including homeless and low-income families. Through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) investment, the City will build 2,724 new residential units by the end of 2026. Furthermore, the City is creating partnerships with Halton Region and non-profit community agencies to create net-new, affordable rental housing units in support of the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) affordable housing target of 228 permitted units by December 31, 2026.
Q: How do you balance affordability and maintaining equity in existing houses?
The cost of housing in Canada is high due to strong demand and population growth. Most economic predictions for housing prices in Burlington continue to trend upwards. Because of this Mayor Meed Ward strongly believes in creating affordable housing within our city, so that average and low-income earners are not priced out of our city. The City of Burlington is committed to addressing affordability with the implementation of its Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan, while remaining confident in the stability of the housing market for seniors who may be relying on the equity of their home for retirement plans.
Q: With affordable housing to what extent does high efficiency practices and utilities factor into zoning. Affordable to own and to maintain.
The City of Burlington understands the need to improve our homes for affordability and the environment. The City does this through its Better Homes Burlington program. The City offers interest free loan programs up to $10,000 to support homeowners looking to install a heat pump or improve their home air sealing. Please read more here at Better Homes Burlington – Interest Free Loan.
Q: What expectation and success is there for developers to provide affordable units … especially the massive condo towers … what about accessible units?
The Province of Ontario has implemented a planning policy tool called inclusionary zoning to require condo developers to provide a minimum number of affordable housing units in their building. Inclusionary zoning (IZ) allows municipal governments to encourage or mandate developers who intend to build new dwellings to “set aside” a portion of these units for affordable use. Burlington has not adopted this tool but it is an option to be considered. Accessibility for new buildings in Ontario is mandated by the Province of Ontario. All new and redeveloped buildings in Ontario that are open to the public must comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
Q: How will the Housing Accelerator Fund in Burlington be structured in terms of incentives for affordable housing? Referring to the federally funded program.
On Nov. 19, 2024, Burlington City Council approved the Housing Accelerator fund report and HAF Implementation Budget. This included the approval for municipal fee waivers for new eligible ARUs and new non-profit housing projects effective Dec. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2026, based on available funding, the City is creating partnership with Halton Region and non-profit community agencies to create net-new, affordable rental housing units in support of the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) affordable housing target of 228 permitted units by December 31, 2026.
Q: If you’re looking to have more affordable housing, why not give tax subsidies to landlords of rental units so they can charge lower rents?
Landlord and tenant issues are the responsibility of the Province of Ontario to govern. This is true for rent control as well. Please contact Burlington’s Provincial Parliament on this topic: Natalie Pierre at natalie.pierre@pc.ola.org or find your Member of Provincial Parliament here: https://www.ola.org/en/members.
Q: Are there opportunities to include the voices of lived experience with homelessness in planning affordable housing?
Yes, there is. The City of Burlington welcomes the viewpoints and voices of those with lived experience in homelessness. We would invite anyone currently who is unhoused or has been homeless to engage with the City as we plan our affordable housing initiatives. The City welcomes public feedback at the following engagement sessions:
In-person Public Open HouseWednesday, Dec. 4, 7 to 9 p.m., Mountainside Community Centre Community, Room 2
Virtual Public Open HouseThursday, Dec. 5, 7 to 9 p.m. on Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86389784390
In-person Public Open HouseMonday, Dec. 9, 7 to 9 p.m., Appleby Ice Centre, Community Room 1
Q: Why is Habitat For Humanity selling one of their townhouses in Burlington on MLS? Wasn’t this to help homeless or less fortunate?
Habitat for Humanity has a program to assist families to buy a home, and you can read more about it here: https://habitathmd.ca/apply-for-a-home/. From this website: “Our affordable housing model is unique: we offer a hand up, not a handout. Families benefit from an affordable mortgage tailored to their income, with a secondary mortgage provided by us to cover the difference.” It might be best to reach out to Habitat for Humanity directly for more information on this program. In addition to the above, it might be worthwhile to mention that the Canadia Real Estate Association’s Cooperation Policy, which came into effect in early 2024, requires that residential real estate listings be placed on an MLS System within three days of public marketing unless an exemption applies. Please read more about that here: https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/how-we-foster-competition/consultations/call-out-information-canadian-real-estate-associations-commission-rules-and-cooperation-policy
Q: What is affordable housing for someone on minimum wage?
The general advice is that your housing expenses (i.e. mortgage, property tax, or rent) should be less than 30% of your gross household income. This would be approximately $825 per month for someone earning minimum wage.
Q: If affordable housing is so in demand, then why are there currently hundreds of condo units currently for sale?
Housing prices and the cost-of-living in Canada have risen faster than the average income. This has increased the demand for affordable housing in our county while market prices for condos and houses become more unattainable but remain on the market.
Burlington City Planning
Q: Why doesn’t Burlington have mandatory green development standards to ensure development is green and affordable from the start, avoiding costly retrofits?
The City cannot mandate requirements above the Ontario Building Code as it relates to energy efficiency. The City is monitoring recent efforts in other jurisdictions that seek to incentivize voluntary standards to better understand implementation and uptake issues encountered in the past. The City is leading by example with City Council approving an update to the Corporate Energy and Sustainable Buildings Policy in April 2024. The updated policy raises the standard for City buildings undergoing major retrofits and new builds from striving to achieve the Canada Green Building Council’s LEED Silver rating to the Zero Carbon Building Standard. City View Park Pavilion is the first City building designed to have carbon neutral operations and has rooftop solar panels. Skyway Arena and Community Centre is designed to be a low carbon operating and solar ready building using geothermal energy and heat recovery. And Robert Bateman Community Centre is transitioning from a 1960s era low energy efficiency high school to a low carbon emissions building.
Q: Development charges were a huge source of revenue for municipalities to build affordable and assisted housing. Was Ford's decision to eliminate DCs a good idea?
Reducing developmental charges for new buildings can be a strategic tool to incentivize developers to build homes. Recently this past year, the City of Burlington reduced development charges. This unprecedented decision underscores our commitment to address the ongoing housing crisis, ensuring that Burlington remains an inclusive and accessible place for all to call home. By reducing development charges, we are addressing removing a barrier that, in turn, will contribute to the growth and sustainability of our city. Please read more here on the Mayor’s blog: Burlington Council Unanimously Approves Lowering Development Charges to Encourage Additional Housing Builds.
Q: Administration costs: HST, levies, bldg permits, LTT, etc., now exceed the construction costs of a single-family home. What is being done to alleviate this barrier?
Burlington recently reduced development charges for new homes in our city. The development charge reduction signifies Burlington is taking the housing crisis seriously and working in partnership with industry to ensure Burlington is serious about housing affordability. Furthermore, through the City’s Housing Accelerator Fund initiatives, Burlington is offering many fee waivers. For instance, not-for-profits housing organizations may be eligible for municipal fee waivers associated with new, eligible, affordable rental housing projects if they receive their building permit by Dec. 31, 2026.
Q: What about other infrastructure? E.g., Aldershot new buildings but still one supermarket?
When looking at the plans the city has for the Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) around the Aldershot GO Station, the MTSA Preliminary Preferred Precinct Plans does include areas designated for retail locations such as grocery stores, restaurants and other businesses. The Official Plan policies cannot dictate the specific type of business, however, the policies can generally identify the land use and encourage and support retail development in particular areas to accommodate those amenities.
The Aldershot MTSA Preliminary Preferred Precinct Plan will provide two unique pedestrian focused retail experiences. The Aldershot Main Street Precinct provides ground floor retail with a main-street pedestrian experience. Policies will be considered for ground floor heights and minimum retail unit sizes to ensure functional spaces are provided. The Cooke Commons Precinct will serve as a unique retail and dining destination leading to the GO Station, with a focus on creating a comfortable and vibrant pedestrian environment with active uses at the street level and increased emphasis on pedestrian and multi-modal movement. In addition to those unique areas the opportunity to require, or in some cases encourage retail in every other precinct to support the day to day needs of existing and future residents.
Planning Staff will be developing and consulting on the area specific plan and implementing Official Plan amendment that would contain policies that could encourage amenities by encouraging an increased scale and mix of commercial and retail uses at grade, along with policy guidance to address loading and other functional issues for retail uses.
The future of these areas may look different, and the opportunity for retail will need to be considered differently in an urban context. The plans envision mixed-use development, and therefore the format of a grocery store (for example) may look different, but the policy framework most definitely will support and encourage these types of uses.
For more information:
If you are interested in knowing more about the MTSA project, please be sure to visit and sign up for updates at the Get Involved Burlington page: https://www.getinvolvedburlington.ca/mtsa
Staff continue to be available to answer any questions about the project, and you could reach out to the dedicated email address at mtsa@burlington.ca
The Mayor’s website has some posts addressing the MTSA plans and shares additional details
MTSA Updates: https://mariannemeedward.ca/mayors-monday-mailbag-oct-9-2023-any-updates-on-citys-plans-for-major-transit-station-areas/
Community Planning Permit By-Law and Official Plan Amendments for MTSAs: https://mariannemeedward.ca/mayors-monday-mailbag-oct-9-2023-any-updates-on-citys-plans-for-major-transit-station-areas/
Q: What environmental expectations/encouragements are there for green condo development?
City Council approved the Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines update in 2021, which have required and voluntary standards. The Guidelines apply to all proposed mixed used, and high/medium density buildings in the City of Burlington.
Q: Why aren’t developers required to go through a preliminary approval process before announcing major development proposals? For example, Appleby-Fairview?
The City mandates all new major development projects to host a public “Pre-Application Meeting”. This meeting serves to share the preliminary plans with the community to gather their input before an application is submitted to the City. The input from the community is so valuable, as this might help the developer to design a development that is in line with what the community would like to see in their neighborhood before they submit an application with the City. To expand on the above, please visit the City’s Planning Process page to view the 10 step process applied to every development application: https://www.burlington.ca/en/planning-and-development/burlington-planning-process.aspx
Step 1: When the owner of a property in Burlington has an idea for a proposed new development, they first meet with City and Halton Region staff at a technical pre-consultation meeting. At this meeting, City staff will tell the owner what kind of planning applications they need for their proposal and which technical studies (such as environmental or traffic impacts) will be needed.
Step 2: After meeting with City and Regional staff, the property owner/developer will host a consultation meeting for residents and businesses in the immediate area. The property owner prepares notices with details about the meeting and sends them to be mailed in advance of the meeting date. A dedicated webpage for the proposed development is created on the city website with information related to the community meeting and the initial proposal. The status of the project is listed as: "Pre-application” which means a complete application not yet received" At the community meeting, the property owner will share the proposed plans with the community and gather their input and feedback to make any adjustments to the proposal before a development application is submitted to the City.
Q: To what extent has the city looked at the Netherlands for suburban density and flash flood solutions?
Thank you for this suggestion. The Mayor is visiting our Twin City, Apeldoorn, in the Netherlands in 2025, and this is an excellent question to share as part of the delegation visit as we continue to learn and benefit from these twin city relationships.
Q: What understanding is there for major environmental impacts with existing condo developments like a major and dangerous wind tunnel along the Lakeshore football?
The City’s Planning Staff considers not only the input and comments received from the community when compiling the Staff Recommendation for Council’s consideration and vote, but also a number of extensive and detailed studies that form part of the application package. For example, stormwater management, erosion, traffic and shadow impacts are only some of the studies and reports that could be required. At the end of the day, the goal is to ensure livable communities where residents can thrive. It might also be important to note that the city is legally obligated to process all applications it receives and must do so within a provincially legislated timeframe, or risk an appeal to the Ontario Lands Tribunal for “non-decision”. This would take decision-making out of the hands of staff, the community and council, so we endeavour to complete our work within this legislated time frame.
Q: So our tax payor dollars are going towards paying for people to live in Burlington when they can’t afford to live here! Where do I sign up?!
With Burlington being a lower tier municipality, the housing program in the city is administrated through Halton Region as housing is an item that falls under Regional jurisdiction. The Region’s housing assistance program Halton Housing Help provides different options to suit every family in need, to ensure that everyone has a safe place to call home. Examples of the Halton Housing Help programs are:
Assisted Housing: Assistance may be in the form of rent-geared-to-income (RGI), which provides safe rental housing for individuals and families with low incomes or financial assistance where you are currently renting.
Housing Stability Fund: The Housing Stability Fund supports people at risk of losing their housing. The program helps people keep their housing by offering one time help with late rent, gas and hydro bills. It also helps people with moving and storage costs.
Providing these vital housing assistance programs is a key tool to solve the homelessness crisis, and help those who have fallen on hard times back on their feet, and not end up on the street.
Q: How can the city work with developers to provide infrastructure within their high rises to avoid people getting in their cars or downtown empty commercial spaces?
Mayor Meed Ward is a strong believer in building complete communities within Burlington. This means designing neighbourhoods with high walkability scores, with retail and amenities within walking distance of new residential areas or nearby to transit hubs or stations. Much of Burlington’s growth is designed around our GO stations, where new apartment or condo buildings will be situated in close proximity to a variety of transit options, such as train, bus or bike paths. The neighbourhoods will be mixed-use, complete with grocery stores, pharmacies, parks, libraries and communities centres.
Q: What is Burlington doing to attract tech and innovative companies, create well-paying jobs, and retain young talent?
As mentioned by Mayor Meed Ward in her presentation, Burlington consistently scores at the top of livability indexes in Canada. According to the Globe & Mail, Burlington is the most livable city in Ontario. This positions Burlington well for attracting innovative companies creating well-paying jobs. For example, recently, Burlington was proud to welcome Cultivated B to our city. The 130,000 sq.-ft. facility at 649 North Service Road makes Burlington a global hub for cellular agriculture and premier destination for bio-technology. The $50-million investment created 200 highly-skilled jobs — such as biotechnologists, plant scientists, and chemical engineers — for our city. Burlington is chosen by forward-thinking, innovative companies because of our strategic location, top talent, connectivity, and our quality of life that is second to none.
Q: What is the city's plans for charging to meet climate goals in a city that is so long that transit is not a viable solution to replace a majority of trips?
As part of our ongoing environmental sustainability efforts and to support the goal to become a net carbon neutral and resilient community, the City of Burlington has an Electric Mobility Strategy and offers many public charging stations to charge your electric vehicle. Charging your EV at any of the 29 charging locations is free as long as relevant parking fees are paid and EV Parking Rules are followed. In April 2019, one of the first acts as a new City Council was to declare a Climate Emergency. As part of this unanimous decision, Council directed staff to apply a climate lens to their work and to complete the Climate Action Plan with a target to be a net carbon neutral community by 2050. Providing free charging at the City’s EV charging stations is related to providing electric mobility under the city’s Climate Action Plan. Council has supported free charging as an incentive for residents to transition to electric vehicles. Transportation related emissions is the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in our community so this is one way we have to incentivize behaviour change.
Q: What is Burlington doing to expedite and streamline processes to improve (reduce) timelines for builders/developers in order to meet growth needs that warrants attention?
Improving the permitting process in Burlington has been a priority of Mayor Meed Ward since she was re-elected as Mayor in 2022. Council has allocated significant additional resources and funding to the Building Department in its last budget. The intention of these resources has been to make notable process improvements. Furthermore, Mayor Meed Ward started the Pipeline to Permit Standing Committee at City Hall, which is an innovative committee comprised of both city councillors and experts from the industry. The Committee has been tasked with streamlining the permit process in Burlington to get more homes built faster. Mayor Meed Ward has brought forward motions to find solutions to permit delays, such as identifying opportunities to limit or expedite resubmissions for building permits.
Q: Why not use some of the vacant Lester B. Pearson high school for affordable housing?
As with all school properties, the former Lester B. Pearson Highschool is owned by the Halton District School Board (HDSB). To ensure the space is put to good use, the HDSB is leasing a portion of the former school property to Brock University who is using the site temporarily, until their permanent home in the new Robert Bateman Community Centre is complete and ready to move in. Once Brock University vacates the former school site, the HDSB will determine the future of the site in accordance with the applicable regulations.
Q: What is the role of council as it relates to development in Burlington?
Council votes on all new development proposals in the City. If the Council votes a development down, the developer often takes the City to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). The OLT is a tribunal administrated by the province and often votes in favour of the developer, rendering the decisions of Council null and void. Mayor Meed Ward takes issue to the undue influence of the OLT on Burlington’s planning process.
Q: Has the city changed the building permit process for commercial tenants as I see many examples of these taking a long time and not making it profitable for them?
Every building permit is reviewed with an effort to get to approval as quickly as possible. The city is committed to streamlining the process for businesses, ensuring it is straightforward and effective. Staff are available to discuss specific requirements, clarify timelines, and provide guidance to help businesses navigate the process smoothly. We encourage commercial tenants to connect with the building department early to address potential challenges and ensure their projects move forward efficiently.
Q: Protecting Burlington Residents from Unethical Development Practices? Adi development told us we needed to pay an additional $500k for the same unit condo.
If residents are considering buying a new home or condo it is important that purchasers are seeking professional advice before executing purchase and sales agreements. The City does not have a role in overseeing transactions between two private parties.
Q: What is city’s plan for seniors for the next 20 years? Population growth for seniors will be doubling.
The City’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law designates land use categories, and this include uses such as Retirement and Long Term Care. When the city receives an application from a land owner/ developer, these applications are reviewed through the same process as housing development applications. There are a few applications for Retirement housing that come to mind:
4103 Palladium Way (Approved and under construction)
Housing Policy
Q: What is preventing builders from simply building more? Is this really just a demand and supply issue?
Once an application is approved, developers can build the plans that were agreed upon, and the City’s Planning staff review such applications in line with the Official Plan, Zoning By-Laws and other measurables. There are factors that could delay a project, such as supply chain shortages, financing and many other factors – none of which fall under the City’s jurisdiction of control. In addition, it is not just about building more, new residents should have access to the same services, infrastructure and amenities provided to existing residents and neighborhoods, without overloading the existing City facilities such as community centres, parks and other items.
Q: It was said no new condos are being built. Lots of projects are approved, but the developers are not building them. Why? How can we get them built?
Current market conditions have made it difficult for developers to proceed with projects when there is no guarantee that new units will be sold. Staff are actively reaching out to developers who have planning applications that have been inactive for long periods of time to understand and assist with any barriers for proceeding to construction. The City has very limited influence when it comes to compelling developers or builders to proceed with new projects.
Q: Do we know why the government has opted out of large public housing development in favour of private developers who have very different priorities? Looking to understand.
Over the past five decades there has been a marked decrease of new social housing units being constructed or funded by senior levels of government. Prior to the 1990s, the Federal government funded and delivered many social housing developments. The Province of Ontario, who is responsible for the delivery of social housing, develops social housing programs that are delivered by 47 Service Managers.
For the City of Burlington, the local Service Manager function rests with Halton Region. Halton Region continues to advocate to both the Province and Federal governments for enhanced and sustained investment in new assisted and supportive housing to support community needs.
Q: How will the City ensure that developers don’t overcharge buyers, and that individuals purchasing units aren’t doing so on speculation to later resell them at double the price?
This would be a matter of real estate regulation. Real estate matters are primarily governed by provincial laws. Please contact Burlington’s Provincial Parliament on this topic: Natalie Pierre at natalie.pierre@pc.ola.org or find your Member of Provincial Parliament here: https://www.ola.org/en/members.
Q: If growth is not equitable across the city, should there be a proportionate distribution of cost of growth?
While growth is not equitable across the City, it is planned to be concentrated in the three Major Transit Station Areas (Aldershot GO, Burlington GO, Appleby GO), in secondary growth nodes and along major transportation corridors. The infrastructure, services and facilities to support growth will benefit the entire City and the associated costs are best applied City-wide.
Indwell
Q: How do we enable Indwell to build in Burlington?
Indwell is a non-profit supportive housing organization that relies on low-cost land, financial incentives, political interest, community support, flexible planning, and zoning policies. Burlington does not build, own, or operate affordable housing. The City can enable organizations like Indwell by fostering a welcoming environment politically, socially, and financially. It would also need to ensure flexible planning and zoning policies.
Examples of specific best practices include:
Donated or leased land at a low cost
Land lease terms that align with senior level of government financing/funding programs (i.e. CMHC requires land lease to be 5 years longer than the mortgage amortization period)
Capital Facilities Bylaw project designation that enables property tax exemptions
Zoning or policies that provide no parking minimum project requirements
As-of-right zoning for supportive, multi-residential housing especially when integrating with another facility (i.e. fire station, community centre, library)
Capital grants
Providing letters of support when applying for senior government funding/financing
Permit fee exemptions or reductions
Immigration
Q: How are we addressing the immediate shortage of healthcare professionals in Burlington to meet the needs of our aging population?
Burlington is actively recruiting colleges to set up campuses in our city to train PSWs to support our aging population. This is done intentionally through building partnerships with Mohawk College, which works with long-term care and retirement residences in our city.
Q: Supply of housing is not keeping up with demand which has made home ownership less affordable. Would a moratorium on mass migration help us catch up?
Immigration is a federal issue. During the Speaker Series presentation, Jesse Helmer covered the federal government’s recent reduction in immigration levels as a method of easing demand on housing in Canada.
Mayor Meed Ward – Platform & Priorities
Q: What is your plan to combat crime due to increased population? Rise in home invasions, car thefts, attacks on seniors.
Mayor Meed Ward takes safety in Burlington very seriously. As a member of Halton Regional Council, she has supported the Halton Regional Police’s recent requests to raise their budgets and increase police spending. This is because she recognizes that crime is increasing in our region as it is for all of Canada. She has also forged a strong partnership with the police by jointly hosting community safety meetings, stressing the importance of auto theft preventive measures and anti-fraud training. It is important to remember that Halton has the lowest Crime Severity Index (CSI) in Canada.
Q: As Chair of OBCM, what are you doing to solve the crisis for not only Burlington, but to ensure that all Municipalities and the Province are engaged and accountable?
Mayor Meed Ward is a strong and compassionate leader who is dedicated to advocating for all experience homelessness, addiction, and mental health issues in Ontario’s biggest cities. As Chair of OBCM, she has led the successful Solve the Crisis initiative, which continues to call on the province and federal government to step up and do more for those unhoused across Ontario.
Q: Any proposal to build a college or university campus in the city of Burlington to educate our students and to create job opportunities?
Yes! McMaster and Brock University currently has a campuses in Burlington. Brock University is planning to move to an expanded campus in Burlington at our new Robert Bateman centre. Mohawk College is also planning to establish a new campus in Burlington.
Q: How can the city help the homeless with skills training and employment?
The City works in partnership with Halton Region which has a well-established support system to provide shelter for those experiencing homelessness, or at risk of losing their housing. Halton Region also offers employment services, such as programs, services and resources to support job seekers and employers in Halton.
Purpose Built Rentals
Q: Are there any new rental projects coming to Burlington? If not, why not? Sounds like it could solve some of the affordability problems we’re discussing.
Yes. Burlington has multiple apartment buildings in the conceptual or developmental stage. For example, the lot across from City Hall may be developed into a rental building. Please view the interactive citywide development application map here for more information.
Q: Many rental homes are owned by small investors, due to LTB rules landlords are not being protected. Any thoughts on how to preserve the private investors?
Landlord and tenant issues are the responsibility of the Province of Ontario to govern. This is true for rent control as well. Please contact Burlington’s Provincial Parliament on this topic: Natalie Pierre at natalie.pierre@pc.ola.org.
Q: How did rental building developers make money from buildings in the 60s and the 70s? What has changed?
Provincial and federal government incentives, as well as larger economic trends, such as low interest rates, may have facilitated rental developments in the 60s and 70s. Recognizing the recent need for more purpose-built rentals, the federal government recently introduced Purpose-built Rental Housing rebates. Through this program, The Government of Canada is providing a 100% rebate of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), or the federal portion of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).
Traffic & Transportation
Q: Traffic is also from people not in Burlington passing through. What is the provincial government doing to ease congestion on the highways?
Recently, the traffic congestion through the city was made worse due to construction on the Skyway, QEW as well as the lift bridge, and many motorists leave the busy highway/s to rejoin it again further down the road. Thankfully the recent phase of the construction has ended, but unfortunately there will be more highway construction in the near future. With the QEW (considered as one of the busiest highways in Ontario) passing through the heart of Burlington, the city is very susceptible to overflow traffic whenever there are any traffic complications on this stretch of road.
Additionally, the city is also home to major highway intersections such as the 407/403/ QEW that feed traffic towards the 401 (considered to be the busiest highway in North America). Commuters from all over the GTA as well as those living in rapidly expanding communities to the west will always use these highways and on occasion pass through Burlington. The good news is that Burlington’s Transportation team is already considering this as they plan for the future. As more and more people choose Burlington as their home, the city is committed to careful planning and investments around infrastructure and transportation efficiencies to support both our current residents and those who will be joining us in the future.
Along with this growth comes challenges such as traffic congestion, and while there is no single solution or immediate fix to resolve this, the City’s Director of Transportation shared a very brief summary of some of the initiatives that form part of the bigger plan:
Transportation Planning/Traffic Management - We are actively working on improving our transportation network, including road enhancements, traffic management strategies, and public transit options, to help ease congestion. The city is also exploring ways to optimize traffic flow, such as better synchronization of traffic lights and expanding road capacities where possible.
Sustainable Transportation Development - While there has been a focus on increasing bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly areas, these efforts are part of a broader strategy to encourage alternative modes of transportation and reduce reliance on cars. We recognize that not everyone can switch to biking or walking, but by providing these options, we hope to alleviate some of the pressure on our roadways.
Infrastructure Investments - Alongside new developments, there will be significant investments in the infrastructure needed to support them, including road improvements, enhanced public transit, and upgrades to utilities. These investments are crucial to ensuring that our city remains livable and that our transportation systems can accommodate the increased demand.
To expand on the above, one of the Mayor’s five key priorities for this term is to implement transit and mobility plans, and she is actively promoting the increased use of public transportation as a way to alleviate congestion on city roads. Last year, Mayor and Council made transit free for all seniors in Burlington aged 65 and over, free transit for children 12 and under as well as free transit for youth (age 13 – 19) on weekdays after 6 p.m. and all day on weekends Over the past few years, city staff worked on an Integrated Mobility Plan to ensure that traffic congestion is minimized and more streamlined transportation options are available. Please find more information on all the strategies and components for movement in the city rolled up into one Integrated Mobility Plan at this link.
Q: Do our strong cities recognize the barriers that highways create to safe active transportation across Ontario?
Properly planned transportation helps people and goods move more effectively through a city, and as more people find a home in Burlington, the need to plan for the future is so important. Over the past few years, city staff worked on an Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP) to ensure that traffic congestion is minimized and more streamlined transportation options are available.
Please find more information on all the strategies and components for movement in the city rolled up into one Integrated Mobility Plan here: https://www.getinvolvedburlington.ca/imp?tool=news_feed#tool_tab
Q: If traffic is such an issue, why not reduce parking requirements? The city requires new developments provide more than 1 spot per unit!
Parking requirements have been reduced in areas where the City is planning for new growth and development. For example, there is a “no parking minimum” provision in the Major Transit Station Areas (Aldershot GO, Burlington GO, Appleby GO) and along the Plains Road/Fairview Street and Appleby Line corridors where there is high frequency transit. These “no parking minimum” provisions allow market forces to determine the appropriate amount of on-site parking to be provided with new development.
Q: What are the chances that Doug Ford could build his tunnel underneath Hamilton Bay from Burlington to Stoney Creek?
This is not being considered. For more information on Provincial initiatives, the best would be to reach out to your elected Member of Provincial Parliament at find my MPP
Q: I live downtown and it is noisy with motorcycles and souped-up cars, etc. Why is this not addressed on a regular basis? It is dangerous.
The city’s Noise and Nuisance By-law 19-2003 will be reviewed in 2025, and the City’s By-Law team is taking the feedback from residents into consideration as part of the work they are planning around a vehicle noise bylaw, and to determine if this is enforceable in Burlington.
The good news is that, over the past few years, the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) conducted a variety of education and enforcement activities as part of their Project Noisemaker initiative, which has proved very successful. When instances of unnecessary vehicle noise are investigated, the vehicles are often found to be accompanied by other illegal vehicle modifications, unsafe vehicle conditions and/or aggressive driving. Project #Noisemaker aims to target these vehicles and driving behaviours.
Every year, hundreds of charges are laid for a number of violations such as no/improper muffler, unnecessary noise, racing/stunt driving, vehicle defects, license and license plate infractions, violations of the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, and contraventions of the Environmental Protection Act (removal of vehicle emissions components) and many more. The HRPS also shared an update on the first phase of Project Unplated, which concluded in September, and from this article it appears that charges were laid in some instances which included: Fail to Stop for Police, Stunt Driving, No Insurance, Operate Unsafe Vehicle, Drive motor vehicle no license or improper license, Use Plate Not Authorized, Use Fake Plate, No Plate, Plate Improperly Displayed, Improper Muffler, Unnecessary Noise, Careless Driving, and Speeding. Please read more at this link: 51 Motorcycles Identified and Multiple Charges Laid During Project Unplated - Halton Regional Police Service (haltonpolice.ca)
Transit
Q: What can you do to boost Burlington Transit Services into Hamilton?
Burlington Transit Route 1 connects Burlington and Hamilton commuters with a stop at King Street (at James Street). This service runs every 10- 15 minutes on weekdays, and every 15 minutes on weekends. At this time, there are no plans to have additional routes into Hamilton, but Transit staff are continuously improving service delivery and will adjust to accommodate the community’s need.
Q: To what extent has the city thought of travel efficiency by GO Stations? Example: grocery stores or delivery hubs located in or near each station to reduce a second trip.
As GO Stations are owned and operated by Metrolinx, the products and services provided within GO stations are best addressed by them. As you might have heard during the presentation and conversations, all three of the GO stations (Aldershot, Appleby and Burlington) are envisioned to accommodate significant future growth, including taller buildings, residential and employment density and mixed uses, including public amenities and parkland. This is part of the City’s Major Transit Station Areas (MTSA) project which is an area-specific plan for the GO station areas. As part of the City’s MTSA Area Specific Planning project, Planning Staff will be developing and consulting on the area specific plans and implementing Official Plan amendments that would contain policies that could boost amenities by encouraging an increased scale and mix of commercial and retail uses at grade, along with policy guidance to address activities such as loading and other functional issues for retail uses.
The future of these areas may look different, and the opportunity for retail will need to be considered differently in an urban context. The plans envision mixed-use development, and therefore the format of a grocery store (for example) may look different, but the policy framework most definitely will support and encourage these types of uses.