Councillor Josh Matlow Newsletter
- Hillcrest Village BIA
- Sep 1, 2025
- 6 min read
Standing up for Toronto's Waterfront
The federal government has opened a consultation process on the proposal to introduce jets on the waterfront at Billy Bishop Airport.
I've heard people's concerns that the consultation's survey doesn't offer an adequate opportunity for feedback, so our office has developed a tool that makes it easy to make a written submission to the consultation with just a few clicks at joshmatlow.ca/waterfront.
We encourage you to sign on and share with friends and family who want to have their voice heard but need a fast and easy way to participate.
The letter asks that the government consider the impacts that jets will have on the existing homes and attractions on our waterfront, as well as Toronto’s ability to follow through on the vision for our waterfront that our city has spent two decades developing and putting into action.
The question isn't whether we like Billy Bishop Airport or whether we want more opportunities for economic growth. The question is whether this decision is being made based on the facts.
Toronto's existing plans for our waterfront have been designed in consultation with residents and experts to meet our growing city’s needs, including housing, recreation, and tourist attractions - carefully balanced with practical considerations like traffic, environment, parks, infrastructure and livability.
These plans, and Toronto's priorities, cannot be tossed aside and subordinated to the private interests of the airport's owners.
No evidence has been provided to support the Premier's claims that introducing jets downtown will have any economic benefit to the public, nor that there will be sufficient demand to reach the 10 million passenger target which is being used to justify the project. The Port Authority claims that the $5 billion cost of the expansion will be paid for by user fees, not the public, but their current income cannot support that conclusion. And regardless, taxpayers would also be on the hook for additional public infrastructure and transit - money which could be better spent on other priorities across the City. The public deserves a thorough value-for-money assessment of this project, and we deserve to know exactly who stands to profit from it.
The negative consequences of this proposal are very real. The Port Authority's own Environmental Assessment in 2017 raises serious concerns about the public impacts of this proposal. The study concludes that introducing jets will have adverse impacts on “marine navigation, water quality, the socio-economic environment, and the natural environment”. The study warns that jets will change the "look and feel" of the waterfront and could negatively impact public perceptions. A recent report by the City agrees that there will be negative impacts on market perception and livability. Contrary to what the Premier suggests, there is a significant risk that increased noise pollution, water pollution, air pollution and traffic congestion would have an adverse impact on tourism and economic development on the waterfront.
The waterfront belongs to all of us, and it holds so much potential to support our economy, while also serving residents and improving attractions for tourists - it shouldn’t be overwhelmed by a massive runway and blast wall.
Moving Forward with Pedestrianized Streets in Toronto
Toronto is getting more pedestrian streets! Thank you to my colleagues and everyone across the city who signed our petition. I'm happy to share that my motion was approved at City Council. We’re moving forward on creating fun and vibrant pedestrian streets in Toronto by next summer.
Pedestrian streets have been proven to deliver significant benefits for local businesses and residents' quality of life. They have been done successfully in cities around the world including Paris and Copenhagen, and as close to home as Montreal and Vancouver.
Transportation Services has been working on a Pedestrian Streets Policy since at least early 2025, but the initiative was quietly shelved. That's why my motion asked City staff to move forward with creating a proper program, which identifies the right streets, gets the model right, and reports back on the resources needed to make it a success.
I'm requesting that we have pedestrian streets where they will work best, considering congestion, public safety, and responsible management.
My hope for Toronto is that we do things well and thoughtfully, but that we join other world-class cities in getting this done.
Toronto's Colour-Coded RentSafe Signs Are Finally Here
As of June 15, apartment buildings in Toronto are required to display colour-coded RentSafe signs at their entrances, backed by stronger financial penalties and remedial action if landlords don't maintain safe and healthy homes.
Modelled after the city's DineSafe program, the signs display green, yellow, or red based on a building's RentSafeTO evaluation score. Green means satisfactory (85-100%), yellow means the building needs improvement (70-84%), and red means it needs significant improvement (0-69%). This gives prospective renters vital information and holds the worst landlords to account.
The policy is the result of motions that I've moved at City Council and years of advocacy alongside tenant organizations including ACORN, the Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations, and the Toronto Tenant Union. I'm proud we finally got it done.
Signs have been mailed to all landlords in the RentSafeTO program. City staff will take an escalating enforcement approach for any landlord that doesn't comply. Tenants who notice a missing or incorrect sign at their building should call 311.
Protecting Tenants from Extreme Heat
It has taken a long time – too long – but Toronto’s tenants will finally see a maximum indoor temperature by-law by summer 2027. This moves up the timeline by at least two summers from what was originally recommended by city staff.
I initiated this by-law by bringing a motion to City Council in 2012, and have repeatedly and consistently fought for this priority over the last decade, working closely with advocates, to get this done. We will not accept any more excuses for delays.
The impact of this by-law will deliver a huge improvement in quality of life for thousands of Toronto renters. And as we mark five years since the “heat dome” heat wave in British Columbia, which took the lives of 619 people, we’re reminded why this by-law is so important. Renters deserve homes that are healthy and safe.
I still believe that this by-law should’ve been implemented during this term of Council. However, I’m also grateful that due to our pressure and advocacy, meaningful progress has been achieved.
The job won’t be done until the by-law is actually passed and implemented. I will keep fighting for accountability- and most importantly, results.
Let's Play Pickleball! Requesting Urgent Provincial Action to Animate Vacant Development Sites
Across Toronto, approved development sites are sitting vacant for years - hurting the vibrancy and safety of our main streets and the businesses around them. Community-oriented interim uses, like pop-up recreation facilities, offer a practical solution.
But a policy gap is getting in the way. When a vacant site is activated through a new use, the province’s Municipal Property Assessment Corporation will reclassify the property from vacant to commercial, triggering a much higher tax rate that often makes the interim use unsustainable.
We saw this happen in our own community. The popular pickleball and racquet courts at Yonge and Rosehill, operated through a partnership between the developer and Fairgrounds, were recently reclassified by MPAC. The resulting tax increase forced the facility to close. There are many other vacant sites across the city that could be animated with pop-up art exhibits, farmers' markets, and other creative uses. However, because of this risk, developers don’t want to risk reclassification.
Toronto City Council has approved my motion directing staff to examine policy options to support interim uses. But the most effective fix requires the province. The authority to create new property tax subclasses rests with Queen's Park under the Assessment Act, and that's why I wrote a letter to the Minister and held a community protest calling on the province to create a targeted subclass for vacant development sites hosting community-oriented interim uses. Municipalities should not be penalizing property owners for doing the right thing.
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