Residents in Thunder Bay, Ontario, are expressing disappointment over city council’s approval to rezone two vacant properties for new housing developments. Lori Santink, a local resident, voiced her concerns regarding the rezoning of surplus city land to facilitate the construction of over 900 new housing units in the city. One of the properties, located at 791 Arundel St., was sold to Terralux General Contractors and Development Limited earlier this year, reducing the proposed 400 units to 360 in two apartment buildings.
While the proposals for Arundel and Fanshaw streets required rezoning, the Tokio Street property was already appropriately zoned. Santink criticized the decision, citing conflicts with the city’s Net-Zero Strategy and Climate Adaptation Strategy. She is a member of TBay Greenspace Preservation, a grassroots group that gathered over 2,600 signatures opposing the developments and organized a rally outside city hall.
The Ontario government’s Bill 60 limits residents’ ability to appeal municipal council decisions related to rezoning. Santink expressed the need for legal assistance to potentially pursue a judicial review of the decisions. Thunder Bay’s manager of planning services, Devon McCloskey, highlighted that the developer is addressing public concerns through revised renderings and layouts before starting construction pending permit approvals.
Councilor Andrew Foulds, representing the Current River ward, opposed the rezoning of the Arundel property but praised the high level of public engagement on the issue. Leia Minaker, an urban planning expert, emphasized the challenges of achieving consensus on housing developments amid varying community opinions. She underscored the importance of transparent communication with the public throughout the process.
As Thunder Bay faces increasing housing demands and growth projections, stakeholders are navigating the balance between development needs and community interests. Santink emphasized the necessity of ongoing communication from the city to keep residents informed about the evolving developments.