Lori Santink expressed disappointment, though not surprise, over the decision made by the city council in Thunder Bay, Ontario, to rezone two vacant properties for new housing developments. One of the properties, located at 791 Arundel St., was among three sold by the city as surplus land to Terralux General Contractors and Development Limited earlier this year. Thunder Bay is facing a shortage of approximately 1,000 housing units to meet the current demand.
The approved rezoning allows for the construction of over 900 new housing units in the city, including 360 units in two apartment buildings at 791 Arundel St. (reduced from an initial proposal of 400 units), 150 units in one apartment building at 144 Fanshaw St., and 400 units in two apartment buildings at 300 Tokio St. While the Arundel and Fanshaw street proposals 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 with over 500 followers, which gathered more than 2,600 signatures in a petition against the development. The group also organized a rally outside city hall with over 100 participants.
The concerns raised by the group include the loss of green space, aging sewer infrastructure, increased traffic, lack of winter public transportation access, and threats to local species such as the yellow-banded bumblebee, Canadian warbler, and grey fox. The recent enactment of Bill 60 limits residents’ ability to appeal municipal decisions through the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
Devon McCloskey, Thunder Bay’s manager of planning services, mentioned that the developer is expected to submit applications for site plan control and building permits before commencing construction on the Fanshaw and Tokio street properties. McCloskey highlighted that the projects underwent preliminary studies focusing on traffic, transportation infrastructure, and environmental impacts, with extensive public consultation.
Councillor Andrew Foulds, representing the Current River ward housing 791 Arundel St., opposed the rezoning but acknowledged the unprecedented level of public engagement on the matter. Leia Minaker, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo specializing in housing crisis solutions, emphasized the challenges of achieving consensus on urban developments. She noted common concerns like traffic, parking, privacy, shadows from tall buildings, and changes to neighborhood dynamics.
In conclusion, Santink stressed the importance of transparent communication from the city throughout the development process. The ongoing developments in Thunder Bay reflect the broader challenge faced by northern cities in planning sustainable growth amidst increasing housing demands.