The image captures Toronto’s downtown, midtown and uptown and is being used to highlight its “missing middle.”

Toronto takes the whole concept of the "missing middle" to the next level. pic.twitter.com/tu1yYEIw2m

— M. Nolan Gray (@mnolangray) September 16, 2024

A missing middle refers to a lack of medium-density housing in urban areas, which includes laneway homes, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, and low-rise apartments.

The photograph has garnered significant attention online, with many commenting on how the city’s appearance is a reflection of its housing availability.

“You either live in a $1.5 million plus single family home, a shoebox in the sky, or rent something older in the middle (no middle options for ownership),” one X user commented.

“It looks pretty from this view but it’s terrible for the city,” another person wrote.

“It does create a cool effect when looking north from the CN Tower, like the city just keeps going on forever. But not ideal from a planning standpoint,’ someone else said.

Toronto is packed with high-rise condos which house nearly 47 per cent of the city’s population, according to its official data. But, many of the homes surrounding Toronto’s towering silhouette are not equipped to house more than one family. 

Here lies part of the problem.

Because of zoning by-law 569-2013, which largely prohibited the redevelopment of single-family homes into multiplex dwellings until last year, it has been and still is challenging to redevelop existing single-family homes into multiple units, T.J Cieciura, Town Planning Consultant and President of Design Plan Services, explained to Now Toronto.

However, in Feb. 2022, city council adopted an official plan and zoning amendments to allow garden suites on properties in most residential zones across Toronto, it told Now in an email statement on Thursday.

And, in May 2023, city council voted to allow multiplexes in all residential zones including those that were historically limited to only single-detached houses. 

“These permissions have been in effect since June 14, 2023, and duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes are allowed in all residential zones across Toronto,” the city said.

Most recently, in May 2024, the city endorsed further zoning amendments that would permit the development of townhouses and small-scale apartment buildings along major streets in all neighbourhoods throughout Toronto.

“These small-scale apartment buildings would be permitted up to six storeys in height and to contain up to 60 homes each,” the city said, though the amendment has been appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal and is not yet in effect.

RED TAPE CONTINUES TO BE A HURDLE FOR DEVELOPMENT 

Despite the recent changes, red tape continues to hinder development as it requires a rigorous compliance process and often comes at a huge financial cost, Cieciura explained.

“Typically we find that even with more relaxed zoning standards to allow multiplexes, the financial cost of this scale of development tends to be a hindrance,” he continued. 

According to Cieciura, the three most common examples of medium-density development would be “a four-dwelling unit building within an existing neighbourhood that would fit in with the single-detached dwellings surrounding it, a lane-based house behind a main building on the lot,and a garden suite type dwelling which is essentially a small house in the rear yard behind a main house.” 

“The idea is to provide a variety of living choices within the vibrant neighbourhoods that make up the city,” he continued.  

But the struggle doesn’t stop at navigating the city’s zoning laws or the rising costs of development.

Planners regularly contend with push back from local residents, who often oppose construction in the interests of preserving the character of their neighbourhood, Cieciura explained.

“The main day to day issue many applicants and builders experience is the NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard) that comes from existing residents not wanting to see change in their neighbourhood,” he said.

“I have been to hundreds of public meetings in a wide diversity of neighbourhoods across the

city and throughout Ontario, and there isn’t one neighbourhood that we work in that doesn’t have some residents who think their neighbourhood is unique in terms of character, and that any proposed development would be better suited somewhere else,” Cieciura continued.

He explained that this can create a tenuous political landscape at the municipal level as local leaders look to make decisions they know would benefit the city as a whole, while managing constituents who vocally and vehemently oppose them.

In addition, the approval process for development is far too long, Cieciura argues. Unless a development proposal complies with every single regulation, there will be a minimum four to six month delay simply to get additional approvals in advance of applying for building permits, he explained.

Nonetheless, many of Toronto’s zoning laws genuinely shield people and neighbourhoods from harmful development, Cieciura says.

“Some of the rationale is well grounded in protecting certain uses [and] users from other uses [and] users. Nobody wants a chemical producer or a metal stamping plant beside a children’s daycare,” Cieciura wrote. 

However, other laws are nonsensical, he said, and contribute to Toronto’s “partially” self-inflicted housing shortage.

For example, when the city has any number of 50-ft. wide residential lots, in close proximity to TTC transit lines and planners try to divide that lot into two 25-ft. wide lots, effectively doubling the housing on one lot, the zoning is a major hurdle, Cieciura explained.

“We find it very difficult to understand how someone can say that a single residential house on a 25’ wide lot is totally incompatible with a single residential house on a 50’ wide lot.”

COST OF DEVELOPMENT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE

Zoning laws and nimbyism aside, the taxes and fees associated with development likely pose the largest hurdle to increasing housing supply, Cieciura says, “although it’s tough to quantify the effect compared to each other,” he argues.

Despite this, recent data outlining development charges over the past 14 years shows an almost 1,000-per cent increase in Toronto and a 274-per cent rise in the GTA, which Cieciura described as “astronomically high.”

He explained that these kinds of rate increases are a “direct dis-incentive to new construction and development of all housing types across the city,” and that they suppress the expansion of more and new housing.

“If the city and province want to get serious about housing supply, it is financial incentives that will swing the needle, otherwise, all the zoning and policy tweaks will just be nibbling at the edges of the problem,” he concluded.

Meanwhile the city says it will continue to action its multi-pronged housing plan that seeks to “increase permissions for housing and address exclusionary zoning.”

The post A viral photo of Toronto is sparking debate about the city’s ‘missing middle,’ expert says restrictive zoning laws play a role appeared first on NOW Toronto.

On Thursday, Hall Webber LLP, the firm representing the producers, issued a letter to members of the TVO board of directors and executive management demanding them to broadcast the film or allow the filmmakers to license the film to another broadcaster or streaming platform.

This comes after TVO allegedly cancelled its plans to air the film for the next coming months due  negative responses from members of the public. 

“This decision represents a clear violation of the filmmakers’ rights, not only under the broadcast agreement but also in terms of the broader principles of fairness, editorial independence, and respect for artistic integrity,” lawyer Danny Webber of Hall Webber LLP wrote in the letter. 

“Furthermore, the damage caused by this decision extends beyond mere contractual breach, encompassing significant reputational and financial harm to the filmmakers, as well as a chilling effect on free and open discourse,” he continued. 

The letter goes on to say that failure to resolve this matter will leave producers no choice but to move forward with all legal remedies which includes claims for breach of contract, defamation, and damages associated with any loss of Canada Media Fund (CMF) funding for the project.

The producers say the documentary was created in partnership with TVO and that its programming department approved every stage of the production, reviewing each cut of the film and working closely with the filmmakers to ensure the content met the network’s highest standards. 

Additionally, the letter explicitly states the filmmakers and TVO executives were also aware of the possible critique and controversy the film could receive.

Since the film is funded by CMF resources, the letter states the entire project’s funding is at risk because TVO has cancelled the broadcast, and in turn, the film could lose its funding eligibility for not having a broadcast licence. 

Directed by Russian-Canadian Anastasia Trofimova, the film focuses on the experiences of Russian soldiers on the frontlines in the war with Ukraine. The film was supposed to have its North American premiere at TIFF on Sept. 13, followed by screenings on that same weekend. 

However, TIFF paused the screenings citing significant threats against the festival and public safety. 

In a turn of events, TIFF then rescheduled the screenings for Sept. 17 for two showings at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at TIFF Lightbox Theatre. 

The film has triggered major backlash from the Ukrainian community and Canadian politicians, such as Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, for promoting “Russian propaganda.”

At the screenings on Tuesday, attendees leaving the theatre were met by a group of pro-Ukrainian protesters denouncing the film. 

The letter states the law firm expects a response from TVO within the next 10 business days. According to media reports, the broadcaster is currently not publicly commenting on the matter.

Online, news of the potential legal action has received mixed reactions from  users.

“Sometimes, film’s factual & moral gaffes negate agreements: slurs not translated, war crimes omitted, aggressors victimized. @tvo did the right thing,” one X user said.

“The fact you need TVO support proves the film does not speak for itself, the intentional decision to leave out critical information, the decision to not provide important context, the cowardice displayed by many including TIFF to engage is pathetic and desperate,” another user said.

“Removing any documentary on false and discriminatory premises from a movie festival should bear consequences for TVO,” one X user commented.

The post ‘Russians at War’ producers warn of legal action against TVO for not airing its documentary appeared first on NOW Toronto.

The “I’m Like A Bird” singer’s latest body of work 7 features 14 songs, including its title track “Corazón,” which Furtado said took her two years to write. 

This album comes seven years after her album The Ride, which she released in 2017.

And, fans of the British Columbia-born musician have been reacting to the announcement online.

“I‘ve been waiting so desperately for a new album!!!,” one Instagram user wrote. 

“Yass queen. Can’t wait for your art,” another person commented.

“Take as many years as you need, just please don’t stop making music! We love you,” someone else said.

The 45-year-old first teased the album back in July. 

“I made 400-500 pieces of music in 4 years. My ADHD doesn’t always allow me to organize creations in a methodical way so it’s hard to explain how we have chosen 14 songs that magically rose to the top of the heap,” she wrote on Instagram. 

In an interview with The Breakfast Club released today, Furtado talked about embracing her ADHD, which wasn’t diagnosed  until she was in her early 40s.

“To be honest my brain is different, it’s different, I have inattentive ADHD and this time when I made this record I was like I’m just gonna lean into that,” she said. 

#NellyFurtado joined #TheBreakfastClub to dive into her new album ‘7,’ and we learned she was diagnosed with ADHD after the age of 40. Listen in to hear how her diagnosis inspired her current project! @NellyFurtado @breakfastclubam

Tap in live NOW on the @iheartradio app or… pic.twitter.com/b79KT7ddsZ

— Power 105.1 (@Power1051) September 20, 2024

Leading up to today, in the past 24 hours Furtado let her fans in on each song by unveiling their names and lyrics one by one on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nelly Furtado (@nellyfurtado)

Furtado released her first album Whoa, Nelly! in 2000 which resulted in two top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, “I’m Like a Bird” and “Turn Off the Light.”

The musician has one Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance which she won in 2002, and seven Grammy nominations. 

The post Nelly Furtado releases first album in 7 years, reveals how she managed her ADHD while writing music appeared first on NOW Toronto.

On Friday, the Ontario Government announced the completion of the Finch West LRT project which stretches across Humber College Station and Finch West Station and is expected to transport 46,000 passengers each weekday.  

“The completion of the Finch West LRT stations signals a pivotal milestone for commuters in communities like Rexdale, Jane-Finch and Humber River-Black Creek,” Prabmeet Sarkaria, minister of transportation, said in a press release on Friday. 

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we’re advancing the projects that matter most—ensuring fast, reliable and accessible transit that will connect more people to good-paying local jobs and housing, while fueling economic growth for a stronger Ontario.” 

The project is part of the province’s plan to improve traffic and bring more reliable transit to northwest Toronto. Spanning across 11 kilometres, the transit system will operate mainly at street level and will run every five to seven minutes during peak riding hours and every seven to 10 minutes during off-peak hours.

The Finch West LRT, will also offer connections to the TTC, GO Transit, Mississauga MiWay, York Region Viva and Brampton Züm transit services, and connect riders to Line 1 of the TTC. 

Once the LRT is up and running, the testing of the vehicles will continue to ensure their safety. 

There are mixed reviews on the news of the project completion online. 

“If it ever works… see “Ottawa LRT,” a user on X, named Michael Jones, posted in response to the news, referencing the two-year delay of the Ottawa O-Train transit system. 

Another person shared their support for the Finch LRT on Instagram, writing “Now this is epic.” 

Not everyone is as excited about the new project, however. “I’m not convinced this LRT project is the solution to our traffic woes, can we expect better efficiency in other transit projects or just more of the same?” wrote another user on X. 

Despite the long-anticipated completion of the Finch LRT, which began construction in 2019 according to media reports, there is no official opening date that riders can look forward to. 

Now Toronto reached out to the Ministry of Transportation for details on a timeline when the Finch LRT will be open to the public but has not received a response by Friday afternoon. 

The post The Finch West LRT is complete, but no word on opening date  appeared first on NOW Toronto.

On Thursday, the film festival issued a statement on its website saying it heard people’s inquiries and that its flagship location will be reopening for third-party rentals and select partner screening events.

“Since temporarily closing Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in June, the team has been working tirelessly throughout the summer to address the financial and governance issues that led to its closure,” interim Executive Director Janice Dawe and Managing Director Heidi Tao Yang said in a statement. 

“Significant work has been done to stabilize Hot Docs and establish a solid foundation for a sustainable path forward,” it continued. 

This season, the organization also says it will continue its search for a new executive director for Hot Docs. Back in July, the organization’s president Marie Nelson stepped down after one year of being in the position. 

Additionally, staff have been working to address the organization’s “deficit” by putting plans in place to right-size the company, reduce operating costs and prioritizing core programming and initiatives in their future planning.

“We are also thrilled to be able to gradually welcome back members of our cinema team who were placed on temporary layoff with this summer’s closure,” Dawe and Yang said.

Earlier in July, several of the festival’s programmers left their posts due to claims they were working in a “toxic workplace.”

Hot Docs says it is expected to reveal its plans for Hot Docs programming at the cinema and details of its 2025 festival in the coming months.

The post Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema to reopen theatre on a limited basis appeared first on NOW Toronto.

Trevaunn and Jermaine Richards, known online as Jae & Trey Vlogs, have been posting comedy sketches and vlogs online for over seven years. 

In that time, they have made a name for themselves with their popular “Random Order” podcast, racked up 177,000 YouTube subscribers, 16.1 million likes on TikTok, and even caught the attention of some of the world’s biggest names, including Kevin Hart and Drake.

After years creating content, their hard work has paid off. On Wednesday, the comedy duo announced that their new TV series “The Office Movers” will be streaming on Crave starting next month. 

Let’s get moving Oct 11th!!!

The new Crave Original Series #TheOfficeMovers premieres October 11 on Crave. pic.twitter.com/3AZ165tOct

— Crave (@CraveCanada) September 18, 2024

“The Office Movers is based on real life, our father’s moving company & the crazy years he made us work there. This means the world to me to tell his story through comedy & I’m truly so grateful for everyone who has stuck with us on this long journey,” Trevaunn wrote on X on Wednesday.

Created by and starring Jermaine and Trevaunn, the show takes viewers behind the scenes of a fictional office moving company.

Shot in Toronto, the six-episode comedy series follows Everett (Jae) and Eric Saunders (Trey), two brothers reluctantly working in the commercial office moving industry.

Everett, the owner of Shazam Moving, is fighting to keep his business afloat alongside his brother Eric, and a quirky crew of co-workers.

As the brothers scrap with an industry giant to win a big contract, the brothers fight each other, their family and their crew in the face of an unforgiving industry that they dream of leaving behind.

Described by Bell as “hilarious, yet very relatable,” the show depicts the struggles of working in a family business.

Fans of the duo have been reacting to the announcement online.

“My fave YouTube channel, only guys I ever bought merch from too, u and Jae r the GOATS of YouTube sketch comedy to me, can’t wait to see the new series,” one person on X commented.

“Happy as hell for y’all man. Love this! can’t wait to watch!,” another fan said.

“I remember watching y’all when I was 14 and I’m 24 still pulling inspiration from all that y’all do. Thank you for being the storytellers you are,” someone else commented.

Fans in the U.S. are also asking if they can watch the show.

“We’re working on it,” Trevaunn wrote in response.

The first two episodes of “The Office Movers” drop on Oct. 11, with two new episodes streaming on Fridays.

The post ‘Happy as hell for y’all,’ Canadians are applauding these Brampton YouTubers for landing their own TV show  appeared first on NOW Toronto.

The Treasures Book Sale  at Beeton Hall is happening this weekend from Sept. 19 to Sept. 21 with thousands of rare, collectible, vintage, and first edition books starting from $2. 

Some of those books include Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes, and The Fatherland by Robert Harris.

There will also be rare mystery book collections, high quality art and photography books, vintage children’s books, folio editors, and signed first editions, according to Friends of Toronto Public Library Communications Director Amanda Cheung. 

Other materials such as bookmarks and publicly donated items from the library will be on sale, starting at $2 and increase depending on quality.

“We have also usually had CDs, DVDs, LPs and vinyl, vintage campaign buttons – lots of interesting items come to us through public donations! It’s always a surprise what you’ll find at one of our sales,” Cheung told Now Toronto.

Since it’s first come first serve, Torontonians need to make sure they bring their own bag, but a library card is not needed. 

People can visit the book sale at the reference library from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and until 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The book sale is voluntarily run by the Friends of Toronto Public Library who use the money to fund library programs like Young Voices magazine and other services. 

“This is the third year in a row that the Treasures Sale will be at the Toronto Reference Library. Previously, the sale was held every other year, but we have experienced an increase of high-quality donations that have allowed us to host the sale yearly since 2022,” Cheung said. 

Friends of Toronto Public Library also runs two used book stores across the city called BOOKEnds, which sells used fiction and nonfiction books as well as CDs, DVDs, and LPs for $1 or less year-round. 

The post Torontonians can get rare books for as low as $2 at Toronto’s free-entry book sale this weekend appeared first on NOW Toronto.

The one-time, 35-hour closure is scheduled from 11 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 to 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22. The York on-ramp will also be closed and will reopen by 5 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 23. 

The City of Toronto says the shutdown will allow crews to do work of over 30 overnight lane closures at one time, “which means less hassle for drivers and saves money,” the city wrote in a Facebook post last week. 

“During this closure, crews will be busy resurfacing the lanes, fixing cracks and potholes, replacing guiderails, and removing any loose concrete from the underside. They’ll also inspect and fix signs and lights, clear catch basins to prevent flooding, and clean up debris and graffiti. Repairs will also be done on the Dufferin Street Bridge,” the city said.  

The city performs regular spring and fall maintenance on the Gardiner every year. On its website, the city says when a significant number of kilometres of pavement milling and paving is required, a full weekend closure is scheduled. 

“It would take approximately 30 to 40 separate daily lane closures to complete the same amount of highly coordinated work that will be performed in just 54 hours over a single weekend,” the city said.

Traffic agents will be deployed on alternate routes during this time and traffic signals will be adjusted in real time, the city added. 

The planned construction comes as the city is undertaking a major multi-year rehabilitation of the over 60-year-old expressway, to address the effects of age, heavy daily usage, weather and salt.

The city’s first project as part of the Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan included repairs from Jarvis to Cherry streets. Now, the city is on its second phase of the six-part plan, where the elevated portion of the expressway from Dufferin St. to Strachan Ave. is being replaced. As a result, that stretch of the Gardiner has been reduced to two lanes in each direction.

In July, the provincial government announced it was providing $73 million to the city to speed up construction on the Gardiner, potentially ending the rehabilitation project a year earlier than anticipated. This means construction on the Gardiner could be completed by April 2026 instead of its initial timeline of April 2027.

The post Gardiner Expressway to be closed for 35 hours this weekend for maintenance and repairs appeared first on NOW Toronto.

On Thursday morning close to 6:30 a.m, the TTC said there would be no service between St. George and Broadview subway stations and had shuttle buses in place because of the oil spill. 

Following the announcement, commuters were quick to express their frustrations with the transit system for being out of service at morning rush hour. 

“Your service literally started half an hour ago,” one X user said. 

“Well, you just messed up our morning by having your maintenance team spilling oil on the tracks, and now there is no service between Broadview & St George, and in the meantime, slow service, and held, to approach Broadview? Last night, u also had issues on line2 #TTCproblems #TTC,” another user said.

“How many times has this happened in 2024? Unbelievable,” another user commented.

Meanwhile, others were calling out the shuttle buses for not running efficiently.

“Shuttle buses are not running. Not one shuttle bus has come,” one X user said.

“Actually, I’ve been waiting on Bloor going west, it’s been 20 min and only one packed shuttle bus has passed. Worst service on earth,” another user said.

Around 7:30 a.m, the transit agency released an update revealing that the oil spill was the result of a mechanical lubricant that was applied to keep track joints flexible and service was paused to allow workers to clean it up. 

The TTC says it will be investigating the incident. Subway service resumed around 8 a.m.

The post Commuters frustrated after TTC pauses service on Line 2 due to ‘oil on the tracks’ appeared first on NOW Toronto.

On Friday, Sept. 6 at about 2 p.m., a female suspect attended a home at Winston Churchill and Eglinton avenues in response to an online car advertisement for a man’s 2022 Porsche Cayenne, Peel police said in a news release on Wednesday. 

Security camera footage, released by police, shows the suspect viewing the car’s interior while the man waits on the driveway. 

@nowtoronto

Peel Police are searching for a Mississauga woman who struck a man with his own vehicle while stealing it.

♬ original sound – Now Toronto

The suspect is then seen sitting inside the vehicle, locking out the seller, and then reversing rapidly, striking and injuring the victim before fleeing, according to police.

Police said the victim suffered serious, non-life threatening injuries. 

The suspect is described as a South Asian female, standing at 5 ‘5″, 120 lbs, with a thin build, long brown hair, brown eyes, and as wearing a white long-sleeve shirt, brown skirt, and leather-strapped sandals.

Police are also searching for an accomplice who was seen fleeing the scene in a dark grey car, and the suspect’s original car, identified in the video as a bright blue sedan. 

Police said the original suspect vehicle is a Metallic Blue BMW X5 and the other grey SUV is a  Bentley.

Police are encouraging the public to be vigilant when selling items online, and to utilize Peel Regional Police Buy and Sell Exchange Zones located at each Peel Police Division. 

Auto theft is an ongoing issue in Toronto and the GTA. In July, footage of thieves attempting to 

steal a car from a driveway with bollards installed raised alarm bells among residents. 

Similarly some car owners have resorted to pasting signs on their windows to inform potential thieves that there is nothing of value inside their vehicles.

Anyone with information about the incident or the identity of the suspect is asked to call investigators at the Auto Theft Unit at (905) 453–2121, ext. 1152, or anonymously to Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or by visiting peelcrimestoppers.ca.

The post VIDEO: Suspect wanted after stealing Mississauga man’s car and striking him with it appeared first on NOW Toronto.