The Federation of North Toronto Residents Associations, including the Leaside Residents Association, is urging homeowners to demand that the City’s recent approval of so-called Garden Suites be withdrawn and rewritten. Many other residents groups also oppose the legislation. Council voted with only five dissenters on February 2 to permit the building of houses in backyards. No appeal is permitted. Many see it as a sea-change in the composition of single-family neighbourhoods and are girding for the onslaught of cheap name-calling that is hurled at anyone who dares to object to what’s happening next door. Research suggests that the backyard home legislation is appealing to people who buy homes for investments. It raises memories of what was known as neighourhood busting in 1970s Toronto. It’s not recorded whether former Mayor David Crombie, who tackled the problem, was denounced as a NIMBY. Homeowners are invited to send mail to their Councillor.
