Neighbourhood Retail Outcome … What We Accomplished Together
Dear Neighbours,
On behalf of the Coalition of Toronto Residents’ Associations (COTRA), thank you to every resident, volunteer, and community group who helped respond to the City’s Neighbourhood Retail proposal. This was an extraordinary, city-wide effort—and it changed the course of the proposal.
Neighbourhood associations across Toronto collaborated in new ways, sharing information, coordinating outreach, and speaking with a unified voice. Had COTRA not formed, thousands of suburban homes would likely have been rezoned without residents’ knowledge or consent. Instead, we brought attention to the proposal’s risks, prompted councillors to consult widely, and ensured residents’ views were heard.
When this began, most residents had no idea what the City was planning. Planning staff did not explain the scope, risks, or lack of safeguards, and media coverage focused narrowly on “corner stores,” despite the proposal enabling many types of commercial uses across tens of thousands of homes. It was a top-down initiative folded into EHON—meant to increase housing, not reduce it.
COTRA stepped in to fill that information gap, providing clear explanations, asking for residents’ views, and representing those views accurately at City Hall. In just two weeks, more than 3,400 people completed our survey and submitted over 3,700 written comments. Thousands more contacted councillors or shared information with neighbours. This level of civic engagement shaped the final outcome.
Council voted on November 13, and the result reflects the strength of residents’ voices. A detailed breakdown is available the COTRA website. View it with this link.
Council ultimately adopted a much more restrained version of the proposal. Neighbourhood Interiors were made an opt-in option, and only eight downtown wards chose to include them. Suburban councillors submitted a long list of Major Street segments to exclude, and those were accepted. Yet when Councillors Shan and Holyday sought to add missing Major Streets from their own wards, Council voted their motions down. It was hard not to see this as a political decision rather than a consistent application of the policy.
Councillors in Old Toronto and East York approved the proposal, allowing businesses on all Major Streets and within interior neighbourhoods, even though the Planning Committee itself had not recommended Neighbourhood Interiors, acknowledging the risks of bars and cannabis stores opening on quiet, family-oriented streets. Unfortunately, no safeguards were added for hours of operation, disruptive uses, or tenant displacement.
Planning should be rational, not political. Yet the final map introduces retail in areas that have walkable retail while leaving out neighbourhoods that might have welcomed modest additions. A more consultative, balanced process would have produced a stronger city-wide policy.
Note on the Council debate
Some councillors attempted to dismiss our survey as “outdated” or misleading. We stand firmly behind our methodology. The survey described the proposal accurately as it existed, and questions about conversions and patios were separated intentionally to capture both scenarios. The high response rate and depth of comments validated the issues we raised.
We also stand by our analysis of eviction risk. Under the Residential Tenancy Act (Section 50(1)(b)), landlords may end a tenancy to convert a unit to non-residential use. By allowing commercial uses in residential buildings, the City has effectively created a new pathway for tenant displacement.
We thank Councillors Kandavel, Shan, and Holyday for raising concerns about evictions, neighbourhood impacts, and unequal application of the proposal. Their efforts ensured residents’ perspectives were part of the debate.
While the outcome does not protect every neighbourhood equally, this movement demonstrated what is possible when residents work together. We achieved real change, and the conversation about neighbourhood protections has shifted for the better.
Thank you again for your commitment and vigilance.
With appreciation,
COTRA — Coalition of Toronto Residents’ Associations
https://cot-ra.org