TORONTO — As part of its plan to tackle Ontario’s housing crisis, the government is prioritizing Ontario families and homebuyers by increasing the Non-Resident Speculation Tax rate from 20 per cent to 25 per cent, effective October 25, 2022.
This increase will strengthen efforts to deter non-resident investors from speculating on the province’s housing market and help make home ownership more attainable for Ontario residents. For many years, there have been concerns that foreign real-estate speculation is an important factor driving up the cost of housing in Ontario.
“Young families, newcomers and those all over the province dream of having their own home, a dream which continues to be out of reach for too many,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “To help Ontario homebuyers, our government is increasing the Non-Resident Speculation Tax rate by another five percentage points to 25 per cent, making it the highest in Canada, to further discourage foreign speculation in Ontario’s housing market.”
This increase builds on the government’s previous actions taken in March 2022 to make Ontario’s Non-Resident Speculation Tax the most comprehensive in Canada, including:
This increase to the Non-Resident Speculation Tax rate is part of a suite of concrete actions the Province is taking to address Ontario’s housing crisis. Last week, the government announced that Ontario is also cracking down on bad actors by doubling the fines for unethical and illegal new home cancellations. These steps, built on recommendations from the Housing Affordability Task Force and the first-ever Provincial-Municipal Housing Summit, will deliver both near-term solutions and long-term commitments to provide more attainable housing options for Ontario families.
“Today’s announcement is another step in our government’s plan to make housing more attainable for all Ontarians,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “We are working to end Ontario’s housing supply crisis – both by building 1.5 million new homes over the next 10 years, and by ensuring Ontarians are able to access our existing housing supply. These measures are a clear indication of our commitment to do precisely that.”
PICKERING – Based on expert advice, Ontario is proposing new legislation that, if passed, would support the continued delivery of world-class wastewater treatment services for the Region of York. Through the proposed Supporting Growth and Housing in York and Durham Act, 2022, Ontario would facilitate expedited improvements to the existing York-Durham Sewage System network connected to the Duffin Creek treatment facility that is co-owned and operated by York and Durham Regions.
Following recommendations of the York Region Wastewater Advisory Panel, the proposed legislation accommodates regional growth by leveraging an existing wastewater infrastructure service agreement between York and Durham Regions that delivers high-quality, treated water safely and responsibly into Lake Ontario. The expansion of this infrastructure is the most effective option available, leveraging existing wastewater treatment services under the Co-Ownership Agreement between Durham and York Regions who share treatment facility assets to support their collective population growth.
“Expansion of this shared critical wastewater infrastructure for York and Durham Regions is needed to support their significant population housing, and economic growth. Our government is proposing a solution that ensures the most robust wastewater treatment as these communities continue to grow,” said David Piccini, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “The Duffin Creek treatment facility is one of the best performing wastewater facilities in the province that ensures the protection, enjoyment and welfare of Lake Ontario, shoreline communities and nearshore areas.”
The Duffin Creek treatment facility is one of the top performing wastewater treatment plants in Ontario, achieving world-class standards for high quality treatment, phosphorus control and protective measures for the surrounding environment and watershed, with a capacity to process 630 million litres per day. Today, this facility operates at approximately 50 per cent capacity and the proposal would add an additional 12 per cent to the current flow levels, meaning it has the capacity to ensure every litre of water the plant receives gets high quality treatment. Over the past 25 years, governments at all levels have invested more than $850 million in the plant, making it one of the best performing treatment facilities on the Lake Ontario shoreline. Phosphorous limits at the plant are significantly lower than those at other wastewater facilities in Ontario and will continue to be reduced as the facility implements additional upgrades between now and 2030.
In parallel with this initiative, Ontario continues to make multi-million-dollar improvements to wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, investing in the latest technology for real-time wastewater monitoring. In January 2022, Ontario invested $15 million to build, upgrade and rehabilitate storm and wastewater infrastructure in the Lake Ontario basin. This includes optimizing plants, improving local sewer systems and investing in green infrastructure. The Regional Municipality of Durham is receiving $836,590 through this program which will help improve water quality in Lake Ontario.
Further, Ontario invested $6.3 million in 51 projects to protect and improve Lake Ontario. This includes projects under the Canada-Ontario Agreement (COA) Nutrients Annex commitments focused on the Lake Ontario basin and science/monitoring projects. In Durham, this includes monitoring exit loads of phosphorus to Lake Ontario from tributaries, monitoring nutrient and weather event discharges from tributaries, quantifying nutrient loadings and determining internal phosphorus loading in western Lake Ontario coastal wetlands.
The government will also be boosting science and monitoring capacity of Lake Ontario by making investments focused on monitoring and research with external partners to track, predict and better understand conditions in Lake Ontario. This work will ensure we continue to support and maintain the highest quality of water for Lake Ontario.
The results of the 2022 Municipal Elections are as follows:
Regional Chair, Regional Municipality of Durham
Clarington
Mayor
Regional Councillor - Wards 1 & 2
Regional Councillor - Wards 3 & 4
Local Councillor - Ward 1
Local Councillor - Ward 2
Local Councillor - Ward 3
Local Councillor - Ward 4
Oshawa
Regional & City Councillor - Ward 1
City Councillor - Ward 1
Regional & City Councillor - Ward 2
City Councillor - Ward 2
Regional & City Councillor - Ward 3
City Councillor - Ward 3
Regional & City Councillor - Ward 4
City Councillor - Ward 4
Regional & City Councillor - Ward 5
City Councillor - Ward 5
Whitby
Regional Councillors
North Ward 1
West Ward 2
Centre Ward 3
East Ward 4
Ajax
Ward 1 - Regional Councillor
Ward 1 - Local Councillor
Ward 2 - Regional Councillor
Ward 2 - Local Councillor
Ward 3 - Regional Councillor
Ward 3 - Local Councillor
Pickering
Regional Councillor - Ward 1
Regional Councillor - Ward 2
Regional Councillor - Ward 3
Brock
Regional Councillor
Councillor Ward 1
Councillor Ward 2
Councillor Ward 3
Councillor Ward 4
Councillor Ward 5
Uxbridge
Ward 1
Ward 2
Ward 3
Ward 4
Ward 5
Scugog
Voting extended until 9:30 p.m. No results available at time of posting.
The 2022 Municipal Elections will be held on Monday, October 24. In order to help members make an informed decision, DRHBA emailed three questions to all candidates running for local and regional positions. Responses have been organized by municipality and can be viewed here:
Candidates - Pickering
Candidates - Ajax
Candidates - Whitby
Candidates - Oshawa
Candidates - Clarington
Candidates - Brock
Candidates - Region of Durham
**Please note that no responses were received from candidates in contested wards in Uxbridge and Scugog.**
Information on how and where to vote, what ward you are in and how to ensure you are registered to vote can be found on each municipality's website. Links are provided below.
Pickering Voter Information
Ajax Voter Information
Whitby Voter Information
Oshawa Voter Information
Clarington Voter Information
Brock Voter Information
Uxbridge Voter Information
Scugog Voter Information
To register for October 13th, click here!
To register for November 3rd, click here!
In November, the Durham Region Home Builders' Association will be hosting their Annual General Meeting and electing their board of directors for the 2022-2024 term.
The following positions are available for election:
Elected directors will serve a two year term.
DRHBA's top priority is advocacy work for the building industry as a whole. We also provide networking opportunities and great events for our members. We are looking for individuals who are willing to share their time, knowledge and experience to further the interests of the building community. We believe that each director brings a unique skill set and perspective to the table.
Directors will be required to attend four board meetings per year (November, February, May and September), and will be asked to join one of our committees. We ask that you share your time and expertise, whether that means managing a GR file, speaking at a public meeting or helping to plan one of our gala events.
As a director, you will be representing the Durham Region Home Builders' Association. You will be expected to attend most of our events, including member events, seminars, the Awards of Excellence, President's Ball and golf tournament.
Being on the Durham Region Home Builders' Association's board of directors is a great way to help shape the industry, steer the direction of the Association, network, get more involved and stay informed on what's going on in the building world.
If you are interested in becoming a director, please forward your nomination form to Stacey at s.hawkins@drhba.com by Wednesday, September 21, 2022. All forms will be forwarded to the nominations committee for review. If there are more qualified applicants than positions available, an election will be held at the Annual General Meeting in November. Qualified candidates are encouraged to provide a bio and photograph to be published in an upcoming news bulletin.
If you have any questions, please contact Stacey at 905-579-8080 ext. 2 or s.hawkins@drhba.com.
Download nomination form.
The Town of Whitby has now opened public consultation on their Whitby Climate Emergency Response Plan - Phase 1 - Resilience.
Both draft documents contain plans that will impact the residential construction industry.
CERP Phase 1 - Draft Executive Summary
CERP Phase 1 - Draft Implementation Bill
While DRHBA has already submitted feedback to the Town in this letter, and will be submitting further correspondence, it's essential that the Town also hear members' feedback.
A survey is open for feedback until July 14, 2022.
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Phone: 905-579-8080
Email: info@drhba.com
Address:
1-1255 Terwillegar Avenue
Oshawa, Ontario
L1J 7A4
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