BUILDING DURHAM

James "Jim" Roy passed away on Sunday, September 6, 2020 with his family by his side after a valiant fight. 

Jim was the beloved husband and soulmate of wife Stephanie Roy.

A graduate of Ryerson University, Jim went on to be the proud owner of Dunedin Construction and later Duntri Construction. Jim was involved in community as a member of the Kiwanis Club of Oshawa and the Oshawa Navy Club. He served as President of the Durham Builders Association (1980) and then President of (OSWCA) the Greater Toronto Ontario Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association.

Jim was incredibly proud of his two daughters and five grandchildren; Sue (Dave) Maquignaz and their children Ben and Brooke, and Carey (Dave) Fair and their children Riley, McGregor and Berkley, as well as his brother Alan Roy and his children Kevan, Ashley and Robbie. He was adored by his in-laws; Monica (Michael) Semeniuk, Anita (Tony) Russo, John (Jo-Ann) Wrobel and Halena MacDonald and all his nieces and nephews.

Jim enjoyed a full life of travelling, boating, golfing and socializing with friends. We will miss Jim’s laughter, his mischievous sense of humour and of course his love of the Toronto Argos.

“Life” is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. Live it well! And Jim did just that.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date to share memories of Jim’s life.

Memorial donations may be made to the Oshawa Navy Club. Online condolences may be left at www.armstrongfh.ca

The Town of Whitby is currently undertaking an update to its Development Charge Background Study and By-Law in partnership with Hemson Consulting Ltd.  The study is expected to be completed in 2021.

Currently, the Town of Whitby is in Consultation Period #1 and is seeking feedback on two draft components of the study until October 9, 2020.

Information pertaining to the Development Forecast and Service Level History can be found in staff report CS 33-20.

Hemson has also prepared three videos:

• Presentation #1 - Study Process & Policy
• Presentation #2 - Development Forecast
• Presentation #3 - Historical Service Levels

If you have any comments or concerns, please contact Stacey at s.hawkins@drhba.com.

The Ontario Tools Grant portal is now live.  Construction sector apprentices can receive up to $600 to help pay for tools and equipment.

Visit the Portal

Enbridge is hosting a free webinar series: Learn with the experts: Deep Energy Retrofits.

Click here for more information

Longtime DRHBA member Barry Harding, owner of Hardco Construction passed away on August 21, 2020 after an intense one-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

Barry passed away very peacefully - quietly in his sleep- at home, as was his wish. His courage, determination and sheer strength of will during his final days were awe-inspiring. He was a beloved husband to Nellika Richardson (nee Coppelmans), loving father to Marshall Harding (Amanda) and Allison Harding, and brother to Larry Harding, Sherri-Lyn (Wayne), and Rob Harding (Jennifer).

Barry founded Hardco Construction (Water and Sewer Main) with his brother Larry Harding on February 25th, 1987. His business was his work, his passion and his hobby. He was never happier than when he could find a better, faster, more effective way to make things happen. Eleven years later Hardco was recognized with a Business Achievement Award from the Whitby Chamber of Commerce for a fast growing company of over 50 employees - although at that time Hardco employed over 100 employees.

It was important to Barry to support his community. He sponsored local minor sports teams: soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and hockey as well as The Durham Winter Games. Hardco supplied Santa's Float in the Rotary Club's Christmas Parade as well as supporting fund raisers for various health initiatives including Cancer Research and Spinal Cord Injury Ontario. Barry loved being active, and was never one to sit still.

An incredible athlete, Barry raced Motor Cross competitively with a Professional License across Eastern Canada and the US between the ages 20 to 25 with his best friend Brian Ward. In his 30's Barry transitioned his motor cross skills to long distance mountain bike racing here in the Durham Region. In 1997 Barry took 1st place in the 44km Dagmar Chico Season Finale in the 35-and-over Category with a time of 2hrs and 15min and spontaneously ran in the Toronto Marathon and clocked a time that would qualify him to run the Boston Marathon. He was an avid water skier, boater, swimmer and lover of rock and roll music - a fun-loving, yet humble and kind man, he will be missed by all the people whose lives he touched. Barry was predeceased by his mother, Doris, and father, George Harding and his sister-in-law Cindy Harding.

An outdoor Visitation/Celebration will be held Wednesday Aug 26th, 2020 at Mount Lawn Cemetery from 12pm-5pm, 21 Garrard Rd Whitby, L1N 3K4. Please register your preferred hour of attendance with the funeral home at 905-443-3376. The Funeral will be by invitation only but will be available online through Live Streaming on Thursday, August 27th, 2020.

View full obituary

On Wednesday, July 29, 2020, the Region of Durham's council adopted Report #2020-P-14: Durham Region's response to Proposed Amendment 1 to A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (ERO Posting #019-1679) and Proposed Land Needs Assessment Methodology for A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (ERO Posting #019-1679).

The staff report recommended:

It is recommended to Regional Council:

A) That Report # 2020-P-14 be endorsed and submitted to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing as Durham Region’s response to Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) Postings #019-1680 and #019-1679 regarding Proposed Amendment 1 to A Place to Grow, 2019 and proposed changes to the Provincial Land Needs Assessment Methodology. Key comments and recommendations are that the Province:

i) update Schedule 3 of A Place to Grow to implement population and employment forecasts as proposed in the Reference Forecast that includes a 2051 population forecast of 1,300,000 and a 2051 employment forecast of 460,000.

ii) include only a 2051 total population and employment forecast in the updated Schedule 3 of A Place to Grow (referred to as “Mock B”) and not provide the interim forecasts for 2031 and 2041.

iii) not proceed with the amendment to A Place to Grow that allows municipalities to develop their own higher growth forecasts, which could result in the siphoning of growth from other municipalities across the GGH and exacerbate the challenges for underperforming municipalities.

iv) not proceed to delete Policy 4.2.8.2 a) ii of A Place to Grow, as this change could erode environmental protection of habitat of endangered and threatened species, particularly in communities that are outside the boundaries of the Greenbelt Plan.

v) amend its municipal comprehensive review conformity date from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023 to account for the impacts caused by the continued changes to Provincial Policy and the remaining outstanding Provincial decisions.

vi) expand the proposed Land Needs Assessment Methodology to include detailed steps, assumptions, data sources and processes that will align with the latest amendments to A Place to Grow.

vii) remove the requirement under subsection 17 (17.1) of the Planning Act which requires municipalities to provide a copy of the proposed Regional Official Plan (or Amendment) to the Minister 90 days before notice is issued of a public meeting and/or open house to help expedite the completion of the Region’s municipal comprehensive review.

viii)reconsider, as part of Amendment 1 to A Place to Grow, the existing hard cap of 10 hectares for Settlement Area Boundary Expansions within the Greenbelt Plan Area. Instead, municipalities should be permitted to consider larger Settlement Boundary Expansions to support the long-term viability of small urban settlements, subject to the completion of a servicing capacity study, and provincial approval through an MCR process.

ix) reconsider, as part of Amendment 1 to A Place to Grow, additional permissions to expand rural employment areas to accommodate new employment opportunities and provide the ability to establish new rural employment areas, subject to certain conditions such as availability of servicing, protection of the natural heritage system and ensure compatibility with surrounding uses.

B) That a copy of this report be forward to Durham’s area municipalities for their information.

Download/View Report

In October, the Durham Region Home Builders' Association will be hosting (perhaps virtually) their Annual General Meeting and electing their board of directors for 2020-2022. 

The following positions are available for election:

• One (1) Builder/Renovator directors
• One (1) Trade Contractor directors

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 speaking at a council meeting or helping to plan one of our gala events. 

Being on the Durham Region Home Builders' Association's board of directors is a great way to meet others in the industry, get more involved and be on top of what's going on in the building world.

If you are interested in becoming a director, please forward the nomination form  to Stacey at s.hawkins@drhba.com by Friday, August 28, 2020.  All resumes 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 October.  Qualified candidates will be able to provide a bio and photograph to be published in a future 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 City of Pickering will be hosting an electronic meeting from 2:30 - 3:30 PM on Thursday, August 13^th, targeted to builders and developers of infill projects within the City to share the draft planning recommendations resulting from the Infill and Replacement Housing in Established Neighbourhoods Study (the Study). If you are interested in joining the meeting, please respond to Margaret Kish at mkish@pickering.ca by noon on Wednesday, August 12^th. Please ensure that you provide the email address that you wish to be contacted at so that you can be connected via audio and video for the meeting. You will be provided with an electronic link and instructions prior to the meeting.

The City of Pickering is undertaking the Study to determine how to manage infill and replacement housing construction in established neighbourhoods within the South Pickering Urban Area. The Study is now in its third and final phase.

There will be a short pre-recorded presentation by the project team at 2:30 pm followed by an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the Draft Planning Recommendations Report and Draft Urban Design Guidelines (the key deliverables of Phase 3 of the Study). You are encouraged to review the Draft Planning Recommendations Report on the City’s website at pickering.ca/InfillStudy prior to the electronic meeting.

The Draft Planning Recommendations Report provides the analysis of the Preferred Strategy proposed in Phase 2 of the Study and proposes detailed recommendations for the City to address compatibility of new infill and replacement housing in established residential neighbourhoods.

Your comments will inform the staff report to the Planning & Development Committee meeting on September 14, 2020. Separate notification will be provided in advance of this meeting.

Your comments and/or questions regarding the Draft Planning Recommendations Report can be forwarded to:

Margaret Kish, MCIP, RPP

Principal Planner, Policy

City Development Department

Tel: 905.420.4660, ext. 2196

Email: mkish@pickering.ca

For more information please visit our website at pickering.ca/InfillStudy

Oshawa City Council adopted report CNCL-20-154, which contains the City's comments on the Proposed Amendment 1 to A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshow, and the Proposed Land Needs Assessment Methodology.

The following recommendations were adopted:

1. That report CNCL-20-154 dated July 8, 2020, be endorsed as the City's comments on Proposed Amendment 1 to A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshow, and the Proposed Land Needs Assessment Methodology; and
2. That staff be authorized to forward a copy of Report CNCL-20-154 dated July 8, 2020 and its related resolution by City Council to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for its consideration; and 
3. That a copy of CNCL-20-154 dated July 8, 2020 and the Council resolution be sent to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Region of Durham, Durham area municipalities, Durham area M.P.P.s., the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, the City’s Building Industry Liaison Team which includes the Durham Chapter of the Building Industry and Land Development Association and the Durham Region Home Builders’ Association.

At the July 13th Oshawa Council meeting, councillors voted to receive report CNCL-20-149 regarding requiring 15% of new homes built have "visitable" features, including wider entrance ways, an accessible bathroom on the main floor, no stairs to the entrance, etc. 

Of note in this report is that staff will request the Province of Ontario to amend the Ontario Building Code in consultation with municipalities and the building and development industry to permit municipalities to establish their own approach to accessible units.  If the OBC is ultimately amended by the Province, the preparation of accessibility standards would be undertaken in consultation with the public, building and development industry and other stakeholders (O.A.A.C.) and presented to Council for approval.

Background:

Oshawa Will Not Mandate 15% "Visitable Homes"

June 10, 2020 2:27 PM | Anonymous

In the Fall of 2019, the Oshawa Accessibility Advisory Committee provided the following recommendation to council:

"Whereas the O.A.A.C. Built Environment Subcommittee is finding numerous site plans with only inaccessible townhomes and stacked townhouses; 

Therefore the City require that all residential projects be designed with 15% accessible units with visitable features, including no stairs to entrances doors as well as entrance door and washroom door widths sufficient for mobility devices."

Council referred the recommendation back to staff to have the matter discussed with Oshawa's Building Industry Liaison Team (BILT).

DRHBA was present at the October 29, 2019 meeting where representatives voiced concerns over mandating accessibility, which was followed up by a letter.  It was pointed out that many builders offer this option to purchasers already.

As a result, staff presented Report CNCL-20-67 to council on May 25, 2020.

In the report, the following recommendations were made:

• Implement conditions in planning agreements to promote consumer awareness of developers' accessible construction programs but maintain status quo pursuant to Ontario Building Code Requirements.
• Staff to encourage builders to construct model homes with accessible features to further increase consumers' awareness.

It should also be highlighted that the staff report noted that "municipalities are not permitted to require houses, triplexes, and boarding or rooming houses with fewer  than eight boarders, to exceed the minimum standards established by the OBC for barrier-free design or otherwise."

At the council meeting, Councillor Rosemary McConkey moved "That the Report CNCL-20-67 be amended to add the following as Parts 2 and 3:

2. That the Province of Ontario be requested to implement changes to the Ontario Building Code to require a portion of all new single-detached dwellings, semi-detached dwellings, row townhouse dwellings proposed in developments in excess of 6 new dwelling units to contain an accessible front entrance, an accessible width front door and an accessible washroom on the ground floor; and,

3. That all Durham Region municipalities be notified of the recommendation directly above and their respective councils encouraged to support this resolution."

Councillor Brian Nicholson moved "That Parts 2 and 3 to Report CNCL-20-67 be referred to staff for a report back to the next meeting of City Council."  This recommendation was carried.

Councillor McConkey then moved "That Part 1 of the recommendation contained in Report CNCL-20-67 be referred back to staff."  This motion lost.

The vote to adopt the recommendation contained in Report CNCL-20-67 carried.