At the July 6, 2020 council meeting, Clarington council voted to approve a zoning bylaw amendment and passed Bylaw 2020-050.
This by-law adds restrictions to building new homes and renovating current homes in the specified area.
The passed bylaw can be viewed here.
In July, students returned to Durham College (DC) to complete the practical components of their programs which were impacted by the closure of the college campuses in response to COVID-19.
Three-quarters of these “stranded” students are studying skilled trades and will spend the rest of the summer acquiring the hours and hands-on experience required to complete their studies and qualify for graduation.
As they have resumed their training, the college has resumed its Building for Skills campaign, in support of DC’s Whitby campus phase IV expansion. Slated to open in September 2021, this new 60,000 square foot building will include shop labs, classrooms and student spaces, allowing 750 more learners prepare for careers in the building construction and industrial skilled trades each year.
Funding for the $35 million building project is coming from a number of sources. DC is covering 70 per cent of the cost through a loan and use of reserves, and is seeking $10 million from the community through the Building for Skills campaign. Prior to closure, $4.2 million had already been secured, thanks to the Region of Durham, the Town of Whitby and several individuals and foundations.
DC is doing what it can to address the demand for skilled workers, from employers looking for talent, to students looking for space in the college’s programs so they can learn the skills needed to secure work or open businesses in the skilled trades. DC seeks to raise the remaining funds to support this expansion from companies, organizations, foundations and individuals that see value in opening more doors for those interested in careers in the skilled trades.
To learn more about how you can help please contact Jennifer Clark, senior development officer, Office of Development and Alumni Affairs (Jennifer.clark@durhamcollege.ca or 905.259.4598).
Part-time Course Developer- Stairs and Railings, Walls and Floors and Interior Trim
Durham College is seeking an experienced and motivated professional who shares our commitment to quality and student success. The Centre for Professional and Part-Time Learning (PPL) requires a part-time course developer to create quality learning materials in three courses entitled Stairs and Railings, Walls and Floors and Interior Trim. These courses are part of a new program entitled Construction Jobsite Readiness.
RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE (BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO):
Reporting to the Director, the course developer will create a highly engaging and effective learning environment for students. This will include:
1. Create course content using the appropriate tools including the D2L (Desire2Learn) learning management system;
2. Fully develop the course, including writing lessons, curating and incorporating resources, designing navigation, creating assessments and rubrics, and adding appropriate multimedia content etc.;
3. Implement the principles of Universal Design for Learning during development of materials;
4. Maintain alignment of all teaching materials with the course learning outcomes;
5. Ensure all materials are AODA and WCAG 2.0 compliant and follow copyright law.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL MEET OR EXCEED THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:
· Minimum of five years of recent industry experience that relates directly to the topic being taught;
· Holds a 4-year Bachelors (or higher) in a construction-related field. A Master of Education is considered an asset;
· Minimum of 3 years teaching/training experience at the post-secondary level or within a construction industry environment, with the demonstrated application of adult educational principles and teaching/assessment methodologies;
· Strong technical skills using various applications such as Word, PowerPoint, YouTube;
· Experience with the various tools within a learning management system (such as D2L Brightspace) an asset;
· Superior skills in the areas of verbal and written communication, interpersonal skills, critical thinking and problem solving;
· Excellent organizational and time management skills;
· A proven track record in consistently meeting deadlines;
· Self-motivated and independent worker who also functions well in a team environment;
Preference will be given to candidates with relevant educational credentials and a proven track record of relevant work/teaching experience. Please note that a cover letter is required in addition to a resume in order to apply for this position. Combine these within one document, with the cover letter appearing first. Job competition closes at 4:00pm on Friday July 24, 2020. Competition number is PT-PPL-175.
All applications can be submitted through our online portal: https://durhamcollege.ca/about/employment-opportunities
TORONTO — The Ontario government, in consultation with Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, has extended all emergency orders currently in force that were made under s.7.0.2(4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to July 22, 2020. The extension was made to ensure the province maintains the necessary flexibility to protect public health and safety as more businesses reopen and people go back to work.
The extension of the emergency orders will help protect vulnerable people, such as seniors, by allowing the redeployment of frontline staff in long-term care facilities, retirement homes and other congregate care settings, like women's shelters and residential services. In addition, the extension would allow public health units to redeploy or hire staff to support case management and contact tracing.
"Our government is getting Ontario back on track and more people back to work, but at the same time taking steps to ensure we don't undo the tremendous progress we have made together," said Premier Doug Ford. "By keeping these emergency measures in place, we will continue to support our frontline care providers, protect our most vulnerable, and ensure we can rapidly respond to potential outbreaks or surges."
The government intends to extend emergency orders to align with the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020, if passed. This proposed legislation is part of the government's plan to cautiously reopen Ontario in a way that recognizes the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 even after the provincial declaration of emergency has ended. The bill, if passed, would allow Ontario to continue its path to recovery by easing restrictions where appropriate, while maintaining important select tools to address the ongoing threat of this deadly virus and protect Ontarians.
The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has posted a number of online resources and Environmental Registry postings that members should be aware of.
As part of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation & Parks (MECP) proposed components of the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, MECP is proposing to move forward with the next phase of environmental assessment modernization, to further reduce delays and focus resources on projects with a higher potential of environmental impacts so that the provincial government can help communities get important infrastructure projects built faster, while maintaining strong environmental oversight.
Proposed amendments to the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA)
The legislation (Bill 197) would allow the MECP, through subsequent regulations and proclamations, to allow online submissions, reduce the average time by half for the largest projects and match the potential environmental impact of a project to the level of study required. The proposed changes are aimed at getting important infrastructure projects built faster, while maintaining strong environmental oversight by focusing on projects that have the most potential to impact the environment.
Please refer to https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-2051 for more information.
Amendments to Class Environmental Assessments (Class EAs)
The MECP is seeking input on proposed amendments to 8 Class EAs (including Municipal Class EAs for which OHBA has been engaged with a variety of recommendations to the MECP). These proposed changes would support the MECP modernization initiative as they would exempt low-impact projects from the requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act, eliminate duplication and find efficiencies in the planning process. This would speed up projects that are important to communities, such as erosion, repair, or remediation initiatives, or important upgrades to machinery such as waterpower generators.
MECP is seeking input on these proposed amendments during a 45-day comment period, closing on August 22, 2020. Details of this proposal may be found at https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-1712.
Exempting Regulations
MECP is proposing regulatory exemptions from the Environmental Assessment Act to eliminate duplication and reduce delays for projects and activities related to Indigenous land claim settlements and other agreements with Indigenous communities dealing with land, projects within provincial parks and conservation reserves, and select highway projects being planned by the Ministry of Transportation. Some of these projects and activities are already subject to other legislation or planning processes that would provide the appropriate level of assessment and consultation. Other projects may be exempted from the EAA but would still be subject to conditions such as requirements to post notifications or undertake technical studies as appropriate.
MECP is seeking input on these proposed amendments during a 45-day comment period, closing on August 22, 2020. Please refer to https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-1805.
Proposed changes to environmental approvals for municipal sewage collection works
MECP is proposing to modernize Ontario’s environmental approval process for low-risk municipal sewage works by implementing a Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Permissions Approach. The proposed approach will consolidate and update the approvals process for these types of works and incorporates measures that will enhance environmental protection. OHBA Resolution #1 (Modernization of Approvals) passed at our AMM in September 2019 and, the OHBA Modernizing Ontario’s Environmental Assessments (ERO 013-5101) submission the OHBA Made in Ontario Environment Submission have supported streamlining the redundant ECA process for SWM facilities and in particular SWM ponds that require sign off by the MECP following municipal approvals
MECP is seeking input on these proposed amendments during a 45-day comment period, closing on August 22, 2020. Please refer to https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-1080
Proposals for select Ministry of Transportation projects
The provincial government is proposing a regulation to exempt select Ministry of Transportation projects from the requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act, subject to conditions for environmental protection: the Bradford Bypass and several Ministry of Transportation Provincial Transportation Facilities class environmental assessments (Class EA) projects. The full list of projects is included in the Environmental Registry link below. MECP is seeking input on these proposed amendments during a 45-day comment period, closing on August 22, 2020. Please refer to https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-1883
The provincial government is a regulation to update the existing environmental assessment process for the Ministry of Transportation’s Greater Toronto Area (GTA) West Transportation Corridor. The regulation would create a new streamlined process for assessing potential environmental impacts of the project, as well as consulting on it. MECP is seeking input on these proposed amendments during a 45-day comment period, closing on August 22, 2020. Please refer to https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-1882.
Many of the MECP proposals listed above respond directly to OHBA advocacy through the OHBA Submission to Ontario’s Jobs and Recovery Committee, OHBA Resolution #1 (Modernization of Approvals) passed at our AMM in September 2019, the OHBA Modernizing Ontario’s Environmental Assessments (ERO 013-5101) submission and the OHBA Made in Ontario Environment Submission. OHBA would like to thank our many volunteer members who have dedicated countless hours on these files.
As part of the COVID-19 post-pandemic recovery, the provincial government introduced Bill 197 COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act in the Legislative Assembly yesterday. The omnibus Bill makes amendments to a number of pieces of existing legislation as part of Ontario's Plan for Economic Jobs and Recovery.
Highlights include:
Planning Act and Development Charges Act Amendments (related to Community Benefit Charges (CBC) authority):
Community Benefits Charges (CBC) Regulation:
Expanded Ministerial Zoning Order Authority:
Modernizing Municipal Class Environmental Assessments:
Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECAs) for Waste Water and Storm Water Management:
Other Items:
Government Press Release:
https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/07/ontario-starting-down-the-path-to-growth-renewal-and-economic-recovery-1.html
Government Backgrounder:
https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/07/ontario-starting-down-the-path-to-growth-renewal-and-economic-recovery.html
DRHBA has received notice from the Town of Whitby that the special council meeting to ratify the Whitby Green Standards (WGS) has been postponed from July 20 to an undetermined date in the Fall.
DRHBA representatives met with the Whitby Green Standards committee yesterday, June 23, and again raised our serious concerns with the program. To date, none of the concerns identified by DRHBA have been addressed by the committee.
In an email to DRHBA, the Town of Whitby states that they "will review all the feedback and address any revisions that need to be made to the proposed WGS. We are also revisiting the timeline to bring the project to Council. We will be taking time over July and August to address the feedback and present any changes to the WGS to the development community before the matter is presented to Council in the Fall."
If you have any concerns or questions about the Whitby Green Standards, please contact Stacey at s.hawkins@drhba.com.
At the Monday, June 22 Oshawa Council meeting, council voted unanimously in favour of new dust and mud control bylaws.
The bylaws are contained in report CNCL-20-122 - Dust and Mud Control Related to Construction and Development Activities.
The three bylaws in the report are:
In December, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks (MECP) released a final excess soils regulation under the Environmental Protection Act as well as an amendment to the Record of Site Condition (brownfields) regulation 153/04 in a package of regulatory amendments generally supported by OHBA. The intent was to make it safer and easier for more excess soil to be reused locally by clarifying rules for managing and transporting excess soil. Full details on the announcement can be found here.
The MECP has made an announcement that it recognizes the impact COVID-19 has had on the regulated community and that it recognizes that in some cases temporary relief from certain regulations may be needed to maintain operations and to support quick response to emergencies.
The MECP has announced it will temporarily delay the implementation of the first phase of requirements under the new Excess Soil Regulation by six months, from July 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021. This delay will give developers and municipalities more time to gradually implement the new regulation while prioritizing their COVID-19 response.
The MECP has also amended O. Reg. 153/04 to exempt temporary health or residential facilities, such as temporary hospitals or shelters, from needing a Record of Site Condition (RSC) before being established in response to an emergency. This amendment would remain in place and apply to any future emergencies. These amendments respond directly to concerns raised by municipalities and industry regarding their ability to effectively maintain operations and establish facilities in response to an emergency.
For more information on these changes, please see this information notice.
The Government of Ontario has announced the creation of a new tribunal organization, the Ontario Land Tribunals, effective July 1, 2020. The new organization will include the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT), Environmental Review Tribunal, Board of Negotiation, Conservation Review Board and the Mining and Lands Tribunal. The Assessment Review Board will remain a part of Tribunals Ontario. Please note, Marie Hubbard, the former Associate Chair of the LPAT, has been appointed as the Executive Chair of the Ontario Land Tribunals when the organization is established on July 1, 2020.
Ontario Land Tribunals will adjudicate and mediate matters related to land use planning, environmental and heritage protection, expropriated land valuation, mining and other matters. Ontario Land Tribunals will focus on land-related dispute resolution to help increase the housing supply in the province, while balancing the needs of environmental protection and conservation.
Additionally, effective July 1, fees for filing appeals with the LPAT will increase. The filing fees will depend on the type of appeal being made. Under the LPAT's new fee model, different filing fees will be charged based on tribunal time and resources required to resolve different types of appeals. For additional details on this new fee model, please see the Tribunals Ontario news release.
The Ontario Land Tribunals will focus on more efficient land and environmental disputes resolution to help increase the housing supply, which helps support More Homes, More Choice: Ontario's Housing Supply Action Plan. A news release from the Ministry of the Attorney General is available here with the following quote from Attorney General Doug Downey:
"Our government is committed to creating a justice system for the 21st century, one that is more accessible, responsive and resilient. More efficient services at tribunals is a key element of our plan as they will drive innovation in the justice sector and more more services online. Ms. Hubbard's experience reducing the backlog at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal will help ensure land disputes continue to be resolved quickly, and more housing is built across the province."
As a result of the creation of the new organization, the former Environment and Land Tribunals Ontario website will be decommissioned. On July 1, 2020, the new Ontario Land Tribunals website will be found at www.olt.gov.on.ca.
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