The news just came in that the Ontario Municipal Board turned down SmartCentres’ application for a 700,000 square food complex in the industrial lands between Eastern and Lakeshore Blvd.
This is fantastic news.
Instead of acres of retail (it was likely to be Walmart) and a desert of parking, why not clean up the soil and start an urban farm? Message to SmartCentres: how about doing something magnificent and donating the land to the city in the name of community sustainability? Protect it with anti-development covenants and get a nice big tax receipt. Then feel good about helping to change the city into a place where food is grown.
It might sound crazy but we need bold action–like now.