BUILDING DURHAM

It is with great sadness that CHBA advises that Kathleen Maynard, Senior Director, Building Innovation, CHBA, passed away from cancer on January 11, 2024. This came as a shock as she only became aware of the cancer less than two months prior. Kathleen was a wonderful colleague, a trailblazing and central contributor to the sector and an all-around amazing person. We will all miss her tremendously. 

CHBA does not have funeral information yet. As it becomes available it will be posted here.

Kathleen’s CHBA colleagues Keith Herring (Director, Modular & Construction Systems, keith.herring@chba.ca) and Frank Lohmann (Director, Building Science, frank.lohmann@chba.ca) will be continuing the important work she was so passionate about.

About Kathleen at CHBA

In her capacity as CHBA’s Senior Director, Building Innovation, Kathleen headed up CHBA’s Modular Construction Council and Technical Research Committee. The sheer volume of building codes-related information she read through and actioned was staggering, and she was a wonder to her colleagues. Kathleen represented CHBA on the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes as well as CSA’s Strategic Steering Committee on Construction and Civil Infrastructure. She also chaired the CSA Technical Committee on Prefabricated Buildings, Modules and Panels and was a very active participant on the Joint Task Group on Impact Analysis under the new Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes – a core concern for CHBA members. Kathleen’s talents were many, and it may come as a surprise to some that she also was heavily engaged in the production of CHBA’s National Conference and its sponsor relations for many years—Kathleen loved the conference. Her creativity and attention to detail helped create a wonderful experience for members time and again.

Kathleen began her career working with the building industry in 1987 as National Director of Communications for Energy Pathways, an Ottawa-based environmental consulting company, until 1997, when she joined Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation as Marketing Officer for CMHC's Research Division initiatives and collaborations, such as Healthy Housing, FlexHousing, Affordability and Choice Today (ACT), Regulatory Reform, and NRCan's R-2000 Program. As the CEO of the Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute from 2000 to 2016, she managed all facets of the institute’s operation and represented the factory-built housing industry. She then transitioned CMHI to become the CHBA Modular Construction Council in 2017, and officially joined the CHBA staff after having shared office space for many years.

Words cannot express how much everyone in the CHBA family, from staff to members to colleagues in other organizations, will miss Kathleen in so many ways.

The Municipality of Clarington is consulting the public about Clarington's Site Alteration By-law to ensure that the environment is protected and residents remain safe.  The current by-law was enacted in 2008 to regulate grading, filling or dumping on land, and removal of topsoil from land.

A Public Information Centre (PIC) will be held on January 25, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at 40 Temperance Street in Bowmanville.  Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions and share feedback on the proposed changes.  Registration is not required.

More information on the PIC can be found here.

The Town of Whitby has announced the their Climate Emergency Response Plan: Phase 2: Mitigation was endorsed by Council at the Regular Council Meeting on Monday, December 18, 2023.

Phase 2: Mitigation focuses on climate mitigation and identifies the sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Whitby and provides guidance and recommendations to reach the Town's community GHG emissions reduction target of net-zero by 2045.  The Town of Whitby will work with the community to commence the actions outlined in the Implementation Plan which actively guides the Plan's progress from 2024 to 2030.

The Phase 2: Mitigation Plan documents can be found at the links below:

CERP Phase 2 – Mitigation Plan

CERP Phase 2 – Mitigation - Implementation Plan

CERP Phase 2 – Mitigation - Financial Analysis

CERP Phase 2 – Mitigation - Engagement Summary

CERP Phase 2 – Mitigation - Data, Methods, and Assumptions

As per the Town of Whitby By-Law #7748-21, development charge rates will be indexed on February 1, 2024.  Based on the 2023 (third quarter) Statistics Canada Non-Residential Construction Price Index for Toronto, development charge rates are set to increase by 6.6% on February 1, 2024.

Please note, development charge payments made before February 1, 2024 must have the applicable building permit(s) issued no later than 60 days after the payment has been received; otherwise a top-up payment will be required, equal to the difference between the old and new development charge rates for the Town of Whitby.

The new Town of Whitby development charge rates effective February 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025 are shown here:

Residential Type (per unit)	Development Charge Rate  Feb. 1, 2024 - Jan. 31, 2025
Category A - i.e. Single/Semi-Detached	$49,254.31
Category B - i.e. Large Townhome	$37,538.63
Category C - i.e. Small Townhome/Large Apartment	$20,678.15
Category D - i.e. Small Apartment	$15,801.53
Category E - i.e. Special Care/Special Needs	$14,046.72

The posted development charges may not apply to any calculated development charge rates determined as per section 26.2 of the Development Charges Act, 1997. 

The rates shown above do not include any Region of Durham of DDSB/DCDSB development charges that may also be payable.

Additional information regarding development charges can be found on the Town of Whitby Development Charge Webpage.

Fred Petrich, owner of DFP Surveyors, passed away on November 19, 2023.

There will be a celebration of life on November 29, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Oshawa Golf Club, 160 Alexandra Street in Oshawa.

Please join us to celebrate Fred's life. He will be remembered fondly by friends and family in a setting befitting of someone so gregarious. Whether at the office, the rink or the golf course, Fred was known for capturing a room with a masterfully told joke or story. We hope to honour his memory with our own stories and memories of him.

Read full obituary here.

In the dynamic landscape of Ontario’s home-building industry, effective advocacy and lobbying play pivotal roles in shaping policies and influencing decisions that impact our industry and communities. As we navigate the intricate world of lobbying in Ontario, our upcoming OHBA Member Webinar seeks to shed light on the legal, reputational, and political risks associated with advocacy, empowering you with the knowledge necessary to use your voice and influence effectively.

Navigating Lobbying: Exploring the Legal, Reputational and Political Risks

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

8:30 – 9:30 AM EST

Join OHBA for an enlightening session that explores the nuances of advocacy and lobbying, providing valuable insights to foster a deeper understanding of its role within our industry and beyond. Led by legal experts Guy W. Giorno and Kyle M. Morrow of Fasken LLP, this webinar will:

• Explore the ethical restrictions on lobbying, including the restrictions on political activities, contingency fees, and conflicts of interest;
• Offer tips for complying with legal rules, including the rules on gifts, meals and hospitality;
• Explain lobbyist registration requirements at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government, including those that apply to your company; and
• Provide an update on enforcement trends in quasi-criminal and criminal proceedings.

Registration

This FREE webinar is open to OHBA Members and HBA Staff.

Registration is required, and membership status will be verified.

Secure your spot by Friday, December 8

Register Here!

On Wednesday, November 22, Minister of Public and Business Services Delivery (MPBSD), the Hon. Todd McCarthy introduced Bill 153, Building Infrastructure Safely Act, 2023,  which aims to improve the safety and efficiency of the Ontario "One Call" system.

The fact that the government is turning its attention to addressing issues with One Call and the locates system is a step in the right direction. OHBA has been engaged in communicating to the provincial government that the inability of One Call to meet locate timelines poses significant liabilities to construction deadlines, costs, and delivery of their own housing commitment of 1.5 million homes over the next decade.

One Call is mandated under the One Call Act to serve as a single point of contact for all underground infrastructure locate requests. Locates are written information and markings on the ground which identify underground infrastructure (e.g., gas, water and sewer lines). All owners and operators of underground infrastructure must become members of One Call. One Call's members include gas, electrical, telecommunication companies, and all municipalities that own or operate underground infrastructure in Ontario.

Ontario Newsroom: Ontario Helping Contain Costs of Building Roads and New Homes

Read Legislation: Bill 153, The Building Infrastructure Safely Act, 2023

Background On Proposed Changes

The government is proposing substantive changes to the operation of One Call in Bill 153, including:

1. Prohibiting infrastructure owners from charging excavators for locates.

2. Removing the excavator recourse provision that entitles excavators to seek recourse from infrastructure operators for late locates to the Ontario Land Tribunal for failing to provide a locate within the legislated time limit. Fines for late locates are going to be addressed by an administrative penalties system that comes into effect in Spring 2024.

OHBA Position

The OHBA remains encouraged by the announcement that proposes measures to forbid infrastructure operators from charging for locates. The long-standing industry practice of free-of-charge locates is critical for the construction sector to avoid spiralling costs and delays. The OHBA was highly engaged in communicating this to the government and is encouraged that the Ministry has listened to stakeholders about the importance of free-of-charge locates to keep unnecessary additional costs off home buyers.

What remains disappointing in this legislation is that there are no proposed changes to further improve the certainty of timing for locates to be completed. Delays in locate requests can often take unnecessarily long, thus slowing down construction activity across the residential construction sector as well as housing supportive infrastructure (roads, bridges, water and sanitary sewers, transit, etc.) at the time when it is needed the most.

The most important features of the One Call system are that it should be free-of-charge, accurate, and timely. All other proposed changes, legislative or regulatory should be focused on improving the timely service delivery of locates. The OHBA will be strongly advocating for the government to continue to engage the residential construction sector to find new and innovative ways to improve the One Call system.

Read OHBA Submission – RE: Consultation on a draft regulation proposal to specify large project locate requests under the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012

Next Steps

The OHBA will continue to communicate its member's priorities and concerns to the government on the proposed legislative and regulatory changes coming from the Building Infrastructure Safely Act, 2023. OHBA will be preparing written submissions to respond to the Ontario Regulatory Registry postings (due by December 22, 2023) and requesting to appear at the public consultations to speak on the proposed changes from Bill 153.

CLOCA has released its proposed annual increase to its Fee Schedules for Planning Services and Regulation Services.

When the CLOCA Board of Directors considered the comprehensive update to their fee schedules in 2015, the principle of annual inflationary increases was endorsed in order to keep the fee schedules current and to avoid future large year-over-year increases to the fees.

The revised fee schedules provide for a 4% inflationary increase proposed to be effective on January 1, 2024 (the previous increase effective November 2022 was 7%).  No new fees are proposed and the structure of the fee schedules is proposed to remain unaltered.

The 2024 fee schedules and annual updates are also intended to support and build CLOCA's staff capacity to maintain or reduce review time.  For example, this year, CLOCA increased their staff capacity for Whitby and area with a new Development Planner position.

Staff are proposing that the schedules be approved at the November CLOCA Board of Director's meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 21st.

If you have any comments, concerns or questions, please contact Stacey.

The Town of Whitby has initiated their Official Plan Review & Update.  Council approved Report PD 23-28 Town-Initiated Official Plan Review: Terms of Reference.

The Whitby Official Plan was last updated in 2018 with a planning horizon to 2031.  The 2018 update involved significant changes to previous policies, resulting in a new long-term vision for the municipality that directs where and how to manage increased growth and development pressure, now and into the future.

This review and update will build upon the 2018 Official Plan, and other recent Secondary Plan updates, and focus on changes required to comply with the Planning Act, including:

• Conforming to updated policies of the new Envision Durham Regional Official Plan, pending approval by the Province;
• Updating the Brooklin Community Secondary Plan to reflect the expanded Urban Area Boundary to 2051 of approximately 500 hectares, per the new Regional Official Plan;
• Conforming to changes in Provincial legislation and the new Provincial Planning Statement, pending approval by the Province; and, 
• Ensuring that the vision for the Town of Whitby continues to meet the community's needs, while planning for future growth in a sustainable manner.

By 2051, Whitby is forecasted to grow to 244,890 in population and 95,210 jobs.

Updating the Official Plan is also a priority, as the Regional Municipality of Durham will no longer have Planning Authority to support lower-tier municipalities, once related Bill 23 amendments to the Planning Act take effect, pending provincial proclamation.

The Official Plan Review will be undertaken in four project phases, in addition to the current pre-project Initiation phase.

Pre-Project Initiation: Consulting Team Retained, Technical Advisory Committee established - Current Phase - Q4 2023

Phase 1: Background Review and Analysis - Q1 2024 - Q3 2024

Phase 2: Proposed Policy Updates - Q4 2024 - Q1 2025

Phase 3: Draft Official Plan Amendments - Q2 2025 - Q3 2025

Phase 4: Final Recommendation Official Plan Amendment(s) - Q4 2025 - Q1 2026

For additional information, contact Lori Teolin, MCIP, RPP Principal Planner, Policy and Heritage Planning at 905-444-2858.

DRHBA is currently looking for members to join our committees!  Joining a committee is a great way to get involved, meet other members and help the Association grow and thrive. 

The following committees are currently seeking members:

The Big 3 Committee

This committee will be responsible for planning and executing DRHBA’s “Big Three” events – the President’s Ball, the Awards of Excellence gala and the annual golf tournament.  This committee will meet monthly, on the first Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m., either in-person at the DRHBA office or via Zoom (committee will collectively decide).  This committee will have staff support and will be responsible for:

• Creating and approving budgets, presenting budgets to the board for approval
• Determining ticketing prices
• Creating/approving sponsorship opportunities
• Determining theme/décor
• Determining entertainment
• Determining menus
• Marketing ideas and approvals
• Awards – determining what awards are available & associated criteria
• Golf – providing ideas for hole activities, take home gift for golfers
• President’s Ball – providing ideas for interactive after dinner entertainment
• Debriefing after events
• Volunteering the day before/day of event as needed

Sales & Marketing Committee

This committee will be responsible for assisting the Association with marketing ideas and implementation; membership recruitment, campaigns and marketing; coming up with ideas for member events and educational seminars.  This committee will meet monthly on the second Thursday of each month at 11:00 a.m., either in-person at the DRHBA office or via Zoom (committee will collectively decide).  This committee will have staff support and will be responsible for:

• Creating marketing ideas and plans
• Ideas for member recruitment, campaigns and marketing
• Member event ideas
• Seminar/educational event ideas
• Other event ideas
• Helping with planning events as needed
• Volunteering at events when needed

Government Relations Committee

This committee is responsible for determining the direction of DRHBA’s advocacy efforts.  Members of this committee share their experience and knowledge to help the Association create positions and correspondence when needed to benefit the building industry.  This committee has its own budget and the committee is responsible for what issues warrant hiring outside consultants.  This committee meets every four weeks on Wednesday at 3 p.m. via Zoom.  This committee has staff support and is responsible for:

• Providing information on upcoming and current issues that impact the residential construction industry
• Providing knowledge and information to help shape DRHBA’s position on issues
• Providing information to include in correspondence to municipalities/the Region/the province
• Attending meetings with municipal staff and politicians as needed
• Delegating to committees/council as needed

Renovator Committee

This committee is made up of renovators or those who are involved in the renovation industry.  This committee meets quarterly to discuss issues that impact the renovation industry and determine any actions taken by DRHBA to help renovators at the municipal and regional level.  This committee also promotes the RenoMark program.

If you have any questions about any of the committees or are interested in joining one, please contact Stacey.