Leslieville wins against Big Box invasion

OMB rules employment lands a developer wanted to use to build a Wal-Mart and other monster retailers don’t provide enough to rank as an employment district

Leslieville residents have won the Battle of the Big Boxes. The employment lands that would have hosted Wal-Mart and the like, killing off small Leslieville retailers, will be used to provide quality jobs.

The City of Toronto successfully defended its Official Plan policies today as the Ontario Municipal Board upheld the city’s right to
maintain the area South of Eastern Avenue as an Employment District without large format, stand alone retail outlets.

“Preserving and protecting employment lands is an important part of Toronto’s Official Plan,” said Mayor David Miller. “This decision recognizes that position and strengthens our ability to ensure Toronto can prosper now and in the future.”

*The OMB decision has found that the test to add large format stand-alone retail to employment districts is a difficult one to meet, *said Brendan O*Callaghan of the City*s legal division.

The OMB found that the functioning of other economic activities within this district would have been undermined if the Smart Centres application had been approved.