Toronto Real Estate and Neighbourhoods Blog | Move Smartly

Do It Yourself Renovations

Rachel in  Lifestyle, HomeBuying, Legal

With spring in the air and my tulips breaking the surface in my garden, my thoughts naturally turn to home renovations.  I enjoy taking on small ‘upgrade’ projects around the house and thus far have managed not to cause more harm than good.  If you are also experiencing the need to visit a big box store for the perfect solution to your design/ structural/aesthetic issues at home, good luck but remember that you could be exposing yourself to risk.

Toronto Neighbourhoods Increasingly Defined by Schools

Urmi in Urban Issues, Lifestyle

Yesterday, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) approved a controversial proposal to open an alternative "Africentric" curriculum-focussed school in an attempt to combat an alarming 40% dropout rate amongst students of English-speaking Caribbean descent.  The win could be seen as a citizen victory, as a mother, Angela Wilson, and a community worker, Donna Harrow, originally brought the proposal forward.  Opening day will be September 2009; details as to curriculum, results-based targets and location are forthcoming.

Opinions were mixed amongst the trustees who ultimately approved the proposal.  Some unimaginatively took exception to the money - who will cover the estimated $850,000 required for the new facility?  Others were more forthcoming about policy concerns - is self-selected segregation really less harmful?  The debate picks up where a particularly volatile provincial election, largely defined by one candidate's positive stance towards publicly-funded alternative religious schooling, left off.

The school, when formally opened, will join 30 alternative schools already in existence in Toronto.  These schools have come to define their respective neighbourhoods, and there can be no doubt that this latest addition will do the same.  But it's not just religious and community schools that have become ultra-focussed. 

Recently, my chat with the mother of a soon-to-be teenager underscored the fact that a home buyer's search is often tethered to school quality and specialization - goals which are not restricted to the private domain.  Toronto's public high schools have increasingly taken the business of career prep seriously.  And serious means more specialized.  In a 2008-09 TDSB course selection guide for parents and students, aptly titled "Choices," familiar names - Georges Vanier SS and Albert Campbell CI - sit under the rather reticent banner of "Transportation Technologies."  With more pinpoint precision, Social Studies period has morphed into "Genocide: Historical and Contemporary Implications" and "World Geography: Urban Patterns and Interactions."

Whether public, private or alternative, Toronto's schools are increasingly distinct.  They offer diversity but along sharply drawn lines.  As schools define their own boundaries, the pressure to be in the "right" neighbourhood can only increase - can Toronto handle the momentum? 

For more on schools in the GTA area, visit Realosophy for local school and housing stats by neighbourhood.

Urmi Desai is an economic analyst and a freelance writer specializing in urban issues.  She is editor of the Move Smartly blog. Email Urmi

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Photo: Jarvis Collegiate Institute, Toronto

Lifting the Clothesline Ban: Let it all Hang Out

Jesse in Urban Issues, Lifestyle

Clothes are one step closer to flapping in the wind. The Ontario Government's Ministry of Energy is proceeding to end a ban on clotheslines for freehold detached, semi-detached and row-houses; echoing the delay of the green-bin program, condominiums and high rise buildings will be considered at a later date.

Frowned upon for conjuring images contrary to the 'ideal neighbourhood', communities of new developments had prohibited the use of clotheslines decades ago. Our twenty-first century of environmental awareness has drawn attention to this issue once again with the hopes of giving Ontario residents freedom to dry outside.

Citing an average hydro savings of $30 annually if 25% of household laundry is dried on a clothesline, Energy Minister Gerry Phillips hopes that this will encourage Ontario residents to take their clothes off the grid, at least during the warmest months (June to August); opting to line-dry for a longer period (mid-April to mid-October) would further increase monetary and environmental savings.  Installing and using a clothesline is a cost effective way to becoming environmentally conscious while saving money – not just in utility bills, but prolonging the life of your dryer as well. 

A 60-day consultation period has been established appealing to the public on ways to end these restrictions. I will be keeping watch on the outcome which, in my opinion, should be obvious.  An interesting article from All About Cities mentions the debate between home owners who are for clotheslines vs. those who are not: property value vs. a sustainable environment.  Is real estate finally trumping climate change? Maybe the outcome is not an obvious one.

Jesse Fleming is a freelance writer based in Toronto. Email Jesse

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photo credits: www.art.com

Unstoppable Drive: More Canadians Relying on Cars Today

Urmi in Urban Issues, Lifestyle

Stats Can's recent release, Dependence on Cars in Urban Neighbourhoods, reveals that car culture is alive and well in Canada - understandable to those that live the morning rush hour, daunting for those who wish to see this trend reversed.  The report, part of the Agency's Canadian Social Trends series, notes that overall levels of car dependency grew from 1992 to 2005 across Canada.

In this snapshot, 'dependency' generally means using the car for all trips in a single day.  Looking at the urban/suburban divide, the report confirms that there is a strong correlation between car dependency and living in low-density neighbourhoods (defined as areas in which 66.6% of dwellings are traditionally suburban - e.g., single, semi-detached or mobile homes).  Ditto for living further out from city centres.

Given that current growth plans put a high premium on high-density growth that promotes the use of public transit, you would think that we are only correcting mistakes of old.  Instead, rapidly sprawling cities of today such as Edmonton and Calgary are most car dependent - with 77% and 75% residents making all trips in a single day by car. In older, once bounded-by-water Montreal (see left), only 65% of residents indicate such usage.

 And it appears that it is hard to escape the destiny of that initial housing footprint.

Toronto's 'Target 70' - Part 2: Green Bin Roll-Out in Multi-Unit Dwellings

Jesse in Lifestyle, Urban Issues

I received this email from greenbin@toronto.ca in response to my inquiry about how the green bin program is to be implemented in multi-unit buildings:

“Our pilot project that has taken place in numerous multi-unit buildings across the City has been a huge success. The City has received approval to roll out the program City wide in 2008. I am waiting for more information as to when and how the program will be implemented.

Please visit our website at www.toronto.ca/garbage/multi/aptsgreen.htm to view the three types of collection systems that are being examined. If you were to purchase a green bin and place it out in front of the building it will not be collected. Once we are closer to rolling out the program, the property management team will be notified by the City.”

After reviewing the methods of collection provided on the City of Toronto website, I am of the opinion that the bulk bin system will be the easiest to install in most buildings and town homes.

Toronto's 'Target 70': Re-Vamping Waste Collection for Homes and Multi-Unit Buildings

Jesse in Lifestyle, Urban Issues

With 2008 underway, Toronto is only two years away from fulfilling its pledge to reduce its waste by 70%. Appropriately titled ‘Target70’, a large portion of this ambitious reduction lies in the roll-out of larger blue boxes and the introduction of grey boxes; the green bins for organic waste remain the same.

Residents of single-family homes west of Victoria Park Avenue and east of Yonge Street have until January 18, 2008 to place their order for their new blue bins, which are free, and scheduled for February delivery. The three sizes of blue bins are medium, large and extra-large; ranked similar to the ambiguous sizes of popcorn one finds at movie theatres, is the medium not a small? Aimed to hold two weeks worth of recyclable matter for every household, only one blue bin per home will be permitted; any recycling in excess of what the bin can hold should be kept until the next scheduled pick-up date, generally two weeks later. Residents who did not place their order by their deadline will receive a default large size bin - if this is too small, an exchange fee* will be set by the City at a later date.

The introduction of grey boxes (exclusively for solid waste) is also set for 2008. Based on volume of waste, you will be charged a fee per year* for garbage pick-up depending on which bin size out of the four is chosen (the smallest size is free). Because garbage collection is included in property taxes, every single-family household will receive a tax credit of the amount collected on property taxes. This credit is meant to go towards solid waste collection which will appear on a newly combined bill, Toronto Water/Solid Waste. The idea of this program is, according to the City of Toronto website, to link “costs to volume of garbage” meaning “residents who reduce garbage will pay less.”

Measuring Cities: Calgary Most 'Magnetic', Toronto Second

Urmi in Urban Issues, Lifestyle

In case you missed it last month, the Conference Board of Canada issued yet another headline-tailored missive, this one heralding a new report on which Canadian cities are most "attractive" to people.  From the executive summary (the full report is available for $2,400):

City Magnets: Benchmarking the Attractiveness of Canada’s CMAs gives an overview of how cities rank on the features that make Canadian cities attractive to skilled workers and mobile populations. A looming demographic crunch threatens to generate labour shortages in Canadian cities, so cities without the ability to act as magnets and attract new people will struggle to stay prosperous in the decades ahead. The full study uses report-card rankings of outcomes, or proxies for outcomes, to show how attractive our cities are to people. The performance of 27 census metropolitan areas is compared across seven different domains: Economy, Health, Society, Housing, Environment, Innovation, and Education. A second, less detailed analysis, also ranks Canada’s 27 CMAs against 27 U.S. cities.

The Board crowned Calgary the winning bachelor, with Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Victoria and Ottawa-Gatineau following behind (in that order).  But the contest's banner is a bit of a misnomer.  While purporting to be an overall assessment of a city's "attractiveness", the principle factor being measured is economic growth, i.e., 'where high-skilled people choose to go'.  As Blog TO puts it: "Calgary got top honours because oil is good for health, housing, the environment, education, innovation and society."

I have previously written about the questionable utility of ranking exercises conducted in or by the media, but I agree that they are fun to look at as a starting point for job hunting or HomeBuying research.  While I suspect that the Board's work may feature some confused variables at play, the findings are nonetheless interesting.  For one, they highlight the discrepancy between how an economist and a citizen might view the decisions we make - particularly when it comes to where we choose to live. 

Whither the Canadian Dream? Immigration, Homes and Toronto Neighbourhoods

Urmi in Toronto Real Estate News, Urban Issues, Lifestyle 

Some good news on the housing front for recent immigrants to Canada has me thinking about integration issues this week.  Not necessarily a good thing for the poor old mentality, because thinking on this front generally hurts the deeply-conditioned mind.  Pity Pavlov’s dogs. 

First, the housing news.  A new study released by Genworth Financial Canada, a mortgage default insurance provider, reveals that immigrants are prioritizing - and realizing -their dream of owning a home.  91% of recent immigrants polled in Canada's major cities (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa) listed owning a home a top priority, with 54% successfully climbing onto the property ladder, in spite of challenges, within three years (on average) of coming to this country.  University of Alberta Professor Michael Haan, a leading expert on the immigrant homeownership experience in Canada, suggests that immigrants are able to persevere because they have more to prove psychologically: "Some international academic studies have strongly suggested that immigrants place a higher importance (than native-born residents) on homeownership, and that they have additional incentives for ownership, such as demonstrating success and permanency to themselves and others."  These stats are good news for those interested in Toronto's booming housing market and worried about potential real estate bubbles.  Tangible consumer demand fueled in part by immigration is made of stronger stuff than demand fueled by the frenzied speculation of investors. 

For those who hold that immigration is key to Canada's continued economic growth on other fronts, the recent Stats Canada release is also manna from heaven.  Almost 50% of the GTA's population is now foreign-born, moving Toronto ahead of New York and Los Angeles in the diversity sweepstakes.  The success that recent immigrants have enjoyed when it comes to buying a home no doubt contributes to the magnetism of Toronto.  During a debate held earlier this year, Toronto City Councilor Olivia Chow momentarily stymied her counterparts from New York, London and Sydney with her feisty pitch to young and talented would-be immigrants: move here and chances are you won't have to buy in the boondocks.  (The DVP, presumably, is purgatory of another kind.)  But Chow needn't underestimate the even farther flung.  Stats Can's latest 2006 Census data reveals that newer arrivals are flooding into the suburbs around Toronto, bypassing the once common stopover in the city's core.  Markham leads the way with 56.5% of residents foreign-born, with Richmond Hill and Mississauga close behind at 51%.

The DOs and DON'Ts of Condo Living

Jesse in Condo Buying, Legal, Lifestyle

You have found your ideal condominium. It may be a conversion of sorts, a shiny high-rise in a tony neighbourhood or one of the row house varieties. It fits you like a glove and you cannot wait to move in.

This was me exactly one year ago. Once my partner and I retained possession, a few days before we moved in, a full-scale celebratory dance around our very empty new home ensued. It was during chorus-line kicks across our living room that I noticed a thick, spiral-bound book on sitting on the kitchen counter. Flipping through it, I briefly read the first few disclosure statements and admittedly lost interest with every page turn. We were moving into our first home! It was time to break out the bubbly, not to read the fine print.

Toronto Moving Tips: Regifting, Reusing and Recycling Clutter

Urmi in Lifestyle

This week, I find myself having to confront old demons to prepare for a big move.  The New Year will find me simultaneously downsizing and upgrading to share a home with a wonderful partner.  While I'll be moving to a more spacious place, a purge is in order because showing up with boxes full of junk (including a mortifying CD collection that has taken to following me around) doesn't exactly say, "hello beloved one!"  (Neither does showing up with a Deepak Chopra book collection of the same name.)

This move around, I've decided to combine my yen for streamlining with the giving spirit of the festive season.  By planning months ahead of my actual move, I can avoid a last-minute dash for the dumpster (and EcoGuilt™) by choosing to regift, recycle and reuse wherever possible.  Whether you are planning to move now or soonish, you may want to take a similar approach to de-cluttering.  Here are some helpful services and ideas I've come across in the GTA: