Giving Consideration to Exempting all Places of Worship from Section 42 Requirements - by Councillor James Pasternak, seconded by Councillor Mike Colle

Places of worship provide communities with a range of services that develop and improve community cohesion. Churches, mosques and synagogues develop a neighborhood's character while fostering safe and educational spaces for youths, newcomers and the growing elderly population. Places of worship promote social engagement, cultural initiatives and the arts. At the same time, they give back to our constituents by helping those in need, by aiding through and after natural disasters and by working alongside civic institutions to make our cities more embracing. Many of these places of worship do not have the funds necessary to run their institutions, provide services and expand their reach as needed. The added burden of Section 42 requirements, can only help worsening the conditions of our places of worship and deter new institutions from lying roots in our City. For this and the aforementioned reasons, the General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation, should be directed that as part of the developing parkland strategy, to consider the possibility of exempting all places of worship from any parkland requirements. This Motion is urgent due to the recently announced changes that the Ontario Government is proposing for Sections 37 and 42 of the Planning Act.