Though Toronto’s planning process provides forums for resident participation, many residents are justifiably under the impression that some pending condo developments have already been approved, due to misleading advertising.

At the beginning of the application review process for a new condo, local residents are generally confronted with advertising stating that a building will be “coming soon,” with no mention of any kind of municipal approval process.

Recently, my wife and I saw a movie at the Yonge and Eglinton Silver City. We were shocked to see an ad prior to the film for E Condos (northeast corner of Yonge and Eglinton) suggesting that it was coming soon despite the fact that it has not been approved. This misleading advertising suppresses local engagement by giving the impression that the application is a done deal. This can also affect individuals who pre-purchase units that are not guaranteed to still be a part of the project once the city has gone through the planning process, leaving them scrambling to find a new home.

To address this problem, I moved a motion that was approved by city council entitled A Picture Tells Too Many Stories: Honest Advertising for Proposed Developments, which requests that the province require developers to state in their advertising that applications are subject to approval processes.

Residents in high-growth areas, such as midtown Yonge, must live with increasing density, construction and traffic. It is only fair that they are provided opportunities in an honest way to voice their concerns and offer their informed feedback.