A Toronto neighbourhood group called the ‘Concerned Residents of Willowdale’ is opposing the construction of a 42-storey tower near their single-family homes in Bayview Village over fears that it will lead to foundational cracks in their houses and even put them at risk for cancer.
Developers are planning to build a tower at 2810–2816 Bayview Avenue — the 42-storey building will feature 539 units, 136 parking spaces and 406 bicycle parking spaces sprawled out over 30,196 square metres of gross floor area. But in an open letter penned to blogTO, a representative of the group listed several concerns over the planned development.
For one, there are health risks. The group claims that the tower’s deep excavation will release silica dust, noting that it’s a known carcinogen that can cause lung cancer and silicosis. While construction workers are protected by regulations, the group argues that local residents don’t have such safeguards.
The group also lists structural safety fears — the 10-metre-deep excavation for underground parking could undermine nearby homes, the group warns, leading to foundation cracks or water damage.
The letter criticizes the City’s approval of the plan taking place behind single-family homes, saying it violates zoning norms and doesn’t properly address health and safety risks. Their letter also warns about increased traffic, loss of privacy and potential precedent-setting for future developments.
If anything, the letter has generated a fierce debate online, with Redditors arguing about NIMBYism.
“A 42 story tower, on the corner of the 401, a major mall, and a subway station shouldn’t be this controversial,” one Redditor noted.
Another user stated that, while the issues listed in the letter do have some basis to them, there has to be some compromise between safety and the needs of everyone else.
“Unless they can show examples in the past of how these risks were not adequately mitigated or caused some of the kinds of damage they are fearing or that the developer skipped having insurance that could cover it then I don’t think there is really anything enough to stop this development” the user stated.
Other users supported the health issues brought up in the letter, particularly with silica dust. Each year in Ontario, about 200 cases of lung cancer are caused by exposure to crystalline silica in workplaces, although these cancers amount to 2.5% of all lung cancers diagnosed each year in the province, according to Cancer Care Ontario.
“Silica dust is the new asbestos. The difference being that your lungs are wrecked after a few years instead of 40. Particulate matter is always high around construction sites, and most of that contains silica,” one Reddit user wrote. “Will living near a tower construction site lead to silicosis? Probably not. That being said, there is some risk with particles that end up in your house and are then continually stirred up via HVAC or just walking around. I’ve been a contractor for over 15 years, and dust from concrete gets absolutely everywhere, and definitely finds its way into neighbor’s houses.”
You can read more about that debate here.
