Vaughanwood Ratepayers Association: Protect our Community

We are the Vaughanwood Ratepayers Association Inc., a community group in the City of Vaughan, dedicated to representing and preserving the character and integrity of our neighborhood. The area we represent borders the Humber River, east of Islington Ave, west of Pine Valley (Jersey Creek), north of Steeles and south of Willis in the City of Vaughan.

We are seeking funds to hire legal counsel to represent our community in crucial land development hearings at the Ontario Land Tribunal.

We are facing critical challenges in our historical enclave community with the onslaught of condominium development proposals that threaten the very fabric of our neighborhood, including the unique and older areas of Seneca Heights and Sylvadene Parkway.

Our immediate need to is hire legal counsel to represent our community in the proposed development of 10, 20 and 24 Wigwoss Ave where there is a proposal to build a 12-story condominium on 3 parcels of land that currently houses 3 single family homes.

This development is set to be review and assessment by the Ontario Land Tribunal and we believe having legal representation at these hearings is imperative to ensure that the developer respects the City of Vaughan Official Plan, adheres to the bylaws that safeguards our neighborhood and abides by the needs of the surrounding community.

Our voices are not being heard by both the developer and the City of Vaughan. This development proposal was created with no regard to the regulations of the City of Vaughan or the impact on the neighboring community. Many member of our community have flagged several areas of concern, but these concerns have yet to be addressed.

They include:

• An accurate current traffic report for Highway 7 (not outdated 2016 data)

• Archaeological potential assessment

• Compliance with the 45-degree angular plane

• Density concerns

• Built form and building design

• Lack of infrastructure

• Lack of public consultation

• Shadowing impacts

• Access issues

• Insufficient parking

Your donations will enable us to hire a lawyer who will advocate for our community and ensure responsible development that will respect our communities’ values.

We are looking for a $500.00 donation per household or whatever you can donate. https://gofund.me/0643d977

or send send an email to the ratepayer's email for further instructions on e-transfers.

Looking ahead we anticipate that need for additional support for future Ontario Land Tribunal hearings for a similar proposed condo development in our community such as the 14-story condominium application at 79 Arrowhead Drive/4850 Highway 7 and many more development application coming in the future to this small, well established pocket of low density homes.

100% of all funds raised will go directly towards paying for legal counsel and necessary reports required in the OLT hearings. Board hearings start July 24, 2024.

We will periodically update this site with update on how we are allocation our funds for these hearings.

A Bit About Us:

The Vaughanwood Ratepayers Association Inc. is incorporated and registered with the City of Vaughan.

It was the very first Ratepayers Association in The City of Vaughan and has been active representing the needs of the community since 1983.

The area we represent borders the Humber River, east of Islington Ave, west of Pine Valley (Jersey Creek), north of Steeles and south of Willis in the City of Vaughan.

We thank you and deeply appreciate your support!