HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-09-22Clarftwn
Electronic Council Communications Information
Package
Date: September 22, 2023
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: ECCIP is an information package and not a meeting.
Description: An ECCIP is an electronic package containing correspondence received by Staff for
Council's information. This is not a meeting of Council or Committee.
Alternate Format: If this information is required in an alternate format, please contact the
Accessibility Coordinator, at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131.
Members of Council: In accordance with the Procedural By-law, please advise the Municipal Clerk
at clerks@clarington.net, if you would like to include one of these items on the next regular agenda
of the appropriate Standing Committee, along with the proposed resolution for disposition of the
matter. Items will be added to the agenda if the Municipal Clerk is advised by Wednesday at noon
the week prior to the appropriate meeting, otherwise the item will be included on the agenda for the
next regularly scheduled meeting of the applicable Committee.
Members of the Public: can speak to an ECCIP item as a delegation. If you would like to be a
delegation at a meeting, please visit the Clarington website.
Electronic Council Communications Information Package (ECCIP)
September 22, 2023
Pages
1. Region of Durham Correspondence
2. Durham Municipalities Correspondence
3. Other Municipalities Correspondence
3.1 City of Cambridge, Regarding Declaring Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) 3
an Epidemic - September 20, 2023
4. Provincial / Federal Government and their Agency Correspondence
4.1 Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Regarding Responding to the 5
Housing Affordability Task Force's Recommendations - September 15,
2023
5. Miscellaneous Correspondence
5.1 Insurance Bureau of Canada, Regarding Clarington's Auto Theft Crisis - 15
September 19, 2023
Page 2
�CAMBPIDGE
CANADA
PEOPLE -PLACE -PROSPERITY
The Corporation of the City of Cambridge
Corporate Services Department
Clerk's Division
The City of Cambridge
Tel: (519) 740-4680 ext. 4585
mantond@cambridge.ca
September 20, 2023
Re: Declaring Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) an Epidemic
At its Council Meeting of September 12, 2023, the Council of the Corporation of the
City of Cambridge passed the following Motion:
WHEREAS the safety of our community and its members is of extreme importance to
every single Cambridge resident, as well as to Cambridge Council;
WHEREAS intimate partner violence, often referred to as domestic violence, means
any use of physical or sexual force, actual or threatened in an intimate relationship,
including emotional and/or psychological abuse or harassing behaviour, and persons
of any gender or sex can be victims of intimate partner violence;
WHEREAS Waterloo Region is experiencing a rise in intimate partner violence (IPV)
and domestic violence during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Waterloo
Region Police Service (WRPS) experiences an average of 17 calls related to IPV per
day, with a total of 6,158 calls in 2022 and 66,000 calls for service in total, despite the
fact that 70% of IPV incidents go unreported due to feelings of shame, fear, and
secrecy;
WHEREAS the WRPS has laid more than 35,000 charges related to IPV, or an
average of 3,500 per year;
WHEREAS in 2022, five out of six homicides in Waterloo Region stemmed from IPV
and domestic violence, with over 3,800 criminal charges issued by WRPS in relation
to IPV;
WHEREAS between 2012 and 2022, the WRPS received a total of 20,870 calls
related to IPV in Cambridge, and laid a total of 11,020 charges related to IPV in
Cambridge;
WHEREAS Indigenous women are approximately 3.5 times more likely to experience
some form of intimate partner violence than non -Indigenous women, and the homicide
rate for Indigenous women and girls is approximately 6 times higher than for non -
Indigenous women and girls, and Indigenous women are 12 times more likely to be
murdered or missing than any other women in Canada, and 16 times more likely than
white women;
50 Dickson Street Cambridge 0,1 N I R 5W8 - P.O. Box 669
Phone 519-623-13Wge www.cambridge.ca
�CAMBPIDGE
CANADA
PEOPLE -PLACE -PROSPERITY
WHEREAS violence against women costs the national justice system, health care
systems, social services agencies and municipalities billions of dollars per year, and
municipalities are on the front line in addressing gender -based violence;
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Cambridge joins over 30 other Ontario
municipalities in supporting the Recommendation #1 from the Culleton, Kuzyk and
Warmerdam Inquest (C.K.W. Inquest) in formally declaring intimate partner violence
(IPV) as an epidemic;
AND THAT the Province of Ontario be requested to declare that intimate partner
violence and violence against women is an epidemic, in accordance with
Recommendation #1 of the C.K.W. Inquest;
AND THAT Cambridge recommends that Waterloo Regional Council integrates
intimate partner violence in the Region's Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan, in
accordance with Recommendation #10 of the C.K.W. Inquest, and set out gender -
based violence/intimate partner violence as a separate priority within the plan;
AND FURTHER THAT the City Clerk be directed to send a copy of this motion to the
Region of Waterloo, Province of Ontario, The Right Honourable Prime Minister,
Members of Parliament, Provincial Members of Parliament, United Nations, and all
Ontario Municipalities.
Should you have any questions related to the approved resolution, please contact
me.
Yours Truly,
Danielle Manton
City Clerk
Cc: (via email)
Hon. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Members of Parliament
Provincial Members of Parliament
United Nations
Province of Ontario
Region of Waterloo
All Ontario Municipalities
50 Dickson Street Cambridge ON N I R 5W8 P.O. Box 669
Phone 519-623-134#ge 4www.cambridge.ca
Ministry of
Municipal Affairs
and Housing
Office of the Minister
777 Bay Street, 17th Floor
Toronto ON M7A 2J3
Tel.: 416 585-7000
Ministere des
Affaires municipales
et du Logement
Bureau du ministre
777, rue Bay, 17e etage
Toronto (Ontario) M7A 2J3
Tel.: 416 585-7000
234-2023-4596
September 15, 2023
Dear Head of Council,
Subject: Responding to the Housing Affordability Task Force's
Recommendations
As you know, in February 2022, the Housing Affordability Task Force delivered its final
report with recommendations to help Ontario tackle the housing supply crisis and build
at least 1.5 million homes by 2031. Including sub -items and appendices, the Task Force
made 74 unique recommendations. While Ontario has made progress in acting on these
recommendations — with 23 implemented to date helping to achieve the highest level of
housing starts in over three decades — as the province grows at incredible speed, all
levels of government need to do more.
To bring the dream of home ownership into reach for more people, I have asked my
ministry to renew its efforts to review and, where possible, implement the Task Force's
remaining recommendations with minimal delay. As part of that review, I am asking for
your position, as head of council, on all 74 recommendations, as well as for you to
prioritize your top five recommendations for future consideration. For these top five
priorities, this could include your advice to revisit the way a recommendation has been
implemented up to this point (for example, the Task Force's recommendation to allow
as -of -right zoning for four units on a single residential lot, compared to the province's
current baseline of allowing three units as -of -right with the option for municipalities to
adopt a higher density threshold if they choose), as well as how some of the
recommendations could or should be implemented with amendments.
Accompanying this letter, you will find a chart containing the full list of 74 Task Force
recommendations. Please fill in this chart, indicating whether you as the leader of your
municipality support each recommendation. At the top of the chart, I ask that you rank
the top five Task Force recommendations that you feel would be, or have been, the
most useful in increasing housing supply in your community and across Ontario.
As we look to do more to solve the housing supply and affordability crisis together, it's
important for the province to have a full understanding of our municipal partners'
positions on these recommendations as quickly as possible. I ask that you please
return the completed chart to housingsupply@ontario.ca no later than October
16, 2023.
.../2
Page 5
-2-
At the same time, we cannot afford to deploy resources or enable tools where they
won't be used or optimized. Now more than ever, we need clarity about your views. As
such, failing to return this chart completed in full by October 16, 2023 will disqualify
your municipality from being eligible for the province's new $1.2 billion Building
Faster Fund that was announced at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario
conference in August. To make this process easy and efficient for you, we have
standardized the feedback form with very simple `support' or 'oppose' options.
I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure that more people can afford a
place to call home.
Sincerely,
The Hon. Paul Calandra
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
c: Hon. Rob Flack, Associate Minister of Housing
Kirstin Jensen, Interim Chief of Staff, Minister's Office
Martha Greenberg, Deputy Minister
Joshua Paul, Assistant Deputy Minister, Market Housing Division
Sean Fraser, Assistant Deputy Minister, Planning and Growth Division
Caspar Hall, Assistant Deputy Minister, Local Government Division
Attachment:
List of 74 Housing Affordability Task Force (HATF) Recommendations for Response
Page 6
Attachment: List of 74 Housing Affordability Task Force (HATF) Recommendations for Response
Please identify the top 5 HATF recommendations that you support, and rationale / comments
2
3
4
5
HATF Recommendation
Support or Oppose
(Note: Bracketed numbers are per the numbering in the original Task Force report; numbering in the first column
(Mandatory Field — Please only
is for Ministry use)
mark with an `X' as appropriate)
Recommendations with an asterisk * have been implemented
1) Set a goal of building 1.5 million new homes in ten years.*
Support
Oppose
2) Amending the Planning Act, Provincial Policy Statement, and Growth Plans to set "growth in the
Support
Oppose
full spectrum of housing supply" and "intensification within existing built-up areas" of municipalities as
the most important residential housing priorities in the mandate and purpose.
3) a) Limit exclusionary zoning in municipalities through binding provincial action: allow "as of right"
Support
Oppose
residential housing up to four units and up to four storeys on a single residential lot.*
4.
3 b) Modernize the Building Code and other policies to remove any barriers to affordable construction
Support
Oppose
and to ensure meaningful implementation (e.g., allow single -staircase construction for up to four
storeys, allow single egress, etc.)
5.
4) Permit "as of right" conversion of underutilized or redundant commercial properties to residential
Support
Oppose
or mixed residential and commercial use.
6.
5) Permit "as of right" secondary suites, garden suites, and laneway houses province -wide.*
Support
Oppose
�u�s
HATF Recommendation
Support or Oppose
(Note: Bracketed numbers are per the numbering in the original Task Force report; numbering in the first column
(Mandatory Field — Please only
is for Ministry use)
mark with an X as appropriate)
Recommendations with an asterisk * have been implemented
7.
6) Permit "as of right" multi -tenant housing (renting rooms within a dwelling) province -wide.
Support
Oppose
8.
7) Encourage and incentivize municipalities to increase density in areas with excess school
Support
Oppose
capacity to benefit families with children.
9.
8) Allow "as of right" zoning up to unlimited height and unlimited density in the immediate proximity
Support
Oppose
of individual major transit stations within two years if municipal zoning remains insufficient to meet
provincial density targets.
10.
9) Allow "as of right" zoning of six to 11 storeys with no minimum parking requirements on any
Support
Oppose
streets that have direct access to public transit (including streets on bus and streetcar routes).
11.
10) Designate or rezone as mixed commercial and residential use all land along transit corridors and
Support
Oppose
re -designate all Residential Apartment to mixed commercial and residential zoning in Toronto.
12.
11) Support responsible housing growth on undeveloped land, including outside existing municipal
Support
Oppose
boundaries, by building necessary infrastructure to support higher density housing and complete
communities and applying the recommendations of this report to all undeveloped land.
13.
12) a) Create a more permissive land use, planning, and approvals system: Repeal or override
Support
Oppose
municipal policies, zoning, or plans that prioritize the preservation of physical character of
neighbourhood.*
14.
12 b) Exempt from site plan approval and public consultation all projects of 10 units or less that
Support
Oppose
conform to the Official Plan and require only minor variances.*
15.
12 c) Establish provincewide zoning standards, or prohibitions, for minimum lot sizes, maximum
Support
Oppose
building setbacks, minimum heights, angular planes, shadow rules, front doors, building depth,
landscaping, floor space index, and heritage view cones, and planes; restore pre-2006 site plan
exclusions (colour, texture, and type of materials, window details, etc.) to the Planning Act and reduce
or eliminate minimum parking requirements.
16.
12 d) Remove any floorplate (sic) restrictions to allow larger, more efficient high -density towers.
Support
Oppose
HATF Recommendation
Support or Oppose
(Note: Bracketed numbers are per the numbering in the original Task Force report; numbering in the first column
(Mandatory Field — Please only
is for Ministry use)
mark with an X as appropriate)
Recommendations with an asterisk * have been implemented
17.
13) Limit municipalities from requesting or hosting additional public meetings beyond those that are
Support
Oppose
required under the Planning Act.
18.
14) Require that public consultations provide digital participation options.
Support
Oppose
19.
15) Require mandatory delegation of site plan approvals and minor variances to staff or pre-
Support
Oppose
approved qualified third -party technical consultants through a simplified review and approval process,
without the ability to withdraw Council's delegation.*
20.
16) a) Prevent abuse of the heritage preservation and designation process by: prohibiting the use of
Support
Oppose
bulk listing on municipal heritage registers.*
21.
16 b) Prohibiting reactive heritage designations after a Planning Act development application has
Support
Oppose
been filed.*
22.
17) Requiring municipalities to compensate property owners for loss of property value as a result of
Support
Oppose
heritage designations, based on the principle of best economic use of land.
23.
18) Restore the right of developers to appeal Official Plans and Municipal Comprehensive Reviews.*
Support
Oppose
24.
19) Legislate timelines at each stage of the provincial and municipal review process, including site
Support
Oppose
plan, minor variance, and provincial reviews, and deem an application approved if the legislated
response time is exceeded.*
25.
20) Fund the creation of "approvals facilitators" with the authority to quickly resolve conflicts among
Support
Oppose
municipal and/or provincial authorities and ensure timelines are met.*
26.
21) Require a pre -consultation with all relevant parties at which the municipality sets out a binding list
Support
Oppose
that defines what constitutes a complete application; confirms the number of consultations
established in the previous recommendations; and clarifies that if a member of a regulated profession
such as a professional engineer has stamped an application, the municipality has no liability and no
additional stamp is needed.
27.
22) Simplify planning legislation and policy documents.
Support
Oppose
HATF Recommendation
Support or Oppose
(Note: Bracketed numbers are per the numbering in the original Task Force report; numbering in the first column
(Mandatory Field — Please only
is for Ministry use)
mark with an X as appropriate)
Recommendations with an asterisk * have been implemented
28.
23) Create a common, province -wide definition of plan of subdivision and standard set of conditions
Support
Oppose
which clarify which may be included; require the use of standard province -wide legal agreements and,
where feasible, plans of subdivision.
29.
24) Allow wood construction of up to 12 storeys.*
Support
Oppose
30.
25) Require municipalities to provide the option of pay on demand surety bonds and letters of credit.
Support
Oppose
31.
26) Require appellants to promptly seek permission ("leave to appeal") of the OLT and demonstrate
Support
Oppose
that an appeal has merit, relying on evidence and expert reports, before it is accepted.
32.
27) a) Prevent abuse of process: remove right of appeal for projects with at least 30% affordable
Support
Oppose
housing in which units are guaranteed affordable for 40 years.
33.
27 b) Require a $10,000 filing fee for third party appeals.*
Support
Oppose
34.
27 c) Provide discretion to adjudicators to award full costs to the successful party in any appeal
Support
Oppose
brought by a third party or by a municipality where its council has overridden a recommended staff
approval.
35.
28) Encourage greater use of oral decisions issued the day of the hearing, with written reasons to
Support
Oppose
follow, and allow those decisions to become binding the day that they are issued.*
36.
29) Where it is found that a municipality has refused an application simply to avoid a deemed
Support
Oppose
approval for lack of decision, allow the Tribunal to award punitive damages.
37.
30) Provide funding to increase staffing (adjudicators and case managers), provide market-
Support
Oppose
competitive salaries, outsource more matters to mediators, and set shorter time targets.
38.
31) In clearing the existing backlog, encourage the Tribunal to prioritize projects close to the finish
Support
Oppose
line that will support housing growth and intensification, as well as regional water or utility
infrastructure decisions that will unlock significant housing capacity.
.:aa;
HATF Recommendation
Support or Oppose
(Note: Bracketed numbers are per the numbering in the original Task Force report; numbering in the first column
(Mandatory Field — Please only
is for Ministry use)
mark with an X as appropriate)
Recommendations with an asterisk * have been implemented
39.
32) Waive development charges and parkland cash -in -lieu and charge only modest connection fees
Support
Oppose
for all infill residential projects up to 10 units or for any development where no new material
infrastructure will be required.
40.
33) Waive development charges on all forms of affordable housing guaranteed to be affordable for
Support
Oppose
40 years.
41.
34) Prohibit interest rates on development charges higher than a municipality's borrowing rate.*
Support
Oppose
42.
35 a) Regarding cash in lieu of parkland, s.37, Community Benefit Charges, and development
Support
Oppose
charges: Provincial review of reserve levels, collections and drawdowns annually to ensure funds are
being used in a timely fashion and for the intended purpose, and, where review points to a significant
concern, do not allow further collection until the situation has been corrected.
43.
35 b) Except where allocated towards municipality -wide infrastructure projects, require
Support
Oppose
municipalities to spend funds in the neighbourhoods where they were collected. However, where
there's a significant community need in a priority area of the City, allow for specific ward to ward
allocation of unspent and unallocated reserves.
44.
36) Recommend that the federal government and provincial governments update HST rebate to
Support
Oppose
reflect current home prices and begin indexing, and that the federal government match the provincial
75% rebate and remove any clawback.
45.
37) Align property taxes for purpose-built rental with those of condos and low-rise homes.
Support
Oppose
46.
38) Amend the Planning Act and Perpetuities Act to extend the maximum period for land leases and
Support
Oppose
restrictive covenants on land to 40 or more years.*
47.
39) Eliminate or reduce tax disincentives to housing growth.
Support
Oppose
48.
40) Call on the Federal Government to implement an Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing
Support
Oppose
Strategy.*
HATF Recommendation
Support or Oppose
(Note: Bracketed numbers are per the numbering in the original Task Force report; numbering in the first column
(Mandatory Field — Please only
is for Ministry use)
mark with an X as appropriate)
Recommendations with an asterisk * have been implemented
49.
41) Funding for pilot projects that create innovative pathways to homeownership, for Black,
Support
Oppose
Indigenous, and marginalized people and first -generation homeowners.
50.
42) Provide provincial and federal loan guarantees for purpose-built rental, affordable rental and
Support
Oppose
affordable ownership projects.
51.
43) Enable municipalities, subject to adverse external economic events, to withdraw infrastructure
Support
Oppose
allocations from any permitted projects where construction has not been initiated within three years of
build permits being issued.
52.
44) Work with municipalities to develop and implement a municipal services corporation utility model
Support
Oppose
for water and wastewater under which the municipal corporation would borrow and amortize costs
among customers instead of using development charges.
53.
45) Improve funding for colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeships, encourage and incentivize
Support
Oppose
municipalities, unions and employers to provide more on-the-job training.*
54.
46) Undertake multi -stakeholder education program to promote skilled trades.*
Support
Oppose
55.
47) Recommend that the federal and provincial government prioritize skilled trades and adjust the
Support
Oppose
immigration points system to strongly favour needed trades and expedite immigration status for these
workers and encourage the federal government to increase from 9,000 to 20,000 the number of
immigrants admitted through Ontario's program.*
56.
48) The Ontario government should establish a large "Ontario Housing Delivery Fund" and encourage
Support
Oppose
the federal government to match funding. This fund should reward:
a) Annual housing growth that meets or exceeds provincial targets
b) Reductions in total approval times for new housing
c) The speedy removal of exclusionary zoning practices
57.
49) Reductions in funding to municipalities that fail to meet provincial housing growth and approval
Support
Oppose
timeline targets
58.
50) Fund the adoption of consistent municipal e-permitting systems and encourage the federal
Support
Oppose
government to match funding. Fund the development of a common data architecture standard,
supported by an external expert committee, across municipalities and provincial agencies/ministries
HATF Recommendation
Support or Oppose
(Note: Bracketed numbers are per the numbering in the original Task Force report; numbering in the first column
(Mandatory Field — Please only
is for Ministry use)
mark with an X as appropriate)
Recommendations with an asterisk * have been implemented
and require municipalities to provide their zoning bylaws with open data standards. Set an
implementation goal of 2025 and make funding conditional on established targets.
59.
51) Require municipalities and the provincial government to use the Ministry of Finance population
Support
Oppose
projections as the basis for housing need analysis and related land use requirements.
60.
52) Resume reporting on housing data and require consistent municipal reporting, enforcing
Support
Oppose
compliance as a requirement for accessing programs under the Ontario Housing Delivery Fund.*
61.
53) Report each year at the municipal and provincial level on any gap between demand and supply
Support
Oppose
by housing type and location, and make underlying data freely available to the public.
62.
54) Empower the Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to lead an all of government
Support
Oppose
committee that meets weekly to ensure our remaining recommendations and any other productive
ideas are implemented.
63.
55) Commit to evaluate these recommendations for the next three years with public reporting on
Support
Oppose
progress.*
64.
B-1) Call upon the federal government to provide equitable affordable housing funding to Ontario.*
Support
Oppose
65.
B-2) Develop and legislate a clear, province -wide definition of "affordable housing" to create certainty
Support
Oppose
and predictability.
66.
B-3) Create an Affordable Housing Trust from a portion of Land Transfer Tax Revenue (i.e., the
Support
Oppose
windfall resulting from property price appreciation) to be used in partnership with developers, non-
profits, and municipalities in the creation of more affordable housing units. This Trust should create
incentives for projects serving and brought forward by Black- and Indigenous -led developers and
marginalized groups.
67.
B-4) Amend legislation to:
Support
Oppose
• Allow cash -in -lieu payments for Inclusionary Zoning units at the discretion of the municipality.
• Require that municipalities utilize density bonusing or other incentives in all Inclusionary
Zoning and Affordable Housing policies that apply to market housing.
HATF Recommendation
Support or Oppose
(Note: Bracketed numbers are per the numbering in the original Task Force report; numbering in the first column
(Mandatory Field — Please only
is for Ministry use)
mark with an X as appropriate)
Recommendations with an asterisk * have been implemented
• Permit municipalities that have not passed Inclusionary Zoning policies to offer incentives and
bonuses for affordable housing units.
68.
B-5) Encourage government to closely monitor the effectiveness of Inclusionary Zoning policy in
Support
Oppose
creating new affordable housing and to explore alternative funding methods that are predictable,
consistent and transparent as a more viable alternative option to Inclusionary Zoning policies in the
provision of affordable housing.
69.
B-6) Rebate MPAC market rate property tax assessment on below -market affordable homes.
Support
Oppose
70.
C-1) Review surplus lands and accelerate the sale and development through RFP of surplus
Support
Oppose
government land and surrounding land by provincially pre -zoning for density, affordable housing, and
mixed or residential use.
71.
C-2) All future government land sales, whether commercial or residential, should have an affordable
Support
Oppose
housing component of at least 20%.
72.
C-3) Purposefully upzone underdeveloped or underutilized Crown property (e.g., LCBO).
Support
Oppose
73.
C-4) Sell Crown land and reoccupy as a tenant in a higher density building or relocate services
Support
Oppose
outside of major population centres where land is considerably less expensive.
74.
C-5) The policy priority of adding to the housing supply, including affordable units, should be reflected
Support
Oppose
in the way surplus land is offered for sale, allowing bidders to structure their proposals accordingly.
IBC*BAC
Insurance Bureau of Canada
Bureau d'assurance du Canada
September 19, 2023
Mayor Adrian Foster
Municipality of Clarington
Mayor's Office, Clarington Town Hall
40 Temperance Street
Bowmanville, ON L1C 3A6
Dear Mayor Foster,
Re: Clarington's Auto Theft Crisis
Amanda Dean
Interim Vice -President, Ontario
Vice-president par interim, Ontario
777 Bay Street, Suite 1900
P.O. Box 121, Toronto, ON M5G 2C8
Auto theft is a national problem, but it has reached a crisis level in Ontario, most notably in its big cities.
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), representing Canada's property and casualty insurers, has noted alarming
trends in auto theft, which is having a negative effect on communities and families in Clarington.
Over the past five years, auto theft has dramatically increased across the province, with the trend skyrocketing
since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Ontario, the number of insurance claims for motor vehicle theft
more than doubled, from 9,424 in 2018 to 20,017 in 2022. In Clarington, vehicle theft claims increased 145%
from 42 in 2018 to 103 in 2022. In fact, from 2021-2022 alone, thefts rose by 106%, giving Clarington the second
worst year -over -year increase of any city in Ontario, trailing only Ottawa.
This out -of -control increase reflects what law enforcement agencies say is organized crime's involvement in
auto theft as a low -risk way to generate significant profits through the export and fraudulent re -registration and
sale of stolen vehicles. The illicit gains are significant: in Ontario, over $700 million in auto theft claims were
incurred in 2022, up from approximately $160 million in 2018 — a 329% increase. Over the same period, claims
costs in Clarington rose by475%to approximately $4 million, up from under $700,000. This represents a tripling
from 2021-2022 alone, the steepest rise in the province.
While staggering, the numbers don't tell the whole story. They don't account for those who don't have insurance
coverage or choose not to file a claim, or those whose vehicles are recovered. They don't reflect the
inconvenience and disruption of having your vehicle stolen. They don't tell the story of unsafe communities and
of vehicle thefts being used to fund guns, drugs and other criminal activity. We're all paying the price for auto
thefts, and we all have a role to play in finding solutions.
What we can do about it
In IBC's view, a whole -of -society approach is needed to combat the auto theft crisis. While insurers have started
to take proactive steps to better protect consumers and their vehicles, all stakeholders — including all orders of
government, law enforcement agencies and auto manufacturers — have a critical role to play.
Representing the companies that insure your home, your car, your business.
Representantles societes qui assurent votre habitation, votrfZggeoMe, votre entreprise. 1 bc.ca
Mayor Adrian Foster
September 19, 2023
Page z
We commend the steps that Clarington has taken to date, including the recent recovery of stolen vehicles by
Durham Regional Police Service. However, the most meaningful reforms must be made at the federal and
provincial levels. For instance, the federal government should bolster Canada Border Services Agency
enforcement capabilities at the ports and update outdated vehicle standards that do not currently account for
modern technologies, like push -to -start vehicles. In Ontario, the provincial government should tighten vehicle
registration processes that are increasingly exploited by organized criminal organizations.
Next steps
IBC would like to support efforts across all orders of government to address this increasing crime trend. IBC and
its member companies are committed to doing our part and have developed recommendations to combat auto
theft. We are interested in meeting with you to discuss them further.
It is our hope that after meeting with us about how we can work together to better protect your constituents
from the very real effects of auto theft, you and members of council will add your voice to the discussion, along
with your federal and provincial counterparts. We have reached out to the Ontario Big City Mayors and its
membership in order to amplify municipal voices on this issue. Auto theft is not a victimless crime: let's work
together to prevent and deter auto theft in Clarington and across Ontario.
Thank you,
Amanda Dean
Interim Vice President, Ontario
Page 16