UPDATE - Oct. 29, 2025 - Guild Park's Future Neighbours - Homes or Businesses?

Scarborough's Deputy Mayor says proposal for new commercial use in City neighbourhoods "premature," calls for deferral

The Toronto City Councillor who represents the neighbourhood by Guild Park & Gardens is raising serious concerns about the City's proposed new zoning by-law changes and the negative effects these proposals can have on residential areas across Toronto.

Deputy Mayor, Paul Ainslie, the councillor representing Ward 24, which includes Guild Park, states that the "proposed changes carry a high risk of severely impacting the quality of life in established residential areas."

In his open letter to City of Toronto officials dated Oct. 29, 2025, Deputy Mayor Ainslie says the current proposal to allow more retail and commercial operations into neighbourhoods "is premature, with the potential to impose negative impacts upon residential communities and without sufficient local consensus." (see images)

"The proposed changes carry a high risk of severely impacting the quality of life in established residential areas," states his two-page letter. "The 'one-size-fits-all' approach [in this proposal] has been clearly voiced as inappropriate by the residents for a city as diverse as Toronto."

The Deputy Mayor notes that Toronto includes 158 "Social Planning Neighbourhoods" that provide a framework to identify the unique qualities of each residential area. The City includes "Guildwood" among the City's distinct neighbourhoods.

His letter points out that the major zoning changes proposed by the City's Planning and Housing Committee ignore the detailed demographic information used for other major City plans.

Ainslie, a City Councillor in Scarborough for 19 years, also questions the committee's assertion that its proposal came after "extensive consultation." His letter points out that the largest and most active community association in his ward, the Guildwood Village Community Association, "has never met with City Planning Staff on this matter" of increasing retail / commercial operations in neighbourhoods.

According to City of Toronto planners, Guildwood Parkway, directly north of Guild Park, is suited for new commercial businesses, including restaurants, licensed bars with patios and even massage parlours. Deputy Mayor Paul Ainslie says this assertion was made without any input from the local community association, which represents about 7,000 Guildwood residents. Google Maps

The Deputy Mayor notes that 90% of Toronto residents surveyed by their community organizations oppose this proposal. He's heard the same strong criticism "in every community meeting, any conversation with a [Ward 24] resident, and emails on the matter."

In the face of such a flawed proposal and well-informed opposition, Deputy Mayor recommends deferring this City-wide proposal.

In the meantime, he urges City officials to re-examine their findings by conducting better research and updating the proposal's fundamental data. The municipal rep from Scarborough also said that officials from the City - not the province - must be able to modify all proposed new uses in residential areas.

This City-wide issue is important to Guild Park and the way park visitors enjoy the site, located in the heart of Guildwood Village.

While this proposal is intended to address the housing crisis across the city, current laws allow building owners to evict residential tenants when an existing property gets converted to commercial use.

In addition to reducing housing supply, other concerns include:

• the increased commercial demands on power, water and sewage systems designed for residential use only,

• more noise and traffic, and

• the safety issues resulting from the City's admission that it lacks resources to enforce existing bylaws and police illegal commercial operations

Deputy Mayor Ainslie's letter comes after months of advocacy work done by volunteers of the Scarborough United Neighbourhood (SUN), and it associated residents' organizations, which include the Guildwood Village Community Association (GVCA).

This issue is scheduled to come before Toronto City Council on Wed. Oct. 30, 2025.

For more information about the impact these zoning changes will have on the homes adjacent to Guild Park, across Scarborough and throughout Toronto, visit the SUN Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/ScarbUnited/