Audit Exposes Park Funds Mismanagement - Comité de la vérification — 2026/04/30

Scarborough Community Council approved a package of traffic safety and traffic-calming items across multiple wards and dealt with two private tree-removal applications. Council denied an application to remove two honey locust trees at 224 Timberbank Blvd. and deferred a separate request at 226 Scarborough Cres. to its April 30 meeting. Councillors also discussed the gap between current tree-protection rules and a new bylaw scheduled to take effect in January 2027.

Topics Discussed

GAS STATION REDEVELOPMENT (5445 Steeles Ave. E.): Council considered a redevelopment proposal that would replace a standalone Tim Hortons with drive-thru with a car wash facility. The convenience store would be expanded to modern Shell standards, with the same number of gas pumps reconfigured. The plan includes a noise wall along the west and south property lines and a large underground stormwater retention tank. Councillor Candal raised the issue of potential job losses tied to the Tim Hortons closure. The proposal would remove 27 trees (including 8 protected under the current bylaw) and plant 7 new trees.

TREE PROTECTION AND DEVELOPMENT CONFLICTS (224 Timberbank Blvd.): Council denied an application to remove two honey locust trees at 224 Timberbank Blvd. Resident Nicole Curado told council the trees provide “an important food source and habitat for wildlife,” and said the species is “in decline in wild.” Curado also described the trees as native and argued they should be retained.

TREE REMOVAL DEFERRAL (226 Scarborough Cres.): Council deferred the tree-removal application at 226 Scarborough Cres. to the April 30 meeting, giving additional time before a decision is made.

TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS: Council approved pedestrian crossing protection on Homestead Rd., 275 metres north of Coronation Dr. in Scarborough Rouge Park. Council also approved traffic control signals for Kennedy Rd. (140 metres north of DNC Ave.) and at Pharmacy Ave. and Stellarton Rd./Camila Cres. On the Kennedy Rd. item, a councillor credited staff and said residents “have been waiting for a long long time for this and uh it’s finally going to happen.”

TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES: Council approved speed cushions and a heavy vehicle prohibition on Nightstar Rd. (Ward 25), speed humps on Tower Dr. (Ward 21), and traffic calming on Flare Rd. and Morris Rd. (both Ward 25). The Poplar Rd. traffic calming item was referred back to staff until Metrolinx pedestrian tunnel work at the CN Rail/Poplar Rd. intersection is completed and the permanent closure of Poplar Rd. at CN Rail is enforced.

TREE PROTECTION BYLAW TRANSITION (JANUARY 2027): Council discussed the upcoming tree protection bylaw scheduled for January 2027, which will reduce the protection threshold from 30 cm to 20 cm diameter at breast height. Staff said interim control bylaws under the Planning Act apply to land use and cannot be used to create interim tree protections. Councillor Myers directed Community Planning to “explore opportunities for retaining additional trees and or potential cash in lieu of planting through the site plan control application process” for the Steeles Ave. redevelopment, adding: “We are protecting our tree canopy particularly in light of the new bylaw that we had passed.”

Motions

Passed - SC 30.6: Pedestrian crossing protection at Homestead Road
- SC 30.8: Speed cushions and heavy vehicle prohibition on Nightstar Road
- SC 30.9: Speed humps installation on Tower Drive
- SC 30.2: Part control exemption for 2740 Lawrence Avenue East
- SC 30.10: Traffic control signals at Kennedy Road
- SC 30.11: Traffic control signals at Pharmacy Avenue and Stellarton Road/Camila Crescent
- SC 30.12: Woodland Park Road parking amendments
- SC 30.13: Fire routes designation at 730 Military Trail
- SC 30.14: Really Avenue parking amendment (SC 23.22 reopened)
- SC 30.15: Flare Road traffic calming
- SC 30.16: Morris Road traffic calming
- SC 30.3: Denial of tree removal application at 224 Timberbank Boulevard
- Bills 290–294 and confirmatory bill
- Motion by Councillor Myers requesting additional tree-retention measures for 5445 Steeles Ave. E.

Deferred / Referred - SC 30.4: Tree removal application at 226 Scarborough Crescent (deferred to April 30)
- SC 30.7: Poplar Road traffic calming (referred back to staff pending Metrolinx work and road closure)

Attendees

• Councillor Shen
• Councillor Ainslie
• Councillor Thompson
• Councillor Myers
• Councillor Candal