When I moved to Toronto from England 15 years ago, one of my first apartments was in the west end, in Mimico.
I worked in Pickering, and on early summer mornings I would drive east along Lake Shore and Gardiner with a clear view of Lake Ontario.
But all that has changed with the demolition of the motel strip to make way for development. Vistas have been obscured, the drive made less interesting by structures of glass and concrete climbing into the sky.
The condo tsunami is heading west. Construction has recently begun on the Eau De Soleil on Humber Bay, two towers of 66 and 44 storeys, the former the tallest condo tower in Canada outside of a downtown core.
Redevelopment of any area will cause friction. Its easy to turn up at town hall meetings, as I found myself doing, to question a developers motives. But housing is a basic necessity, and decent affordable housing even more important. Although the starting prices of some these condos are considered affordable by todays market standards, the square footage buyers end up with may be less than desirable.
Further west in Mimico, smaller condo projects are trying to gain trac-tion. One of these is the conversion of a former United church into housing for people over 55. Renovations of older buildings like these are not unusual but seem to struggle to gain a foothold due to the costs associated with preserving their heritage qualities.
In 2009, the Mimico 20/20 Revitalization Plan was adopted, but its slogan, A perfect vision for our community, has become blurred. Developers appear to have a greater say in final outcomes than it seems was at first intended.
It was perhaps predictable that one new building of a determined height would set a precedent, sparking an attitude of If they can build this high, then we shall aim to build higher.
The ripple effects are being felt in older neighbourhoods in the area. The latest trend is to tear down 1930s homes, with their outdated wiring, oil furnaces and asbestos-clad pipes, to erect two smaller dwellings on the land, then ask $1 million for the privilege of living in one of them.
Of course, gentrification involves some perks, too: a farmers market now operates from May to October in Humber Bay, GO Trains now run twice an hour, new restaurants have opened, and the obligatory big-name coffee shops have appeared. Surely, these are all signs that an area has arrived?
One of the main reasons I left England was the rising cost of owning a house. After a few years of living in Canada, I was able to save enough for a deposit.
But if I were turning up today with that dream in mind, I fear my circumstances would be significantly different. A few years ago, one of my neighbours moved to a retirement home, but not before she had spent 92 years living in the same house. For her it was always just her home.
When did the over-inflated housing market become a topic of conversation to discuss at length how much the latest property had sold for?
If I could have one wish, it would be that the wave of condos coming to Mimico, whatever they bring in their wake, are reasonably priced and spacious enough so the next generation of graduates, immigrants and buyers would also have a place to call home.
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