Ontario Land Tribunal
Tribunal ontarien de l’aménagement du territoire
ISSUE DATE: December 23, 2025
CASE NO(S).: OLT-22-004652
PROCEEDING COMMENCED UNDER subsection 22(7) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, as amended
Applicant and Appellant: Wedgewood Columbus Limited
Subject: Request to amend the Official Plan – Failure to adopt the requested amendment
Description: proposes to redesignate the Site to High-Rise Mixed-Use to permit the proposed maximum height of 51 storeys and the proposed density of 11.1 FSI
Reference Number: OP 19.015
Property Address: 7887 Weston Road
Municipality/UT: City of Vaughan/York Region
OLT Case No.: OLT-22-004652
OLT Lead Case No.: OLT-22-004652
OLT Case Name: Wedgewood Columbus Limited v. Vaughan
PROCEEDING COMMENCED UNDER subsection 34(11) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, as amended
Applicant and Appellant: Wedgewood Columbus Limited
Subject: to amend Zoning By-law 1-88
Description: to rezone the Subject Lands from “C7 Service Commercial Zone”, subject to site-specific Exception 9(754B) by Zoning By-law 1-88 with site-specific zoning exceptions to permit the development
Reference Number: Z.19.039
Property Address: 7887 Weston Road
Municipality/UT: City of Vaughan/York Region
OLT Case No.: OLT-22-004653
OLT Lead Case No.: OLT-22-004652
OLT Case Name: Wedgewood Columbus Limited v. Vaughan
Heard: December 18, 2025 in writing
APPEARANCES:
| Parties | Counsel |
|---|---|
| Wedgewood Columbus Limited (“Applicant”/“Appellant”) | C. Tanzola, M. Cara (in absentia) |
| City of Vaughan (“City”/“Vaughan”) | A. Baker, J. Lesage (in absentia) |
| Regional Municipality of York | R. Kehar (in absentia), N. Gunawardana (in absentia) |
| Home Depot of Canada Inc. (“Home Depot”) | D. Tang, J. White (in absentia) |
DECISION DELIVERED BY S. TOUSAW AND ORDER OF THE TRIBUNAL
INTRODUCTION
1At the Parties’ request, this Decision addresses the matters in dispute over the Issues List (“IL”) for the Phase 2 Hearing (“Phase 2”).
[2] The Applicant opposes the City’s request to include:
- Provincial Planning Statement 2024 (“PPS”) s. 2.1.6 a) and b) and Vaughan Official Plan (“VOP”) s. 7.2.3.3, 7.2.3.4 and 7.2.3.5, largely related to child-care facilities and/or accessibility;
- PPS s. 6.2.1 d) on multi-modal transportation systems;
- VOP s. 9.1.2.7.e involving transitions in scale to lower intensity areas;
- and VOP s. 10.1.3.4 enabling requests for additional studies.
3Home Depot engaged only on PPS s. 2.1.6 a) by supporting its inclusion, but for reasons of mitigating potential incompatibility between residential uses and adjacent retail facilities.
[4] For the reasons that follow, the Tribunal will:
- allow the PPS and VOP policy references related to child-care facilities/accessibility and interface compatibility;
- allow the PPS policy on multi-modal transportation systems;
- disallow the VOP policy regarding transitions in scale; and
- allow the VOP reference to additional studies.
Agreed Issues
[5] The Tribunal commends the Parties on their successful efforts to refine the IL except for these few policies. Of relevance for a fair Hearing on the Merits of the Phase 2 issues, are the following directions, on consent, in the draft IL:
- the preliminary Note acknowledges a Party’s right to challenge the relevance of an issue at the Hearing;
- the scope of Phase 2 is based on the Tribunal’s Phase 1 approval in principle of the Applicant’s planning instruments (and the Tribunal emphasizes here that its Interim Order also references the Applicant’s plans and drawings), such that Phase 2 will focus on the site-specific issues of the abutting Home Depot, referred to as the “interface” within the IL; and
- Phase 2 will not re-litigate issues from Phase 1.
Disputed Issues
6Subject to the foregoing parameters, the Tribunal finds that PPS s. 2.1.6 a) and b) and VOP s. 7.2.3.3, 7.2.3.4 and 7.2.3.5 related to child-care facilities/accessibility could possibly be factors in the interface design, as argued by the City, and could similarly arise regarding land use compatibility along the interface, as argued by Home Depot.
7Similarly, PPS s. 6.2.1 d) is permitted given that the interface must accommodate resident and service vehicle traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, and a possible shuttle service, among other activities. These functions may constitute a multi-modal transportation system along the interface.
8As a caveat to the foregoing and the following permissions, the Tribunal emphasizes that its Phase 1 Decision endorsed Wedgewood’s plans and drawings. Such finding included consideration of transition in all directions, including the Home Depot property regarding the Wedgewood site’s heights and setbacks (e.g., Phase 1 Decision para. 75, 76, 78 and 81). While alterations to Wedgewood’s design may arise from Phase 2 regarding the interface’s functionality and compatibility, matters of transition regarding podium and tower heights and their general locations will not be re-litigated. Thus, the Tribunal disallows inclusion of VOP s. 9.1.2.7.e involving transitions in scale to lower intensity areas.
9Notwithstanding the above ruling, the Tribunal observes that the Parties agree on Issue 5 that speaks to matters of building height, scale and massing, etc. This Issue may remain in play, subject, again, to the caveat that its focus will be the interface between Wedgewood’s site and the Home Depot lands, and not a re-litigation of the Tribunal-endorsed height, density and general site layout.
10To the City’s request for VOP s. 10.1.3.4, the Tribunal finds that it may remain out of an abundance of caution. The Holding provisions endorsed in Phase 1 and the undisputed components of the IL appear to address all necessary studies, but the Tribunal acknowledges that specific study needs may arise regarding the services and functions of the interface.
ORDER
11THE TRIBUNAL ORDERS Wedgewood Columbus Ltd. to finalize and circulate the Issues List in accordance with this Decision.
12The Parties may advise the Case Coordinator of a requested Phase 2 Hearing length and timing to enable a final Procedural Order for approval, or request that a Case Management Conference be scheduled.
“S. Tousaw”
S. tousaw
VICE CHAIR
Ontario Land Tribunal
Website: olt.gov.on.ca Telephone: 416-212-6349 Toll Free: 1-866-448-2248
The Conservation Review Board, the Environmental Review Tribunal, the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal and the Mining and Lands Tribunal are amalgamated and continued as the Ontario Land Tribunal (“Tribunal”). Any reference to the preceding tribunals or the former Ontario Municipal Board is deemed to be a reference to the Tribunal.