This story originally appeared in Canada’s National Observer and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
A plan to charge Toronto homeowners and businesses for paved areas on their properties is sparking a public backlash, a flood of negative international media attention and even derisive comments Donald Trump Jr.
The outcry reached such a pitch last week that the city canceled public hearings on the tax, which is intended to help offset the hundreds of millions of euros spent on dealing with stormwater and basement flooding.
It has been described as a “rain tax” by critics, including the son of the former US president on XA SkyNews anchor also condemned the plan and discouraged people from visiting Canada’s largest city, saying: “You thought it couldn’t get any worse…Don’t go to Toronto because if it rains you’ll be with it.” Taxes taken.”
The amount of hard surface would determine the disputed stormwater fee on a property that does not absorb water, such as a property. E.g. roofs, driveways, parking lots or concrete greenery.
“When we get a big rainstorm, basements flood, streets flood, sewage overflows and runs into the lake or our rivers,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said in a statement Online video contribution on X. “Rainwater slides off paved surfaces instead of being absorbed by the ground. It overwhelms our water infrastructure and causes damage to your home and the environment.”
The new fee would adjust water bills to reduce water use and add a stormwater fee based on property size and hard surface.
On-line Public consultations should be followed by public meetings. However, after less than a week, online consultations were suspended and public meetings cancelled. The city claims the delay is necessary so staff can find a way to reconcile the new fee with the city’s broader climate resiliency strategy.
Chow said she would prefer if the city offered residents financial incentives to plant gardens in their backyards or install permeable sidewalks to shed rain.
“I don’t think it’s fair to have a stormwater regulation that requires homeowners to pay while businesses with huge parking lots are exempt,” Chow said. Many businesses with large paved areas, such as parking lots, do not pay water bills and therefore do not contribute to stormwater management.
“That’s why I’m calling on Toronto Water to come to city council with a plan that supports more green infrastructure, prevents flooding and keeps your water bills low,” Chow said.
Last year’s city budget allocated $4.3 billion for stormwater management in a 10-year plan (2023 to 2032), including $2.11 billion for the Basement Flooding Protection Program. Last year alone, the city invested $225.3 million in the basement program.
Other nearby cities such as Mississauga, Vaughan and Markham have long had stormwater fees.
In an email response, the City of Vaughan said its stormwater fee supports numerous programs and initiatives throughout the city to help protect the environment, property and water quality. Vaughan’s stormwater rate for a single detached dwelling unit in 2024 is $64.20 per year, an increase from last year’s rate of $58.63, the city said.