Terms of Reference

April 2025

You can review the Terms of Reference on this page and/or download a copy through this link

Background: Northcrest Developments (Northcrest), Canada Lands Company (Canada Lands), and the City of Toronto (the City) are continuing to collaborate on planning the future of the Downsview lands. Following the direction from Council, the City, Northcrest, and Canada Lands are reconvening the Community Resource Group (CRG) for its third term. This third term of the CRG will build on the previous two terms to support a transparent, accountable, and meaningful process that is informed by open communication among various stakeholders, including community members, the City, Northcrest, and Canada Lands.

Mandate: To provide a forum for CRG members to:

  • share advice and voice priorities of the people they represent on the planning and development of Downsview;

  • support the implementation of Community Development Plan actions; and

  • champion broader public engagement events in Downsview led by the City, Northcrest,

    and/or Canada Lands.

The mandate includes working with convenors to support:

  • Ongoing and forthcoming District Plans in Downsview;

  • Downsview Community Development Plan implementation;

  • Downsview Major Streets Environmental Assessment (Phases 3-4 of the Downsview Municipal

    Class Environmental Assessment Study); and

  • other relevant planning and community development work, including a new community

    recreation centre, design and programmatic elements within parks, community benefits plans, meanwhile uses, etc.

Membership: Will include a diverse mix of organizations and resident/community members representing local and city-wide interests with a good understanding of the Downsview area, a diverse mix of socioeconomic backgrounds, covering a range of sectors, interests, and geographies such as (but not necessarily limited to):

Sectors

  • Business, commercial and institutions

  • Resident, tenant, neighbourhood or community associations

  • Arts and culture organizations

  • Non-profit service providers and advocates

  • Community development organizations

  • Other local and citywide partners

Interests

  • Equity and inclusion

  • Housing

  • Food

  • Arts, heritage and education

  • Recreation and community services

  • Employment

  • Economy

  • Community safety, health and wellbeing

  • Environment and climate

  • Disabilities and accessibility

  • Urban mobility and transportation

  • Other interests

Black and equity-deserving communities

  • African, Caribbean, and Black communities.

  • 2SLGBTQIA+

  • Newcomers

  • Persons with disabilities

  • Persons with low incomes

  • Racialized communities

  • Refugees

  • Seniors

  • Women

  • Youth

  • Other equity-deserving communities

Membership in the CRG is open to both individuals and organizations. The membership will be comprised of approximately 25 organizations and 5 individuals. These numbers may vary to accommodate evolving needs and interests of members, conveners, and the broader Downsview communities.

Organizations that join will appoint two representatives: a primary representative who will attend meetings consistently throughout the term; and an alternate representative who will participate when the primary representative is unavailable.

Anyone interested in joining the CRG may apply for membership at any time. All new applications will be reviewed for consideration by the City, Northcrest, and Canada Lands and are conditional on the acceptance of these Terms of Reference.

Term of Membership and Meetings: The term is one year, with a possible extension for another year, subject to a unanimous agreement between the conveners and CRG members. The frequency of meetings is currently planned for once every two months and it may be adjusted to meet planning and development objectives within the mandate of this CRG. It is anticipated that there will be up to 5 meetings held until the end of 2025.

Draft Proposed Meeting Schedule:

All meetings are to be held on Thursdays towards the end of every other month, between 5 pm and 8 pm in person in Downsview, with a hybrid participation option available upon request:

5:00 – 6:00 pm: Dinner
6:00 - 8:00 pm: Presentation and Discussion

Please hold Thursday, May 29th, 2025 for the first CRG Meeting.
Best efforts will be made to meet in-person and virtual accessibility needs communicated one week in advance of each meeting.

Roles and Responsibilities: The CRG will share its perspectives, priorities, and advice to the City, Northcrest, and Canada Lands with the assistance of a third-party facilitator.

CRG members, the City, Northcrest, Canada Lands, and the facilitation team will:

  • Agree to these Terms of Reference;

  • be transparent about the intention behind their participation in the CRG;

  • Attend meetings and provide adequate notice if both primary and alternate members are

    unable to attend the meeting;

  • assist in the development of meeting agendas;

  • provide materials for review in advance of CRG meetings, where possible;

  • prepare for the meetings by reviewing shared meeting materials in advance of meetings;

  • strive to provide accurate, understandable information to each other to support the

    sharing of informed perspectives and advice;

  • listen carefully to the perspectives shared and explain how those perspectives have been

    considered in shaping their understanding and advice;

  • ensure the results of discussions are accurately documented in the form of meeting

    summaries that reflect key discussion points and actions; and

  • agree that all meeting summaries, as well as the Terms of Reference for the CRG, will be

    publicly available.

  • inform the conveners if they would like to participate in an orientation session available

    upon request. The orientation session provides an overview of planning Downsview to date and key City Equity Strategies including:

    • History of the Downsview Community Resource Group

    • id8 Downsview Framework and District Plans

    • Update Downsview: The Downsview Secondary Plan & Key studies

    • Other important City policies, strategies and plans, including:

      • Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism

      • Poverty Reduction Strategy

      • Reconciliation Action Plan

      • Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy

      • SafeTO

CRG members will also champion Downsview’s redevelopment by:

  • Communicating to and from those whose interests they represent (e.g. members, communities, stakeholders, etc.);

  • leveraging organizational and community networks to share arising opportunities with their

    local communities and support outreach to harder-to-reach groups such as youth, artists, seniors, 2SLGBTQ+;

  • acknowledging that CRG meetings are not a substitute for broader public meetings related to the CRG discussions; and

  • maintaining the ability to advocate outside of the CRG process to advance their perspectives.

The City, Northcrest, and Canada Lands will also:

  • Invite special guests -- appropriate technical consultants, organizations with expert

    knowledge in a specific area, relevant government representatives, other major developers

    in Downsview, etc. -- to attend discussions on specific issues or topics as appropriate;

  • provide and set up venues for in-person meetings and provide and set up technology for

    hybrid participation option (upon request);

  • be the lead contact for media inquiries regarding the CRG; and

  • agree to establish a process to resolve any disagreements among the conveners should

    they occur.

The facilitation team will also:

  • Lead the development of meeting agendas;

  • produce a summary of each meeting;

  • make the summary available to participants on the CRG resource website:

    www.downsviewcrg.ca; and

  • assist in the resolution of issues, as required.

Role of elected officials: Elected officials are ex-officio members of the CRG and are welcome to attend CRG meetings primarily as observers, participating in discussions as/if appropriate to enrich the CRG’s collective understanding of the issues and opportunities at hand.

Role of the Treaty-Holders: The Treaty-Holders will be invited to every CRG meeting. The CRG meetings are not a substitute for a meaningful, direct dialogue with the First Nations. That dialogue will continue to happen as the planning and development of the Downsview lands continue. The invitation to attend and participate in the CRG meetings is offered as a means of respect and transparency with the Treaty-Holders.

Honorarium: An honorarium of 125 CAD per meeting will be distributed to CRG members for their time participating in scheduled meetings.

Approach to Decision-Making: The CRG is a resource group, not a decision-making body. Documented meeting summaries will indicate the discussion, and point out areas where perspectives are shared, and areas where opinions differ and why.

Ending the Community Resource Group: The CRG will continue to function within the identified term while the convenors and CRG members continue to consider it a valuable and constructive contribution to their collective work in Downsview. CRG members are free to leave at any time.

Contact: Liaison with the CRG will be led by Matthew Wheatley from the facilitation team via matthew@thirdpartypublic.ca and 416-572-4365.

Updates to these Terms of Reference: These Terms of Reference may be refined as necessary by the City, Northcrest, and Canada Lands, in consultation with CRG members.