Committee of Adjustment to hear proposal for 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations shelter at Woodbine and Strathmore

By AMARACHI AMADIKE

The 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations (2-Spirits), a non-profit organization that provides support to members of the Indigenous community, have shared plans to build a shelter for 2SLGBTQ+ Indigenous people at 996 Woodbine Ave.

The shelter, which will be built on city-owned land in collaboration with CreateTO, would be operated by 2-Spirits.

Designed by Two Row Architect, an Indigenous-owned architecture firm, the new building, if approved, will transform the site that was abandoned for over 10 years into a shelter space with an exterior that is “reflective of Indigenous values and identity”.

The four-storey building will consist of six units – one of which will be a transitional unit on the ground floor that provides “longer-term housing for a family”.

According to a letter addressed to residents of the Strathmore Boulevard and Woodbine Avenue intersection, 2-Spirits’ intentions with the transitional unit is to “provide dignified housing for persons fleeing violence”.

The unit will have its own full kitchen, washer/dryer, barrier-free bathroom, and two bedrooms.

“It is important to note, that as an emergency shelter this unit may also be used to provide short-term and/or crisis shelter,” stated the letter.

Along with the ground floor unit, there will be three shared two-bedroom units and two studio units – all units providing a combined total of eight beds.

2-Spirits staff will also be on-site 24/7 to provide assistance to its residents.

According to its 2023 Annual Report, the organization has previous experience providing such support having assisted 167 individuals with case management and wrap-around service as well as facilitating 256 programs, workshops, and community events.

Like most Toronto shelter proposals, some residents opposed the site plans, prompting a community engagement meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

At that meeting, 2-Spirits officials shared details of the proposal and received feedback from community members.

One neighbourhood resident worried about overcrowding and safety at what they called a “crucial transit point”.

However, 2-Spirits officials highlighted that shelter residents will not loiter around the building, or Woodbine subway station, because their accommodations are less like the conventional shelters and more so like apartments.

“With that in mind, this building should be looked at as a small apartment building and will have no greater impact on the neighbourhoods’ subways and its commute than the existing apartment building in the neighbourhood at 1017 Woodbine Avenue or the new condominium at 2057 Danforth Avenue,” said a 2-Spirits official at the Nov. 12 meeting.

In an email statement to Beach Metro Community News, Beaches-East York Councillor Bradford said that many in attendance at the Nov. 12 meeting also expressed support for the “important gap that this project will fill for vulnerable individuals and families in need of emergency shelter”.

“I believe that any form of housing development is made more successful with community consultation and input up-front,” said Bradford.

“I am grateful that happened here, and as 2-Spirits continues to move this project forward, I am happy to support them in ensuring that neighbours can have their questions answered.”

With previous plans to develop on 966 Woodbine Ave., the site has been under CreateTO’s radar for a few years.

In 2021, the abandoned site was considered as part of the Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) BEY Pilot Project which aims to increase Toronto’s “missing middle” housing options by funding developments ranging from low-rise buildings with multiple units.

However, following a “detailed property due diligence as per the site selection criteria”, the site was abandoned as a potential EHON development due to “physical infrastructure constraints”.

It is currently unclear what constraints halted this process, or whether it will interfere with the new plans for a shelter.

The project will be presented to the City of Toronto’s Committee of Adjustment (CoA) again on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 2:00 p.m.

Anyone interested in joining the CoA meeting can do so in-person at Toronto City Hall’s Committee Room 2 (100 Queen St. W.), or watch virtually at https://www.youtube.com/c/TorontoCityPlanning