Hello, fabulous subscribers! Welcome to your weekly local news ROUNDUP for London, Ontario, where the honks of the geese will soon return and the honks of the drivers are always in season. This, as you know by now, is local independent journalism in the public interest, designed to support community leaders (that’s you; you’re welcome) and generally foster improvement and co-operation. I’m calling it London City Hall Notes, and every Friday1 I go a little deeper into local news to create this curated guide, inviting you to dip in and share with others.
I’m trying a new format this week, supported by some A.I. summaries2. As usual, we keep the language neutral where we can, and share resources where it makes sense. And we’re led by the issues (which are useful, clickable headings in the desktop version of this website) and you can choose where to dive deeper. As always - skim it.
Let’s GO.
Housing
Mayor’s new attempt to gain agreement for incentive program
Starting with a really big one: the mayor’s housing incentive, which didn’t get through Full Council five weeks ago and was sent back to staff for retooling, despite being his big announcement at the last State of the City event of the current council term. The outcome seems to be Mayor Josh Morgan pushing back.
As expected, we have some reporting on that one that adds some flavour: London Free Press. And a quick summary, to help us skim through:
Mayor Morgan is opposing proposed changes to his municipal homeownership incentive program, raising concerns about how the revisions could affect access and program outcomes. The discussion reflects differing views on how the program should be structured and delivered. Details of the proposed changes and their potential impacts are under review.
That doesn’t seem enough detail, so I asked it for the criteria being discussed, leaving numbers out of it. Here’s a list:
Income limits (maximum household income thresholds for eligibility)
Asset limits (cap on total household liquid assets)
Maximum home purchase price allowed under the program
First-time / non-homeowner requirement (cannot currently own property)
Requirement to be a renter locally (London/Middlesex residency status)
Mortgage eligibility and financial sustainability requirements
Occupancy rules (must live in the home; cannot rent it out)
Ability to cover closing costs and related expenses
Program funding limits / first-come, first-served access
Loan terms and repayment conditions (including capital gains repayment)
It should be quite a conversation at the committee next week. I’ll be along to listen. This is effectively our mayor’s last major chance to show leadership this term, so we can expect him to show up with a strong case and firm voice.
And more in Housing issues
450-unit towers proposed for Oxford Street corridor
Here’s a good exclusive from the LFP: link.
A proposal has been put forward for two residential towers totaling approximately 450 units along a growing stretch of Oxford Street. The development reflects ongoing intensification efforts, while raising concerns about traffic and infrastructure capacity in the area. Planning considerations and community impacts are part of the review process.
Realtors warn about proposed weeping tile disconnection requirement
An unusual item here, and actually the 16th identifiable story in this week’s committee papers. Daryl Newcombe targeted one I missed as I counted 15 for this post yesterday. This turns out to be important for homeowners, and is a great story3.
Link: CTV London
Local realtors are raising concerns that potential requirements for homeowners to disconnect weeping tiles from the sewer system could create additional costs and barriers for buyers of older homes in London. The issue is tied to infrastructure and wastewater management, with implications for property transactions and compliance.
London homeowners offered loans and incentives for energy efficiency upgrades
Another from those hard-working local reporters at the London Free Press here.
The City of London is promoting programs that provide homeowners with access to financing and incentives to complete energy efficiency upgrades. These measures aim to reduce household energy use and support broader climate objectives. Eligibility, loan structure, and incentive details are outlined as part of the initiative.
Construction begins on supportive housing for veterans in London
Three outlets went for this. We have reporting on this from the London Free Press; CBC News; CTV London.
Work has started on a supportive housing development in London intended for veterans, aimed at providing stable accommodation alongside access to support services. Additional reporting indicates a “tiny village” model for unhoused veterans is expected to open later in the summer, with a broader project timeline targeting a 2026 opening. Details on timelines, scale, and service supports are outlined across reports.
LATE EDIT: Once again, making a special effort to make a clear distinction related-but-separate issues. I’ve made a change since this was published, changing the headings here.
Support for drug users
Supervised drug consumption sites get the city talking
This is what we call “a hot potato”. I’ve written about it often, everybody’s talking about it, and this time we have several pieces to share.
Here’s a (EDIT: now-simplified) summary:
Local reporting outlines the impacts of funding cuts to supervised drug consumption sites, including reduced service capacity and pressures on emergency and community services. Peter Fragiskatos MP has suggested private funding could allow a site to remain open, while the London police chief says the city will need to adjust its response as provincial funding is withdrawn.
Links:
Reports from the London Free Press; CBC News; and CTV London.
Discussion on the Craig Needles Podcast.
Homelessness
Here’s interesting commentary on the issues around homelessness, from video blogger Steve Cordes, who should be showing up in an embed right here, right now4:
Health
LHSC expansion aims to reduce wait times, add up to 2,500 surgeries annually
Reported in a few places, and in this case the London Free Press covers it well. Here’s the gist:
London Health Sciences Centre is planning an expansion intended to increase surgical capacity by up to 2,500 additional procedures per year. The initiative is aimed at reducing wait times and addressing system pressures. Project scope and expected impacts on patient access are outlined.
The Lightning Round
Some more stories STRIKING the eye this week.
Gas prices revving up
Does that metaphor make sense? I can’t tell any more. Anyway, gas costs more, mainly because of… gestures vaguely at everything. CTV News London.
Gas prices in London have increased to around $1.70 per litre, representing a noticeable spike for consumers. The change reflects broader fluctuations in fuel markets, with local drivers experiencing higher costs at the pump.
Federal funding for job creation
We’ve had a few federal funding announcements lately and here’s a well-timed one: CTV London.
The federal government has committed funding to several firms in London and Stratford, with the goal of supporting business growth and creating new jobs. The investment is tied to economic development initiatives aimed at strengthening regional industry.
Local independent journalism
You know I love to highlight our local storytellers, and here’s a taster through the magic of the embed: Cedric Richards is writing about London and its environs and he’s totally worth a follow. I love the flags he creates!
Sports: Gameday London - Knights, Paralympics and more.
Business: London Inc - includes a business news roundup every Friday.
Commentary: Steve Cordes’ Community Matters - you saw this above.
Discussion: Matt Brown’s podcast - new episode talking to Councillor Sam Trosow about Music City London.
And have you heard Larry Cornies’ audio blog? That voice!
Enough already
Let’s go and have a weekend. I hope your days are less full and more profitable than mine. And if anybody wants to be my small business mentor, please get in touch, because this is just as hard as everybody says. What larks!
Apologies for the later time. My goal is always to get this out by mid-afternoon, but it’s been a busy day.
I’m in favour of cautious, limited use of A.I., only in circumstances where they can speed up work I would already have done, especially where the work is tedious. Always happy to talk about this, and ready to listen to views.
Thank you for the round up! Always interesting!
Considering that Ford dropped the Strong Mayor powers to speed building housing (correct me if I’m wrong) And considering so much pushback from developers - who have had it all in their favour for far too long - I wonder if we’ll see some SMP…