July 4, 2022 | For Immediate Release | PDF Version

Minto High Park
111 Pacific Ave
Toronto, ON
M6P 2P2

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Balcony Waterproofing: Minto Lacks Transparency and Fails to Address Residents’ Significant Health & Safety Concerns

Charlsey and Karen,

We’ve received Minto’s updated communication dated June 28, 2022, and appreciate that this notice appears to have been distributed to all tenants of 255 Glenlake by both email and paper copy delivered to residents’ mail slots.

Given the highly disruptive nature of this project and the high level of concern that residents have displayed, we expect and encourage Minto to continue to use this approach for all further communications related to the Balcony Waterproofing project.

While we appreciate Minto’s attempt to provide additional details and clarity to residents about this project, we were disappointed to read about Minto’s proposed approach to the Town Hall meetings. Additionally, we were extremely disappointed to see very little new information provided in this most recent communication, with many key details still absent, and many questions and concerns still unaddressed.

In particular, Minto has thus far provided little to no information on the health and safety impacts of this project. This project appears to pose significant health and safety risks to residents, particularly with respect to heat dangers and exposure to harmful carcinogens.

Minto must take steps to protect residents’ health and safety, and must communicate clearly and openly with residents, as soon as possible, on how they plan to do this.

Town Hall Meetings

Given the high level of resident concern, the many unanswered questions, and the significant inconsistencies in Minto’s previous communications on this project, Minto should be making every effort to communicate and consult with residents as clearly, openly and transparently as possible.

Minto has not yet communicated the dates and times of these meetings, has asked residents to email hpvatyourservice@minto.com to confirm “which week [they] would like to be invited to,” and has asked residents to submit questions in advance.

It is unreasonable and obstructionist to expect residents to jump through the above hoops in order to receive answers to their very legitimate questions and concerns.

We expect Minto to:

1. Provide the dates and times of these meetings to all residents by no later than Friday, July 8.
2. Provide an invitation and details for both meetings to all residents so that they may choose to attend either or both, by email and paper notice, without a precondition that residents write to Minto by email first in order to receive the details to join.
3. Allow and make it clear to all residents that they may raise additional questions at the Town Hall meetings, without requiring them to submit questions in advance.

Unaddressed Questions and Concerns

Minto has heard loudly and clearly from the Residents of High Park Village Group, directly from residents of 255 Glenlake, from the High Park Tenants’ Association, and from Bhutila Karpoche, MPP Parkdale-High Park, about the many, significant questions and concerns around this project.

Minto has had ample opportunity to understand residents’ most pressing questions and concerns, and their June 28 communication was a missed opportunity to address these concerns openly, clearly and proactively.

Residents cannot reasonably be expected to bring questions forward when Minto has thus far failed to provide clear and consistent information (or in the case of health and safety concerns, any information) about the project and its impacts.

We expect Minto to respond to the following outstanding questions and concerns in advance of the Town Hall meetings, so that residents can be properly informed and prepared to participate fully in these meetings:

1. Sanding, grinding, or cutting concrete can release large amounts of dust containing high levels of crystalline silica, which is a known carcinogen linked to elevated rates of lung cancer. What measures will Minto take to protect residents from exposure to carcinogenic dust? In 2015, when balconies were being redone, Minto offered the following accommodations:
   • Sealing tape
   • Window kits
   • Dust masks
   • More frequent monitoring, cleaning and calibrating of building’s HVAC systems
2. Residents must be able to take measures to protect their health and safety in the event of high temperatures. Will Minto stop work in the event of a heat wave (temperatures of 30 degrees celsius or higher) to ensure that residents can open windows and/or run air conditioners to protect themselves from dangerous, and potentially life-threatening temperatures? If so, what measures will Minto take to protect residents from inhaling harmful, carcinogenic dust while windows are open and air conditioners are running?
3. According to the most recent project schedule, which is still quite vague, it appears that the phase encompassing the “removal of old, damaged balcony material” will take place during the majority of August, once balcony closures have been completed. We have secured independent expertise that confirms that work of this nature is not required to be completed during summer and fall months. Why has Minto chosen to pursue the most disruptive and dangerous component of this work during the height of the summer months, putting residents’ health and safety further at risk?
4. Minto’s previous communications have been extremely inconsistent with respect to the need to remove, or refrain from running air conditioners. Minto must provide clear information to all residents on whether window air conditioning units need to be removed.
5. Minto’s June 28 communication stated that “residents should keep windows closed and air conditioners turned off” during the third phase of work to “prevent dust mitigation into suites or damage to their air conditioners.” Will Minto plan to notify residents, with advanced warning, when this phase of work is to begin, so that all residents can have the opportunity to take proper health and safety precautions and make alternate arrangements if needed?
6. What chemicals / materials will be used in the “new waterproofing material” to be applied to all balconies? What, if any, are the health risks related to exposure to these materials? What steps will Minto be taking to protect residents from exposure to these materials?
7. What measures will Minto be taking to address noise concerns? In 2015, when balconies were being redone, Minto offered the following accommodations:
   • Earplugs
   • Access to quiet suites (promised for 2022)
   • Pet daycare available at discounted rates for building residents
   • Free wi-fi in lobby
8. In 2015, when balconies were being redone, residents were offered individual, temporary storage areas, and were able to secure these with their own locks. As such, residents were also asked to insure their own belongings. This allowed residents the flexibility to have in and out access to their belongings. If this could be accommodated for the entire building in 2015, why hasn’t Minto pursued a similar arrangement for the north side of the building for this project?
9. Minto’s latest communication indicates that Minto has “arranged a secured storage area on the property, only accessible by our Minto High Park Team.” Previous communication with residents had indicated that residents would be able to access items when accompanied by a High Park Village staff member. Will residents be able to access personal items if required, and if so, how will this be arranged?
10. Given that Minto has only offered a shared storage solution, how will these items be insured to ensure that compensation is available in the event of damage or theft to residents’ personal items?
11. Minto’s latest communication references the possibility of work starting on the south side this year. Will Minto provide residents in affected units on the building’s south side with at least 60 days notice in advance of requiring them to remove all personal items from their balconies?

From our view, Minto’s team has made a conscious, deliberate decision to withhold the above details from residents in order to avoid the need to provide necessary, critical accommodations. By failing to provide this information upfront, in advance of the Town Hall meetings, we believe Minto is safeguarding itself from having to answer questions that may arise in response to this critical, missing information.

This is both incredibly disappointing, and unacceptable.

We expect Minto to provide clarity on all of the above points by no later than Sunday, July 10, so that residents can have a fair opportunity to participate in Town Hall meetings with the benefit of this information upfront.

Sincerely,