According to a page on the city’s website, the tax falls under an infrastructure package called the “Stormwater Charge & Water Service Charge Consultation.”
“The City of Toronto is consulting with water users and interested parties on the possible implementation of a stormwater charge, stormwater charge credits and a water service charge. These potential charges would impact the rate that customers pay for their water,” the city says.
The city is currently looking for possible feedback on implementing the following:
- A stormwater charge for all property classes
- A stormwater charge credits program for large properties; and
- An administrative water charge (referred to as a “water service charge” in this consultation)
The city goes onto explain the purpose for such a tax and how it would be enforced:
Stormwater is rain and melted snow. When not absorbed into the ground, stormwater runs off hard surfaces, onto streets, down storm drains and through a network of pipes that carry it into local waterways.
In urbanized areas like Toronto, there are a lot of hard surfaces. When severe storms happen, more stormwater runs off hard surfaces and enters the City’s sewer system. Too much stormwater can overwhelm the City’s sewer system, which can lead to flooded basements and impacts to surface water quality in Toronto’s rivers, streams and Lake Ontario’s waterfront.
The water rate that water users currently pay as part of the utility bill includes costs for stormwater management.
The City is consulting on a proposal for a stormwater charge that would be dedicated to funding the City’s stormwater management initiatives. A stormwater charge would be based on the impact of a property with respect to stormwater runoff to the City’s storm sewer system, which is represented by the amount of hard surface area on a property. Hard surfaces include roofs, asphalt driveways, parking areas and concrete landscaping.
Under the stormwater charge proposal, costs for stormwater management would be removed from the water rate and the stormwater charge would appear as a separate line on the utility bill. This would result in a reduction of the water rate in the calendar year that the stormwater charge would take effect, if approved by City Council.
For properties less than one hectare in size, there would be a tiered, flat rate stormwater charge based on the average hard surface area of all properties in each tier. Property tiers are determined by property size ranges for different property types – residential, multi-residential and condominium, and industrial commercial and institutional (ICI).
| Property Types (for properties less than 1 hectare in size) | Number of Tiers |
| Residential properties (single family detached, semi-detached, townhome, rowhouse, duplex, triplex) | 7 tiers |
| Multi-residential (apartment and condominium buildings) | 5 tiers |
| Industrial, Commercial & Institutional (ICI) | 5 tiers |
For properties one hectare or larger in size, the City would undertake individual assessments of each property using aerial photography to determine the hard surface area (m2) on a property.
In addition to a stormwater charge, the City is consulting on a potential stormwater charge credits program for large properties. Stormwater charge credits would provide a reduction of a potential stormwater charge (if implemented) on the utility bill for large properties.
National Post also noted:
Water bills would now include two items – the existing water usage charge (at a reduced rate), plus a fixed charge for stormwater management based on property size and the amount of hard surface on the property.
The city estimates that water rates would fall by 25 percent, as $385 million in stormwater management funds were removed from the current tax. In exchange, property owners would pay a stormwater charge of about $1.68 per square metre of hard surface. That would be determined by aerial photography done by the city.
Residents are able to provide their feedback until April 30th.
The city said in a statement to Now Toronto:
If adopted, the stormwater charge would create a dedicated revenue stream for funding the numerous, large stormwater management improvement projects meant to address the problems caused by stormwater and severe storms, including basement flooding and adverse impacts on surface water quality in rivers, streams and Lake Ontario waterfront, as well as watercourse erosion which puts vulnerable sewer and water infrastructure at risk (e.g. exposed sewer manholes and sewers).
Canadians are not fond of this at all. According to a Toronto Sun poll that asked, “Are Toronto’s politicians out of touch with reality by proposing a Rain Tax?,” 95.65% of the 7,479 total participants voted ‘yes.’
Many mocked the proposal on social media. One user wrote on X, “Next they’ll tax sunlight.”
Kevin Vuong, a Canandian Parliament member representing Spadina, Fort York, also commented: “Because people in #Toronto aren’t already struggling enough to make ends meet, the NDP’s OliviaChow wants to implement.”
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
This verse about sums it up:
A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.
Proverbs 28:3
Truly we are living in clown world, but this is what a climate change and a carbon tax looks like, where now rain and melted snow will somehow be taxed. No way is this going to be properly monitored should it be introduced: the city would just start charging whatever they wanted whenever it rains – a nice convenient way to garner more gambling money for city staff.
I don’t even know what else to say. This is so retarded in ways that cannot be expressed.
As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.
Proverbs 26:1
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Exactly!! Perfectly said.
Bunch of crazies trying to live off the poor.
Jesus is the answer to stopping all this madness.
It’s a way to tax people out of their property, and send them to their stupid cities (smart) to gain full control of the plebs.
Psa 10:2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
These people are bat-crazy; next are catalytic converters for ya farts, flatulence tax, LOLOL
I couldn’t have said it better, and great verse, David!
A rain tax? That’s stupid! Only a total moron with the IQ of a shovel would think of such a thing. Well then, if you want to tax the rain, then you might as well tax God because He’s the one that brings rain. And God is not going to pay you stinking taxes, Canada, forget it!
Andrew, your Congress and Senate are full of them; your country will be next. This will be global.
America, Canada, and Europe and all their illogical laws, irrational support of oppressive taxes, the celebration of lawlessness, and the acceptance of weird lifestyles and forms of “art” are all signs that Western Civilization is collapsing and being replaced with oppressive communist ideologies which are the roots of such ludicrous laws.
Wow, you can’t make this stuff up. These people are adding to their list of reasons to be sent to Hell. I pray we will be out of here soon and they will be left to their own devices, but I do pray for those left behind because my family is included in those, but they are innocent of this clown world crap. Hope to see you all soon, bro’s & sis’s.