Two condominium towers at King St. West and Dufferin St. became the focus of a grassroots fight against gentrification at the Toronto and East York Community Council meeting Nov. 14.

The 17- and 14-storey towers at 1182 and 1221 King St. W. had been recommended for approval by Toronto’s planning staff. But residents from the west-end community came to the community council meeting in force to argue against approving the development, on the grounds that the 293 high-end condominium units would further erode affordability in Parkdale.

“What Parkdale needs is more affordable housing units, not a luxury condominium,” said Aaron Pool, speaking on behalf of Dale Ministries.

Liam Barrington Bush told the committee that he’d been spending five months couch surfing in Parkdale — the neighbourhood where he grew up — in search of affordable housing. He said that “expensive people” would continue to flock to the neighborhood and drive prices up.

Others criticized local Parkdale-High Park Councillor Gord Perks for not doing enough to force the developers, Lifetime Developments, to include affordable units within the development.

Finally, a small group of protesters unfurled a long banner opposing more condominium development and occupied the front of the committee room.

The community council adjourned for an early lunch – and when they came back, approved the development.

Perks, one of council’s more vocal advocates for social justice and affordable housing, argued that it would have been foolish to refuse the application. In negotiations with the developer, he had managed to secure among other things Section 37 contributions that would go to the purchase and maintenance of affordable rooming houses in the area, and parkland that would directly benefit Parkdale.

If council refused the application, the developer would take it to the Ontario Municipal Board.

And city planning staff confirmed that any attempt to require the development to include affordable housing in its mix — one of the key demands of those who deputed — would be quashed at the Ontario Municipal Board as the city currently lacks the authority to do so.

“I hate to have to tell my community no,” he said. “But in this case the best interest of the community is to pick the option that we take the agreement we’ve got.”

Following the vote, Jim Gilbert, a Parkdale actor and writer, said while the community respected Perks’ activism and support on social justice issues, they had to oppose the development.

“I think that we were going in here today knowing that we were really up against the inevitable, but it wouldn’t have been in the spirit of the community not to show how opposed we are to this,” he said. “I know Gord comes from a social justice background I know Gord was the most lefty extremist guy they have on that council. I know he’s working within parameters. You have to be doing better when people are losing their homes.”