On February 9, 2025, Pointe-Claire resident Linda De Witt made a comment about “Developers and the city councillors who are in their thrall” in a post on the Pointe-Claire News and Discussion Facebook group. That comment compelled me to write this opinion piece.
I am increasingly concerned about individuals making unsubstantiated, very serious accusations and potentially defaming others. This is unacceptable and must stop immediately.
Ms. De Witt appears to have been inspired in her remarks by Mayor Thomas’ Facebook post, where he presented a chart of housing completions from 2017-2024 and units under construction in the demerged suburbs of Montreal using data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), a chart that really doesn’t mean much without context.
The chart is just a bunch of figures put together to try to appease a vocal minority who want to stop any and all development. So, Pointe-Claire built more—so what? The reason we have many more units built is because we have land available for development. Beaconsfield, Dorval, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, and other municipalities would be thrilled to have the opportunities we have in Pointe-Claire.
In his post, Mayor Thomas conveniently does not mention anything about the 950 housing units (condos and rentals), 111 townhouses, and 47 lots for single-family homes that will be built by Prevel and TGTA in Kirkland’s Lacey Green sector. There is also no mention of the Kirkland Centre’s expansion, the RioCan and Broccolini multiphase project comprising 240,000 square feet of office space and 135,000 square feet of commercial space, to include over 1000 residential units, with no single-family homes. Nor did he choose to acknowledge the Dorval development with six residential towers and over 1000 units that will be delivered in the next two years.
Ms. De Witt also wrote a letter in The Suburban (“Pointe-Claire needs sustainable development,” Dec. 4, 2024) stating that “Brent Cowan is one of the city councillors who seem to be in the thrall of developers, and have little understanding that the increased revenues brought by large residential developments are more than offset by the increased costs incurred by the city.” She goes on to say that “Brent Cowan and his like-minded city councillors have the ear of developers, not the majority of Pointe-Claire citizens.”
I beg to differ.
Generally, large residential developments are, more often not than not, offset by the increased costs incurred by a city, as high-density developments can actually generate more revenue for the municipality than the costs associated with servicing them, particularly when compared to low-density suburban sprawl, meaning the city can often net a positive financial benefit from large residential projects due to increased property taxes and development charges.
Pointe-Claire has a golden opportunity to make sure our city is ready to move forward for the next couple of generations. I fail to understand why development is such a dirty word and why developers are so vilified. Developers have had a hand in building communities—vibrant, dynamic, sustainable communities—as did Louis B. Magil in the 50s, 60s, and 70s in Pointe-Claire.
Real estate developers—visionaries who take ALL the risk. Developers work in one of the most challenging areas of the real estate field—land development. They create and build residential communities, industrial complexes, shopping malls, and other commercial structures. They must navigate the complexities of securing financing, manage the complex web of stakeholders involved in a project, handle the nightmarish bureaucratic regulations, deal with potential market fluctuations, and ensure profitability while balancing the needs of investors, contractors, and community members. Essentially, they manage the high level of risk and responsibilities associated with development projects where significant financial investments are at stake.
Halting all development, as proposed by Mayor Thomas and his supporters, lacks foresight and does not contribute to the advancement of our city or the enhancement of services for its dynamic and evolving community. Consider where we would be if Olive Urquhart had not proceeded with industrial development during her tenure as mayor, despite significant opposition at that time. Envision Pointe-Claire without the Fairview Shopping Centre. There was substantial resistance to constructing such a large, enclosed shopping centre, which was a novel concept at the time. Many believed it would not succeed.
There have been comments that our infrastructure may not support more development. It should be understood that new developments will not be approved if the infrastructure cannot handle them. As one Facebook contributor stated, a potential 4000 units "at $3000 (low estimate) per unit in taxes that's $12,000,000 in additional revenue to benefit all residents." This revenue could potentially be used for infrastructure investment, if necessary. However, infrastructure investments are typically amortized and charged back to the new developments, so there would be no cost to the city.
In her Facebook post, Ms. De Witt also asserts that "The City of Pointe-Claire has no comprehensive study of the state and capabilities of our existing infrastructures [...] the City actually does not know whether our existing infrastructures will be adequate for residential developments already under construction or recently built." Ongoing dialogue with developers can help create balanced solutions. Effective city management involves compromise and collaboration to ensure progress and address concerns.
While Mayor Thomas presented his concerns about housing affordability in his Facebook post, I acknowledge that it is a complex issue that requires constructive discussions. In Quebec, the "soft rent control" system, while not as stringent as traditional rent control, can deter new housing development by limiting the potential profit for landlords on new rental units. And yes, profit… it is reasonable to expect a return on one’s investment. This, combined with regulations on rent increases for older buildings, makes it less financially attractive for developers to construct new rental properties. Essentially, landlords may see less incentive to build new units if they cannot charge market rates.
As for the vacancy rates, data shows that the vacancy rate was 0.9% in Pointe-Claire for 2024 and increased to 6.3% in Q4 2024 for the Greater Montreal Area (CMHC data). A vacancy rate between 5-10% is considered healthy, indicating a balance between supply and demand. I support the construction of more rental units, senior living units (as proposed by Cadillac Fairview in Mu1), and other developments. Additionally, with the REM, Pointe-Claire has a legal obligation to increase density as per the Montreal Metropolitan Community’s (CMM) Plan métropolitain d'aménagement et de développement (PMAD) policy for land use, transportation, and the environment.
This leads me to another point concerning the environment. Our urban sprawl experiment, with its low-density development, increases car usage and land consumption, negatively impacting the environment. In contrast, densification reduces transportation emissions and minimizes environmental footprint by concentrating development.
We need constructive discussions, with all stakeholders, including developers, to solve our great city's issues and eliminate the “Not in my backyard” NIMBY attitude which is prevalent in our society today. Everyone can have opinions, but we must focus on facts, not misrepresent them or spread misinformation.
Vito Pelosi holds a professional designation of Certified Property Manager (CPM) and has worked in property management for 30 years. Vito has lived, coached, and volunteered in Pointe-Claire since 1981. He is a member and past president of the Pointe-Claire Oldtimers Hockey Club (PCOT), as well as a member of its donation committee.