By CBC News, June 16, 2022
Change is taking root in the Toronto housing scene.
In February, city council voted to allow homeowners to build a garden suite, or secondary residence, in their backyards. It's part of a housing strategy that aims to address Toronto's rental crunch.
Proponents say garden suites, along with laneway suites (which were approved in 2018), are a much-needed tool to gently add density to existing residential neighbourhoods — an alternative to highrises or car-dependent sprawl and part of the city's broader sustainability goals.
Other cities in Ontario (Barrie, Kitchener) and across the country (like Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton) already allow garden suites.