Zoning Questions Follow Fire, Explosions at Toronto Propane Yard

A massive explosion at a propane dealer in Toronto is leading to questions as to how such a facility could ever have been located so close to a residential area.

1 minute read

August 12, 2008, 5:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


Boom after boom after boom, the successive blasts rattled homes, blowing doors off their hinges, shattering windows and leaving residents huddled in fear as giant balls of fire burst in the night sky and propane tanks were ejected several kilometres away.

The series of predawn explosions at a 24-hour propane dealer rocked the area immediately raising questions about the proximity of such a facility to a residential area.

'We knew it was a danger zone from day one,' said Vicki Arciero, one of several community members who had complained to the city of the presence of the propane facility near her home, in the north end of Toronto.

'It shouldn't have been put in a residential area. It should not have been there. Nobody did a damn thing. Nobody. And now the damage is done.'

Mayor David Miller said that the city would review how residences came to be so close to a propane yard. 'This facility was allowed under zoning that has been there for well over a decade,' Mr. Miller said."

Monday, August 11, 2008 in The Globe and Mail

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9, 2025 - Axios

Canadian flag in foreground with blurred Canadian Parliament building in background in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Has President Trump Met His Match?

Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

March 11, 2025 - Toronto Star

Close-up of green ULEZ sign in London, UK.

Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution

Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.

March 10, 2025 - Smart Cities World

Tents set up by unhoused people under freeway overpass in San Jose, California with American flag above them.

San Jose Mayor Takes Dual Approach to Unsheltered Homeless Population

In a commentary published in The Mercury News, Mayor Matt Mahan describes a shelter and law enforcement approach to ending targeted homeless encampments within Northern California's largest city.

March 14 - The Mercury News

Blue Atlanta streetcar on street in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

Atlanta Changes Beltline Rail Plan

City officials say they are committed to building rail connections, but are nixing a prior plan to extend the streetcar network.

March 14 - Saporta Report

New York City city hall building.

Are Black Mayors Being Pushed Out of Office?

The mayors of New York, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh all stand to lose their seats in the coming weeks. They also all happen to be Black.

March 14 - Governing

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.