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

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

People cross a crosswalk in Los Angeles.

LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks

Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.

15 minutes ago - ABC7

Two women walking on the sidewalk in Dallas.

Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code

The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.

1 hour ago - Yahoo News

A woman bikes through a parking lot in Los Angeles.

Not in my parking spot: LA renters oppose ADU development in their garages

Some tenants advocates say taking away residents’ parking spaces harms senior citizens and people with disabilities who rely on their cars to navigate the city.

2 hours ago - Los Angeles Times