Latest news with #Flack
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Love Island fans slam lack of tribute to Caroline Flack in 10-year special
Love Island fans have expressed their disappointment after the show's 10-year special episode didn't include a dedicated a Caroline Flack tribute. The summer dating show started 10 years ago this week and became one of the defining reality series of the 2010s, attracting audiences of almost six million at its peak. Originally hosted by TV star Flack, Love Island made stars of Molly-Mae Hague, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, Maura Higgins, Wes Nelson, and Amber Gill, among others. Flack proved a hugely popular presenter with viewers, with Love Island's 2015 revival seeing its viewing figures almost double after 10 years off the air. In 2020, Flack took her own life at the age of 40, with the Love Island host found dead at her home a month after experiencing personal issues away from the show. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Laura Whitmore replaced Flack as host for the 2020 series and the show continued to pull in high audiences on ITV2 – the 12th edition of Love Island begins on June 9. Before the series returns this year, ITV broadcast a 10-year anniversary special episode on Sunday night, celebrating the successful history of the long-running reality show. Amid the celebrations, several fans expressed their disappointment that tributes weren't paid to Flack and late Love Island stars Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon. Thalassitis took his own life in 2019 at the age of 26, and Gradon died by suicide in 2018 aged 32. However, some viewers acknowledged how happy it made them to see old footage of Flack presenting the show featured on the programme. @MisTintehotbabe said: 'At the end of the day, without Caroline there would be no Love Island. They could have done a slideshow or something to acknowledge her but they didn't.' The discontented viewer continued: 'They could have paid tribute to Mike and Sophie [too] – I'm so disappointed, it's as if none of them even existed.' @TheCommentariat added: 'I don't like that they didn't do a mini-tribute to Caroline Flack, she was basically responsible for the show coming back.' @RebeccaMaria said she expected something different: 'Did anyone else think there would be like an in memoriam thing at the end for Caroline Flack? Kind of weird there wasn't?' While some fans were disappointed at the lack of Flack, the 10-year special did feature brief appearances from her, Thalassitis, and Gradon. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Viewers were moved by the clip, which showed Flack hugging former contestant Molly-Mae Hague, with @EmilyAmy saying: 'Aw, Caroline. She was Love Island. She genuinely cared about everyone.' @TVReality93 said they 'loved' seeing Flack on screen, while @TwellyWatcher confessed that the hardest part of watching the special was seeing how happy Flack was in her brief highlight. More Trending The clip wasn't enough for some people watching at home, with @ConnieSpanners asking for more: '10 years of Love Island and no sign of Caroline Flack.' Flack quit Love Island shortly before her death after being charged by police with assault, saying at the time: 'In order not to detract attention from the upcoming series I feel the best thing I can do is to stand down for series 6.' She added that there had been a 'significant number of media reports and allegations in regards to my personal life' but that she had 'never experienced such kindness and love in my whole life'. View More » Metro has contacted ITV for comment. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'Dark' ITV true crime drama quietly added to Netflix soars up chart MORE: British Soap Awards 2025 afterparty evacuated due to security alert MORE: Maya Jama can't keep her hands off boyfriend Ruben Dias on touchy-feely Italy boat trip
Hamilton Spectator
13-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Ontario seeks to speed up construction of housing, roads, transit with new bill giving it more control over municipal processes
The province is looking to fast-track road, transit and housing construction by giving itself more control over municipal processes — in part by expanding controversial minister's zoning orders and standardizing municipal development fees in new legislation to be introduced Monday. The new rules will also prevent municipalities from ordering further studies in relation to new developments as well as adding any construction requirements that differ from the provincial building code, and also give school boards more powers to bypass municipal approvals to add portables on site or plan for new buildings. The new bill will also give priority to Canadian manufacturers for building materials. 'We are taking bold action to protect Ontario in the face of economic uncertainty by speeding up construction so we can lower housing costs and keep workers on the job,' said Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack. 'The legislation we're tabling (Monday) responds to recommendations and requests from municipal leaders, and will help build the homes and infrastructure Ontario needs.' Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford, right, with MP Rob Flack earlier this year. Flack, who made the announcement in Vaughan, said the new rules in the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act were created with the input of municipalities. For developers, development charges will be paid at the end of construction — at occupancy — instead of upfront during the permitting process and Flack has said such charges 'can't be punitive.' 'We are pulling out all the stops to protect and build up Ontario during this time of economic uncertainty,' said Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma, who gains the power to issue Minister's Zoning Orders — also known as MZOs — which the housing minister will also continue to be able to do. Since taking office, the Ford government has relied heavily on such orders, which allow the province to override municipal decisions and change land zoning rules to expedite housing developments. An auditor general report last year found the province used the tool 114 times from 2019 to 2023, a 17-fold increase from the previous 20 years. Last week at Queen's Park, Flack told reporters that 'we've got headwinds in our economy. ... We need bold initiatives, and we have to build faster.' Development fees, which municipalities use to build infrastructure such as sewers or roads to support housing, will continue, he stressed, but 'they can't be punitive. In some cases, they're too high, and we need to make sure that they're not hurting the cash flow of getting homebuilders getting shovels in the ground.' In 2022, Premier Doug Ford pledged to build 1.5 million new homes by 2031, but his government has not met yearly targets to achieve that goal. Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca, who has cut development charges in half in his municipality, called the new legislation 'bold and creative action to address the housing crisis.' Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish called the measures 'much needed ... municipalities cannot tackle this challenge alone — we need support like this to cut red tape, streamline approvals, and create the conditions for faster, more affordable housing development.' It is unclear how municipalities will react to the delay in development charge payments, given many rely on them to build the needed infrastructure around new housing developments. York Region has struggled in the past, carrying one of the highest debt loads in the GTA on a per-capita basis, with as much as 85 per cent of its debt based on what it hoped to recover from development fees. Flack also told reporters last week that expanding the infrastructure minister's MZO powers — which Surma has already used in the Ontario Place redevelopment — is about 'speed and process ... nothing is changing ... due diligence will still be done.' This is a developing story.
Global News
12-05-2025
- Business
- Global News
Ontario tables latest housing bill, targeting changes to local planning process
The Ford government has unveiled its latest round of housing with a push to streamline development charges in hopes of boosting its flagging homebuilding statistics. On Monday, Housing Minister Rob Flack gathered municipal leaders and developers at a news conference in Vaughan, Ont., to announce the bill, along with a round of infrastructure funding. 'The legislation we're tabling today responds to recommendations and requests from municipal leaders, and will help build the homes and infrastructure Ontario needs,' Flack said in a statement. The new legislation, titled the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smart Act, includes a commitment to standardize the fees municipalities make developers pay, block cities from charging developers for requirements outside the provincial Building Code and bring uniformity to road construction rules. Among the changes: Story continues below advertisement Cities will not be able to request studies from developers which are not listed in their official plans Adding portable classrooms to school sites and new schools to be built on land zoned for residential use Set a maximum rate for inclusionary zoning projects where cities cannot demand more than five per cent of units be affordable Merging some development charge categories, like roads and transit, together through a credit system The government also announced today that it will add $400 million to two funds municipalities use to build housing-enabling infrastructure. Building on research undertaken during the semi-reversed split of Peel Region, the province is also set to explore changing the way water and wastewater and built and delivered — considering moving to a public utility model, like a municipal service corporation, The government assembled a stream of stakeholders to endorse the new legislation. Robin Jones, the president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, said towns and cities in the province were 'firmly behind' the move to streamline development charges. The chair of the Big City Mayors caucus, Marianne Meed Ward, said she looked forward to 'working closely with the provincial government on enabling regulations for this legislation to accelerate housing development.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy At Queen's Park, critics were cautious, pointing to the government's stalled housing starts as evidence that the province's approach wasn't working. Story continues below advertisement 'They have more housing bills than housing units built,' NDP Leader Marit Stiles complained when asked if the latest legislation would make a difference. 'This is a government that has failed very dramatically to build housing right across the province of Ontario. They keep putting forward new bills; we'll wait to see what is in this newest legislation.' Bonnie Crombie, Ontario Liberal Leader, said she feared the province was stepping too far. 'I am very concerned about overreach and this bill is yet another example of overreach of this government into municipal affairs, particularly into planning and zoning,' she said. Green Leader Mike Schreiner said the bill had missed the mark and called for the government to make it easier to build medium-density homes. 23:00 Focus Ontario: Bill 5 Breakdown The new legislation comes as Ontario struggles to meet its goal of 1.5 million new homes by 2031. Story continues below advertisement The target was introduced after recommendations from an expert housing panel ahead of the 2022 provincial election and was a cornerstone of the government's campaign. After the election, then-housing minister Steve Clark removed protected land from the Greenbelt, something the government framed as part of the pursuit of that target. Successive watchdog investigations, however, found the move had been poorly coordinated and would potentially benefit developers to the tune of $8.4 billion, ultimately leading to it being reversed. The three years that followed the 2022 election win have seen housing starts consistently fail to get anywhere near the annual average of 150,000 needed to build 1.5 million new homes. Even after changing its rules to count long-term care beds as new homes, the government struggled. Projections in last year's budget showed it continuing to fall short The government's expectations, based on private sector projections, show 87,900 housing starts in 2024, 90,000 starts in 2025 and 94,000 housing starts in 2026. While the numbers represent an improvement, they would still see Ontario fall well short of its goal. Over those years, Ontario is projected to build 274,000 new homes; the province's housing goals are set at 300,000. Data published recently by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation showed that housing starts in Ontario in March were down 46 per cent, year over year, for communities with 10,000 or more people. Story continues below advertisement Flack said the target has not been forgotten, but conceded there are challenges. 'We've got some pretty strong headwinds,' he said at a press conference to announce his bill. 'It's a goal. But frankly, I'm focused more on — and our team is focused on — the next 12 to 24 months, because if it stays the way it is now, we'll never get there. We have to make immediate changes.' Homebuilders whom the government quoted to endorse its latest round of legislation said the new rules could help. 'In light of the dire housing supply and affordability crisis that we are facing, the proposed legislative changes are critical to eliminating hurdles and reducing costs so that the residential construction industry can get back on track and build the housing that Ontario needs,' RESCON president Richard Lyall said. 'Today's announcement aligns with many of the priorities identified by RESCON over the past two years to support residential housing construction and new home building. The actions undertaken by the government are vital to this effort.' — with files from The Canadian Press
Hamilton Spectator
12-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Ontario tables bill to speed up home building as 1.5M target not on track
TORONTO - Ontario's housing minister introduced legislation Monday intended to speed up the construction of new homes, as he admitted the province isn't currently on track to meet its goal of getting 1.5 million homes built over 10 years. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack said the target has not been forgotten, but conceded there are challenges. 'We've got some pretty strong headwinds,' he said at a press conference to announce his bill. 'It's a goal. But frankly, I'm focused more on — and our team is focused on — the next 12 to 24 months, because if it stays the way it is now, we'll never get there. We have to make immediate changes.' Data published recently by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation showed that housing starts in Ontario in March were down 46 per cent, year over year, for communities with 10,000 or more people. Flack's bill would reduce the scope and number of studies municipalities can require for new developments, speed up certain minor variances and standardize and streamline fees developers pay that municipalities use to fund housing-enabling infrastructure such as water and sewer lines. As well, it would allow municipalities to more easily reduce development charges, allow residential builders to pay those fees at the time of occupancy instead of when a permit is issued, and exempt long-term care homes from the fees in order to spur their development. Scott Andison, CEO of the Ontario Home Builders' Association, said that when the province's municipalities all have potentially different application and development charge requirements, it slows down the home building process. 'In the absence of a common application process, builders must retool their application process in response to potentially 444 different application requirements and navigate significantly different pathways to get to a single goal — approval to build or renovate a home needed by Ontario families,' he said. The bill would also extend the power for granting Minister's Zoning Orders, which override municipal bylaws, beyond the municipal affairs and housing minister to include the minister of infrastructure when it comes to transit-oriented communities. It is a tool the province's auditor general has raised concerns with in the past, noting that the province's process for MZOs can give the appearance of preferential treatment for some requests. The Progressive Conservative government used MZOs 114 times from 2019 to 2023, which is a 17-fold increase in usage from the previous 20 years, the auditor found. Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said the use of MZOs should be curtailed, not expanded. 'You don't need another minister's hands in the Ministerial Zoning Orders,' she said. 'We've seen this government's track record, and we've seen the abuse that there can be, and this is just yet another opportunity by broadening the power and increasing the number of ministers who can now issue MZOs. This is a really huge concern.' Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma said the move will help get more housing built. 'We're just trying to be more efficient, but we'll also continue working with the hard working (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) staff,' she said. 'We want to be flexible. We want to be nimble. I have MZOs that I'd like to issue this year.' The bill would also cap the number of affordable units a municipality can require in certain residential developments at five per cent in order to make projects more viable, but Crombie said it would lead to a reduction in the availability of affordable housing. As well, the bill would standardize construction requirements and provide clarity that municipalities can't create construction standards beyond the building code. Developers and builders have expressed frustration at municipalities that create additional requirements, such as Toronto's green building standard. 'At a time when there are so many challenges facing the residential construction industry, these changes are necessary and essential as they will simplify the approvals process and make the homebuilding process more efficient,' Richard Lyall, president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario, said of the bill as a whole. The government also announced Monday that it will add $400 million to two funds municipalities use to build housing-enabling infrastructure. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2025.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ontario to table new bill aimed at speeding up development of homes, roads and transit
Ontario's housing minister has announced a plan to speed up new home construction while lowering costs for developers through new legislation set to be tabled on Monday. The legislation, aimed at solving Ontario's housing crisis, would also fast-track road and transit projects in the province, and comes as the Ford government struggles to meet its goal of building 1.5 million homes. "Through our proposed legislation, we plan to cut red tape, speed up approvals and reduce charges," said Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack at a news conference in Vaughan Monday. "And most importantly, make it more affordable to build and buy a home in Ontario." The Ford government's target goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031 was not mentioned in the news release Monday. Asked why, Flack admitted the province isn't currently on track to meet its goal. "It's a goal, but frankly I'm more focused and our team is focused more on the next 12 to 24 months because if it stays the way it is now, we'll never get there," he responded. "But is it forgotten? No way." Flack said Ontario needs to make "immediate changes" to home building rules and his focus is on the next two years in order to spur development. If passed, the bill would reduce the scope and number of studies municipalities can require for new developments, speed up certain minor variances and standardize and streamline fees developers pay that municipalities use to fund housing-enabling infrastructure such as water and sewer lines. As well, the bill would standardize construction requirements, provide clarity that municipalities can't create construction standards beyond the building code and would cap the number of affordable units a municipality can require in certain residential developments. WATCH: How modular housing could help solve Ontario's housing crisis: Flack announced the new bill Monday alongside Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy, Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish and Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca — days before the Ontario government is set to release its provincial budget. The Ontario Home Builders' Association welcomed the announcement Monday, saying builders have long advocated for addressing issues of development charges as well as permitting and approval delays. "This legislation is a strong step towards boosting supply, restoring affordability, and protecting jobs in the residential construction sector," said CEO Scott Andison. Concern over controversial MZO powers Last week, Flack hinted at the bill, garnering skepticism from opposition leaders including NDP Leader Marit Stiles, who said she is concerned about reports from Global News that the bill could extend the controversial MZO (Minister's Zoning Order) powers to Surma. Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said expanding the use of sweeping zoning orders does not guarantee housing will be built faster in Ontario, calling it "government overreach." Flack says the legislation responds to recommendations from municipal leaders and will help both lower housing costs and keep workers on the job in the face of economic uncertainty. The government also announced Monday that it will add $400 million to two funds that municipalities use to build housing-enabling infrastructure. In 2022, Premier Doug Ford pledged to build 1.5 million new homes by 2031, a target Ontario would need to build 100,000 homes a year to hit. But as recently as last October, the government's own fall economic statement showed the province is not on track to hit that level in 2025, 2026, or 2027. "We've got headwinds in our economy," Flack told reporters at Queen's Park last Thursday. "We need bold initiatives, and we have to build faster. We're looking at the cost of housing today. It takes too long and it costs too much to get shovels in the ground."
