5 Lowther Ave

01What’s planned near 5 Lowther Ave

4 planning proposals within 250 m (about a 3‑minute walk): three in progress and one decided recently. Some cover several addresses; each proposal is listed once. That's more than at most Toronto addresses (the typical address has 1).

In progress

1. 1
   Garage or parking

   38 Elgin Ave · 195 m away

   Committee of Adjustment · Minor variance: permission to bend a zoning rule, such as height, size or setbacks

   The hearing was postponed. A new date hasn't been published yet.

   To install a front yard parking pad.

   File A0362/24TEY · submitted Apr 15, 2024 · look it up on the City’s Application Information Centre
2. 2
   Minor variance

   208 Bloor St W · 239 m away

   Committee of Adjustment · Minor variance: permission to bend a zoning rule, such as height, size or setbacks

   The Committee of Adjustment refused it on Jul 8, 2026. It has been appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (formerly the OMB), which will make the final decision.

   To permit one 36-storey mixed-use building, which will span across two lots, for a private student residence use. There will be a total of 426 dwelling units, and 220.5 m² of non-residential retail uses (at-grade) within this building.…

   File A0328/26TEY · submitted Mar 18, 2026 · look it up on the City’s Application Information Centre
3. 3
   Minor variance

   210 Bloor St W · 246 m away

   Committee of Adjustment · Minor variance: permission to bend a zoning rule, such as height, size or setbacks

   The Committee of Adjustment refused it on Jul 8, 2026. It has been appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (formerly the OMB), which will make the final decision.

   To permit one 36-storey mixed-use building, which will span across two lots, for a private student residence use. There will be a total of 426 dwelling units, and 220.5 m² of non-residential retail uses (at-grade) within this building.…

   File A0327/26TEY · submitted Mar 18, 2026 · look it up on the City’s Application Information Centre

Decided recently

1. 4
   11-storey building · 60 homes and shops

   126 Avenue Rd and 1 more address · 187 m away

   Rezoning: a request to change the Official Plan or zoning so something new can be built

   60 homes4,138 m² of floor space

   City Council approved it.

   Zoning By-law Amendment application to permit an 11-storey mixed-use building, containing 60 dwelling units (of which 11 are replacement rental units) and 169 square metres of non-residential gross floor area.

   Public notice · Jun 13, 2025Notice of Public Meeting - Request to Amend the Zoning By-law - 126-130 Avenue Road. Read the notice, which explains any meeting or appeal dates.

   All 2 addresses

   126 Avenue Rd · 128 Avenue Rd

   File 23 119287 STE 11 OZ · submitted Mar 2, 2023 · City record and how to comment

Development Applications and Committee of Adjustment Applications, City of Toronto. A proposal that covers several addresses or City files is listed once. Inactive: the City’s file is still open but marked inactive. Decided: development files submitted in the last 4 years; Committee of Adjustment decisions in the last 2 years.

Noise permits nearby

• University of Toronto Academic Tower · 100 Devonshire Pl
  Construction · PomerleauJune 1 to Dec 31 · 6 am to 6 pm
  507 m away
• Pressure Washing · 11 Yorkville Ave
  OtherJune 9 to Nov 30 · 10 pm to 5 am
  584 m away
• Bloor-Yorkville Holiday Magic · 128 1/2 Cumberland St
  Amplified sound · in Village of Yorkville ParkSat, Nov 21 · 4 to 8 pm
  255 m away

City of Toronto Noise Exemption Permits: permits that let a site go past the noise bylaw’s limits for a set time (amplified sound for an event, construction outside normal hours, a concrete pour). Upcoming and current permits within 600 m. Events run by individuals show their name only for street parties, festivals and markets.

02Street work near 5 Lowther Ave

No new City road or sidewalk work is planned within 500 m. The work below was due earlier and is still on the City’s list.

Utility digs within 250 m

• Toronto Water · Water and Sewer Connection at 31 Prince Arthur Ave · 204 m · May 11, 2026 to Nov 11, 2026
• Enbridge Gas · Gas service at 14 Elgin Ave · 148 m · May 15, 2026 to Nov 15, 2026

Source: City of Toronto Road Reconstruction, Road Resurfacing and Sidewalk Construction programs (planned work within 500 m), and Utility Cut Permits. Dates are the City’s plan and can move. “Carried over” means the work was due earlier and is still listed.

03Safety near 5 Lowther Ave

Police recorded 220 major crimes within 500 m of this address from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026. That's more than at 97% of Toronto addresses. The table compares the neighbourhood's rates with Toronto's.

Source: Toronto Police Service Public Safety Data Portal, Major Crime Indicators (Oct 4, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026) and Neighbourhood Crime Rates. Reported incidents only; police place each incident at the nearest intersection. Five-year trends for Annex

Traffic safety

13 collisions killed or seriously injured someone within 500 m since 2021; 8 involved pedestrians, 3 involved cyclists and 4 were fatal. Most were on Avenue Rd and Bay St. Annex has more of these collisions per resident than most neighbourhoods.

• 20 Prince Arthur Ave · Pedestrian, killed · Apr 12, 2026 · 124 m
• Avenue Rd at Yorville Ave · Pedestrian, seriously injured · Dec 19, 2025 · 78 m
• Yorkville Ave at Bay St · Motorcyclist, seriously injured · Oct 24, 2025 · 416 m
• Bernard Ave at Bedford Rd · Pedestrian, seriously injured · Jun 2, 2025 · 434 m

Source: Toronto Police Service, collisions in which someone was killed or seriously injured (since 2021, within 500 m); City of Toronto School Safety Zones and Traffic Calming Database.

Other crimes near this address

Toronto Police Service: Shootings and Firearm Discharges, Bicycle Thefts and Theft From Motor Vehicle, June 2025 to June 2026. Police place each incident at the nearest intersection.

04Getting around from 5 Lowther Ave

The nearest subway station is Bay Station (Line 2), about a 6‑minute walk (0.4 km). Within a 5‑minute walk there are 12 TTC stops served by the 13 and 26 buses, with about 634 departures on a typical weekday. The nearest GO train station is Union Station GO, 3.1 km away, with 354 train stops on a weekday.

TTC and GO Transit schedules for a typical weekday (Nov 11, 2026). Walking times are estimates. Bike Share Toronto station data; City of Toronto Cycling Network and Permit Parking Areas.

How reliable are your routes?

TTC Bus and Streetcar Delay Data, September 2025 to September 2026: incidents the TTC logged as delaying service. Per 1,000 trips uses each route’s weekday schedule, so busy routes aren’t penalized for running more vehicles. A typical route: 4.0.

Charging and bike parking

• EV charging: 74 Yorkville Ave
  City-run (Green P): 8 Level 2, 1 fast ports. Next: 19 Spadina Rd, 777 m.329 m

City of Toronto: City-operated EV charging stations (private chargers aren’t included); indoor bike stations, shown within 1.5 km.

05Schools and child care near 5 Lowther Ave

The closest public and Catholic schools. They may not be the ones assigned to this address; check with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) or Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB).

The red tick on each bar is the Toronto average. Private schools within 1 km: Career Quest - Toronto, The Shire School, Rosedale Day School, Mcdonald International Academy School, Howlett Academy School and 3 more. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education (2026), EQAO results.

Within 500 m (about a 6‑minute walk): three licensed child care centres and no EarlyON centres.

Source: City of Toronto Licensed Child Care Centres, EarlyON Child and Family Centres, and ChildCareSafe (Toronto Public Health inspections).

06Parks, trees and libraries near 5 Lowther Ave

There are 7 parks and 1 playground within 500 m. The nearest pool is Wellesley Community Centre, 1.7 km away.

Parks and community centres within 500 m

• Boswell Parkette · 2 Boswell Ave · 207 m
• Taddle Creek Park · playground · 40 Bedford Rd · 291 m
• Village of Yorkville Park · 115 Cumberland St · 299 m
• Bloor-Bedford Parkette · 248 Bloor St W · 372 m
• Jesse Ketchum Park · 1310 Bay St · 400 m

Pools, courts and more

Also nearby

Source: City of Toronto Parks and Recreation Facilities, Registered Programs and Drop-In Programs, Tennis Courts, Outdoor and Indoor Ice Rinks, Washroom Facilities, Off-Leash Areas, Street Tree Data; Toronto Public Health SwimSafe and Beach Water Quality; Toronto Public Library branches.

Park space

Park projects nearby

• Queen's Park North Revitalization
  The City is proposing enhancements to Queen's Park, building on improvements completed in 2019.In progress · 603 m
• Ramsden Park Ice Rink Improvements
  The City is improving the artificial ice rink at Ramsden Park with state-of-good-repair upgrades to the building’s change rooms and washrooms, as well as repairs to the rink’s refrigeration systems and dasher boards.In progress · 693 m
• Huron-Washington Parkette Playground Improvements
  The City is improving the playground at Huron-Washington Parkette. Learn more about the project and how you can get involved.In progress · 719 m
• Ramsden Park Community Recreation Centre
  A new community recreation centre is coming to 1020 Yonge St., immediately west of Rosedale Subway Station in the Rosedale neighbourhood, near Yonge Street and Belmont Avenue.In progress · 779 m
• New Park at Macpherson Avenue
  A new park is coming to Macpherson Avenue. Learn more about the project and how you can get involved.In progress · 907 m

City of Toronto: Green Spaces (parks, natural areas and conservation land; hydro corridors, golf courses, cemeteries and road verges aren’t counted); Park and Recreation Facility Projects within 1.5 km.

07The building at 5 Lowther Ave

No building permits, building orders, by-law investigations, heritage listing or short-term rental registrations on record for 5 Lowther Ave.

The lot

Front-yard parking

Licensed: front-yard parking pad, 1 space. A City licence lets the owner park here. 16 homes on Lowther Ave have one.

City of Toronto Residential Front Yard Parking licences (issued in the old City of Toronto and East York).

Green roof and solar permits

No green roof or solar hot water permits at this address. Within 500 m: 15 with a green roof.

City of Toronto Building Permits: Green Roofs, and Solar Hot Water Heaters.

08What can be built at 5 Lowther Ave

CR (Commercial Residential) zoning allows shops and offices on the ground floor with homes above, typical of main streets. The numbers below are the main limits; the full rules depend on the lot.

Special areas

Source: City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013 (zone, height and lot coverage overlays), Heritage Conservation Districts, Major Transit Station Areas, Secondary Plans and Archaeological Potential. This is a summary, not a zoning review. Read the by-law and see the City’s map.

09Around the block

Source: Affordable Housing Pipeline, Rental Housing Demolition and Conversion applications, Short Term Rentals Registration, Multi-Tenant (Rooming) House Licences, Business Licences and Permits (storefront types; owners’ personal names are never shown), POPS, and Daily Shelter Occupancy (Nov 9, 2026). Confidential shelter locations are not published.

Traffic on your street

There’s no recent count on this street. The nearest, on a similar street:

City of Toronto Transportation Services: speed, volume and classification counts since 2016.

Parking tickets on this block

717 tickets in 2025 on Lowther Ave between numbers 0 and 55: 305 for standing where it’s not allowed, 231 for parking without a permit.

City of Toronto Parking Tickets, 2025. Placed by the street address the officer recorded.

Main street business area

Bloor-Yorkville BIA, which includes this address. Business Improvement Areas are local business associations that run street events and improvements.

City of Toronto Business Improvement Areas, within 400 m.

What neighbours report to 311

In the last 12 months, 5,567 service requests came from postal area M5R, which includes 5 Lowther Ave. The most common:

City of Toronto 311 Service Requests, October 2025 to October 2026. 311 publishes only the first three characters of the postal code, so this covers the wider postal area. Counts reflect how often people call as well as how often problems happen.

10Risks and environment at 5 Lowther Ave

TRCA mapping is for screening, not site-specific decisions. Lead results are voluntary samples from homes in the postal area, not this address.

11The neighbourhood: Annex

Annex had 29,300 residents in 2021. The median household income was $85,000, about the same as the typical Toronto neighbourhood ($85,000). 59% of households rent (typical neighbourhood: 46%). 46% of renters spend 30% or more of their income on housing. 24% of workers commuted by transit and 32% walked or cycled (typical neighbourhood: 26% and 5%). The most common first languages other than English and French are Mandarin (2.5%), Spanish (2.2%) and Cantonese (1.8%). Source: 2021 Census; the next census was taken in 2026.

Rents aren't published for single neighbourhoods. Across central Toronto (the old City of Toronto, before the 1998 amalgamation), a two-bedroom in a purpose-built rental building averaged $2,457 a month in October 2025, up 6% from a year earlier. The Toronto average was $2,055. The vacancy rate was 3.2%. These averages include long-term tenants; new listings usually cost more.

Source: CMHC, Rental Market Survey (October 2025), purpose-built rental apartments, central Toronto (the old City of Toronto, before the 1998 amalgamation). CMHC doesn’t publish rents for single neighbourhoods. Adapted by My Address in Toronto.