Toronto's Catholic school board trustees have voted in favour of expropriating 17 homes in the area of Bayview and Cummer Avenues in order to build a new high school.
Trustees voted 6-4 in favour of the decision Thursday night.
Trustees were considering three options: To expropriate 30 homes and have a fair sized playing field; expropriate 17 homes and have a small outdoor area; or expropriate no homes and go back to the drawing board.
"Obviously, nobody likes to put people out of their homes but let's remember here people are going to be compensated and then some with respect to their home," said Mike Del Grande, the chair of the Toronto Catholic district school board. "It's not like we're stealing their homes at less than market value."
The market value of the North York townhomes range between $800,000 and $1 million.
Leading up to the vote about half a dozen people who live on the street pleaded with the trustees to spare their homes.
The decision means residents have one year to leave their homes.
"The trustee decision makes us very sad," said Frank Zhao, who lives in one of the townhouses with his wife and child. "We have no home now."
The new school is expected to accommodate approximately 850 students and construction is expected to begin in approximately a year.
