Despite the city spending $11M on renovations at 233 Carlton St., site not expected to open until year end<\/p>\n
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Published Feb 18, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n A sweetheart deal with the Kielburger clan to rent a building for a women\u2019s shelter has seen millions spent but no shelter being opened yet in Cabbagetown.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The building at 233 Carlton St., the first headquarters for Free the Children and WE Charity, has been under city control since Jan. 1, 2020. Despite spending $11 million on renovations \u2014 with millions more to go \u2014 and $2.2 million in rent to the Kielburgers, the shelter still isn\u2019t open and isn\u2019t expected to be open until the end of this year.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n That will be seven years into a 10-year lease, with an optional five-year extension, without ever providing any of the social services that taxpayers were told they would be supporting. There are also millions of dollars in unpaid bills for the renovations and potentially more costs over the coming 10 months before a single woman is helped.<\/p>\n Concerned citizens expose out-of-control costs<\/p>\n The information about this disaster comes from a freedom of information request filed by local resident Andrew Haisley of the Winchester Park Residents Association and reporting by Andre Bermon, the publisher of The Bridge<\/a> community newspaper.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The process that led to this debacle started in 2018 when the city decided to replace the 24\/7 women\u2019s drop-in centre in the city-owned property at 67 Adelaide St. E. The current centre provides drop-in services including meals, support groups, access to showers and laundry services as well as referrals to other social services.<\/p>\n According to city documents, staff worked with Lennard Commercial Realty Brokerage<\/a> to identify potential properties that could replace 67 Adelaide. After reviewing 11 properties, though they won\u2019t say which ones, the city landed on 233 Carlton after a referral from Lennard.<\/p>\n Lease generous to Kielburgers<\/p>\n The property at 233 Carlton is owned by Fred and Theresa Kielburger, the parents of WE Charity founders Marc and Craig Kielburger.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n In the middle of the WE Charity scandal that rocked the Justin Trudeau government in the summer of 2020, then-councillors Kristyn Wong-Tam and Mike Layton moved a motion asking staff to examine<\/a> \u201cwho from the WE-related organizations communicated with the senior city officials that may have affected final delegated decision-making on site location and financial terms.\u201d<\/p>\n The city report issued in September 2020<\/a> said that while negotiations took place with Marc Kielburger, \u201climited communication with Mr. Marc Kielburger did not impact decision-making regarding the site location or the financial terms of the agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n The terms of that lease required the city to pay $27,633.67 per month in rent<\/a> for the property starting in 2020, which rises to $34,499.57 by 2029. The lease also stated that the tenant, meaning the city, was responsible for all leasehold improvements.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cAll improvements shall be deemed to belong to the landlord upon installation,\u201d the lease says<\/a>.<\/p>\n The lease says that the planned renovations would include \u201ca new elevator for accessibility requirements, kitchen, showers, programming areas and a rooftop patio.\u201d<\/p>\n RECOMMENDED VIDEO We apologize, but this video has failed to load.<\/p>\n Play VideoCosts have risen by almost $10 million<\/p>\n So far, those improvements have included $9,349,980 in construction costs, $1,522,607 in design and construction costs, $53,448 for professional services, $198,228 for furniture, fixtures and equipment, $667,456 in project management fees, $1,550,000 in project contingency and $234,814 in non-recoverable HST payments.<\/p>\n As of October 2025, the grand total was $13,576,533, of which $11,039,464 had been paid at the time. The original estimate for renovation costs was $3.7 million<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The city had to fire the original subcontractor that was to install the elevator and bring in a new one to complete the task. Barring any further delays, the city hopes that the elevator will be installed by May and that most of the renovations will be completed by August, meaning an opening of this facility sometime in the fall.<\/p>\n By then, the city will have spent at least another $224,311 in rent and who knows how much else on renovations without a single offer of assistance to the women this centre is supposed to help.<\/p>\n All of this was able to happen without oversight from council because staff claimed the whole project would cost less than $10 million, meaning they had delegated authority to act<\/a>. If it weren\u2019t for a concerned citizen in Haisley and the local reporting of The Bridge\u2018s Bermon, this incompetence would have gone undetected.<\/p>\n Once again, though, the rot and incompetence at Toronto City Hall is on full display for all to see.<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n LILLEY: Canada needs to get serious, buy the F-35 and move on<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PJT-233-Carlton-Street-e1771455731176.jpg\")
A building owned by the Kielburger family at 233 Carlton St. in downtown Toronto, seen here on Tuesday July 14, 2020, is being turned into a women’s shelter by the city. Photo by Peter J. Thompson \/Postmedia NetworkArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.6.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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