The Ford government issues an order preventing major events in Toronto

The provincial government has issued an injunction that throws the wrench into several high-rise plans in Toronto — and it's all about helicopter airspace.

Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Paul Calandra, issued a Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) in late January that would reduce the height of air ambulance protected flight paths serving St. Michael's Hospital and Hospital for Sick Children.

The MZO, which has no appeal, came into effect on January 26 and effectively cuts the maximum heights for developments in a series of cone-shaped areas stretching from the two hospitals.

These areas include three cones extending east, west and north from St. Mikes and two cones extending east and west from SickKids.

The areas around the two hospitals will have a new maximum height.

As with the previous runway restrictions, these cones taper towards their source altitude limits at these two hospitals, with altitude caps gradually increasing/decreasing at intervals that allow helicopters to climb and descend safely without losing too much forward momentum.

Only buildings with building permits are exempt from this MZO, which expires on May 30, 2025.

That means proposals that have gone through huge costs in the design, planning and approval processes, even those green-lighted by city planners, are suddenly back to the drawing board to meet height restrictions.

Other exceptions may be made for temporary access to runways, such as construction cranes and related equipment, but no permanent structures are permitted on these runways during the time the MZO is implemented.

The changes will affect all future developments in areas identified as having no building permits.

One of the many projects subject to these height restrictions is CreateTO's effort to select a proposal to redevelop Toronto's railcar terminal. Other projects lose much more money through redesign during planning.

The City of Toronto is expected to update its zoning bylaws regarding helicopter runways, which set height restrictions by Jan. 26, according to Cassel's business law practice.

The provincial MZO has been the source of much controversy under Doug Ford's leadership, and several instances of these orders benefiting developers have prompted scrutiny of the relationship between Queen's Park and the housing industry.

However, this is one MZO that does not welcome developers and the masses with urgent housing needs.