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Sidonia J.
Tomasella

Partner
  • stomasella@airdberlis.com
  • 416.865.7763
Office:
  • Toronto Office
Call to Bar:
Admitted to the Ontario Bar: 2009
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Sidonia Loiacono
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  7. Sidonia J. Tomasella

Sidonia offers her municipal and land use planning clients a unique value proposition. In addition to her legal experience, her previous career as a land use planner gives her clients the added benefit of understanding the technical aspects of land development which, along with her time at the City of Toronto’s Legal Division and at the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, also provides excellent insight to the decision-making process. She is dedicated and passionate about making a meaningful contribution not only to her clients’ files, but to the development of communities. 

Sidonia is Co-Leader of the firm's Municipal, Land Use Planning & Development Group. She assists private and public sector clients through the development and application process, from pre-consultation with various city departments to representation before the courts and various municipal authorities and administrative tribunals, including the Ontario Land Tribunal (formerly the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal).

Early in her career at the firm, Sidonia was seconded to the City of Toronto’s Legal Division (Planning and Administrative Tribunal Law section). Before beginning her legal practice, she was a senior land use planner and a municipal policy advisor for the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, where she was involved in a number of government initiatives related to land use planning, municipal governance and housing. Sidonia also lectures on land use planning matters at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) to students of the university’s Urban and Regional Planning Undergraduate Program.

Expertise

  • Municipal, Land Use Planning & Development

Representative Matters

Representative Matter

Crestpoint Completes $36.5 Million Acquisition of a 50% Interest in North Toronto Station

Crestpoint Real Estate Investments Ltd. completed the acquisition of a 50% interest in the property commonly known as North Toronto Station for approximately $36.5 million.

August 16, 2016

Representative Matter

First Capital Realty Inc. Enters into Binding Agreement for Purchase and Sale of Retail and Parking Components of 1 Bloor Street East

First Capital Realty Inc. (“First Capital”) entered into a binding agreement of purchase and sale for the acquisition of the retail and commercial parking components of the property municipally known as 1 Bloor Street East, Toronto, including an 85,000-square-foot flagship retail space and 52 commercial parking stalls, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $189.2 million.  The transaction is scheduled to close in the fourth quarter of 2017.

August 04, 2016

Representative Matter

First Capital Realty Inc. Completes Acquisition of Assembly of Properties at Northeast Corner of Avenue Road and Lawrence Avenue, Toronto

First Capital Realty Inc. (“First Capital”) completed the acquisition of an assembly of properties located at the northeast corner of Avenue Road and Lawrence Avenue in Toronto for a total purchase price of approximately $63.2 million.  The assembly included the well-known Pusateri’s Fine Foods gourmet grocery store on Avenue Road.

August 03, 2016

Professional Involvement

Memberships

  • Urban Land Institute

Teaching Engagements

  • Instructor, "Land Use Planning Law," School of Urban and Regional Planning, Ryerson University, 2013.

"GTAA Inclusionary Zoning Webinar," Co-presenter with Tom Halinski, Greater Toronto Apartment Association, November 2021.

”Section 37: What Benefits? Who Benefits? What’s Next?,” Co-presenter with Andrea Skinner, Aird & Berlis LLP Municipal Forum, June 2014.

“Top Ten ‘Legal’ Things a New Councillor Ought to Know [...and an Experienced Councillor Reminded of!]," Co-presenter with Leo Longo, Ontario Small Urban Municipalities Conference, May 2011.

Co-Author, "Ontario Approves Majority of Toronto’s Major Transit Station Areas and Protected Major Transit Station Areas With Amendments," Aird & Berlis LLP, Municipal & Planning Law Bulletin, August 20, 2025.

“The CRA Attacks Municipal Procurement Corruption,” Aird & Berlis LLP Municipal & Planning Law Newsletter, Fall 2011.

Co-Author,"RSJ Holdings v. Inc. London (City): Case Annotation," Municipal & Planning Law Reports (4th), 2008.

Co-Author, "Municipal Decision-Making and the Open Meeting Requirement,"The Digest of Municipal & Planning Law (2d), September 2007.

Related Publications

Article

Ontario Approves Majority of Toronto’s Major Transit Station Areas and Protected Major Transit Station Areas With Amendments

August 20, 2025

Article

Growth Funding Tools: Key Provisions That Toronto Developers, Stakeholders Need to Know

September 29, 2022

Article

Growth Funding Tools: Analyzing Toronto’s Draft Materials

April 25, 2022

Article

City of Toronto Introduces Inclusionary Zoning Framework

November 10, 2021

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December 17, 2025

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September 25, 2025

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New Leadership Appointments at Aird & Berlis

September 01, 2025

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Aird & Berlis Named Top Planning and Development Law Firm in 2024 NRU GTHA Ranking

December 20, 2024

Firm News

Our Municipal & Land Use Planning Group is Number One!

December 18, 2019

Education

  • LLB, University of Windsor, 2008
  • MPA (Hons.), Local Government, University of Western Ontario, 2002
  • BA (Hons.), Urban and Regional Planning, Ryerson University, 2001
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