RESOURCE CENTRE

Planning Policies and Legislation

• The Provincial Policy Statement
• The Planning Act
• The Clean Water Act
• The Great Lakes Protection Act
• The Greenbelt Act
• The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act
• The Places to Grow Act
• The Environmental Assessment Act
• The Environmental Protection Act
• The Nutrient Management Act
• The Ontario Water Resources Act

Neighbourhood Associations & Activities

• The Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act has been proclaimed as of October 19, 2021. All residents associations should review their constitutions and by-laws to determine compliance with the new act and any changes that may be necessary.
  • Understand the Law – Non-Profit Law Ontario
  • Getting Ready for the Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) – Carters Barristers & Solicitors
• Shape the future of your neighbourhood (PDF) – Kitchener’s Neighbourhood Action Plan Guide. In 2015, the City brought together a project team of residents from across the city to develop #lovemyhood – Kitchener’s first ever Neighbourhood Strategy. #lovemyhood aims to build on the great things already happening in Kitchener’s neighbourhoods by giving residents tools, programs and resources to affect positive change in neighbourhoods. One of the key deliverables from the project was to develop a framework to help residents create Neighbourhood Action Plans.
• Urban planning – Guidelines and recommendations for Applicants or Opponents for minor variances/severances – Guildwood Village Community Association (May 2018, PDF)
• A Brief Guide to Organizing a Candidates Debate by Judith Shane, Hampton Iona Community Group (March 2018, PDF)
• Smart Growth Toolkit – This report suggests opportunities and tools for public engagement in the planning process. It is the outcome of a workshop session with ratepayers groups, NGOs, and municipal leaders.
• Creating the Change We Want: A Guide for Building Neighbourhood Capacity
  This publication produced by the City of Ottawa contains information that neighbourhood associations may find helpful.
• Recruiting and renewing memberships
  Terry West, President of the Don Mills Residents Inc. in Toronto discusses how they have built their 1200 member association.
• A successful fund-raiser 
  Janice Brown, past President of Durand Neighbourhood Association Inc. in Hamilton describes the Grand Durand Garden Tour.
• How to form Community Associations 
  suggestions by Susan Bentley, former Secretary, F.U.N.
• Municipal Ratepayer’s Guide  
  A guide to assist local taxpayers by equipping them with the necessary steps for developing an organization capable of taking on city hall and doing at the local level what the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) does at the provincial and federal levels.
• F.U.N. 2011 Survey Report 
  A report on the results of our survey of the most important issues for Ontario residents associations.
• You and the OMB
  Tips on appearing before the OMB by William Roberts, OMB lawyer

Provincial and Federal Advocacy

• Transport Action Canada

Preservation and Historical Resources

• Ontario Heritage Trust
• Ontario Heritage Trust – Places of Worship Inventory
• Heritage Conservation Districts
• Ontario Bill 108 – Text of Bill and supporting info
• Province moves forward with implementation of Ontario Heritage Act amendments (Cassels – insight on Bill 108

Urban Planning Resources

• The Downside to Life in a Supertall Tower: Leaks, Creaks, Breaks (New York Times, Feb. 3, 2021)
• Five Good Ideas to Build a City – In this Five Good Ideas session, Mary W. Rowe, President & CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute, and the host of CityTalkCanada, presented her five good ideas for the non-profit sector to build a city, now and in the wake of a global pandemic. (video, Dec. 3, 2020)
• Fixing the five i’s of urban planning failure – by Tobi Nussbaum, Miranda Spessot, Policy Options, Nov. 8, 2017
• Problems and Solutions – Moving Forward Transportation Forum – Metrolinx (PDF, May 11, 2012)
• Advancing the Agenda – Moving Forward Transportation Forum – Toronto Board of Trade (PDF, May 11, 2012)
• Exploring Transportation Funding Solutions for the GTA – Matti Siemiatycki, Geography and Planning, University of Toronto (PDF, May 11, 2012)

Environmental/Climate Change Resources

• Protecting Lake Simcoe
• Lake Simcoe Protection Plan
• Greenbelt Plan (2017)

Taxation Issues

• No good reason not to raise rates on vacant homes: Professor on foreign homebuyer tax – Bloomberg interviews Thomas Davidoff, from UBC’s Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate, discussing Ottawa’s proposal to impose a federal vacant home tax.
• City Council approves an implementation plan for a tax on vacant homes in Toronto
• City mulling tax on vacant homes (CBC – Ottawa, Dec. 12, 2020)
• How the Speculation and Vacancy Tax Works (BC government)
• Vacancy taxes won’t solve Canada’s housing problems, but they can make a real difference (Globe & Mail, Dec. 8, 2020)

Transportation

• Transportation Action – Annual General Meeting, October 24, 2020
• Connecting the North: A Draft Transportation Plan for Northern Ontario
• Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) transportation plan
• Connecting the Southwest: A Draft Transportation Plan for Southwestern Ontario

Governance and Accountability

• Ontario Municipal Conflict of Interest Act