Provincial Planning Matters

April 6, 2023: The Province of Ontario introduced the proposed Provincial Planning Statement, 2023. The commenting deadline on the proposed PPS is August 4, 2023. The proposed Provincial Planning Statement represents a consolidation of the existing Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 and Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Growth Plan), 2019 and includes numerous changes impacting how municipalities can plan for future growth.

June 13, 2023: Staff Report PED23145 – Containing staff-level responses to the proposed Provincial Planning Statement. Staff are not supportive of the changes which allow for more flexibility in planning for growth and are expected to result in unintended consequences and greater uncertainty. 

June 16, 2023: The Province of Ontario released natural heritage policies for the proposed Provincial Planning Statement. The natural heritage policies were excluded from the initial release of the proposed document as the policies were still under consideration by the Province.

April 10, 2024: The Province of Ontario released an updated version of the proposed Provincial Planning Statement, 2024. The proposed Provincial Planning Statement represents a consolidation of the existing Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 and Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Growth Plan), 2019 and includes select changes from the draft released in 2023 in an effort to address some of the comments received on the previous draft.

If approved, all municipal decisions on planning matters would need to be consistent with the new Provincial Planning Statement pursuant to the Planning Act.

The commenting deadline for the updated proposed Provincial Planning Statement is May 12, 2024. A report containing staff-level responses to the proposed Provincial Planning Statement will be released in May 2024.

Do you have comments on the proposed Provincial Planning Statement and the City of Hamilton’s response to these changes? Send your comments to [email protected].

The Province of Ontario introduced Bill 185, the proposed Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024. Bill 185 is currently in its first reading and the commenting deadline is May 10, 2024. The proposed amendments to the Municipal Act, the Planning Act and the Development Charges Act make various procedural changes which are intended to increase land use permissions and reduce barriers to facilitate the creation of more residential units.

Bill 185 Communication Update(PDF, 219.78 KB) - containing a staff summary of the changes proposed through Bill 185.

A report containing staff-level responses Bill 185 will be released in May 2024.

October 23, 2023: The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced its intention to reverse Provincial modifications made to Official Plans and Official Plan Amendments approved by various municipalities in 2022 and 2023 through legislation. This includes Provincial modifications made to Urban Hamilton Official Plan Amendment 167 and Rural Hamilton Official Plan Amendment 34 to, among other things, expand Hamilton’s urban boundary.

November 2, 2023: A letter was received from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing clarifying matters related to the announced Provincial decisions on Municipal Official Plans and Official Plan Amendments.

November 14, 2023: Staff Report PED23252 – Containing staff’s recommended response to the announcement and November 2, 2023, letter received from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing related to Provincial decisions on Municipal Official Plans and Official Plan Amendments. On November 22, 2023, Hamilton City Council unanimously endorsed the recommendations contained in the report attached, including that “Council reconfirm its position on Urban Hamilton Official Plan Amendment 167 and Rural Hamilton Official Plan Amendment 34, as adopted by Council on June 8, 2022”.

November 16, 2023: The Province of Ontario introduced Bill 150, the Planning Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023 which was posted on the Environmental Registry of Ontario website (ERO Posting) for public comment. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing also submitted a letter to municipalities requesting feedback on the legislation. The legislation impacts Rural Hamilton Official Plan Amendment 34 and Urban Hamilton Official Plan Amendment 167 which accommodates population and job growth to the year 2051. The effect of this legislation is that all but three of the provincial modifications made on November 4, 2022, are deemed never to have been made, restoring the no urban boundary expansion growth strategy approved by City Council in June 2022.  

December 5, 2023: Staff Report PED23261 – Containing staff recommended response to Bill 150 which was intended to be reviewed together with the City’s comments contained in Report PED23252.  On December 13, 2023, City Council approved the recommendations contained in staff report PED23261.

December 6, 2023: Bill 150, the Planning Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023 received royal assent enacting the Official Plan Adjustments Act, 2023.

View Bill 150 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for additional information

On December 16, 2022, the Government of Ontario removed 795 hectares of land from the Greenbelt within the City of Hamilton. For a better illustration of the size of the land removed, 795 hectares is a little larger than the size of two Binbrooks. Council approved a motion on February 8, 2023 that the City of Hamilton opposed the removal of these lands from the Greenbelt Plan Area. Though the City remains opposed to Greenbelt land removal, the Government of Ontario’s decision is in effect and the lands are no longer within the Greenbelt Plan Area.

Learn more about Provincial Amendments to the Greenbelt Plan

April 6, 2023: The Province of Ontario introduced Bill 97, the proposed Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023. Bill 97 received Royal Asset on June 8, 2023 but has not yet been proclaimed. The proposed amendments to the Planning Act will increase the powers of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, amend the definition of employment and make other procedural changes.  

June 13, 2023: Staff Report PED23145 – Containing staff-level responses to Bill 97.

Do you have comments on Bill 97 and the City of Hamilton’s response to these changes? Send your comments to [email protected].

October 25, 2022: The Province of Ontario introduced Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022. Bill 23 received Royal Asset on November 28, 2022 and amended the Planning Act to change how municipalities consider and process development applications.  

November 29, 2022: Staff Report PED22207 – Containing staff-level responses to Bill 23.  Staff were not supportive of the proposed changes as they do not address the goals of increasing housing supply and affordability, raise concerns respecting the loss of environmental protections, heritage conservation and good urban design, and have severe financial implications for the City.

February 14, 2023: Staff Report PED23043 – Containing staff’s implementation of the legislative changes to Section 41 of the Planning Act by amending the City’s Site Plan Control By-law.

February 14, 2023: Staff Report PED23045 – Containing staff’s review and recommendations to address potential implications of removing the requirement for site plan control for residential developments of 10 units or less.

February 8, 2022: The Province received and released a report from the Housing Affordability Task Force, which included 58 recommendations intended to increase the supply of market housing.

March 22, 2022: Staff Report PED22071 - Containing staff-level responses to the Housing Affordability Task Force recommendations, identifying where clarity was needed, potential implications, and gaps of information.

March 30, 2022: The Province announced the More Homes for Everyone Plan, and introduced Bill 109, More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022. Bill 109, the More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022 received Royal Assent on April 14, 2022. Subsection 41(4.0.1) of the Planning Act, as amended, requires that municipal councils appoint an officer, employee or agent of the municipality to make decisions on site plan control applications for all site plan control applications received on or after July 1, 2022.

April 8, 2022: Staff Report PED22112 - City of Hamilton's Response to the Provincial Bill 109, More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022

June 14, 2022: Staff Report PED22112(a) - City of Hamilton's Response to Provincial Bill 109 - Implementation of Legislative Changes to Site Plan Approval

July 5, 2022: Staff Report PED22112(b) - Draft Amendments to the Urban Hamilton Official Plan and Rural Hamilton Official Plan to Implement Bill 13 and Bill 109

October 7, 2021: The Province of Ontario introduced Bill 13, the proposed Supporting People and Businesses Act, 2021. Bill 13 received Royal Assent on December 2, 2021 and amended the Planning Act to allow councils to delegate the authority to pass by-laws that are of a minor nature to a committee of council or staff. This could include decisions for temporary use by-laws, the lifting of holding provisions and other minor zoning by-law amendments.

November 24, 2021: Staff Report PED21220 - Containing staff-level responses to the Bill 13. Staff supported proposed changes as they would provide flexibility and reduce application processing timeframes for by-laws considered minor in nature.

July 5, 2022: Staff Report PED22112(b) - Draft Amendments to the Urban Hamilton Official Plan and Rural Hamilton Official Plan to Implement Bill 13 and Bill 109.

November 2019: The Provincial Growth Plan, 2019 introduced a new policy (2.2.8.5) which permits an urban boundary expansion to occur outside of the Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) process, subject to satisfying certain criteria. These urban boundary expansion requests can be initiated by private applicants, but they cannot exceed an area of 40 ha. 

• To assist in the review of urban boundary expansion requests outside of the MCR process, an evaluation tool has been created which will assist staff with evaluating requests as they are received. The evaluation tool is based on the criteria identified in the Growth Plan.

October 1, 2019: At Planning Committee, the City considered proposed changes to the Provincial Policy Statement(PPS):

• Staff Report PED19188 - Provincial Policy Statement Review – City of Hamilton Comments
  • Appendix A - Summary of Proposed PPS Policy Changes
  • Appendix B - Additional Policy Changes Proposed by Staff
• Staff Presentation

February 19, 2019: At Planning Committee, the City considered Proposed Changes to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Amendment No. 1 and Provincially Significant Employment Zones)

• Staff Report PED19033 - Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe – Amendment No. 1 and Provincially Significant Employment Zones
  • Appendix A - Employment Areas policy changes
  • Appendix B - Settlement Area Boundary Expansion policy changes
  • Appendix C - Built-up Area policy changes
  • Appendix D - Designated Greenfield Area policy changes
  • Appendix E - Transit Corridors and Station Areas policy changes
  • Appendix F - Housing policy changes
  • Appendix G - Rural Areas policy changes
  • Appendix H - Infrastructure, Protecting what is Valuable and Implementation policy changes
  • Appendix I - Definitions changes
  • Appendix J - Summary of comments made previously by City of Hamilton regarding provincial plans
• Staff Presentation

February 5, 2019: At Planning Committee, the City considered Bill 66 - Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act, 2018 (Schedule 10).

• Staff Report PED19027 - Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act, 2018 (Schedule 10)
  • Appendix A - Comments on ERO Posting #013-4293 "Bill 66, Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act, 2018"
  • Appendix B - Comments on ERO Posting #013-4125 "Proposed open-for-business planning tool" and ERO Posting #013-4239 "New Regulation under the Planning Act for open-for-business tool"
• Staff Presentation

January 31, 2017: The Province released, for public comment, proposed minor changes to the Greenbelt Plan boundaries only.

• These modifications do not affect the City of Hamilton, as noted in the Staff Report PED15078(c).

May 2016: The Province released proposed changes to the Growth Plan, the Greenbelt Plan and the Niagara Escarpment Plan (NEP) as part of its Co-ordinated Provincial Plan Review.

September 2016: The City of Hamilton provided comments on the proposed changes through Staff Report PED15078(b).

February 27, 2015: The Province of Ontario initiated the coordinated review of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Greenbelt Plan, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Niagara Escarpment Plan.

June 2015: Following public consultation, the City of Hamilton provided comments to the Province through Staff Report PED15078

December 2015: The City of Hamilton provided additional comments on Greenbelt Boundary revisions, following additional public consultation, through Staff Report PED15078(a).