Bill 39 explained in plain English
Planning Statute Law Amendment Act, 2014
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 41st Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The Planning Statute Law Amendment Act, 2014, modifies the City of Toronto Act and the Planning Act to update land use planning rules, including introducing inclusionary zoning, changing appeal processes, and allowing electronic notice.
Bill 39, the Planning Statute Law Amendment Act, 2014, makes several changes to Ontario's laws concerning land use planning. It amends the City of Toronto Act, 2006, and the Planning Act, along with two associated regulations. Key changes include expanding enforcement options for by-laws related to residential rental properties in Toronto, altering rules for appeals to local planning appeal bodies, and introducing new provisions for inclusionary zoning (requiring a percentage of new housing developments to be affordable). The bill also modifies processes for official plan and zoning by-law amendments, including extending processing times and clarifying appeal procedures. Electronic notice is now permitted where notice is required. The Act comes into force six months after receiving Royal Assent.
- Amends the City of Toronto Act, 2006, to provide more options for enforcing by-laws related to the demolition and conversion of residential rental properties.
- Amends the City of Toronto Act, 2006, to prevent appeals regarding fees set for local appeal bodies.
- Amends the City of Toronto Act, 2006, to allow the City to dissolve or change its local appeal body.
- Amends the Planning Act to allow municipalities to require a specified percentage of affordable housing in certain new developments through zoning by-laws.
- Amends the Planning Act to add 'promotion of built form that is well-designed, encourages a sense of place, and provides for high-quality public spaces' to the list of provincial interests.
- Amends the Planning Act to require approval authorities and the Ontario Municipal Board to make decisions consistent with municipal council and approval authority decisions on the same planning matters.
- Amends the Planning Act to expand the Minister's duties regarding policy statements and provincial plans, requiring alignment in their review.
- Amends the Planning Act to prevent appeals regarding fees set for local appeal bodies.
- Amends the Planning Act to extend application processing times for official plan amendments and zoning by-law amendments.
- Amends the Planning Act to allow municipalities to establish value-based formulas for certain by-laws regarding increased density.
- Amends the Planning Act to prevent appeals related to interim control by-laws in the City of Toronto.
- Amends the Planning Act to permit electronic notice where notice is required under the Act.
- Amends the Planning Act to allow municipalities with local appeal bodies to establish tariffs of fees for processing applications and appeals.
- Amends Ontario Regulation 332/12 (Building Code) to include specific sections of the City of Toronto Act and the Planning Act as 'applicable law' for permit issuance.
- Amends Ontario Regulation 552/06 (Appeal Body for Local Land Use Planning Matters) to require rules of practice and procedure to address mandatory mediation.
- Municipal councils and their planning departments
- Developers and builders
- Property owners in Ontario
- The City of Toronto and its planning and enforcement bodies
- The Ontario Municipal Board (now the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal)
- Citizens and residents affected by planning decisions
- The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
- Municipalities have the authority to require inclusionary housing in new developments.
- Developers may be required to enter into agreements regarding affordable housing.
- Municipalities can establish fees for processing minor variance and consent applications.
- Appeals related to fees for local appeal bodies are no longer permitted.
- Decisions made by approval authorities and the Ontario Municipal Board must be consistent with previous municipal decisions on the same planning matters.
- Electronic notice is a valid method for giving notice where required by the Planning Act.
- The Minister must align the review of policy statements with the review of provincial plans.
- The definition of 'affordable housing' is linked to the Provincial Policy Statement.
- The Act comes into force six months after the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Municipalities may establish tariffs of fees for processing minor variance and consent applications, intended to cover anticipated costs.
- The introduction of inclusionary zoning requirements may impact development costs and housing affordability.
- The City of Toronto has expanded enforcement options for by-laws related to the demolition and conversion of residential rental properties.
- Agreements regarding affordable housing can be registered against land and enforced against subsequent owners.
- The specific percentage of affordable housing required under inclusionary zoning by-laws will be determined by each municipality.
- The details of 'minor variance' and 'desirable for the appropriate development or use of the land' will be defined by regulation.
- The bill does not specify the exact amount of fees that can be charged for processing applications by local appeal bodies, only that they should meet anticipated costs.
- The extent to which 'built form' is promoted and its definition may be subject to interpretation.
Expands enforcement options for by-laws concerning demolition and conversion of residential rental properties; prevents appeals on fees for local appeal bodies; allows dissolution or change of the local appeal body.
Source: Sections 111, 115, 145
Authorizes municipalities to require inclusionary housing in new developments; adds 'promotion of built form' to provincial interests; mandates consistency in planning decisions by authorities; expands Minister's duties on policy statements and provincial plans; prevents appeals on local appeal body fees; extends application processing times; permits electronic notice; allows municipalities to set fees for local appeal bodies; defines 'affordable' housing and 'minor variance' and 'desirable' development.
Source: Sections 1, 2, 2.1, 3, 8.1, 16, 17, 22, 26, 34, 37, 37.1, 38, 45, 51, 53, 69.0.1, 70.1
Adds provisions from the City of Toronto Act and the Planning Act to the list of 'applicable law' required before a building official can issue a permit.
Source: Section 23
Requires the appeal body's rules of practice and procedure to include provisions for mandatory mediation.
Source: Section 24
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced