Articles

About ArticlesLes articles ci-dessous sont publiés par la Section du droit municipal de l'Association du Barreau de l'Ontario. Les membres sont invités à soumettre des articles.  A propos des articles.

Rédacteurs : Aynsley Anderson

Aujourdʼhui
Aujourdʼhui

Closing Remarks from the Outgoing Chair

  • 28 août 2023
  • Christie Gibson, Chair, OBA Municipal Law Section Executive, 2022-2023

As we draw a close on the 2022-2023 term, I write to give you a highlight reel of the work done by your elected Executive over this past year.

Droit municipal, Student Forum

“From Plazas To Parkland” - Ontario’s Bill 23 and the Evolution of Privately Owned Public Spaces

  • 23 juin 2023
  • Alexander J. Suriano, Aird & Berlis LLP

This article provides an overview of the Ontario Planning Act regime respecting privately owned public spaces ("POPS") and how they will be changed upon proclamation of the parkland sections of Bill 23. Although the full scope of the impact of these changes depends on forthcoming regulations, the author anticipates that they will take POPS from being a public realm issue and density bonusing tool to a legislatively-recognized substitute for publicly-owned parkland in Ontario municipalities.

Droit municipal, Student Forum

Site Alteration: Digging into Municipal Authority on Excess Soils

  • 21 avril 2023
  • Matthew Lakatos-Hayward, Goodmans LLP

A summary of Ontario site alteration by-laws, including their breadth and their limitations. The discussion of the limits considers, in particular, the coming into force of Ontario's On-site and Excess Soil Management Regulation (O Reg 406/19).

Droit municipal, Student Forum

Challenging Restrictive Municipal Cannabis Regulation: Whose Jurisdiction is it anyway?

  • 31 mars 2023
  • Michael Polowin and Kelly Duquette, Gowling WLG

The article examines cannabis regulation in Ontario from a federal, provincial and municipal perspective. The authors offer an interpretation of cases on point and limitations on municipal cannabis regulation powers (such as cultivation, production, and retail). This article may be of interest to legal representatives of municipalities and cannabis operators.

Droit municipal, Student Forum

Ontario’s Ombudsman Just Called … What’s Next?

  • 21 février 2023
  • David J. Potts, city solicitor, City of Peterborough

The Ontario Ombudsman’s jurisdiction has included municipalities since 2016. In the intervening years, municipalities have been adjusting to the expanded oversight role of the Ombudsman. This article summarizes key issues for municipalities to consider regarding the Ombudsman, including its jurisdiction and the consideration of guidelines for staff.

Droit municipal, Student Forum

Case Review – The Impact of International Free Trade Agreements on Municipal Procurement

  • 21 février 2023
  • Melanie Benedict, student-at-law, Legal Services, Legislative & Planning Services, Halton Region

In the appealed decision of Thales DIS Canada Inc v Ontario, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice held that provincial procurement processes must conform to Canada’s obligations pursuant to international free trade agreements, such as CETA, in order to be considered reasonable. The factors contributing to reasonable procurement decisions are relevant to municipalities, who may wish to watch for the Court of Appeal’s findings on that question and any finding on bid dispute mechanisms.

Droit municipal, Student Forum

OLT Clarifies When an Application is “Made”, “Received” and “Complete”: Burlington 2020 Lakeshore Inc. v Burlington (City)

  • 30 janvier 2023
  • Rachel McVean, solicitor, Legal Services Division, Corporate Services Department, City of Hamilton

When is an application made? In this Burlington case, the OLT held that it was not "made" until all materials required by the City were filed. Before then, the application was "neither complete, made, nor received." The Tribunal considered Planning Act s. 22.1, which references receipt of materials required by ss. 22(4) and (5). This decision may be of assistance in calculating the new application fee refund periods (ss. 34(11) and s. 41(12)).

Droit municipal, Student Forum
Map of Ontario with diagonal line just south of North Bay, indicating 'Yes' above the line and 'No' below the line vis a vis question posed in title

Can I Cut Down My Own Christmas Tree?

  • 10 janvier 2023
  • Sarah Hahn, Barriston LLP

An overview of the rules applicable to cutting trees in Ontario year-round, which may be particularly relevant during the holiday season, when clients may be considering cutting down their own Christmas tree.

Droit municipal, Student Forum

Strong Mayors: Shifting the Municipal Governance Model

  • 15 novembre 2022
  • John Mascarin and Jennifer Bilas, articling student, Aird & Berlis

A comparison of the "strong mayor" system to the "weak mayor" system, providing an overview of the changes introduced by the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022. Topics discussed include how the system will apply in Toronto and Ottawa, potential application to other municipalities, strong mayor powers such as budget, hiring and veto powers, council override powers, immunity, and delegation. The authors also consider whether or not this system can deliver on the Province's intended goals.

Droit municipal, Student Forum