New OLT Rules Now Effective for Expropriation Proceedings
On Friday, October 13, 2023, revisions to Part II of the Ontario Land Tribunal’s (the “Tribunal”) Rules of Practice and Procedure (the “Rules”) became effective; however, we are cautiously optimistic that the only unlucky thing
Not Your Grandfather’s Neighborhood – City of Toronto Proposes Allowing Townhomes and Small-Scale Apartment Buildings along Major Streets in Neighborhoods
On September 28th the City of Toronto (the “City”) Planning and Housing Committee (the “Committee”) received a draft proposal for updates to the City’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law, to allow small-scale apartment buildings (“SSABs”)
Returning to Basics Planning by Numbers v. The Intangibles of ‘Neighbourhood Character’
“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” – Albert Einstein Is planning a numbers game? Or is it context sensitive? A recent case from the Toronto Local
No Walk in the Park: Adverse Possession of Municipal Parkland
The Court of Appeal recently determined, in Kosicki v. Toronto (City), that one can acquire title over municipal parkland through adverse possession only if the municipality has waived its rights over the property, or acknowledged or
Court Rules a Thumbs Up Emoji is an Electronic Signature
In the recent decision of South West Terminal Ltd v Achter Land and Cattle Ltd, the King’s Bench of Saskatchewan accepted the thumbs up emoji 👍 as an electronic signature and represented the acceptance of
What’s Old is New Again: Natural Heritage Policies Released for the Provincial Planning Statement, 2023
On June 16th, 2023, the Province published an updated version of the Provincial Planning Statement, 2023 (the “PPS 2023”) to the Environmental Registry of Ontario which now includes natural heritage policies and related definitions. Overall,
Saying Goodbye to Peel Region: Hazel McCallion Act Introduced
On May 18th, 2023 the Ontario government introduced Bill 112, the Hazel McCallion Act (Peel Dissolution), 2023. If proclaimed into law, the Act would dissolve Peel Region on January 1, 2025. Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon
Sometimes, Less is More (Homes) – Proposed Integration of the Provincial Policy Statement and the Growth Plan
On April 6, 2023, the Province published a proposal on the Environmental Registry of Ontario seeking input on the creation of an integrated Province-wide land use planning policy document, the Provincial Planning Statement (the “New