Municipal Comprehensive Review

A Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) is a long-range land use planning process.  It is the technical process which the City will use to inform and update a new Official Plan and apply the policies of the province's Growth Plan.  The MCR is made up of a number of required technical studies.  Through the MCR, the City will plan for where and how to accommodate the population and employment growth that is forecasted for the City of Orillia up to the year 2051.

The Province introduced the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe in 2006, which has since been amended several times with the most recent amendment occurring on August 28, 2020.  The Growth Plan is a regional growth management policy for Southern Ontario.  It provides the Province's vision for building complete communities that makes optimal use of infrastructure.  The City of Orillia is identified as a Primary Settlement Area in the Growth Plan, which is to be the focus of growth and development.  The City of Orillia and some of our neighbours (County of Simcoe and City of Barrie) are located in the outer ring of the GGH.

The Growth Plan sets growth targets and puts policies in place for all municipalities in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) and we are required to bring our City Official Plan into conformity with the Growth Plan by July 1, 2022.  There is a detailed process and methodology that municipalities within the GGH must follow to complete the MCR and it culminates in an updated City Official Plan.

If you would like to learn more about the Province's A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe:

• You can view the Growth Plan document that was most recently consolidated in 2020.
• You can find more information about growth planning in Ontario at this link. 

The current Growth Plan establishes minimum population and employment growth forecasts to the year 2051.  These forecasts help to determine if the City of Orillia has sufficient land to accommodate the type of growth that is expected to occur and if the current boundary for our settlement area will allow the City to grow.  The forecasts outlined in the Growth Plan are the minimum numbers distributed to each municipality.  However, it is possible that higher forecasts will be established through the required needs assessment in the MCR process.

The City of Orillia, at a minimum, will need to plan to accommodate 49,000 people and 26,000 jobs by the year 2051. 

The Growth Plan policies are implemented through the City's Official Plan.  The City's Official Plan is a high-level policy document that contains the City's vision for future growth; it guides the short and long-term physical development of all lands within the City.  It directs orderly growth and compatibility among the many different uses of land within the municipality.  It ensures growth is coordinated and meets the needs of the City.  It also guides decisions we make about things like building vibrant and complete communities, environmental responsibility, protecting our resources, transportation and trails, infrastructure and design guidelines.  We can use growth projections in our Official Plan to determine where it will go, how it should look, and how long it will take.  You can use this link to view the current City of Orillia Official Plan.

The results of the MCR will be implemented through a new City Official Plan so that our Plan is in conformity will all provincial planning policies.  The new Official Plan will first be adopted by City Council and then approved by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

A Land Needs Assessment is a foundational study in the MCR process.  A Land Needs Assessment (LNA) is undertaken to determine how, or if, a municipality can accommodate it's forecasted employment and population growth to the year 2051.

In 2018, the City of Orillia retained Hemson Consulting Ltd. to prepare the City's LNA, an Employment Strategy and an Intensification Strategy, which are foundational components to the MCR.  As a result of provincial updates and an amendment to the Growth Plan, which affected the planning horizon and growth forecasts, work was temporarily suspended on the MCR and resumed in 2020.  In December 2020, the final LNA was completed by Hemson Consulting Ltd.

The LNA is required to be prepared in accordance with the Provincial Land Needs Assessment methodology which was amended by the Province on August 28, 2020.  It requires a more "market-based" approach to evaluating a municipality's land needs.  The LNA addresses the land need for both Community Area and Employment Area, meaning that the assessment concludes how much land is available for housing and how much land is available for jobs.  The LNA revealed a deficiency in land within the City's current municipal boundary and concluded that the City's current land supply for housing will be exhausted by the early 2030s.

Using historic (low) growth rates, Hemson Consulting Ltd. concluded that the City will require a total of 176.5 hectares (436.1 acres) of additional land.  This would be comprised of 56.5 hectares (139.6 acres) for Employment Area and 120 hectares (296.5 acres) for Community Area.

Any expansion of the City's current municipal boundary will require an annexation from abutting municipalities.  Due to the complexity and lengthy process of an annexation, Hemson Consulting Ltd. examined a "high growth" scenario, planning for a population of approximately 59,000 and employment of 30,500 jobs, a total of 380.6 hectares (940.5 acres) is anticipated to be required.  This would be comprised of 257 hectares (635.1 acres) for Community Area and 123.6 hectares (305.4 acres) for Employment Area.

The following link can be used to access the final Land Needs Assessment report dated December 22, 2020, prepared by Hemson Consulting Ltd. as well as the coinciding City of Orillia staff report, dated March 22, 2021.

March 22, 2021 Agenda (see page 101)

At its meeting on April 25, 2022, Council directed that Hemson Consulting Ltd. update the Land Needs Assessment to reflect the changes to the City that have occurred over the last two years and to determine the City’s additional land needs if higher intensification rates and greenfield densities were to be pursued in the next Official Plan. Once the City’s Land Needs Assessment has been updated, it will be posted on this webpage. 

A Settlement Area Boundary is the boundary that encompasses the limits of an urban area.  These areas are where growth is directed to occur and are the built-up areas where development is concentrated.  As a single-tier municipality, the settlement area boundary for the City aligns with the boundary for the City limits.

Where it is expected that more urban land is needed to accommodate the growth forecasts for a particular municipality, a municipality will have to undertake a Settlement Area Boundary Expansion.  Generally, Settlement Area Boundary Expansions may only occur through a MCR and the Growth Plan indicates a specific set of supporting technical studies that must accompany the final growth option and a request for a Settlement Area Boundary Expansion.  Since the City's LNA has determined that the existing municipal boundaries do not have enough land to accommodate the City's growth forecast to 2051, a Settlement Area Boundary Expansion, by way of an annexation, is needed to plan for the City's anticipated growth.

Since the City is considering a Settlement Area Boundary Expansion to accommodate our community and employment land needs, a Technical Land Evaluation is required to comprehensively consider suitable growth scenarios before proposing a final growth option through the MCR.  The City has retained WSP to complete the Technical Land Evaluation component of the MCR.  

The Technical Land Evaluation will be completed in three phases, and we are currently in the process of completing Phase 2.

Phase 1 establishes the background information needed to inform the technical analysis and will result in a focused study area. This study area will identify lands abutting the City's boundaries and specific lands for further evaluation as candidate areas for an expansion.

Phase 2 involves preparing the technical evaluation reports to further assess the identified growth scenarios.  The technical report will address the technical feasibility requirements outlined in the Growth Plan and includes an analysis of:

• Municipal Servicing Capacity
• Water Resource Evaluation
• Natural Heritage System Assessment
• Agricultural Impact Assessment
• Community Connectivity Review
• Fiscal Analysis 
• Fire & Emergency Services Assessment
• Policy Conformity Exercise

Phase 3 will use the findings from the technical analysis to identify a final growth option and draft Settlement Area Boundary Expansion lands for consideration.  Supporting reports and justification will be prepared during Phase 3 which will be used to inform the City's Official Plan update and a recommended boundary expansion for consideration and approval by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Here you will find reports, presentations, and project information for the Technical Land Evaluation as they become available.

October 22, 2021 Special Council Meeting

Agenda (see page 67)

Video  

Kick-off Virtual Public Open House Presentation of Technical Evaluation for Settlement Area Boundary Expansion - December 1, 2021

Here you will find updates on our next steps as we explore increased intensification and greenfield density options for residential development and how that could impact the amount of additional land needed to accommodate future growth.  As we work through the MCR process and towards creating a new Official Plan, a final growth option will be accompanied by a supporting Planning Justification Report. The MCR also requires an Intensification Strategy and Employment Strategy. These policy matters will result in a review and update of the City's Official Plan.

As part of the City’s MCR planning process, there are various technical studies underway to inform the new Official Plan:

1. WSP Canada Inc. (WSP) is completing the Technical Land Evaluation to determine the best location for a future boundary expansion from a planning perspective to accommodate the City’s growth needs for the next 30 years.
2. Hemson Consulting Ltd. (Hemson) is completing an update to the Land Needs Assessment and is evaluating the impact on the size of a future boundary expansion based on investigating a range of various intensification and greenfield density targets.

WSP is currently completing Phase 2 of their three-phase project. WSP and City staff are currently reviewing the following technical reports to evaluate the best lands from a planning perspective for a future settlement area boundary expansion with respect to:

1. Municipal Servicing Review
2. Agricultural Impact Assessment
3. Water Resource Evaluation
4. Natural Heritage System Assessment
5. Policy Conformity Exercise
6. Community Connectivity Review
7. Fiscal Analysis
8. Fire & Emergency Services Assessment.

City staff is currently working with Hemson to review a range of intensification and density targets for residential development, as well as evaluating the updated land needs for employment (i.e. manufacturing, offices, etc.), recreation (i.e. baseball diamonds, etc.), education (i.e. future school sites), and health (i.e. hospital). These land needs will factor into the updated Land Needs Assessment, which will be completed by Hemson once Council makes a decision on which intensification and density target for residential development that they wish to pursue.  

Please check back for opportunities to review and provide comments on upcoming technical reports and recommendations.

What is the Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) process and why is it necessary?

A Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) is a long-range land use planning process. As part of the Province of Ontario’s Growth Plan, all upper- and single-tier municipalities that are governed by the Growth Plan are required to bring their Official Plans into conformity with the policies and schedules of the Growth Plan. As a single-tier municipality in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH), the City of Orillia is provincially mandated to complete this process.

The Province’s Growth Plan identifies minimum intensification and density targets for urban areas and assigns population and employment forecasts to each municipality in the GGH. The Provincial Growth Plan identifies Orillia as a location to focus new growth within the Province as Orillia is a fully serviced municipality that can accommodate new growth in a compact built form and more efficiently utilize the City’s municipal services, which in turn minimizes the impacts of urban sprawl. As a result of Orillia being designated as a Primary Settlement Area, the City will, at a minimum, need to plan to accommodate 49,000 people and 26,000 jobs by the year 2051.

The MCR process will help Orillia decide how we will manage our expected growth and meet those targets.

What actions is Orillia undertaking as part of the MCR process?

In 2020, the City of Orillia completed a Land Needs Assessment to determine how, or if, Orillia could accommodate its forecasted employment and population growth to the year 2051. The 2020 Land Needs Assessment determined that the City does not have sufficient land for growth within its existing boundaries, based on an intensification target of approximately 50 per cent.

Following the 2020 Land Needs Assessment, Orillia began to explore options for meeting the provincially mandated growth targets through a potential settlement area boundary expansion to accommodate community and employment land needs to the year 2051.

In 2021, the City of Orillia began a three-phase Technical Land Evaluation, which is required to comprehensively consider suitable growth scenarios and will provide recommendations for potential boundary expansion options.

On April 25, 2022, Orillia Council directed staff to update the 2020 Land Needs Assessment to contemplate higher minimum intensification and designated greenfield density targets for residential development to be considered with the boundary expansion recommendations. 

What is included in the Technical Land Evaluation process?

The Technical Land Evaluation is a three-phase process. The City of Orillia engaged a consultant, WSP, to complete the three phases.

Phase One established the background information needed to inform the technical analysis and identified a study area including lands abutting the City’s boundaries as candidate areas for possible boundary expansion.

Phase Two (the current phase as of April 27, 2022) involves preparing the Technical Land Evaluation reports to further assess the identified growth scenarios. The report will address the technical feasibility requirements outlined in the Growth Plan.

Phase Three will use the findings from the technical analysis to identify a final growth option based on a Planning Justification Report and draft Settlement Area Boundary Expansion lands for Council’s consideration.

What is included in the updated Land Needs Assessment/Intensification and Greenfield Density Review process?

As part of the Land Needs Assessment update, the City project team will work with its consultant, Hemson Consulting Ltd., to consider higher minimum intensification and greenfield density targets for residential development and their implications, including what minimum building heights would be required, what minimum built form would be required, what neighbourhoods would be affected, and how the additional land would be impacted.

City staff is currently working with Hemson to review a range of intensification and density targets for residential development, as well as evaluating the updated land needs for employment (i.e. manufacturing, offices, etc.), recreation (i.e. baseball diamonds, etc.), education (i.e. future school sites), and health (i.e. hospital). These land needs will factor into the updated Land Needs Assessment, which will be completed by Hemson once Council makes a decision on which intensification and density target for residential development that they wish to pursue.  

I am an Orillia resident – how does this affect me?

The City is exploring options to accommodate Orillia’s future growth targets. As of April 27, 2022, no decisions have been made about the future of Orillia’s boundary. Parallel planning processes are underway to study the impacts of higher intensification and greenfield density targets for residential development within the existing boundary, while we also continue a Technical Land Evaluation to review the lands surrounding the City for a potential future boundary expansion.

As these planning processes continue, opportunities for public consultation will be available for Orillia residents to provide input and feedback on increased intensification and greenfield density residential development options and the preliminary results of the Technical Land Evaluation.

To learn more about the process and to sign up for updates, please visit orillia.ca/MCR.

I am a resident of a surrounding township – how does this affect me?

At this time no decisions have been made by Orillia Council with respect to a boundary expansion. As the City continues with the Technical Land Evaluation, the City is sharing information with the surrounding townships within the focused study area (the Townships of Severn and Oro-Medonte). WSP, the City’s consultant, intends to significantly refine the lands being studied further during this phase of their work to identify the best lands from a planning perspective for a potential future boundary expansion. The original requirement for lands to accommodate the City’s growth was 380 ha., however, the exact amount of land required for a potential boundary expansion is subject to change based on the results of the revised Land Needs Assessment.

Additionally, before any decisions are made by Council in 2023, further public and stakeholder consultation will take place, including opportunities to provide input and feedback on the preliminary results of the Technical Land Evaluation.

What are the next steps of the MCR process?

The process of updating and revising the Land Needs Assessment to consider higher intensification and greenfield density targets for residential development will run parallel with the Technical Land Evaluation process. Due to the complexity of the process, it is anticipated that the updated Land Needs Assessment and its associated intensification recommendations and the recommendations for appropriate lands for a potential boundary expansion will be presented at a Public Open House in summer 2023 and brought to Council for consideration in fall 2023/winter 2024 (see the revised timeline).

What opportunities are there for public consultation?

Before any decisions will be made by Council, further public and stakeholder consultation will take place, including opportunities to provide input and feedback on increased intensification and greenfield density residential development options and the preliminary results of the Technical Land Evaluation.

Stay up to date on the MCR process, including public input opportunities, by signing up for the email mailing list at orillia.ca/MCR.

The City of Orillia is required to plan for sufficient land to accommodate a future population of 49,000 people and 26,000 jobs to the year 2051. This requirement comes from the Province of Ontario. All municipalities in Ontario are creatures of the Province.  The City of Orillia is required to bring its Official Plan into conformity with the Province's Growth Plan.

• On April 25, 2022, Orillia Council directed that the City explore the implications of considering pursuing a higher intensification and greenfield density targets in the next Official Plan with an eye towards reducing the amount of additional land required for a future boundary expansion.  Hemson Consulting Ltd. is completing an update to the Land Needs Assessment and is evaluating the impact on the size of a future boundary expansion based on investigating a range of various intensification and greenfield density targets.

The City is required by the Province to plan for enough land to accommodate 26,000 jobs by the year 2051. It was determined in the City’s December, 2020 Land Needs Assessment that the City has a shortfall of 56.5 hectares of Employment Area land needed to accommodate the provincially required number of jobs for the City of Orillia to the year 2051.  The updated Land Needs Assessment will provide a range of intensification and density targets for residential development.  Once Council selects preferred intensification and density targets, these inputs will inform the updated Land Needs Assessment to determine the final amount of land needed to accommodate the provincially-required Community and Employment land to accommodate growth to the year 2051.

What are my appeal rights associated with this planning process?

There are no formal appeal rights permitted under the Municipal Act on the Planning Act as part of the planning process associated with a settlement boundary expansion to bring the City of Orillia's Official Plan into conformity with the Provincial Growth Plan.

How is this Technical Land Evaluation process for studying a future boundary expansion different from annexation?

The Technical Land Evaluation process for studying a future boundary expansion is a planning process to evaluate and determine the best lands to be included in the City's future municipal boundary from a planning perspective. There are many criteria set out in the Provincial Growth Plan that must be taken into consideration when considering an expansion to a settlement boundary: the lands must be able to be adequately serviced; prime agricultural areas should be avoided and the impact on the agricultural system should be minimized; water quality and quantity should be protected; the lands must be in compliance with all provincial plans and policies; and the lands should be contiguous and connected to the City's existing boundary.

The City has retained the consulting services of WSP to conduct this planning analysis and by summer of 2023 they will present a Planning Justification Report to the City recommending the best lands (based on the planning criteria previously identified) to be incorporated into the City through a potential future boundary expansion.

If Council chooses to pursue a future boundary expansion, then the City will need to embark on a negotiation process with the affected townships and the County of Simcoe to discuss the annexation process, which is regulated by the Ontario Municipal Act. Through this process it is very important to come up with a local agreement between the City and the affected townships/County. This future annexation process would include negotiations about taxes, compensation for loss of assessment, impact on existing roads and services and other impacts to the affected townships. 

The Municipal Act requires that Public Meetings be held for all affected municipalities and that a majority of support be obtained from County Council, City of Orillia Council and township councils. If local agreement and majority support from the affected councils cannot be achieved, then the Province can legislate the annexation.

Why has the timeline for completing the MCR changed?

As a result of City resources required to implement the changes stemming from new provincial legislation (the More Homes for Everyone Act and the More Homes Built Faster Act), along with the City’s 2023 Budget Process and the upcoming Development Charges Study, the timeline for the Municipal Comprehensive Review has been extended to ensure that the City can allocate the appropriate resources required for this significant project.

Here you will find information about upcoming reports, meetings and public consultation opportunities related to the Municipal Comprehensive Review.

December 16, 2022 - Council Information Package

April 27, 2022 - News Release - Orillia to explore higher intensification for residential development

Timeline of Next Steps in Orillia Municipal Comprehensive Review Process

Notice of Virtual Kick-Off Public Open House December 1, 2021

News Release re. Virtual Kick-Off Public Open House