Share your vision for the future of Orillia

Official Plan Review and Update visioning workshop takes place Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.

For immediate release (Oct. 25, 2023) – Orillia is undertaking a comprehensive review and update of its Official Plan and is asking residents to share their vision for the future of Orillia by attending a visioning workshop on Nov. 21 or through an online survey.

“The input received from residents will be invaluable as we look to update our Official Plan. This is your community; this is your future and we want to hear how citizens envision Orillia over the next 10-to-30 years. We encourage Orillians to attend the Official Plan visioning workshop or to provide their input regarding the future of growth in Orillia through the online survey,” said Mayor Don McIsaac.

An Official Plan is a long-term policy document that guides land-use planning decisions in the City.

The purpose of this workshop and survey is to understand the community’s vision for the future of Orillia. Key themes of the Official Plan Review and Update include growth management and land use, housing, climate action, transportation, infrastructure, community services, and protecting the natural areas.

In-Person Visioning Session:

Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023
7 to 9 p.m.
Best Western Plus Mariposa Inn, Hermitage Room
400 Memorial Ave., Orillia

Online Survey:

For anyone who can’t attend the in-person visioning workshop, an online survey is available at orillia.ca/officialplan until Nov. 30, 2023. If you require an alternative format of the survey, please contact planning@orillia.ca or 705-325-2622.

“The development of the Official Plan will have long-term implications for Orillia’s sustainability, growth, and development as it lays out the way lands can be used in the future. We want to ensure the Official Plan is designed with the best interests of the community in mind and is responsive to the needs, preferences, and challenges specific to Orillia,” said Ian Sugden, General Manager of Development Services and Engineering. “Residents have an opportunity through the visioning workshop and survey to ensure their voices are heard and they are encouraged to participate to help plan Orillia’s future.”

The comprehensive Official Plan Review is focused on lands located within the City’s existing municipal boundaries. Although the City is planning for growth over the next 30 years and is also in the process of studying a potential future Settlement Area Boundary Expansion, this Official Plan Review process will only involve the development of planning policies for lands currently located within the City’s existing limits. Decisions made with respect to municipal boundary adjustments are separately made through a process governed by the Municipal Restructuring process, regulated by the Municipal Act.

The Official Plan Review is a multi-year planning process and will follow four distinct stages. At each stage in the process, the public and Council will be involved. All input and ideas provided by the community will inform the Official Plan Review.  It is expected to take two years to develop the City’s new Official Plan. Once the new Official Plan has been adopted by Council, then the Province of Ontario must review and approve the new plan.

For more information about the Official Plan Review process or to sign up for updates, visit orillia.ca/officialplan.

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Contact Information

Jill Lewis
Senior Planner
705-418-3232
jlewis@orillia.ca

Melissa Gowanlock
Manager of Communications
705-330-1951 (cell)
magowanlock@orillia.ca