The Ontario Government has passed legislation to streamline the planning and development process, standardizing official plans, further reducing the scope of site plan control, and refining the encumbered parkland dedication framework, among other things.
On June 2, 2026, Bill 98, the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, 2026 received Royal Assent.
Bill 98 introduces various amendments across a range of statutes aimed at tackling red tape, reducing costs, and streamlining approvals.
As it relates to planning and development, Bill 98 introduced certain notable amendments to the Planning Act, the Development Charges Act, 1997, and other statutes.
Some of these changes include:
- Introducing a standardized template for official plans across the Province;
- Reducing the scope of site plan control to exclude construction standards for environmental protection and conservation and certain elements related to sustainable design;
- Expanding upon the framework for encumbered parkland dedication that was previously introduced through Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022; and
- Exempting non-profit retirement home developments from development charges.
While many of the Bill 98 amendments are presently in force, certain key amendments (including those related to standardizing official plans and encumbered parkland dedication) will come into force on a date yet to be determined.
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