Ramara's Official Plan

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Land use planning affects all aspects of our lives here in Ontario. It helps decide where homes, parks and schools should be located and where roads, sewers and other essential services should be provided. An Official Plan is a policy document that guides short-term and long-term development.

Developing Ramara's Official Plan is a big project, and we will be calling on residents and business owners for input. We will be inviting you to become engaged in the process and to get involved. With your input, we can develop a plan to help achieve the desired future of our community.

Stay tuned for ways that you can Reach Out and join the conversation! In the meantime, consider subscribing to this page to receive email notifications regarding project updates.


Land use planning affects all aspects of our lives here in Ontario. It helps decide where homes, parks and schools should be located and where roads, sewers and other essential services should be provided. An Official Plan is a policy document that guides short-term and long-term development.

Developing Ramara's Official Plan is a big project, and we will be calling on residents and business owners for input. We will be inviting you to become engaged in the process and to get involved. With your input, we can develop a plan to help achieve the desired future of our community.

Stay tuned for ways that you can Reach Out and join the conversation! In the meantime, consider subscribing to this page to receive email notifications regarding project updates.


Official Plan Q&A

Have a question for the Township regarding the Township's Official Plan? Let us know, and we will have a Township staff member respond to your question. Please note that a staff member will answer your question within 2-3 days. 

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    Please tell me where the latest draft of the new OP is located.

    Pam Fulford asked 3 months ago

    The first draft of the new Official Plan is located in the Document Library of this page. The second draft was presented to Council, but is not yet available to the public. The Official Plan update is currently on hold, while the Township reviews the policies regarding development within the Rama Road Corridor. 

    Staff are awaiting a response from the provincial government regarding, potential revisions to the order of occurrence of permitted uses. Once we have received more information from the provincial government, staff will discuss with our planning consultants, regarding the next steps of the Official Plan. After this consultation, the project timeline will be updated, and revised drafts will be made available as soon as possible.

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    In the weeks leading up to the municipal election in the fall of 2018 Ramara Township used tax payer money to hire a consultant to update the Ramara Township Fill bylaw. Ramara Township also used the same consultant to answer a letter that had been delivered to each of the Ramara Township councillors in April, 2018. The letter contained questions related to the extensive practise of large-scale soil dumping in Ramara Township. Will Ramara Township insist on taking their own audit test samples and recoup the test sampling costs based on a charge for each truck load of fill? The Township is expected to retain a Qualified Person, at the applicant’s expense, who will be responsible for certifying the quality of imported fill to provincial standards. (Mr. Dorfman) · Will Ramara Township place a standard on the fill quality and remove the Fill Permit for failed test analysis? In this case, a Site Alteration Permit should not be issued. Unauthorized fill should be ordered by the municipality to be removed. (Mr. Dorfman) · Will Ramara Township require soil be removed for a failed test analysis and designate the volume to be removed in advance of entering into a Site Plan Agreement? In this case, a Site Alteration Permit should not be issued. Unauthorized fill should be ordered by the municipality to be removed. (Mr. Dorfman) Six months after the delivery of the letter these were the responses provided by the consultant hired by Ramara Township to update the Ramara Township Fill bylaw that didn't need the safety measures it contained updated, but just needed the safety measures applied and enforced. When will Ramara Township be adhering to the current Ramara Township Fill bylaw and following the advice of the professional consultant they decided to hire? "Unauthorized fill should be ordered by the municipality to be removed." When will Ramara Township be issuing these orders to have the soil removed that has been dumped at the six known large-scale soil dumping sites in Ramara Township?

    Brechin Brae asked over 1 year ago

    Please be advised that the Fill Bylaw is not an Official Plan update matter and all concerns should be addressed through the Bylaw Enforcement Department if you believe there has been an infraction to the Bylaw.  

    What you are requesting in your post is a Council decision and should be addressed to them.

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    It was my understanding that there would be a 1,000 - metre setback between quarries and shoreline areas/waterfront. This does not seem to be reflected in the draft OP, and I can see from the Public Consultation/stakeholder's meeting (to which I was not invited), that shoreline areas were not addressed pertaining to aggregate because you ran out of time. Can I assume that this 1,000 -metre policy will be included in the OP now that this oversight is officially recognized as not having been sufficiently addressed?

    Dana Tuju asked over 1 year ago

    During the Closed Session Committee of the Whole meeting on October 7, 2019, concerns were raised about the requirement of a setback from quarry operations to settlement areas and shoreline residential areas.  The last stakeholders meeting that was held was on November 20, 2017 and no other stakeholders consultations have taken place since that time.  The draft document that was presented at the Open House on November 18, 2019 was the version of the document that was presented to Council during the Closed Session meeting and the recommendations requested by Council were not included in the public draft version as the intent is to consider both Council's and the public's comments in the next draft version of the Official Plan.  Therefore, I can advise that it was not an oversight and as stated will be considered in the next draft of the document.

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    Why do we need to update the official plan?

    I love Ramara asked over 1 year ago

    Section 26(1) of the Planning Act outlines the requirements of updating an existing Official Plan. An approved Official Plan can be reviewed at any time, but each local council is required to update its official plan not less than 10 years from the date the plan came into effect in the case of a new comprehensive official plan. In situations where an Official Plan is not being replaced in its entirety it should be updated at least every five years. This ensures the plan is consistent with the PPS and that it conforms and/or does not conflict with provincial plans, as required. If the plan is not consistent with the PPS, or does not conform with provincial plans or conflicts with provincial plans, then the plan is expected to be updated. The Official Plan update is also an opportunity to ensure the official plan continues to address local priorities and changing community needs.

    The Township of Ramara Official Plan came into effect on July 31, 2003.  The updating of the document was delayed due to the County of Simcoe Official Plan update, which was approved by the County of Simcoe in 2008, however, was appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board.  The document was finally approved in 2016, and the Township of Ramara must now bring our Official Plan into conformity with the County's approved plan.