Developments & Development Charges FAQs

Development charges (DCs) are fees imposed by municipalities on builders for new residential and non-residential construction to help pay for their share of the infrastructure (e.g. transportation, recreation, stormwater, fire, transit, library, etc.) required to support the growth in population or employment from development. They are an important revenue source that supports the services delivered by the municipality.

DCs are governed by provincial legislation under the Development Charges Act, 1997 (DCA) and Ontario Regulation 82/98.

The payment of development charges is dependent on the timing of construction by developers.   While the Town has regular discussions with developers as to when they may begin construction on lands where the necessary approvals are in place, the timing of construction is subject to a number of factors out of the Town’s control. Further delaying the timing of the Town’s collection of Development Charges is the new Bill 17 passed by the Province of Ontario, which now defers payment of residential DCs by a builder until any new homes are occupied versus the old system where the Town could collect DCs at the start of construction. This change in legislation could delay DC collection by another 1-2 years, depending on the type of construction.

No, it is up to the land owners (the builders/developers) to decide when they will build. Under Ontario’s Planning Act, the role of municipalities is to adhere to a prescribed process for reviewing Planning applications to evaluate whether the proposed development is appropriate for the intended property.  Should a development be approved by the municipality, the Planning Act does not provide a municipality with the authority to force a builder to construct within a specific timeframe.  The builder’s timeframe is typically dictated by a number of factors including economic conditions, market demand or availability of skilled trades.

Generally, the Town’s role is to review development applications submitted by a private property owner to determine whether the proposal is consistent with the intent of the applicable provincial, regional and Town policy frameworks and considered appropriate for the property.  Part of the municipality’s role is to also notify and consult with the public as part of the application review process, where required.

Information on development applications can be found on the Town’s website.