Planning
Our Planning and Development team reviews and provides comments on development proposals that require approval under the Planning Actthat meet certain criteria within the Lake Simcoe Watershed to eliminate or reduce the risk to life and property from flooding, erosion and slope instability and to encourage the protection of our natural systems. We collaborate with our municipal partners and other stakeholders to ensure that municipal planning policy documents, development plans and projects are in conformity with the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan and other provincial plans such as the Provincial Planning Statement. Through their work, our planners ensure that development does not negatively impact the health of the watershed and protect people and their property against natural hazards.
Jurisdiction
The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authorities jurisdiction is illustrated in below link.. Our jurisdiction extends into the Regional Municipalities of Durham and York and the County of Simcoe. It includes areas within the Town of Aurora, the City of Barrie, the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, The Township of Brock, the Town of East Gwillimbury, the Town of Georgina, the Town of Innisfil, the City of Kawartha Lakes, the Township of King, the Town of Newmarket, the Town of New Tecumseth, the Township of Oro-Medonte, the Township of Ramara, the township of Uxbridge and the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville
Legislative and Policy Framework
Conservation authorities are governed by the Conservation Authorities Act which is administered by the Ministry of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).
The Conservation Authorities Act was originally enacted in 1946, as conservation authorities began to be established.
The Conservation Authorities Act was legislated by the province of Ontario in response to concerns expressed by agricultural, naturalist and sports groups who highlighted that much of the renewable natural resources of the province were in an unhealthy state as a result of poor land, water and forestry practices during the 1930s and 1940s. The combined impacts of drought and deforestation led to extensive soil loss and flooding.
The core mandate of Conservation Authorities is to undertake watershed-based programs to protect people and property from flooding and other natural hazards, and to conserve natural resources for economic, social and environmental benefits.
Watershed planning is a process that involves characterizing the health of the watershed, identifying stressors affecting its health, selecting preferred solutions to protect, enhance, and restore watershed health, and then monitoring progress and adapting recommendations and activities to achieve desired outcomes. They provide an integrated understanding of watershed health, including the natural heritage and water resource systems. This understanding helps to inform decision makers on how their decisions will affect watershed health. The Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority’s jurisdiction encompasses the entire Lake Simcoe watershed, with each of its contributory river systems being considered a subwatershed. Therefore, what we describe as “subwatershed plans” are equivalent to what other conservation authorities and some provincial policies refer to as “watershed plans.”
The Province of Ontario’s new Provincial Planning Statement (2024) includes a number of policies related to watershed planning. Section 4.2(3) reads: Municipalities are encouraged to undertake, and large and fast-growing municipalities shall undertake watershed planning to inform planning for sewage and water services and stormwater management, including low impact development, and the protection, improvement or restoration of the quality and quantity of water.
Ontario Regulation 41/24 was approved on April 1, 2024. This regulation, made under Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act, enables conservation authorities to regulate development in or adjacent to river or stream valleys, Great Lakes and inland lake shorelines, watercourses, hazardous lands and wetlands. Development taking place on these lands may require permission from the conservation authority to confirm that the control of flooding, erosion, dynamic beaches, or the conservation of land are not affected. LSRCA also regulates the alteration to or interference in any way with a watercourse or wetland.
The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority is responsible to provide the following programs and services related to Plan Review and Permitting in respect of its duties, functions and responsibilities under the Lake Simcoe Protection Act, 2008:
- Programs and services to ensure the authority complies with its duties under subsection 6 (9) of the Lake Simcoe Protection Act, 2008 in respect of the decisions the authority makes related to permissions required under this Act.
- review and comment on proposals made under other Acts that are circulated to the authority for the purpose of determining the proposal’s impact on the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan and the Lake Simcoe watershed.
The Conservation Authority provides advisory comments related to policy applicability and to assist with implementation of the South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Plan under the Clean Water Act. Source water protection is a mandatory program under Ontario Regulation 686/21.
The Planning Act is the primary piece of legislation governing land use planning in Ontario. It sets out the means by which a municipality must implement land use planning decisions. Conservation authorities are a commenting agency under the Planning Act, and are thus able to provide input on planning matters.
Section 2 of the Planning Act is of particular relevance to conservation authorities since it outlines matters of provincial interest, such as:
(a) the protection of ecological systems, including natural areas, features and functions;
(c) the conservation and management of natural resources and the mineral resource base;
(o) the protection of public heath and safety;
(p) the appropriate location of growth and development.
These matters, which all approval authorities shall have regard for in carrying out their responsibilities under the Planning Act, directly support the mandate of conservation authorities.
LSRCA has a delegated responsibility from the Province to represent provincial interests regarding natural hazards identified in Section 5.1 of the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS). The PPS requires that municipalities and other agencies involved in planning, including conservation authorities, “shall be consistent with” the policy statement when reviewing and approving development applications.
Link to the PPS
Memorandums of Understanding
The LSRCA , through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with our municipal partners perform development plan review with the intent to streamline the circulation procedures for development applications and to define our respective roles in the planning process. Specifically, this MOU will clarifies the roles of the LSRCA and Town in the planning process as it relates to public health and safety and environmental protection.
Link to MOUs
Planning Applications
The following details how the Conservation Authority carries out its role as a commenting agency on behalf of the Province reviewing provincial interests and through our memorandums of understanding with our municipal partners. This is a general guideline and not intended to fully define or limit the involvement the Conservation Authority may have in the application approval process. The Conservation Authorities review process for development applications may vary slightly between municipalities.
The Conservation Authority provides its partner municipalities with advice on development applications in the context of our mandatory programs and services, including, the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan and Provincial Planning Statement Section 5.0 relating to natural hazards, stormwater management, source water protection and natural heritage.
Major Development
Certain aspects of the Conservation Authority review are based on whether or not a development application meets the definition of Major Development either under the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan and/or the South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Plan (SGBLSSPP).
LSPP – “Major development” means development consisting of:
- the creation of four or more lots;
- the construction of a building or buildings within a ground floor area of 500 m2 or more,; or
- the establishment of a major recreational use. (ORMCP)
SGBLSSPP – Major development means the construction of a building or building on a lot with the ground floor area cumulatively equal to 500 m2 (5382 sq ft) or greater, and any other impervious surface. Note single detached residential properties are exempt from the definition.
Natural Heritage
With the passage of Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, on December 28, 2022, the role of Conservation Authorities was modified. Conservation Authorities are no longer permitted to comment on behalf of municipalities on natural heritage matters or policy conformity with the Provincial Planning Statement (2024) for development proposals located within the Oak Ridges Moraine Plan, Greenbelt Plan, and settlement areas established prior to 2009.
Conservation Authorities retain natural heritage review responsibilities in all other areas within the watershed to ensure conformity with the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan, including settlement areas approved after the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan came into effect on June 2, 2009. Conservation Authorities also retain natural heritage review authority for applications located within 120 metres of the Lake Simcoe shoreline to ensure conformity with the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan. It is important to note that provincial, regional, and local Natural Heritage planning policies for these areas remain in effect. The LSRCA may still be requesting an EIS under Ontario Regulation 41/24 due to the presence of regulated wetlands.
The Conservation Authority works with our municipal partners through the pre-consultation process and determination of a complete application under the Planning Act.
The minimum requirements required for the pre-consultation application is determined by the municipality in accordance with their policies. The Conservation Authority participate in the municipal process through the submission of a pre-consultation letter indicating the submission requirements including any reports, studies or plans. Consultation should be done as early in the planning process as possible to find out how a proposal may be affected by the Conservation Authorities programs and policies.
The LSRCA also offer separate/independent opportunities for pre-consultation including design charettes and technical study reviews to assist developers in determining limits of development for properties that are challenged with more complex environmental constraints/hazards. We offer staking of wetlands/top of slope, review of TOR in advance of application submissions and it’s recommended to be completed early in the process.
planning and development team review and comment on planning act applications circulated by our partner municipalities. Our staff review and evaluate site plan and site plan amendment, draft plan of subdivision and condominium, Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment, minor variances and consent applications with respect to its proximity to, and effect on, flooding and erosion hazards, as well as natural heritage features and functions as applicable. The review evaluates the proposal to ensure consistency with the policies of the LSPP including stormwater management and sourcewater protection as necessary. The Conservation Authority is a commenting agency on these applications through our provincial responsibilities and our municipal memorandum of understanding.
As noted under the above pre-consultation section, the LSRCA participates in the municipal lead pre-consultation process and provide written comments outlining submission requirements.
Process maps op, sp, sub, mv
Required Supporting Documentation
The following reports/analysis may be required to satisfy the above noted policies as part of a planning application submission:
- Planning Justification Report prepared by a qualified professional (inclusive of Provincial Plan Conformity including LSPP) and Proposed Amendment Documents (OPA/ZBA)
- Site Plan / Draft Plan/R Plan
- Floodplain Analysis
- Geotechnical / Soils Report
- Topographic Survey prepared by an OLS
- Civil Engineering Drawings including but not limited to Grading, Drainage and Erosion and Sediment Control Plan
- A Functional Servicing Report
- Stormwater Management Report in accordance with the LSRCA Technical Guidelines for Stormwater Management (SWM) Submissions, inclusive of a phosphorus budget and pre-and post-development water balance assessment. Please refer to the LSRCA Technical Guidelines for Source Water Management Submissions
- A Preliminary Phosphorus Budget as part of an overall Functional Servicing Report or Preliminary Stormwater Management Report in accordance with policy 4.4.2 of the Lake Simcoe Phosphorus Offsetting Policy (LSPOP)
- Hydrogeological Analysis which demonstrates that the quality and quantity of groundwater and the function of the recharge area will be protected, improved, or restored AND Post- to pre-development water balance assessment following the Hydrogeological guidelines for Land Development Applications
- Groundwater Monitoring should be completed for 12 months (monthly monitoring) in support of LID design and Hydro Geology characterization. All results should be included in the above referenced Hydrogeological Analysis.
- If infiltration mitigation plan (LIDs) are being proposed to address the loss of infiltration identified within the water balance assessment. This is usually contained in the Stormwater Management Report, through the design of appropriate LID measures. Seasonally high groundwater levels (from monitoring data) and in-situ soil percolation testing are required to support the design of any underground infiltration facility.
- Low Impact Development Treatment Train Tool
Important Notes and References:
Information on the Review Fees can be found here.
The Applicant is required to provide completed and signed technical checklists as part of their submissions to the Conservation Authority.
Properly developed technical studies, prepared in accordance with applicable technical guidelines, will support timely review by the Conservation Authority. It is expected that technical submissions by the Applicant will meet good practice and industry standards to minimize resubmissions and avoid unnecessary delay.
Constraints Map
In order to accurately determine the appropriate limits to development, LSRCA staff request that a scalable drawing be provided which illustrates the following items (as applicable):
- All wetland features/boundaries as confirmed through a wetland staking exercise to be coordinated/completed by Conservation Authority staff;
- All wetland buffers / minimum vegetation protection zones;
- The shoreline hazard limit, plus the 6 metre access allowance;
- The erosion hazard limit (which should include the 6 metre access allowance);
- The floodplain limit;
- Top of bank (staked) plus 6 metres;
- The [water feature] plus 15 metre setback (ORMCP may be a 30m setback);
- The proposed lot fabric.
- The woodland dripline plus the width of all woodland buffers.
This information should be accompanied by an appropriate and complete legend.
Constraint lines, access allowances, and buffer setbacks should be clearly labelled.
Please confirm that all works are within of the limits of development. (i.e. all natural hazards, access allowances, natural heritage features and associated buffers and setbacks).
The limits to development will be determined by the furthest extent of the hazard plus the required access allowance or the natural heritage feature and appropriate buffer; whichever is the greatest constraint.
Who to Contact 
