Notice of Open House for the Township of Springwater Official Plan 2051

The Corporation of the Township of Springwater has initiated an Official Plan Update pursuant to Sections 17, 26 and 27 of the Planning Act. The Township of Springwater in collaboration with the County of Simcoe will hold an Open House for Official Plan 20251 (OP2051) on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Township Administration Centre, located at 2231 Nursery Road in Minesing. 

The Open House is intended to provide for informal discussion regarding the process and information completed to date in support of the Township’s Official Plan 2051. Members of the public and stakeholders are encouraged to view information boards and discuss the project with staff members on an informal basis.

The purpose and effect of the Township’s Official Plan Update is to implement changes to effectively manage growth to 2051 and implement the findings of the Growth Management Study, including the Settlement Area Boundary Expansion of Midhurst for Employment Lands. The Township is also utilizing this opportunity to align the Township’s Official Plan with changes made through Provincial and County legislation. The following will be included through this update:

·         Proposed modification to the Midhurst Secondary Plan schedule and text to reflect the Settlement Area Boundary Expansion and the introduction of a policy section for the Forbes Road/Highway 400 Employment Area.

·         Addition of a Special Policy Area schedule and text for the Long-Term Employment Reserve Overlay.

·         The planning horizon of the Official Plan document will be extended to 2051 and a conformity exercise for all upper tier (County and Province) legislation.

·         Align the Official Plan schedules with the Barrie/Oro-Medonte/Springwater Boundary Adjustment Act

Subject Lands: For the Midhurst Settlement Area Boundary Expansion (Employment Lands) and Special Policy Area (Long-Term Employment Reserve Overlay) the key map is available on our website. The proposed Official Plan update applies to the entirety of the Township of Springwater and therefore no key map has been provided. 

At this time, a Growth Management Study 2026 has been prepared, presented and endorsed by Township Council. The Growth Management Study, and supporting documents are available for review on the Township of Springwater website, by visiting www.springwater.ca/OfficialPlan2051

The OP2051 webpage will continue to be updated as additional material becomes available prior to the Open House. All materials will also be available for review at the Township Administration Centre. It should be noted that the Open House does not representant the formal Statutory Special Meeting/Public Meeting under the Planning Act, notification of this meeting will follow in the future under a separate notice. No decision will be made at the Open House.

If you are unable to attend this meeting but would like your comments and/or concerns received by members of Council, please submit your comments along with your name and mailing address to the Township of Springwater Planning Department, or by email to OP2051@springwater.ca. Please note that the County of Simcoe will hold additional statutory public consultation and notice of these meetings will be provided at a later stage in the process.

If you wish to be notified of the decision of Springwater Council on the proposed Official Plan 2051, you must make a written request to the Township of Springwater. 

If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of Springwater Council to the Ontario Land Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of Springwater before the proposed official plan is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision. 

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of Springwater before the proposed official plan is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.

For more information, visit www.springwater.ca/OfficialPlan2051