Ontario’s ministerial zoning order process needs overhaul, auditor general says

Ontario’s auditor general says the province’s ministerial zoning order process needs to be overhauled.

Minister’s zoning orders allow the housing minister to make changes to land zoning rules, overriding municipal decisions.

The auditor general says the province has used the tool 114 times from 2019 to 2023 under Premier Doug Ford’s government, which is a 17-fold increase in usage from the previous 20 years.

Auditor General Shelley Spence says in her annual report that there was no protocol or rationale for prioritizing some zoning order requests over others.

She says the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing did not provide complete and timely information to the minister about the zoning requests coming in.

The auditor general recommends the ministry assess and document the rationale for the use of a ministerial zoning order, including details and timing of the development project.

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press