Bill 139, which was introduced by the Government on 30 May 2017, received Royal Assent on 12 December 2017. Accordingly, Bill 139 is now an Act (the Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 23); however, many of its provisions (including all the Planning Act amendments and the provisions relating to the new Local Planning Appeal Tribunal and Local Planning Appeal Support Centre) will come into force on a date to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
A copy of Bill 139 is available here.
Among other things, Bill 139 makes significant changes to the Planning Act and replaces the Ontario Municipal Board (O.M.B.) with a new body called the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (L.P.A.T.).
While the Government has posted notices summarizing the proposed transitional regulations that would apply to Bill 139, the specific language of the regulations has yet to be released. In the meantime, it is apparent from the summaries posted by the Government regarding the proposed transitional regulations that the date of Royal Assent is a critical date to preserving certain appeal and other rights.
Please contact us for more information regarding the implications of Bill 139 and the proposed transitional regulations.
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Related Blog Posts:
Bill 139 - Province Provides Statement on Transition from the OMB to LPAT
Bill 139 - Notice of Proposed Planning Act Regulations Posted for Public Consultation
Bill 139 Referred to Standing Committee on Social Policy
Bill 139 : Focusing on the New Tribunal is to Miss the Forest for the Trees - A Lesson in Legislative Misdirection - It’s the Appeal Provisions Which Count (Part 1 of a Longer Conversation about Bill 139)
Bill 139 Second Reading
Bill 139 Submission by Advocates for Effective OMB Reform
Bill 139 Proposed Planning Act Amendments - Comparison Table
WOOD BULLetin - Proposed Bill 139 - Government of Ontario's Proposed Changes to Overhaul the Land Use Planning Appeal System and Conserve Watersheds