Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Norfolk County is asking the Province to be flexible in its zoning reform expectations to reflect the realities and capacity of rural municipalities.
Investment in public infrastructure
Where we’re at
Norfolk County’s Urban Boundary Expansion Plan represents a sustainable and responsible approach to managing growth in one of Ontario’s fastest-evolving rural regions. However, this growth can only succeed with corresponding investments in critical public infrastructure. Provincial staff have emphasized the need to align land use planning with the broader capacity of the public service system, particularly in the areas of:
- Health care – including hospital capacity and local medical services.
- Education – ensuring adequate access to elementary and secondary school facilities.
- Childcare – providing the infrastructure needed to support working families.
- Transportation and utilities – to ensure accessibility, reliability, and long-term livability.
Norfolk asks that the Province:
- Coordinate infrastructure investments to support phased and sustainable community growth.
- Collaborate with Norfolk County to ensure development is aligned with essential services and community well-being.
Flexible zoning implementation in rural municipalities (4 units as-of-right)
Where we’re at:
As a single-tier municipality with a mix of rural, urban, and agricultural communities, Norfolk supports the federal and provincial objectives to accelerate housing and critical environmental infrastructure. We are actively pursuing a Direct Delivery Stream application through the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) for the Port Dover Northwest Booster Station, an essential water project that will enable 449 new homes in a key growth area.
However, unlike large urban municipalities, Norfolk County’s planning department does not have a zoning review to increase housing supply on a large scale scheduled in its work plan until 2028.
Norfolk County is committed to supporting housing development and has demonstrated this through our participation in the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) and other initiatives. However, we feel this is not a one-size-fits-all zoning solution. We respectfully urge your office to consider offering greater flexibility in applying this criterion, particularly for rural municipalities.
Norfolk asks that the Province:
- Apply flexibility in assessing rural municipalities under zoning reform criteria.
- Recognize Norfolk’s commitment to housing growth through programs like the Housing Accelerator Fund.
- Support zoning reform approaches that reflect local context, capacity, and readiness.
- Avoid a one-size-fits-all model that may hinder effective implementation in rural Ontario.
- Provide flexibility around four units as-of-right requirements for funding
Norfolk is ready.
We can grow Ontario, together.
Our Priorities