St. Joseph Island Planning Board - Approval of a municipality’s official plan

On December 21, 2023, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing received an application from the St. Joseph Island Planning Board for approval of a new board-wide official plan. On July 24, 2023, the St. Joseph Island Planning Board recommended the proposed plan to member municipalities for adoption.

The council of each municipality in the planning area (Township of St. Joseph, the Township of Hilton, the Township of Jocelyn and the Village of Hilton Beach) adopted the plan in September 2023. The new official plan will replace the existing plan, which came into effect in 2010. The new plan is intended to guide growth and physical (land use) change across the planning area, while incorporating provincial objectives and community-driven priorities.

The proposed official plan will be reviewed for consistency with the Provincial Policy Statement, the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, and matters of provincial interest as expressed in the Planning Act. 

Matters of provincial interest include the protection of ecological systems, conservation and management of natural resources, supply of affordable housing, provision of employment opportunities and protection of economic well-being, efficient land use, conservation of energy and water, waste management, climate change mitigation and adaptation, among other interests. The proposed official plan is a result of the St. Joseph Island Planning Board's review of the official plan currently in effect, as required under section 26 of the Planning Act.

The official plan is now before the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for a decision in accordance with sections 17 and 26 of the Planning Act. As set out in subsections 17(36.5) and (38.1) of the Planning Act, the decision of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing regarding an official plan adopted in accordance with section 26 is final and not subject to appeal.