Addressing Growth and Housing Needs in South Simcoe County

Ontario is providing leadership and supporting its municipal partners by developing a comprehensive regional strategy for addressing expected population growth pressures by delivering critical infrastructure in south Simcoe, including the community of Alliston and the surrounding areas of New Tecumseth, such as Beeton and Tottenham, as well as nearby municipalities in Simcoe County such as the townships of Adjala-Tosorontio and Essa. The Province is leveraging the expertise of the Office Provincial Land and Development Facilitator to help achieve the government’s objectives of supporting jobs, building more homes and delivering water and wastewater infrastructure to area residents in a cost-efficient and financially responsible manner.

The County of Simcoe and surrounding areas are expected to experience significant growth over the next twenty-five years. Planning for these growth opportunities will help alleviate housing pressure in nearby areas. Managing this growth responsibly will help support sustainable communities across the region.

Honda’s existing manufacturing plant in Alliston, the potential for future manufacturing investments in the area, and related economic activity are key to Ontario’s efforts to attract and retain economic investments and create jobs. As a result, southern Simcoe County and Barrie are expected to face increased pressure for residential development to accommodate a growing local population and demand. This growth is in part being driven by major economic investments, such as Honda’s anticipated expansion in Alliston, as well as significant provincial transportation projects such as the Barrie Line GO expansion and the Bradford Bypass.

In 2022, Simcoe County adopted Official Plan Amendment No.7 (OPA 7) which includes policies to guide growth and development to the year 2051. OPA 7 is before the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for a decision. For the Town of New Tecumseth, OPA 7 as adopted by the County identifies planned growth that will result in a population of 80,590 and 31,610 jobs by 2051. To accommodate this growth the Town of New Tecumseth will need to add 523.6 hectares to its settlement areas. Regional growth pressures within the broader Greater Golden Horseshoe, investments in Alliston, and the subsequent growth in nearby communities, will likely mean that by 2051, actual growth will far exceed these planning forecasts.

To prepare for some of this anticipated growth, the Town of New Tecumseth has undertaken an analysis of potential settlement area boundary expansions and has identified that considerable financial investment in infrastructure will be required to support new growth. This includes investment in community services and amenities such as libraries, emergency services, public spaces, and infrastructure to support water supply and wastewater treatment. 

In the long term, the full build out of projected growth may assist the Town in dealing with these fiscal pressures. In the near-term, there is a need for a more immediate plan to address the costs associated with financing infrastructure to enable growth and to cover the significant fiscal pressures prior to full completion of development, which can take many years.

Through this proposal the province is supporting development of a comprehensive strategy to help the community meet its needs for land, housing, water, and wastewater capacity. This strategy would also aim to account for the costs of critical infrastructure while continuing to attract employment opportunities from various sectors.

The province’s Provincial Land and Development Facilitator has been directed by the Minister to explore how additional lands may be considered for future growth and how through a public-private partnership a portion of the costs for the community’s water and wastewater infrastructure investments and broader community benefits could be funded.

Key Considerations in the Development of a Strategy:

• Accommodating future regional growth in Simcoe County and housing needs with a focus on the unique conditions and economic opportunities in the region.
• Under the new land use planning policy framework introduced through the Provincial Planning Statement, 2024, consider alternative growth forecasts for the area that would reflect the continuing growth pressures and unprecedented investments in economic development and infrastructure that are being made in the region.
• Supporting continued growth, investment, and job creation for keystone employers in the area – like Honda Canada Manufacturing - by planning for residential growth that is separate from and compatible with their manufacturing operations.
• Securing adequate water and wastewater capacity to support future growth.
• Maintaining an open, public, and transparent community consultation process and continued engagement with Indigenous communities.
• Working with the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator to coordinate and facilitate development agreements to secure public benefits such as contributions to municipal infrastructure.
• In addition to municipal, provincial, and federal investments already made, obtaining funding contributions from development proponents that could help to pay for the needed municipal infrastructure and could be used as credits towards future development charges (DCs) associated with development.
• Recognizing work completed to date by the County and Town of New Tecumseth assessing the need for additional residential and employment lands in Alliston and surrounding communities, development should be planned for over the short, medium, and long term.
• This strategy shall not impact provincially protected lands such as the Greenbelt.

The province is seeking input on the following questions to inform this work:

Input on overall strategy:

1. What attributes are important to ensure a healthy and prosperous community?
2. What types of hard and soft infrastructure does southern Simcoe need to support growth?
3. Where should growth and development be located? Are there areas where growth and development shouldn’t occur and why?
4. What are the barriers and opportunities to southern Simcoe from realizing its full potential?
5.  What options could be considered for the infrastructure to support future development and growth be funded?
6. What options or mechanisms should be explored to address infrastructure needs in the communities and how might the costs of this infrastructure be shared among relevant parties?

Input from landowners:

Are you a landowner in southern South Simcoe which includes areas such as the community of Alliston and the surrounding areas of New Tecumseth, Beeton, and Tottenham, as well as nearby municipalities such as the Townships of Adjala-Tosorontio and Essa:

1. with suitable lands for:
   1. Residential development that is compatible with and physically separated from employment uses, or
   2. Large scale commercial, industrial or manufacturing development that is compatible with and physically separated from sensitive uses.
2. whose lands are contiguous, or in close proximity, to an existing settlement area boundary; and
3. who is willing to contribute up front to housing- and economic-supportive infrastructure investment in the area?

If so, please provide a submission to the province via email to southsimcoegrowthstrategy@ontario.ca including all relevant technical and parcel information to support your request, including an estimate of the number of housing units and jobs that could be achieved and anticipated timelines to begin construction (e.g., current zoning and land use designations, any available planning justification, environmental, archaeological reports, related municipal staff and/or Council reports).  

A Path Forward

The Greater Golden Horseshoe continues to experience significant population and employment growth, placing increased pressure on both existing infrastructure and available land for housing and job creation. As one of the fastest-growing regions in North America, the area is expected to quickly grow over the next twenty-five years. This rapid growth is intensifying demand for housing, particularly in areas like Simcoe County, where relatively more affordable land, proximity to the Greater Toronto Area, and ongoing economic investments are driving expansion.

Municipalities across the region are facing mounting challenges related to land supply, infrastructure capacity, and the need to provide public services and amenities at a pace that matches need. These growth pressures are especially pronounced in communities like those in south Simcoe, where strategic provincial investments and private-sector projects are accelerating the need for coordinated planning, servicing, and housing delivery.

Honda’s Alliston operations,  as well as future potential investments in the area, are important to Canada’s and Ontario’s long-term automotive and manufacturing industry, especially in the current economic environment.

South Simcoe, Alliston, and the surrounding communities in the Town of New Tecumseth and neighboring municipalities are well positioned to grow and prosper. To this end, the province is looking to facilitate a path forward to help the communities realize goals around population growth, economic development, and an associated need for residential development that is serviced in a financially responsible manner.