Proposed Modifications to the Innisfil Heights Strategic Settlement Employment Area

A Place to Grow identifies four specific employment areas in Simcoe County as part of the Ontario government’s plan to create jobs and strengthen the economy in the Simcoe region. These employment areas include the Innisfil Heights Strategic Settlement Employment Area, the Bradford West Gwillimbury Strategic Settlement Employment Area, the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport Economic Employment District, and the Rama Road Economic Employment District. Economic employment districts are to be planned and protected for locally significant uses. Strategic settlement employment areas are to be planned and protected for employment uses that require large lots of land and depend upon efficient movement of goods and access to Highway 400.

The Minister has established boundaries and permitted uses within the strategic settlement employment areas and the economic employment districts. A Place to Grow provides that the Minister may review and amend the planning details for these areas and that a municipality may request the Minister to consider a review.

The Innisfil Heights Strategic Settlement Employment Area, located along Highway 400, is an area identified by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing under the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe to create high quality jobs in the manufacturing and industrial sectors.

To capitalize on this valuable asset, the Town of Innisfil, with support from the County of Simcoe, has requested an expansion of the existing employment area to the northeast and northwest above 9th Line to the boundary of the City of Barrie; and south to the 6th Line.

The Minister is consulting on this proposed expansion which would occur through amendment to the planning details issued by the Minister under Chapter 6 of the Growth Plan.