Municipality of Powassan - Approval of a municipality’s official plan

The new Official Plan for the Township of Powassan, as adopted by the municipality by By-law No. 2025-17  on September 16, 2025 was approved subject to 27 modifications on July 29, 2026.

The adopted official plan was reviewed for conformity with the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, 2011, consistency with the Provincial Planning Statement, 2024, and regard for matters of provincial interest as outlined in Section 2 of the Planning Act.

The twenty-seven modifications include modifications to address provincial policy direction to strengthen protections for water resources, endangered and threatened species, natural heritage features; to update policies for archaeology; to require an environmental assessment when development is proposed for contaminated lands; to require environmental impact statements on areas within or adjacent to areas of natural and scientific interest; to conform with provisions of the Planning Act, and to ensure schedules identify provincial interests.

Pursuant to subsections 17(36.5) and (38.1) of the Planning Act, this decision is final and not subject to appeal. Accordingly, the new Official Plan of the Municipality of Powassan, as approved by the minister, came into effect on July 30, 2026.