We are long overdue for an update on Orillia’s boundary expansion process. On February 4, 2025 at a Special Meeting of Council, Orillia City Council made a decision on density targets, urban boundary expansion, and policy directions for the new Official Plan. The council meeting can be watched in its entirety here and the OrilliaMatters article can be found here. Ahead of the meeting, Stop Sprawl Orillia had sent a written submission to Council, signed on by seven of our organizational partners, with our recommendations.

Key decisions made at the Council meeting:

• GOOD: Council voted for our preferred density target (Option 1 – a Minimum Average Density Target of 47 units per net hectare in Strategic Growth Areas). The minimum building height will be 3 storeys to a maximum of 12 storeys. The only types of development permitted in the boundary expansion will be in the form of Stacked Townhouses, Back-to-Back Townhouses, Multiple Dwellings and Apartments. This means no single-detached houses AKA NO SPRAWL!
• GOOD: The updated Official Plan will include a number of measures in line with smart growth and complete communities, including: As-of-right zoning for multiplexes within the Strategic Growth Areas; Reduced minimum lot size and frontage to allow for compact built form; Reduced parking requirements for multiplexes within the Downtown Area and for non-profit affordable housing; Promotes mixed-use in the Strategic Growth Areas; and more focus on form-based zoning through urban design policies.
• BAD: Council voted against Councillor Fallis’ motion for a 50-metre natural heritage buffer on all new developments. We have since heard that there have been some encouraging conversations amongst Council around the reintroduction of this 50-metre buffer.
• QUESTIONABLE?: Council voted for the maximum lands required for boundary expansion out of the new options (Option 3 – 195 hectares or 481 acres). Councillor Durnford explained that this approach was intended to avoid having to repeat the lengthy and costly boundary expansion process in 10-15 years. The rationale was that, by planning for a larger land base now (while maintaining the higher densification targets) and by pairing it with strong natural heritage buffer protections, the City could better guide how this land is developed over time. Councillor Durnford also expressed confidence in City planning staff and in the planning process to ensure the lands are developed responsibly, noting that this approach could save both time and public money in the long run.

The fact that Council voted for the maximum lands required for boundary expansion out of the five options is not inherently negative. Along with higher-density housing forms, the expansion lands will be used for jobs, recreation, and schools – uses that have great potential to be sustainable and equitable. It is also important to remember that the original boundary expansion proposal back in 2021 called for 939 acres of land. Through sustained advocacy, engagement, and public pressure, we are now in a place where the city is expanding the boundary by nearly half that amount and has adopted a density target that allows for growth without urban sprawl. Moreover, the Stop Sprawl Orillia campaign has sparked a critical community-wide discussion about affordability, sustainability, and livability for generations to come. These are significant wins and a powerful testament to the impact of grassroots organizing.

It is up to us to remain engaged in this process and help shape the future expansion of the city. A hybrid open house to review Orillia’s proposed boundary expansion is taking place on January 29, and we look forward to seeing many community members there. 

A brief history of Stop Sprawl Orillia:

In late 2021, we discovered that the City of Orillia was planning for population growth. Consulting company Hemson completed a Land Needs Assessment and determined that there is a need for 381 hectares (939 acres) of land, which would be annexed from the surrounding townships of Oro-Medonte and Severn. The first Public Open House was held virtually on December 1, 2021 with over 200 people in attendance, the majority speaking in opposition to expanding the urban boundary. 

Concerned about destroying irreplaceable farmland, wetlands, and forests, and an urban expansion that defies Orillia’s commitments to affordability, climate change and sustainability, in early 2022 we launched a campaign, Stop Sprawl Orillia. Through serious public engagement with hundreds of community members around values and principles of smart growth, infill, urban intensification, density, mixed-use development, ecological preservation, and affordable housing, a new vision for Orillia’s future emerged. 

Our efforts were extensive. We distributed 300 lawn signs, mobilized petition signatures and emails to Council, organized public education events and coalition meetings. The campaign was featured in the media over 20 times (including the front page of the Orillia Today), allied with over 20 local and regional organizational partners, raised over $1,500 in donations, interviewed on a local podcast, interviewed on CBC What on Earth with Laura Lynch, and partnered with a local high school class for vacant land use mapping and promotional videos. Together with Green Orillia and Sustainable Orillia, we helped City staff to review and identify future intensification sites in the City to accommodate growth in a way that reflects our community’s values. 

Thanks to this collective mobilization, in the spring of 2022, Orillia City Council voted to revise the Land Needs Assessment to explore higher-density alternatives. A full archive of the history of the Stop Sprawl Orillia campaign can be found here. 

Green Orillia is a grassroots organization focused on climate action, social justice, advocacy, education, democracy, and community resilience in Orillia and area. We operate on Anishinaabeg Williams Treaty Territory. Follow Green Orillia on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, join the Facebook Discussion Group, sign up for the e-newsletter, or check out the website. Get in touch at greenorillia@gmail.com.