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Bill 23 changes to Niagara Region's role in land use planning: As of March 31, 2025, the Niagara Official Plan is no longer a Regional Plan. It is now an official plan of the 12 local municipalities in Niagara. The following is an unofficial consolidation of the Niagara Official Plan policies and schedules as of May 2024 for information purposes only.
Niagara Region is growing, and planning ahead means making sure there's enough housing, jobs and land to support everyone who will call Niagara home over the next 30 years.
The Niagara Official Plan (PDF) sets out what we protect while managing where and how the region will accommodate anticipated growth in Niagara. It was adopted by Regional Council in June 2022 and approved by the Province of Ontario with modifications effective November 2022.
ROPA 1: Proposed new sanitary sewer (Niagara-on-the-Lake)
Status: Approved
Applicant: Stone Eagle Property Corporation
Purpose of the amendment
The purpose of the application is to permit the connection of an agricultural related use (winery) to a local sanitary sewer. The connection is for the proposed Stone Eagle Estate Winery at the northwest corner of Niven Road and Niagara Stone Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Background
ROPA 2: Regional road allowance widths
Status: Approved
Applicant: Region-initiated amendment
Purpose of the amendment
The purpose of the amendment is to update the road allowance widths listed in Schedule M of the Niagara Official Plan, and to add a new policy allowing right-of-ways to be updated based on an approved Municipal Class Environmental Assessment.
Background
ROPA 3: Proposed Port Colborne Quarry Pit 3 expansion
Status: Approved
Applicant: Port Colborne Quarries Inc.
Purpose of the amendment
The purpose of the proposed amendment is to allow the expansion of the existing Port Colborne Quarry onto lands to the east of the existing Pit 3. The lands subject to the amendment are legally described as Part Lot 17, 18, 19, Concession 2, and located on the north side of Main Street East / Highway 3, south of Second Concession Road and west of Miller Road.
The applicant has also requested amendments to the City of Port Colborne Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit this use.
Submission materials
Reports to Regional Council
To date, the following reports have been presented to Regional Council:
Statutory public meeting
See the public notice for the statutory public meeting for the proposed Regional Official Plan Amendment on March 8, 2023.
Joint Agency Review Team
Niagara Region, Port Colborne and Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority established a Joint Agency Review Team to coordinate the agency review process for the Port Colborne Quarries applications. The team worked together with the technical peer review consultants to review and consider all matters related to the Port Colborne Quarries applications.
The team does not make a recommendation on the applications. Rather, they provide a central point of contact for the review and issue a report once the review process is complete.
Review the Joint Agency Review Team Report and Joint Agency Review Team Report Appendices to see the application overview, technical review process summary, key identified issues and the public and stakeholder consultation process.
ROPA 4: Proposed Law Quarry expansion (Wainfleet)
Status: Approved
Applicant: Waterford Sand and Gravel Ltd.
Purpose of the amendment
The purpose of the application is to expand the existing Law Crushed Stone Quarry in Wainfleet.
The amendment affects lands legally described as Part of Lots 6 and 7, Concession 2 and Part of Road Allowance between Lots 5 and 6, Concession 2, Township of Wainfleet, Region of Niagara. The lands are generally north of Highway 3 between Graybiel Road and Biederman Road.
The applicant has also requested amendments to the Township of Wainfleet Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit this use. These amendments are also under review by the Township of Wainfleet.
Joint Agency Review Team
Niagara Region, Township of Wainfleet and Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority established a Joint Agency Review Team to coordinate the agency review process for the proposed law quarry extension applications. The team worked with the aggregate advisor and technical peer review consultants to review and consider all matters related to the applications.
The team acts as a central point of contact for the review and issues a report once the review process is complete. The team does not make recommendations on the applications.
To see the application overview, technical review process summary, key issues, and the public and stakeholder consultation process, review the Joint Agency Team Report.
ROPA 21-0003: Proposed Upper's Quarry (Niagara Falls)
Status: Appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal on the basis of Regional Council's failure to make a decision on the ROPA application
Applicant: Walker Aggregates Inc.
Purpose of the amendment
The purpose of the application is to establish a new quarry on lands located along the western boundary of Niagara Falls, between Thorold Townline Road and Beechwood Road, north of a Hydro One corridor. The lands subject to the amendment are legally described as Part of Lots 119, 120, 136 and 137, City of Niagara Falls.
The applicant has also requested amendments to the City of Niagara Falls Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit this use, as well as processing of materials from the site, processing of recycled aggregate material, concrete or asphalt mixing plant and accessory buildings and structures. These amendments are also under review by the City of Niagara Falls.
Online public open house
An online open house was hosted by Niagara Region and the City of Niagara Falls planning staff on March 23, 2022 to allow members of the public to ask questions on the proposed amendments. See the proposed Upper's Quarry presentation.
Walker Aggregates and their consulting team were invited to the open house to help answer technical questions on their application. A matrix was prepared to respond to questions that were not answered live during the session. See the Upper's Quarry response matrix.
Statutory public meeting
Under the requirements of the Planning Act a Statutory Public Meeting for the ROPA application was held at the Region's Planning and Economic Development Committee on Oct. 11, 2023.
The purpose of the public meeting was for Regional Council to hear public comments and other input related to the proposed ROPA. Notice of the Upper's Quarry public meeting was provided under the requirements of the Planning Act. Planning staff gave a presentation of the Upper's Quarry and prepared the Upper's Quarry meeting report. Minutes for the Upper's Quarry public meeting were prepared following the meeting.
Joint Agency Review Team
Niagara Region, the City of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority established a Joint Agency Review Team to coordinate the agency review process for the proposed Uppers Quarry applications. The team worked together with an aggregate advisor and the third party technical peer review consultants to review and consider all matters related to the Uppers Quarry applications.
The Joint Agency Review Team does not make a recommendation on the applications. Rather, the Joint Agency Review Team provides a central point of contact for the review and issue a report once the review process is complete.
Review the Joint Agency Review Team Upper's Quarry Report, Upper's Quarry Appendices A-G and Upper's Quarry Appendix H to see the application overview, technical review process summary, key identified issues and the public and stakeholder consultation process.
Plain language summaries
The reports for the application contain complex information and technical language that might be difficult to understand.
To help with understanding this information, the consultants hired by the Joint Agency Review Team created three 'plain language summary' documents. These summaries explain the standards, methods, conclusions, recommendations and suggested solutions for each area in simple terms. See the Air Quality Plain Language Report, Noise Plain Language Report and Blasting Plain Language Report.
ROPA 22-0002: Proposed redesignation of unique agricultural lands at 502 Winston Rd. (Grimsby)
Status: Under review
Applicant: 502 Winston Road Inc.
Purpose of the amendment
The purpose of the application is to redesignate the subject lands from unique agricultural area to rural area.
The lands are located at the northeast corner of Hunter Road and Winston Road, municipally addressed as 502 Winston Rd., and legally described as Part of Lot 19 in Broken Front Concession, North Grimsby, Part 9 and 10 in 30R3352 save and except Part 1 in 30R14773, subject to an easement in gross over Part of Lot 19 of Broken Front Concession designated at Part 1 on 30R14772 as in NR421363 in Grimsby.
Background
The applicant has submitted the following information in support of the proposed amendment:
The applicant has also submitted an application to the Town of Grimsby for an amendment to their Official Plan (Town File No. 26OP-16-2202) to redesignate a portion of the subject lands from specialty crop area - tender fruits and grape lands to rural area. The existing natural hazard overlay and environmental protection area designation is to be maintained. The town will be processing the proposed Official Plan Amendment concurrent to the Regional Official Plan Amendment application.
