Minister’s Zoning Orders: What They Are — and Why Oakville Should Be Alarmed

The Province of Ontario is considering issuing four Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs) for lands in Midtown Oakville. If approved, these MZOs would fundamentally change how Midtown is planned — not just now, but for decades.

This is not a technical zoning tweak. This is a sweeping override of normal planning rules that would impose extreme density on a small area of Oakville, without local control, accountability, or meaningful public benefit.

Residents should be concerned. Here’s why.

What Is a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO)?

An MZO is an extraordinary planning tool that allows the Province to bypass local planning processes and municipal zoning bylaws.

It can:

• Set building heights, density, and land use by provincial order

• Remove requirements for community benefits and inclusionary zoning

• Override municipal zoning rules in one stroke

MZOs were intended to be rare and exceptional — used only where there is clear urgency, municipal support, and a strong public interest.

That is not the case here.

What Is Being Proposed for Midtown Oakville?

The proposed MZOs would authorize:

• 11 high-rise towers, ranging from 45 to 59 storeys

• Up to 12,000–14,000 people on just 5 hectares of land

• Density levels of 2,400–2,800 people per hectare — far beyond what is reasonable or supportable

This is not transit-oriented community building. It is mega-density, concentrated into a tiny footprint, with no credible plan for roads, transit access, parks, schools, or services.

Even worse, these permissions would be permanent. Once granted, they do not expire when markets change, governments change, or plans improve.

Why This Is a Bad Idea for Oakville

1. It Locks In Extreme Density With No Way Back

Once issued, an MZO cannot be undone. It freezes zoning rules in place for decades, regardless of:

• Infrastructure limits

• Market changes

• Better planning alternatives

This proposal would lock Oakville into an outdated, high-risk development scheme long before a single unit is built.

2. It Strips the Town of Meaningful Planning Control

These MZOs would exempt the TOC lands from Oakville’s zoning bylaws, including:

• Height limits

• Density limits

• Setbacks and lot coverage

• Affordable housing and community benefit requirements

In practical terms, that means the Town — and residents — lose the ability to shape outcomes or respond to problems as they arise.

Planning decisions that affect generations of Oakville residents would be made once, behind closed doors.

3. It Delivers No Urgent Housing Benefit

The Province claims urgency. The facts say otherwise.

• This TOC will not deliver a single home before 2031

• Full build-out could take 25 years

• The current condo market does not support towers dominated by studios and one-bedroom units

Oakville already meets and exceeds provincial housing targets through OPA 70, a locally developed plan that is ready to proceed now.

These MZOs do not build homes faster. They delay real housing while inflating land value.

4. It Transfers Risk From the Developer to the Public

The real effect of these MZOs is zoning certainty — not housing delivery.

They:

• Dramatically increase the value of the developer’s land

• Shift financial and infrastructure risk onto taxpayers

• Allow land to sit undeveloped for years while permissions are locked in

Whether or not a single home is built, the benefit to the landowner is immediate. The cost to Oakville is long-term.

There Is a Better Alternative: OPA 70

Oakville has already done the hard work.

OPA 70:

• Was developed transparently

• Has Council support

• Aligns with provincial housing policy

• Supports growth without reckless density

The only MZO Oakville needs is one that mandates OPA 70, not one that undermines it.

Why Speaking Up Matters

The Province is using the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) to collect public feedback on these proposed MZOs.

The ERO is the Province’s official public record for environmental and land-use decisions. Submissions made here are not symbolic — they are formally logged, counted, and reviewed before decisions are finalized.

This consultation is the only guaranteed opportunity for residents to put written objections on record before the Province decides whether to issue these MZOs.

If residents do not participate, Infrastructure Ontario and the Province may assume there is no opposition.

That would be a mistake — and a costly one.

Every registered submission:

• Is officially recorded

• Is counted

• Becomes part of the decision record

Silence is not neutral. Silence can be taken as consent.

This Is the Moment

These MZOs are unnecessary, permanent, and deeply out of step with Oakville’s needs.

Once issued, they cannot be reversed.

This is your chance to say no to mega-density, no to backroom planning, and yes to responsible growth that Oakville can actually support.

Review your available actions and how to submit feedback here.