Official Plan Update: Phase 1

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On February 10, 2026, City Council approved Official Plan Amendment 110 in its entirety which closes out Phase 1 of the Official Plan Amendment. Following the statutory appeal period, Official Plan Amendment 110 is now in full force and effect.

Staff are now starting work on Phase 2, which will focus on Employment and Transportation and will have engagement opportunities to come.

Watch the Council meeting and read the staff report & approved Official Plan Amendment for more information.

Project background

The City is updating its Official Plan to implement provincial direction and support future growth. 

In July 2022, the City of Guelph adopted its last comprehensive review of the Official Plan (known as OPA 80) which was approved with modifications by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on April 11, 2023. In October 2024, the Province released a new Provincial Planning Statement, 2024 (PPS, 2024) which is a province-wide land use planning policy framework that replaces both the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2019. It is a requirement that all planning decisions must be consistent with the PPS, 2024. Therefore, the City of Guelph is updating the Official Plan to be consistent with the PPS, 2024 which includes definition changes, policy changes, and mapping changes.

Changes have also been made to the Ontario Heritage Act, 1990 through Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 and Bill 200, the Homeowner Protection Act, 2024. Staff are taking the opportunity now to update the Cultural Heritage sections of the Official Plan to implement these provincial changes and improve readability and functionality of the policies.

Finally, since the initial adoption of OPA 80 by Council, a number of Master Plans have been approved and are now in place. The Official Plan must be updated to implement recommendations from those Master Plans, especially the Transportation Master Plan, the Parks Plan 2022 and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

All of this work makes up Phase 1 of what is expected to be a multi-phase update of the Official Plan.

Why is the City proposing a phased approach for updating its Official Plan?

Phase 1 concentrated on the most immediate changes to implement provincial directions and prepare for growth. Areas that require further study will be part of future phase of work.

What is an Official Plan?

Guelph’s Official Plan (OP) establishes a vision for the future of the municipality. It provides policy direction to manage future land use patterns and growth and includes:

• How land can be used, whether it should be used for houses, industry, offices, commercial, parks, natural areas or a mix of uses;
• What services, like roads, sewers, parks and schools are needed; and,
• When, and in what order, parts of the municipality will grow.

Proposed Amendments

The amendments brought forward in Phase 1 included:

• Implementing changes from the Planning Act, 1990 and the Ontario Heritage Act, 1990;
• General changes to all sections of the Official Plan that reference the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 and the Growth Plan;
• Aligning existing policy language so that it is consistent with the PPS, 2024;
• Revisions to required road widenings and intersection improvements to align with transportation growth;
• Updating the park type classifications to match the Park Plan (2022); and
• Mapping updates to capture provincial changes, changes in road classifications, and trail locations.

Who's Listening

Official Plan Updates: Phase 1 information session July 8, 2025