The following are definitions of terms used in this guide and also defined at Part I section 1 of the NSBA:

Board

A Local Services board established under the NSBA Part I. In this Guide, “LSB” shall mean the same.

Board area

The geographical area within which the board may exercise its jurisdiction.

Inhabitant

Except for the purposes of sections 3 and 31 of the NSBA, means a permanent resident of a board area or an owner of property situated in a board area, who is a Canadian citizen and who is at least18 years old.

Inhabitant

Under sections 3 and 31 of the NSBA, means a permanent resident of a proposed Board area or an owner of property situated in a proposed Board area, who is a Canadian citizen and who is at least 18 years old. In this Guide, such Inhabitants will also be referred to as Proposed Inhabitants.

Minister

The Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth or such other member of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of the NSBA may be assigned or transferred to under the Executive Council Act.

Owner

A property owner or a person entitled to convey land and whose interest in the land is defined and whose name is registered in the proper land registry office.

Other terms

Other terms used in this Guide, but not defined in section 1 in the NSBA:

Board member

An Inhabitant who is elected by the Inhabitants of the board area to serve a 3-year term of office on the board, except as may be provided for by order of the minister under section 4 of the NSBA when an LSB is first established. (NSBA, sections 4(1)(d), 5 and 19 (6)).

Chair

A board member who is elected by the board to act as head of the board for a fiscal year. (NSBA, section 21).

Days

Calendar days and not business days.

Dissolution Proposal

A proposal for dissolution of an LSB brought forward by the Dissolution Committee or the board.

Dissolution Committee

A committee created by any 10 inhabitants proposing that the board be dissolved.

Election Meeting

A meeting of Inhabitants held in the board area after the 1st day of August and before the 30th day of September every 3 years for the purpose of electing a new board (NSBA, section 19).

Establishment Committee

A committee created by any 10 Proposed Inhabitants that want to establish a Local Services Board.

Establishment Meeting

A meeting of 10 Proposed Inhabitants to consider establishing a Local Services Board following section 3 of the NSBA.

Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of a board which commences on the 1st day of October and ends on the following 30th day of September (NSBA, subsection 29(2)).

First Meeting

The first meeting in each fiscal year which must be held no later than October 10th. At the First Meeting the board must elect 1 of its members as Chair for that fiscal year (NSBA, section 21).

Ministry

The Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth.

MFIPPA

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

MOF

The Ministry of Finance.

MPAC

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. LSBs receive a copy of the interim assessment roll from MPAC for the land in the board area.

Public Accountant

A chartered professional accountant authorized to perform a review engagement (or audit) of financial statements in the Province of Ontario, licensed under the Public Accounting Act, 2004, S.O. 2004, c. 8.

Recording Secretary

A person appointed by the Chair of the Establishment Meeting. The Recording Secretary performs certain duties related to the establishment of an LSB (refer to the section ‘Establishment of an LSB’ in this Guide for further details).

Secretary

A person appointed by the board to carry out the duties described in the NSBA. The Secretary may be a member of the board other than the Chair. The Secretary holds office at the request of the board (NSBA, section 14) and does not need to be an inhabitant of the board area.

TPON (Transfer Payment Ontario

An online system to access Ontario Government funding programs.

OPTA (Online Property Tax Analysis)

A tool provided by MOF to LSBs to assist in the calculation of levies or fees.

Opted-in LSB

An LSB that has chosen to opt into the MOF consolidated billing system, whereby they have agreed to have MOF collect fees or levies on its behalf.

Levy

A tax rate applied to the assessed value and type of a property.

Fee

Assessing costs for LSB services by applying a flat fee to properties. These are fees charged in respect of services provided by the board.

PLTA

The Provincial Land Tax Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 33, Schedule Z.2.

Power

Any 1 of the 8 powers set out in the Schedule to the NSBA and described in this Guide under the heading ‘Powers (Services) of the board’. An LSB may provide any 1 power or any combination of Powers as authorized by the minister and provided in a by-law duly passed by the board in accordance with the NSBA. Powers means any combination of the 8 powers.

Tenant

Any person who rents rather than owns a residence within the board area who, if that person is a permanent resident of a board area, is considered an Inhabitant as defined in section 1 of the NSBA.

Powers (services) of the board

  • Powers are not obligations. These give the LSB the authority to provide certain services, but do not require the LSB to provide those services. Additionally, the NSBA offers flexibility with respect to the provision of services within the board area, allowing the LSB to either:
    1. provide the service to the whole of the board area or to 1 or more parts of the board area designated by the board.
    2. provide a different level of service to different designated parts of the Board area.
  • However, no fee shall be charged, and no levy shall be imposed in respect of a service or a level of service in any part of the board area in which the service or level of service is not provided (NSBA, subsection 7(2)).
  • The type and level of services provided by each LSB varies.
  • The minister may, by order, designate the powers from those listed in the Schedule to the NSBA (which Schedule contains 8 powers in total) that the board may exercise. For information on requesting additional powers or establishing an LSB refer to the Appendix.
  • The powers which may be designated by the minister’s order and which, once designated in such an order, may be exercised by an LSB are set out in the Schedule to the NSBA and are as follows:

    1. Water supply

      The board may by by-law,

      1. acquire, establish, operate and maintain works for; or
      2. contract for,

      a supply of water and for that purpose may regulate the time, manner, extent and nature of such supply and the persons to whom water may be supplied and may charge a fee for the cost of such supply.

    2. Fire protection

      The board may by by-law,

      1. establish a fire department and for that purpose acquire, operate and maintain a fire-hall, fire engines and apparatus and equipment for use by volunteer firefighters in connection with fire protection services within the meaning of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997; or
      2. contract for fire protection services within the meaning of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997,

      and may charge a fee for the cost of such service.

    3. Garbage collection

      The board may by by-law,

      1. establish and maintain a system for the collection or removal, or any combination of them, of compost, garbage or recycling, or any combination of them; or
      2. contract for the collection, removal or disposal, or any combination of them, of compost, garbage or recycling, or any combination of them,

      and for that purpose may regulate the occasions, manner, extent and nature of such service and the persons to whom such service may be supplied, and may charge a fee for the cost of such service.

    4. Sewage

      The board may by by-law,

      1. acquire, establish, operate and maintain sewage works, including sewers, pumping plants, treatment works and other like works necessary for a sewage collection and treatment system; or
      2. contract for the collection and treatment of sewage,
        and for such purposes may charge a fee for such service or add a surcharge to the fee, if any, for water supply, or,
      3. upon such terms and conditions as the board considers appropriate and with the approval of a majority of the Inhabitants at a meeting called for that purpose, financially assist by grant or loan the installation of private septic tank systems or other systems approved by the Ministry of the Environment for the benefit of any inhabitant or inhabitants.

    5. Street or area lighting

      The board may by by-law,

      1. contract with any person for the provision of street or area lighting in the board area; or
      2. contract with any person for the provision of power and acquire by purchase or lease lights, light standards and lighting equipment in order to provide street or area lighting in the board area,

      and may charge a fee for the cost of such service, but no board shall generate its own power.

    6. Recreation

      The board may by by-law,

      1. contract for the use of recreation facilities or participation in programs of recreation;
      2. provide for the carrying out of programs of recreation; or
      3. acquire, establish, construct, operate and maintain recreation facilities,

      and may charge fees in respect of the programs of recreation or the recreation facilities.

    7. Roads – power was repealed: 2024, c.28, Sched.18, s.14(3)

    8. Public Library Services

      The board may by by-law,

      1. contract for the provision of public library service by a public library board, union board or county library board; or
      2. establish and maintain a public library service,

      and may, subject to the Public Libraries Act, charge fees in respect of such service.

    9. Emergency Telecommunications

      The board may, by by-law, contract for the establishment, operation and maintenance of an emergency telecommunications service that communicates with fire, police and ambulance communications services, and may charge a fee for the cost of such service.