Overview

As areas of high economic output, provincially significant employment zones are strategically located to provide stable, reliable employment across the region. They provide opportunities to improve coordination between land use planning, economic development and infrastructure investments to support investment and job creation over the longer-term.

A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe sets out policies that protect employment areas critical to the local and provincial economy. These policies give municipalities the flexibility to change the use of lands from employment areas to other uses, while making sure key employment areas are protected for the long-term.

Map of provincially significant employment zones

To make sure employment areas are protected, we identified provincially significant employment zones. Our policies only apply to areas within a zone that have been designated as employment areas in a municipality’s official plan. Land uses that are currently permitted will not change because of this policy.

Provincially significant employment zones were identified following a review of how the proposed zones supported regional and provincial economic development, the local planning context, municipal support for the zone, and other factors.

Generally, these zones may:

  • be located inside the settlement area and not in the Greenbelt
  • not be under appeal at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal
  • be located near infrastructure for major transportation or movement of goods
  • have a high concentration of employment
  • have a high economic impact or play an economic or strategic role to the region
  • be vulnerable to conversion to non-employment uses (for example, to residential homes)
  • include development potential for employment uses (for example, large lots for commercial purposes)
  • share a common border with an existing zone

See the interactive map

Contact us

For more information, please contact us at growthplanning@ontario.ca.