April 3, 2024 Newsletter

Find your Ward here and your Council Members here

Town invites public input on draft OPA for Midtown Oakville

The new draft Official Plan Amendment (OPA) on the area around the Oakville GO station called Midtown Oakville is on the agenda for Council's meeting held at 6:30pm on April 22.

Planning staff will show how the draft succeeds in complying with the Province of Ontario's requirements. Council will welcome public delegations.

"I know we are all seeking the most viable and livable outcome possible for Midtown," said Mayor Burton.

Read the full draft

Nominate your community champions

Nominate your community champions for the Oakville Community Spirit Awards 2024! These awards celebrate individuals, organizations, and businesses making a difference in Oakville through leadership and dedication. Recognize those promoting arts, culture, climate action, good neighborliness, inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, inspiration, and innovation.

Nominations are open until April 26. Help honor those enhancing Oakville's vibrancy and livability. Selection criteria include dedication to Oakville, contribution to town values, addressing community challenges, and making a positive impact. A committee will review nominations and select winners.

Nominate here

Tickets on sale for centennial cup

From May 9th to May 19th, the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex will transform into a battleground for hockey excellence. Nine CJHL champions, alongside the host team, will vie for the title of Canada's National Junior A Champion in what promises to be an exhilarating display of skill and determination.

Tickets for the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, are already available for purchase. Don't miss your chance to witness the action firsthand – secure your seats today and be a part of history in the making!

Strike your pose with the Centennial Cup at the Sixteen Mile Creek Arena!

Get your tickets

CBC News - Federal government pledges $6B for housing in new infrastructure fund

The federal government is pledging billions of dollars in new money to tackle Canada's housing crisis, but much of it will be accessible only to provinces and territories that agree to certain conditions, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday.

Speaking in Dartmouth, N.S., Trudeau announced the federal government is creating a new $6-billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund.

"We're taking the challenge of building more homes, faster, in this country head-on … This is how we'll address the shortage of housing options for Canadians," he said. "This is how we will make it fairer for younger generations who feel like they are falling behind because housing costs are too high."

The money will be dedicated to the construction and upgrading of water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste infrastructure, something cities have said is critical to building more housing.

Of the $6 billion in the fund, $1 billion will go directly to municipalities for "urgent infrastructure needs," the Prime Minister's Office said in a news release.

Read the full story

Globe and Mail - Some provinces reject $6-billion housing program announced by Trudeau ahead of federal budget

The federal government says it is launching a multibillion-dollar fund to pay for infrastructure needed to build housing and will bypass any provinces that object to the requirements to deal directly with municipalities, prompting some provinces, including Quebec and Ontario, to quickly reject the program as an intrusion into their jurisdiction.

The program, announced Tuesday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, would require provinces to agree to a list of conditions to access the money, including eliminating single-family zoning and allowing fourplexes by default. Ontario Premier Doug Ford already ruled out such a policy last month.

Mr. Trudeau has previously faced pushback on other housing-related policies, including the Housing Accelerator Fund, which imposed similar requirements on municipalities and prompted premiers to threaten to use legislation to prevent Ottawa from dealing directly with local governments. The potential standoff over housing money looms as the Prime Minister is also fighting with the majority of premiers over their objections to the consumer carbon tax.

Read the full story

Public Consulatations

Oakville transit's 5 year business plan

Oakville Transit is ramping up community engagement this April as it continues to shape its five-year business plan following initial consultations in November 2023, which focused on understanding transit service needs.

To facilitate discussions and gather feedback, Oakville Transit will host Transit Talk drop-in events on April 10 and 11 at various locations across town.

Additionally, residents can participate by completing a short online survey available until April 15.

Wednesday, April 10

Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre, 2302 Bridge Road, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Glen Abbey Community Centre, 1415 Third Line, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, 3070 Neyagawa Blvd., from 6 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, April 11

Oakville Trafalgar Community Centre, 325 Reynolds Street, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Oakville Public Library, 120 Navy Street, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Iroquois Ridge Community Centre, 1051 Glenashton Drive, 6 to 8 p.m.

The final draft of the five-year plan is slated for presentation to Council in the fall.

Complete the survey

Local News

Halton Police Board Approves 2024-2027 Strategic Plan

On March 28, 2024, the Halton Police Board approved the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan that will help guide the Halton Regional Police Service’s priorities over the next four years.

The Strategic Plan was developed in collaboration with the Halton Regional Police Service and has been driven by the Halton community. This plan is results-based and community focused. This approach reflects the Board and Service’s community-first perspective and places an emphasis on community safety outcomes.

Read the full release

Provincial News

Provincial By-elections Called in Milton and Lambton-Kent-Middlesex

A writ was issued today under Section 9.1 of the Election Act for by-elections in the electoral districts of Milton and Lambton-Kent-Middlesex.

Under the Election Act, elections must be called on a Wednesday and held the fifth Thursday after the date of the issue of the writ. Voting day will be May 2, 2024.

Read the full release

Ontario Building New Medical School at York University Focused on Primary Care Doctors

The Ontario government is providing an initial investment of $9 million through the 2024 budget, Building a Better Ontario, to begin the design and planning for York University’s new medical school in Vaughan. The new medical school will be the first in Canada that is focused on training primary care doctors and is helping fulfill Ontario’s commitment to ensure that everyone who wants to have a primary care provider can access one.

Read the full release

Doug Ford and Bonnie Crombie both opposed new housing. One changed their mind

Before Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie was in favour of more housing, she was against it.

In early 2022, a landmark housing report was presented to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, a wide-ranging blueprint of how to build a lot more housing. Mr. Ford shelved most of the big ideas.

Read the full story

Federal News

Trudeau announces $15B more for apartment construction loans

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a $15-billion top-up to the federal government's Apartment Construction Loan Program (ACLP) and says the government plans to leverage the soon-to-be $55-billion program to encourage provincial and territorial partnerships to boost the number of rental units across Canada.

Read the full story