January 16, 2025 Newsletter

Find your Ward here and your Council Members here

Town hosts Chamber 'Business After Hours' event

Mayor Rob Burton and Council welcomed local business leaders to Town Hall for the 2nd Oakville Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event. The evening celebrated Oakville's continued success as a thriving hub for business and innovation.

Oakville has been named the "Best Place to Invest" for six consecutive years and was recognized as the "Most Livable City" in 2024. These accolades reflect the town's commitment to fostering economic growth and enhancing quality of life.

Attendees also learned about the record-setting achievements of Oakville’s film office, which hosted 236 film activity days in 2024, including 45 productions ranging from feature films to music videos. The year 2025 is already off to a strong start, with new projects underway.

Mayor Burton emphasized the town's ongoing support for local businesses, including 625 clients assisted through the Digital Main Street program since 2019, the issuance of 55 patio permits in 2024, the Economic Development Plan set to be finalized in 2025, and the launch of a new online patio portal in 2025.

Oakville continues to set the stage for business success and community prosperity.

Oakville surpasses 2024 housing target

Today's release of new housing starts data confirms that Oakville is on track to receive more than $13 million from the province's Building Faster Fund.

This program rewards municipalities by doubling the funding for every 1% they exceed their housing targets.

With Oakville achieving 125% of its 2024 target of 2,750 housing starts, the town qualifies for this significant funding boost.

The funds can be used to support housing-enabling infrastructure and other related costs that facilitate community growth.

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Statistics Canada releases 2024 population estimates

Statistics Canada has released updated population estimates, revealing Oakville's 2024 estimated population at 238,716.

This marks steady growth over the past five years, reflecting a thriving and expanding community:

2020: 219,028
2021: 222,225
2022: 226,779
2023: 232,371
2024: 238,716

Despite this growth, Oakville's ranking among Canada’s largest cities has shifted. Once ranked 25th in the 2021 Census, Oakville now stands as the 26th largest city, with Richmond, B.C., overtaking its position.

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Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE)

begins

The town is in the process of launching its ASE program.

The 14 ASE cameras will be activated in mid-January 2025 and will rotate among 36 Community Safety Zones on a quarterly basis.

The Municipal Speed Camera ‘Coming Soon’ signs will be replaced with Municipal Speed Camera ‘In-use’ signs when the ASE cameras go live.

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Call for Artists: Oakville Centre outdoor vinyl art

The Town of Oakville invites artists to propose two vibrant, full-colour vinyl artworks celebrating local performing arts for the Oakville Centre's exterior.

Submissions should highlight themes of theatre, music, and dance. The selected artist will receive a $5,000 fee (maximum, including HST).

Deadline: Sunday, February 2, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Apply online.

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Oakville Rangers set to host

Winter Classic tournament

All town arenas will be hosting the Oakville Rangers Winter Classic hockey tournament form January 16 to 19, 2025.

With 350 teams participating, this is the biggest minor hockey tournament in Canada and second largest in the world.

The growth and success of the Winter Classic is a testament to the partnership between town staff and our minor sports organizations, showcasing the town’s recreation facilities and generating a significant positive economic impact for Oakville.

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Download the 2025

Oakville calendar

Plan your year with the official 2025 Oakville Calendar!

Featuring stunning local images and important town dates, it’s your go-to guide for staying connected.

Download your free copy today from the town’s website and keep track of key events, holidays, and community initiatives.

Stay organized and celebrate everything Oakville has to offer in 2025!

Download it here!

When it snows, we're ready!

Primary and secondary roads are always plowed first to make sure that emergency service vehicles are able to travel throughout the town.

Residential streets are plowed only after snow accumulates in excess of 7.5 centimetres.

When all streets require clearing, they are to be completed within 24 hours after the end of the storm.

When we have a heavy snowfall or back-to-back snowfall events, it may take longer to clear all the streets.

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Public Consultations

Midtown OPA engagement opportunities

On January 20, 2025, members of the public can delegate at a statutory public meeting hosted by Planning and Development Council.

They can also send in comments to townclerk@oakville.ca for council’s consideration.

A decision of Council is expected after this public meeting.

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Local News

Oakville’s new online property tax service coming soon

A unique access code and registration instructions have been mailed to property owners.

Accessing your property tax information just got easier. The town is launching a new online service by the end of January 2025, allowing residential, commercial and industrial property owners to effortlessly access their property tax details anytime, anywhere.

Read the full release

Indoor recreational skating cancelled at Trafalgar Park Community Centre from January 16 to 19, 2025

Please note that all indoor drop-in recreational skating programs at Trafalgar Park Community Centre will be cancelled from January 16 to 19, 2025, for a hockey tournament.

For skating opportunities at our other community centres, please visit our Skating page.

Read the full release

Provincial News

Ontario Celebrates the Opening of The Elliott Long Term Care Residence

The Ontario government is celebrating the opening of the newly renovated The Elliott Long Term Care Residence, a 114-bed home in Guelph. The new construction has added 29 new beds to the existing 85 beds to better serve Guelph residents. This project is part of the government’s commitment to building 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care spaces across the province.

Read the full release

Ontario Building Fortress Am-Can to Grow the Economy for Am-Can Workers

Premier Doug Ford outlined Ontario’s forthcoming Am-Can Growth Plan, which would build up advanced manufacturing supply chains in the United States and Canada as part of Fortress Am-Can to bring good jobs back home for workers on both sides of the border.

Read the full release