The Town of Caledon has made amendments to its Official Plan (OPA 237) in an effort to enhance opportunities for agriculture-related uses, after concluding that existing policies needed to be adjusted to better reflect provincial policies and encourage value-added agriculture through secondary use and on-farm diversification methods.
The key intentions of OPA 237 are to:
- Simplify policies relating to agriculture-related uses
- Expand opportunities to support and enhance the viability of existing agricultural operations; and
- Bring the Official Plan’s agriculture-related policies into conformity with the 2014 Provincial Policy Statement (PPS).
The amendments focused on agriculture-related uses, which includes Farm Microbreweries, to the delight of many. We spoke with Kyle Munro, Community Policy Planner with the Town of Caledon, who was responsible for the recent OPA 237.
Kyle shares with us that the policies relating to the introduction of Farm Microbreweries and Farm Distilleries are certainly viewed as a highlight of OPA 237, as they stemmed from interests of the local community.
Though he adds, “this change in policy also reflects efforts to accommodate growing interests in ‘local food’, to meet requirements to comply with the 2014 PPS policy relating to ‘On-farm Diversified Uses’ and coincided with like amendments to existing Official Plan policies regarding Farm Wineries and Farm Cideries.”
Of course, the potential establishment of these type of operations in Caledon will be subject to requirements under the Official Plan and relevant legislation, regulations and guidelines in Ontario, and demonstration of adequate water/sewage servicing.
The 20-day appeal period under the Planning Act for OPA 237 ended without any appeals on October 15, 2014, bringing OPA 237 into effect.