King Township is planning growth for the next three decades and needs the help of residents and business owners to shape its future. The Township is reviewing its ‘Our King’ Official Plan (adopted in 2019) and has scheduled a first series of open houses throughout January to gather community input. These open houses will focus on three key topics: Living in King, Working in King, and Moving and Connecting in King.
The review is taking place now for three reasons.
First, municipalities are required by Ontario’s Planning Act to conduct an Official Plan review every five years to ensure it conforms with provincial plans and is consistent with the Provincial Planning Statement. This statement replaced the Provincial Policy Statement in October of 2024.
Second, the Ontario government recently made several changes to regional planning, including the passing of Bill 185, which removed planning responsibilities from upper-tier municipalities, including York, Peel and Halton. Those planning responsibilities now rest with local municipalities. Due to this, the Township will need to explore how York Region’s most recent Official Plan (last updated in 2022) can be integrated with King’s.
Third, the Official Plan Review will plan to horizon of 2051, where the current Our King Official Plan contemplates growth in King to 2031. The Review will provide an opportunity to review the vision for King to ensure that it aligns with the Township’s long-term needs.
An open house is scheduled in each village—King City, Nobleton and Schomberg—and all are drop-in style from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a presentation at 6:30 p.m. They will cover the same materials and provide a platform for residents to share their thoughts and ideas on how King should grow.
Open House schedule:
- Schomberg
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 16
- Location: Trisan Centre, 25 Dillane Drive, Schomberg
- King City
- Date: Wednesday, Jan. 22
- Location: Council Chambers in the King Township Municipal Centre, 2585 King Road, King City
- Nobleton
- Date: Wednesday, Jan. 29
- Location: Arena Hall, Dr. William Laceby Community Centre and Arena, 15 Old King Road, Nobleton
Why is the Official Plan important?
The Official Plan affects every resident, business, and landowner in King Township. It sets a long-term vision for the future and provides a detailed policy framework to guide growth. The current Official Plan, “Our King,” was adopted by King in September 2019 and approved by York Region in September 2020. This review is an opportunity to update the plan to guide growth in the Township to the year 2051, while preserving its unique characteristics.
Key objectives of the Official Plan review:
- Align with recent provincial policy and legislation changes, including the directive to “build more homes faster.”
- Integrate relevant policies from the York Region Official Plan, 2022, which includes population and growth targets for King to 2051.
- Ensure the vision, objectives and policies for King continue to meet the Township’s evolving needs.
What will the review address?
- Update the vision and policy framework to guide growth and development in the three villages of King City, Nobleton and Schomberg, the hamlets and the rural area.
- Determine how to accommodate population growth and support the development of complete communities.
- Address employment growth with policies for the changing nature of employment uses.
- Promote the preservation of natural and cultural heritage resources with stronger policies while providing flexibility where appropriate.
- Ensure the viability of the agricultural system and provide opportunities for economic development and rural resiliency through enhanced policies for agriculture-related and on-farm diversified uses.
- Revisit the Township’s energy, climate change and sustainability policies to ensure they reflect current standards and prepare King for a changing climate.
These Open Houses will be just one of multiple opportunities to provide feedback as part of the review process. If you are unable to attend in person, presentation materials will be available on the SpeaKING project page following the open houses. To stay updated on future opportunities, for more information, to join the mailing list or to ask questions, visit the Official Plan Review page on SpeaKING or email the project team at policyplanning@king.ca.
