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County of Dufferin completes Municipal Comprehensive Review process

September 25, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

The County of Dufferin recently concluded its Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) process.

The review received approval for Official Plan Amendment Four from the Province of Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, which was preceded by approvals to Official Plan Amendments Two and Three on Oct. 9, 2024.

The Official Plan looks to accommodate projected growth in Dufferin County. The local population is expected to grow to roughly 100,700 people and 40,900 jobs by 2051. This represents an increase of 32,300 people and 14,100 jobs between 2021 and 2051.  

“To plan and accommodate this growth, the County undertook a review and update of the Official Plan through a process called a Municipal Comprehensive Review,” reads a statement from the County of Dufferin on the MCR’s completion. “An Official Plan provides policy direction on how land in the community should be used by upper-tier, lower-tier, and single-tier municipalities.”

Dufferin County’s Official Plan is intended to provide policy direction on matters of significance.

“It directs growth management and land use decisions in Dufferin by providing upper-tier land use planning guidance for the County’s eight local municipalities,” reads the county’s statement.

“The Official Plan provides upper-tier land use planning policies to manage growth and development within the County over the planning horizon.”

The newly updated Official Plan features a long-term and growth management framework to assist the County of Dufferin in accommodating a growing population.

“Official Plan Amendment Two has implemented updated population and employment forecasts for the County of Dufferin, as well as each of Dufferin County’s eight lower-tier municipalities. This amendment also implemented new intensification targets and land allocations related to employment, residential and commercial needs for each of Dufferin’s lower-tier municipalities,” reads the county’s statement.

Meanwhile, Official Plan Amendment Three enacted changes to key land use schedules within the County of Dufferin Official Plan. Verbiage and general policy changes have been made through this amendment to ensure the County is reaching the goals identified in its updated Official Plan.

“Official Plan Amendment Four has implemented significant changes to key land use policies relating to employment land conversions, settlement area expansions, and the establishment of additional residential units. This amendment also updated references to provincial policies no longer in-effect and modified and added several new definitions,” reads the county’s statement.

With the County having updated the Official Plan to reflect all the updates made as part of the Municipal Comprehensive Review, the final consolidated document is now available on the County of Dufferin website at dufferincounty.ca/planning-development/official-plan-provincial-land-use-planning-policies.

Looking ahead, the County of Dufferin is required to undertake an additional Official Plan Amendment to ensure it conforms with any policies that were added or modified in the new Provincial Planning Statement, implemented by the Ontario government in October 2024.

Currently, the County is in the process of hiring a consultant to complete the amendment exercise.

The County of Dufferin consists of eight member municipalities: Grand Valley, Shelburne, Amaranth, Orangeville, Melanchton, Mulmur, Mono, and East Garafraxa.

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