Municipal Act, 2001 (Ontario)


The Municipal Act, 2001 is the main statute governing the creation, administration and government of municipalities in the Canadian province of Ontario, other than the City of Toronto. After being passed in 2001, it came into force on 1 January 2003, replacing the previous Municipal Act.

Functions

There are complex rules as to which municipalities have authority to act on any given subject, which are summarized as follows in Section 11:
Sphere of jurisdictionPart of sphere assignedUpper-tier municipality to which part of sphere assignedExclusive or non-exclusive assignment
Highways, including parking and traffic on highwaysWhole sphereAll upper-tier municipalitiesNon-exclusive
Transportation systems, other than on highwaysAirportsAll upper-tier municipalitiesNon-exclusive
Transportation systems, other than on highwaysFerriesAll upper-tier municipalitiesNon-exclusive
Transportation systems, other than on highwaysDisabled passenger transport systemsPeel, HaltonNon-exclusive
Transportation systems, other than on highwaysWhole sphere, except airports and ferriesWaterloo, YorkExclusive
Waste managementWhole sphere, except waste collectionDurham, Halton, Lambton, Oxford, Peel, Waterloo, YorkExclusive
Public utilitiesSewage treatmentAll counties, Niagara, Waterloo, YorkNon-exclusive
Public utilitiesSewage treatmentDurham, Halton, Muskoka, Oxford, PeelExclusive
Public utilitiesCollection of sanitary sewageAll counties, Niagara, Waterloo, YorkNon-exclusive
Public utilitiesCollection of sanitary sewageDurham, Halton, Muskoka, Oxford, PeelExclusive
Public utilitiesCollection of storm water and other drainage from landAll upper-tier municipalitiesNon-exclusive
Public utilitiesWater production, treatment and storageAll upper-tier municipalities except countiesExclusive
Public utilitiesWater distributionNiagara, Waterloo, YorkNon-exclusive
Public utilitiesWater distributionOxford, Durham, Halton, Muskoka, PeelExclusive
Culture, parks, recreation and heritageWhole sphereAll upper-tier municipalitiesNon-exclusive
Drainage and flood control, except storm sewersWhole sphereAll upper-tier municipalitiesNon-exclusive
Structures, including fences and signsWhole sphere, except fences and signsOxfordNon-exclusive
Parking, except on highwaysMunicipal parking lots and structuresAll upper-tier municipalitiesNon-exclusive
Animals--
Economic development servicesPromotion of the municipality for any purpose by the collection and dissemination of informationDurhamExclusive
Economic development servicesPromotion of the municipality for any purpose by the collection and dissemination of informationAll counties, Halton, Muskoka, Niagara, Oxford, Peel, Waterloo, YorkNon-exclusive
Economic development servicesAcquisition, development and disposal of sites for industrial, commercial and institutional usesDurhamExclusive
Economic development servicesAcquisition, development and disposal of sites for industrial, commercial and institutional usesHalton, Lambton, OxfordNon-exclusive
Business licensingOwners and drivers of taxicabs, tow trucks, buses and vehicles used for hire; Taxicab brokers; Salvage business; Second-hand goods businessNiagara, WaterlooExclusive
Business licensingDrainage business, plumbing businessYorkExclusive
Business licensingLodging houses, septic tank businessYorkNon-exclusive