Real estate lawyers, municipalities, and the general public
should be happy to hear that Bill 276,1 which
included a set of long awaited amendments to the Planning
Act (Ontario),2 received Royal Assent on
June 3, 2021.
For many years, Section 50 of the Planning
Act (Ontario) created conveyancing and title
complexities, leading to unintended consequences and cumbersome
workarounds. Through clearer language, new provisions, and a
streamlined administrative process, Bill 276 has removed a number
of these issues.
What is the Planning Act (Ontario)?
The Planning Act (Ontario) regulates and
controls the division of land for orderly land development. The
core operative provisions prohibit dealing with land unless the
transaction falls within one of the acceptable conveyances. If not,
the transaction creates no interest in the land, and any conveyance
is void.