City of Orillia Municipal Comprehensive Review

The City of Orillia is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of its land use and planning policies to accommodate future growth over the next 26 years.

This process includes:

  • exploring a boundary expansion to determine the best approach for accommodating future growth outside the current municipal boundaries
  • an Official Plan review to update the City's guiding document for land use planning and development to align with Provincial policies and address future needs.

Township of Severn Council and staff are actively  monitoring this process and working with the City of Orillia and other area municipal and government representatives to help ensure that our comments and those of our residents are considered. This approach is needed to secure our opportunity to participate in these decisions that could impact Severn's future. As we monitor this process, it is a priority that our residents stay informed.

Hybrid open house to review Orillia’s proposed boundary expansion to be held on January 29, 2026

The City of Orillia will hold a hybrid public open house on Thursday, January 29, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Orillia City Centre (50 Andrew Street South, Orillia), in Council Chambers, regarding the Settlement Area Boundary Expansion planning process. The City is exploring expansion options into the Townships of Severn and Oro-Medonte. This is the third open house on the boundary expansion, with the final growth options to be presented.  

The hybrid public open house on January 29, 2026 is an opportunity for residents and interested parties to provide feedback on Orillia’s future growth plans. No decisions will be made by Council during this session. 

Open house details

  • Date: Thursday, January 29, 2026
  • Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  • Location: Orillia City Centre (50 Andrew Street South), Council Chamber
  • Registration:
    • In person attendance: Registration is not required
    • Virtual attendance via Zoom: Register by emailing kgill@orillia.ca by no later than noon on January 28

For more information about the Open House, please contact Jill Lewis, Senior Planner at the City of Orillia by email to jlewis@orillia.ca or call 705-418-3232.

View the Planning Justification Report, Fiscal Analysis and potential boundary expansion maps

The Planning Justification Report, Fiscal Analysis and potential boundary expansion maps are now available for review at orillia.ca/boundaryexpansion in advance of the open house. 

Comments and feedback are welcome at the January 29 open house or by submitting written comments to planning@orillia.ca with the subject line “Boundary Expansion.” Written comments must be received by February 5, 2026 to be considered in the next report to Orillia Council, expected in late spring or summer of 2026.

View the Report, Analysis and Maps

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

To accommodate future population and employment growth, the City of Orillia is exploring a potential boundary expansion. This process ensures enough land is available to meet Provincial requirements, address community needs, and support sustainable development over the next 26 years.

A Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) is a long-range land use planning process informed by provincial planning policy. The City of Orillia is provincially mandated to complete this process.

To prepare for more people and jobs in the future, the City of Orillia is looking into possibly expanding its boundaries. This process makes sure there is enough land to meet the Province's needs, help the community, and promote sustainable development for the next 26 years.

The City has sufficient land to support growth only until the 2030s; however, Provincial policy mandates that municipalities must plan for a growth horizon of at least 20 years. Orillia is expected to provide 7,330 new housing units by 2051. The Council will determine if this growth can be managed within the current municipal limits or if more land is necessary. Besides housing units, the City will also need extra land for employment and community purposes. This additional land cannot be accommodated within Orillia’s existing boundaries. The City has pinpointed 196.1 developable hectares in the Townships of Severn and Oro-Medonte as potential sites for future boundary expansion.

Public and stakeholder consultation will continue to take place, including opportunities to comment on the revised proposed boundary expansion. You can stay up to date on these opportunities by subscribing to updates at orillia.ca/planningforthefuture. You are also welcome to submit comments in writing to planning@orillia.ca. 

The City of Orillia has provided a visual timeline which outlines the process. This timeline is subject to change.

News and resources

Further details

More information is available by visiting the City of Orillia's Planning for the Future webpage. Subscribe to updates updates from the City on their website. 

Contact us

1024 Hurlwood Lane
Severn, Ontario

Phone: 705-325-2315
Fax: 705-327-5818
Contact us

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