Ontario Municipal Board

• Ontario Municipal Board

• OMB

The Ontario Municipal Board was established in 1932, replacing the Ontario Railway and Municipal Board and the Bureau of Municipal Affairs. The number of individuals on the board is determined by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, who also has authority to appoint one member as Chair, and one or more vice-Chairs.

In response to the Depression, and to the succession of municipal defaults on debt, the board was given the authority to appoint committees of supervisors to manage the affairs of municipalities in bankruptcy. In 1934, the Department of Municipal Affairs was established, and the supervision of bankrupt municipalities was transferred from the board to the new department. The Ontario Municipal Board, however, continued to exist as a quasi- judicial body to hear applications and appeals concerning municipal matters.

Following the Second World War, the Ontario Municipal Board assumed additional responsibility for appeals and applications under the new "Planning Act", designed to provide for a more orderly urban and rural development.

In the early 1960s, changes to the "Planning Act" established Committees of Adjustment at the township, town and city level and Land Division Committees at the county and regional level to review applications to sever or re-zone parcels of land covered by official plans. Appeals against the decisions of these local committees were assigned to the Ontario Municipal Board.

The Ontario Municipal Board has reported to the following Departments and Ministries: The Department of the Attorney General (1932-1934); the Department of Municipal Affairs (1934-1972); the Ministry of the Attorney General (1972-1992); the Ministry of Municipal Affairs (1992-1995); the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (1995-2000) and the Ministry of the Attorney General beginning in 2000.

The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) is a quasi-judicial agency which acts as an arbitrator between municipalities and between individuals and municipalities. The board hears applications and appeals on municipal and planning matters such as zoning by-laws, subdivision plans, property assessments, exemptions from property taxation, land compensation matters, and applications for municipal annexations or amalgamations.

The Board also has the authority to appoint committees of supervisors to manage the affairs of municipalities in bankruptcy, and to review applications from municipalities for debentures to raise money to conduct public work relief projects. From 1932 to 1954, the board was also responsible for the regulation of independent telephone companies in Ontario.

Ontario Municipal Board Act, Statutes of Ontario 1932, Chap. 27

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12- 24

Archivist(s):
R. Anger