On June 13, 2005, the Places to Grow Act, 2005 received Royal Assent. The Act provides a legal framework for the government to designate any geographic area of the province as a growth plan area and to develop a growth plan in consultation with local officials and stakeholders.

The Act enables the government to plan for population growth, economic expansion and the protection of the environment, agricultural lands and other valuable natural resources in a co-ordinated and strategic way. The legislation is provincial in scope and allows for growth plans in any part of Ontario.

The legislation ensures that growth plans reflect a geographic perspective and promote a rational and balanced approach to growth that builds on community priorities, strengths and opportunities.

• Places to Grow Act, 2005
• News Release and Backgrounder, June 14, 2005
• Minister David Caplan’s Speech to the Legislature (Third Reading, June 6, 2005)
• Minister David Caplan’s Speech to the Legislature (Second Reading, March 2, 2005)
• Minister David Caplan’s Speech to the Legislature (First Reading, October 28, 2004)

The first growth plan adopted under the Places to Grow Act, 2005 is the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, released on June 16, 2006.