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Municipal Law

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The Davis LLP Municipal Law Practice Group applies the specialized experience of the firm to the entire range of legal needs of our public- and private-sector clients. Our services include:

• Advising on the interpretation of local government statutes, and procedures relating to council meetings and public hearings.
• Assisting with drafting statutes, municipal bylaws and amendments.
• Acting for local governments with respect to the defence of bylaws challenged in the Courts, with general litigation and with other administrative and regulatory hearings.
• Advising private sector clients in their dealings with local governments.
• Advising and acting for private sector clients involved in judicial review proceedings that challenge the legality of municipal decisions and bylaws.
• Assisting local governments with negotiating and structuring their agreements, including real estate development agreements and public-private partnerships.
• Providing advice and conducting hearings with respect to land use planning and development matters.
• Advising on a full range of matters affecting municipalities and clients dealing with municipalities including labour and employment issues, taxation, insurance, environmental regulation, freedom of information, corporate governance, licensing, inter-governmental relations, and intellectual property issues.

Topical Issues

• In Ontario, recent legislative initiatives of the Provincial government have altered the landscape of land use planning and municipal law substantially. The Province has restricted the ability of landowners to develop their lands as they had in the past in particular through legislation such as the Strong Communities Act, Greenbelt Act, and Places to Grow Act and the Clean Water Act; and policies such as the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, the Greenbelt Plan and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The roles of municipalities and of the Ontario Municipal Board have also changed recently as a result of the amendments made to the Planning Act by Bill 51.
• Trends in municipal law are updated on an ongoing basis in our blog.

Representative Matters

Our experience includes advising:

• The Corporation of the Township of Langley in regard to its authority under the Local Government Act, the interpretation and application of Township bylaws and policies, procedures for Council meetings and public hearings, drafting bylaws, policies and amendments, representing the Township under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, employment law problems, and issues involving land use covenants, development agreements, purchase and sale transactions, rezoning, and subdivision approvals.
• BC Transit in the development of its SkyTrain and commuter rail guideways and stations, including the West Coast Express.
• The Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops with respect to establishing a new integrated resort community, including the creation of a resort society, formulating design development controls, establishing a community water and sewer system, and protecting trade-marks.
• On multi-party planning negotiations in respect of Oak Ridges Moraine planning approvals, the Seaton land exchange, the Region of Peel Official Plan, the Town of Caledon Official Plan and the County of Essex Restructuring of County Government.
• A variety of large-scale planning proposals. For example, in the City of Toronto, we acted on a proposal to redevelop the Bloorview MacMillan Centre and on a proposal for urban development at York University. In the City of Windsor, we acted on a proposal for waterfront development as a tourist attraction. In the City of Ottawa, we acted on a proposal to build a home for the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club.
• Policy issues, which have been at the forefront of a number of the matters on which our lawyers have acted, for example: development charges appeals in Mississauga and Toronto; administrative hearings with respect to growth management and aggregate policies in the Town of Caledon; and negotiations and administrative hearings with respect to planning and environmental policy in the Town of Richmond Hill.
• School boards, in regard to real estate and expropriations, legislative amendments and developments, as well as administrative law, labour relations and employment law, and representation in litigation, arbitrations and mediations.

Recognition and Activities

• Our lawyers regularly give seminars for clients and colleagues within the firm and at external conferences within their areas of expertise
• Our lawyers publish articles and case comments with respect to emerging trends in municipal law and post updates on our blog.

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