Employment Area Review

In response to recent Provincial legislative changes for Employment Areas, including what is permitted within them, how they are designated and how they are protected, the City of Hamilton is undertaking a comprehensive Employment Area Review, which will be completed in two phases.

Phase 1 is a blanket Official Plan Amendment that amended the permitted uses within the City’s designated Employment Areas to be consistent with the Planning Act and Provincial Planning Statement. The intent of the Phase 1 Official Plan Amendment is to protect the City’s existing employment areas from loss and fragmentation until Phase 2 is completed.

Council approved Phase 1 Official Plan Amendments on April 22, 2026. The Urban Hamilton Official Plan Amendment No. 252 has been appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal, and is not currently in effect.

What is an Employment Area?

Employment Areas consist of land set aside for non-residential uses such as manufacturing, research and development, warehousing, and goods movement. As a result of changes to the Provincial Planning Framework, the City is required to update land use permissions and policies for designated Employment Areas in the Urban Hamilton Official Plan to be consistent with the Planning Act and Provincial Planning Statement.

Through Provincial Bill 97, the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, the definition of “Area of Employment” in the Planning Act was revised which reduced the range and types of uses permitted within areas of employment. At the same time, the Provincial Planning Statement (2024) came into effect and contained an updated definition of “Employment Area” and associated policies.

What uses are permitted in Employment Areas under these Provincial changes?

*Is permitted as an ancillary use to warehousing or manufacturing, but not as a stand-alone use.

Phase 2: Comprehensive Review

Phase 2 of the Employment Area Review is a comprehensive review of all Employment Areas within Hamilton to determine which of them should remain under the Province’s changes and which lands should allow other uses.

Phase 2 will include a comprehensive review the City’s employment area policies:

• Employment Area Inventory - To identify the existing use of each parcel within all designated employment areas and establishes an initial analysis of land uses. The inventory will be utilized in Phase 2 to determine where existing clusters of employment uses are located.
• Review of Employment Area Land Supply - A review of the existing employment area land supply to the current planning horizon of 2051 to determine if there is a deficit of lands required to accommodate employment growth and uses over the long-term.
• Review of Existing Employment Area Designation Boundaries - Revisions to Employment Area Designation Boundaries may be required based on the outcomes of the inventory update and conclusion of the land supply review.
• Review of Permissions for Employment Uses in Strategic Growth Areas and Commercial Designations - Limited land use permissions for uses now prohibited from locating within an employment area may be introduced in Strategic Growth Areas and Commercial Areas. Should these permissions be introduced, appropriate transitions between employment uses and sensitive land uses to avoid negative impacts on the long-term economic viability of the employment use must be implemented.