The Town of The Blue Mountains would like to inform residents, builders and developers that Council has formally adopted an amendment to By-law 2014-18, Being a By-law under the Building Code Act Respecting Permits and Related Matters. The updated By-law was adopted at the July 14, 2025, Council Meeting, with all changes set to take effect on September 1, 2025.
The amended By-law includes revised building permit fees listed in Schedule A and additional updates that reflect current operational processes within the Building Services Department. The updated By-law, including the revised fees schedule, can be found on the project webpage at www.thebluemountains.ca/PDSFeesReview.
At the same meeting, Council deferred a decision on the proposed changes to By-law 2022-14, Being a By-law for fees related to Planning Matters and Engineering Services, directing staff to prepare a subsequent follow-up report that incorporates incremental increases as well as future projections for the next two years. This report is expected to be presented at the September 16, 2025, Committee of the Whole meeting.
Both By-law updates are part of a comprehensive review of Planning and Development Services fees. In 2024, the Town retained Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. to conduct a detailed analysis of development-related fees, with the goal of supporting full cost recovery while maintaining competitive rates compared to similar municipalities. A Public Meeting was held on March 11, 2025, to present the proposed changes and gather input from members of the community and Council. Following the meeting, Watson prepared a comprehensive report outlining the legislative context for the changes, the cost recovery model and recommended fee schedules.
The proposed revised fees are designed to improve the sustainability of the Town’s development services, ensure financial responsibility in the delivery of services, enhance predictability in fee structure and support ongoing investment in the community.
For more details, and to subscribe for updates about the Planning and Development Services Fee Review project, visit www.thebluemountains.ca/PDSFeesReview.
For more information, please contact:
Town of The Blue Mountains
Building Services Division
(519) 599-3131 ext. 239