June 2019 Issue

In the upcoming June Council meeting on June 21, OPPI Council welcomes the planning program directors from each of the six accredited planning programs in Ontario to discuss a number of items, including a generative discussion on the "future planning system." Discussion will focus on current planning reform taking place in Ontario and look forward towards a vision of the ideal planning system. OPPI wants to thank members for completing our most recent survey on enhancing planning practices. Your feedback will help inform this conversation around the Council table and the development of a white paper in the future. In addition to this, OPPI Council will engage in a discussion with the planning program directors focusing on aligned research priorities.

Also at the meeting, taking place on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Council will also receive a report from OPPI's Indigenous Planning Perspectives Task Force with a number of recommendations on how Council can move forward with incorporating Indigenous perspectives into the work of the organization and education for members. 

In addition to this, Council will receive a report of the Registrar on the removal of members from the register for 2019. Members are removed from the register for failure to pay the annual fee, which is distinct from members resigning in good standing, or for failure to meet the CPL requirement to both record the necessary Learning Units and/or pay any CPL penalty fee assessed for missing the recording deadline.

OPPI Council meets four times a year. Council approved agendas and minutes are available upon request to the OPPI office. The goal is to engage members in shaping the direction and initiatives of OPPI and continue to deliver on our INSPIRE OPPI Strategic Plan 2020. Members are encouraged to speak up and get involved and stay in touch throughout the year through OPPI's many communications channels.

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OPPI's Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Wednesday, October 2, at the Beanfield Centre in the City of Toronto. The AGM will be held in the afternoon after OPPI's awards luncheon from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Members do not need to register for OPPI19: Beyond25 in order to attend the AGM. Stay tuned for more information about the AGM over the summer.

OPPI supports a fair process where members are given advance notice of proposed motions to be made by members attending the AGM. In doing so, as many members as possible have the opportunity to consider motions put before them, decide whether to attend the AGM, or to complete a proxy form so their vote can be counted.

To ensure adequate notice, any motion made at the AGM must be provided in writing and signed by three (3) members of OPPI eligible to vote on or before 5:00 p.m. on July 15, 2019. 

Motions must be of a substantive matter and can be submitted by completing this online form. Questions regarding this process can be directed to registrar@ontarioplanners.ca.
 

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  OPPI would like to thank members for their participation in the compensation and benefits survey developed in collaboration between OPPI, CIP and the other PTIAs across Canada. The information and feedback provided will allow the PTIAs to generate national and regional compensation analysis and trends. 

With the survey complete, the results will be compiled and will be shared with members at no additional cost. Stay tuned for an update on this. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the survey, please contact OPPI's Member Engagement Manager, Rupendra Pant at membership@ontarioplanners.ca. 
 

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OPPI would like to introduce members to the newest member of OPPI staff! In mid-May, we welcomed a new Governance Coordinator, Stephania Panini, who replaces Administrative Assistant Christine Meehan. 

Steph comes to OPPI with nine years of work experience with NETWORK Reporting and Mediation (a leading discovery and mediation firm in North America). Steph can be contacted at 416-483-1873 x 0 and via email at info@ontarioplanners.ca. Please join us in welcoming Steph aboard! 
 

OPPI would like to thank members for your participation in filling out our needs assessment survey after partnering with the Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources (OCCAIR) and Risk Sciences International (RSI). Your feedback will assist OPPI in developing specialized training materials to enhance your professional competency in climate change risks, impacts and adaptation.

In addition, we received an overwhelming number of responses and interest in participating in an advisory committee related to this work. OPPI would like to thank those who put their names forward to assist in this important work. 

If members have any questions about the needs assessment survey or the related advisory committee, please contact OPPI's Education Manager, Ryan Des Roches. 

On December 9, 2019, OPPI celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Registered Professional Planners (RPP) designation in Ontario. This province was the first jurisdiction in Canada to introduce legislation that protects the RPP designation and marks the day, according to Mark Dorfman, RPP, and Tony Usher, RPP and former OPPI President, "the planning profession came of age." Since 1994, all the other provinces have followed OPPI's lead and worked towards (and most have achieved) effective legislative protection of the RPP designation or a similar designation for professional planners.

To mark this milestone, OPPI has created a webpage that tells the story of how the OPPI Act came to be and the significance of this legislation to the planning profession. Members can also learn about some of the activities OPPI will undertake this year to celebrate this important milestone.  
 

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As part of OPPI's work to build the RPP brand to the public, decision-makers, elected officials and
stakeholders, we are profiling case studies on our new website that position RPPs as community leaders, experts and focusing on inspiring communities across the province. We need your help to spread the word!

We have a new case study on OPPI's website to share: 

• Citizens shaping the spaces around them: How a carefully layered participatory planning process gave Hamilton's Ward One residents a voice in municipal spending

Do you know someone who is grappling with these issues right now? Is there someone at your
office/municipality/consultancy that would benefit from knowing what RPPs are doing? Share our members' success stories with your colleagues, friends, key contacts at your workplace and everywhere else!

Feel free to share each case study on social media and via email as they are published. More case studies will be developed in 2019, so stay tuned for another batch of great examples of planners inspiring their local communities! If you have any questions or would like to share your story, please email communications@ontarioplanners.ca.

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Back in November, Eastern District teamed up with Lakeland District to host a rural workshop. During this workshop, time was taken to run a quick exercise based on the six-word stories idea OPPI presented to members at the members Hub at the 2018 Symposium. Please see below the responses that came in from this workshop. OPPI would like to thank Lisa Dalla Rosa, RPP and Eastern and Lakeland District attendees for providing this valuable information! If members have any questions about this exercise, please feel free to reach out to Eastern and/or Lakeland Districts. 
 

In this month's Planning Exchange blog, Danny Bridson, Urban Designer from MANDAWORKS takes a closer look a closer look at his current home of Stockholm and provides insights into planning taking place in one of Europe's most popular cities. Danny also provides great examples and lessons that members in Ontario can think about in their own practice. 

Click here to read more

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Ontario's newly introduced Bill 108, the More Homes, More Choices Act, 2019 proposes a number of amendments that will dramatically affect the land use planning regime in Ontario. The Ontario Government proposed these legislative changes to increase the supply of housing and provide more affordable housing options by, among other things, changing how funds are collected from developers and eliminating the basis for appeal and the two stage LPAT hearing process implemented under Bill 139. These changes will have a significant impact on developers, municipalities, school boards, and other stakeholders. 

OPPI and WeirFoulds LLP invite you to join our expert panel of WeirFoulds Lawyers and OPPI Members as we discuss the proposed changes to the Planning Act, Local Planning Appeal Tribunal Act, Ontario Heritage Act, the Development Charges Act and the Education Act, and whether they will have the intended effect. Will there be unintended consequences?  

Please note, we are currently at capacity for in-person attendance. Members can join the session by webcast. Please RSVP by Monday, June 17, 2019 by clicking on the button below. If you have any questions please contact WeirFoulds at events@weirfoulds.com.

Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Registration: 8:30 a.m. (breakfast for in-person attendees)
Program: 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. 
In-Person Location: WeirFoulds LLP, 66 Wellington Street West, Suite 4100, TD Bank Tower, Toronto ON, M5K1B7

Webcast RSVP

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As part of OPPI's Professional Code of Practice, members must take all reasonable steps to maintain their professional competence throughout their working lives. Central to this is OPPI's Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) program, now in its fifth year. 

While CPL is mandatory, it is intended to help members stay current with changes and developments in the planning profession, and to stay informed about innovations and leading practices. 

Members are responsible to ensure they remain in compliance each year. This includes ensuring CPL information is entered in correctly in member profiles and to ensure it is for the correct year. 

OPPI always recommends to members to input your CPL units prior to the end of the calendar year to ensure compliance. Members are committed to CPL so we know you will take the opportunity to update your profiles with CPL units collected to date, so it doesn't become a last-minute task at the end of the year. 

For the past five years, since the start of the CPL program, OPPI members have averaged 93% compliance! This is fantastic and very encouraging to see how seriously the profession takes CPL. 

2019 OACA Conference
Hear OPPI President Jason Ferrigan, RPP speak at the 2019 OACA Conference taking place June 2-5. Jason will participate in a workshop answering Committee of Adjustment & Land Division Committee planning questions and more. Members interested in learning more about the 2019 OACA Conference can visit OACA's website.

City of Hamilton Urban Design and Architecture Awards
The City of Hamilton is accepting submissions for its 2019 Urban Design and Architecture Awards, which are held bi-annually and recognize and celebrate excellence in the design of the urban environment. The call for submissions deadline is June 14 at 4:00 p.m., so if you want to learn more and make a submission, please visit the City of Hamilton's website.

UofT Urban Leadership eXchange
The Urban Leadership eXchange is a new certificate of completion being offered by the University of Toronto's Institute for Management & Innovation's IMIx Executive Program, in conjunction with the Master of Urban Innovation program. Join UofT faculty for a 1.5 day program on June 10-11 hosted at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus. Participants in the Urban Leadership eXchange will gain deeper knowledge and understanding of the ways in which the concept of urban innovation can be leveraged for economic development in the 21st century. The objective of this program is to introduce, familiarize and train participants to consider the ways in which innovation, technological change and the shift towards a digital economy affords an opportunity to promote positive economic and social change in Canadian cities. OPPI Members can enjoy a special rate. Learn more by visiting uoft.me/ulx and register today!

Ducks Unlimited Grant to Design Infrastructure Stormwater System
Ducks Unlimited Canada has received a grant from the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation to partner with a developer and municipality to design a fully functional naturalized stormwater management pond (SWMP) for a new development within the Greenbelt region. The naturalized SWMP will incorporate wetland features that will enable it to demonstrate the value of natural infrastructure. Ducks Unlimited Canada is seeking expressions of interest from developers and municipalities, in or adjacent to Ontario's Greenbelt. They will work with a developer to advance a comprehensive blueprint for a naturalized SWMP site plan, fully in compliance with municipal policies and regulations. The deadline for expressions of interest is June 28, 2019. For more information, please visit the Ducks Unlimited Canada website. 
 

ARE YOU IN THE CONSULTANT'S DIRECTORY?
Are you listed in OPPI's Consultant's Directory? If you're not in, it's time to get in! If you're looking to do some consulting on the side or looking for RPPs to work with for that big project you're leading, and everything in between, OPPI's Consultant's Directory is for you. Sign up today and get listed!

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ARE YOU AN EMPLOYER?
Advertise your available planning positions with OPPI's Job Postings. There is no better way to reach qualified planning professionals.



 

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SEARCHING FOR A JOB?
Targeted to planners, search the OPPI Job Ads to save you time and effort when looking for a new position.

SEARCH NOW

Please see the current active postings below:

• Senior Planner, Development and Engineering Services - Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (full time)
• Land Use Planner - McIntosh Perry Consulting Engineers Ltd. (full time)
• Senior Environmental Planner - Niagara Region (full time)
• Planner - Haldimand County (full time)
• Development Coordinator (3 year contract) - Town of Innisfil (contract)
• Landscape Architecture Planner - Town of Georgina (contract)
• Planning Consultant - Township of North Kawartha (contract)
• Urban Design Peer Review Panel Member - City of London (part time)
• Planner - Town of East Gwillimbury (full time)
• Manager, Policy - City of Markham (full time)
• RFP, 91-19, Walkerville Districting Plan Consultant - City of Windsor (contract)
• Planner II - Municipality of North Grenville (full time)
• Planner - City of Dawson Creek (full time)
• Senior Planners - Walker Nott Dragicevic Associated Ltd. (full time)
• Development Planner - The Corporation of the Municipality of Leamington (full time)
• ...and many more!

• Building Bridges 2019: Sharing Ideas and Experiences (June 3-6)
• Western Lake Ontario District Downtown Hamilton Bike Tour (June 6)
• Southwest District Brantford Walk + Bike Tour (June 6)
• Project Management for Planner OPPI Course (June 7)
• Oak Ridges District Downtown Mississauga Walking Tour: From Vision to Reality (June 11)
• Toronto District Pint with a Planner Series (June 12)
• Lakeland District Hike and Social (June 13)
• Applied Project Management OPPI Course (June 14)
• 2019 City of Hamilton Urban Design and Architecture Awards Call for Submissions (June 14)
• Toronto District Walking Tour - Trees & Water Sensitive Urban Design (June 19)
• Lakeland District Corkscrew City Jane's Walk Owen Sound (June 22)
• Save the Date: OPPI Toronto District and the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Walking Tour (June 27)