Site Alteration By-law (By-law No. 2018-164)

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Consultation has concluded

Site Alteration By-law Review

The Site Alteration By-law was approved by Ottawa City Council on May 9, 2018, to regulate site alteration activities such as placing or dumping fill, removing topsoil, clearing or stripping vegetation, and altering the land grade. The by-law was intended to protect the City of Ottawa’s agricultural resources and natural heritage features from negative impacts caused by site alteration, and to prevent drainage issues and public nuisances resulting from site alteration activities.

City Staff were directed to perform a review 2 years following the implementation of the By-law. This review was delayed due to the pandemic and other administrative challenges. A staff report was presented to the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee and Council at the end of 2023.

Staff presented their report on the by-law review to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on November 30, 2023. Committee and Council directed staff to make further changes, outlined in the Motion ACS2023-PRE-EDP-0041 undertake consultation for final wording, and bring the revised draft by-law back for final approval.


Recommended Revisions

The premise of the Site Alteration By-law remains unchanged: in most cases, residents do not need to obtain the City’s approval before beginning site alteration, but they must follow the rules in the by-law. The City does not propose to introduce a permit system, or to apply the by-law in areas already regulated by a Conservation Authority.

Minor administrative updates are needed to reflect changes to the Official Plan, other related bylaws and the City’s organizational structure. Other changes are being recommended to clarify the by-law’s intent and improve its function. These changes are summarized below.

  • References to specific Official Plan designations, policies and schedules will be updated to reflect the new Official Plan;
  • References to the City’s tree by-laws will be updated to reflect the enactment of the new consolidated Tree Protection By-law in January 2021;
  • References to City departments and General Managers will be updated to reflect the corporate restructuring that occurred in late 2021 / early 2022;
  • Drainage provisions and related definitions will be refined to focus on surface drainage and areas with approved drainage patterns;
  • Notification will no longer be required for projects that are not subject to a Planning Act application (e.g., pool installations and other landscaping projects);
  • Where notification is required for work on sites subject to a Planning Act application, the Ward Councillor will also be notified;
  • The limits of Schedule B, which shows the area within which the by-law’s natural environment protections apply, will be adjusted to include lands approximately 1 kilometer from the urban boundary and urban expansion areas included in the Official Plan.


Have your say!

Council approved the administrative changes to the by-law but directed staff to consult further on the wording of the proposed changes to the natural environment protections, drainage and notification provisions. Please use the following survey to provide feedback on the bylaw and motion requirements.

The survey is now closed.

Next steps

Following consultation, the revised draft by-law will be presented to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and City Council for their consideration. The staff report will be posted in advance of the Committee meeting with the agenda on the City’s E-Agenda web page. Comments on the report can be submitted by e-mailing the Committee Coordinator or by attending the virtual Committee meeting and providing a verbal submission. Instructions on how to participate in the meeting are included in the agenda and can be obtained from the Committee Coordinator.

Site Alteration By-law Review

The Site Alteration By-law was approved by Ottawa City Council on May 9, 2018, to regulate site alteration activities such as placing or dumping fill, removing topsoil, clearing or stripping vegetation, and altering the land grade. The by-law was intended to protect the City of Ottawa’s agricultural resources and natural heritage features from negative impacts caused by site alteration, and to prevent drainage issues and public nuisances resulting from site alteration activities.

City Staff were directed to perform a review 2 years following the implementation of the By-law. This review was delayed due to the pandemic and other administrative challenges. A staff report was presented to the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee and Council at the end of 2023.

Staff presented their report on the by-law review to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on November 30, 2023. Committee and Council directed staff to make further changes, outlined in the Motion ACS2023-PRE-EDP-0041 undertake consultation for final wording, and bring the revised draft by-law back for final approval.


Recommended Revisions

The premise of the Site Alteration By-law remains unchanged: in most cases, residents do not need to obtain the City’s approval before beginning site alteration, but they must follow the rules in the by-law. The City does not propose to introduce a permit system, or to apply the by-law in areas already regulated by a Conservation Authority.

Minor administrative updates are needed to reflect changes to the Official Plan, other related bylaws and the City’s organizational structure. Other changes are being recommended to clarify the by-law’s intent and improve its function. These changes are summarized below.

  • References to specific Official Plan designations, policies and schedules will be updated to reflect the new Official Plan;
  • References to the City’s tree by-laws will be updated to reflect the enactment of the new consolidated Tree Protection By-law in January 2021;
  • References to City departments and General Managers will be updated to reflect the corporate restructuring that occurred in late 2021 / early 2022;
  • Drainage provisions and related definitions will be refined to focus on surface drainage and areas with approved drainage patterns;
  • Notification will no longer be required for projects that are not subject to a Planning Act application (e.g., pool installations and other landscaping projects);
  • Where notification is required for work on sites subject to a Planning Act application, the Ward Councillor will also be notified;
  • The limits of Schedule B, which shows the area within which the by-law’s natural environment protections apply, will be adjusted to include lands approximately 1 kilometer from the urban boundary and urban expansion areas included in the Official Plan.


Have your say!

Council approved the administrative changes to the by-law but directed staff to consult further on the wording of the proposed changes to the natural environment protections, drainage and notification provisions. Please use the following survey to provide feedback on the bylaw and motion requirements.

The survey is now closed.

Next steps

Following consultation, the revised draft by-law will be presented to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and City Council for their consideration. The staff report will be posted in advance of the Committee meeting with the agenda on the City’s E-Agenda web page. Comments on the report can be submitted by e-mailing the Committee Coordinator or by attending the virtual Committee meeting and providing a verbal submission. Instructions on how to participate in the meeting are included in the agenda and can be obtained from the Committee Coordinator.

Consultation has concluded

  • Notice – Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Meeting

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    The staff report on the Site Alteration By-law update, including the revisions to that by-law, will be presented to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee at their meeting on Thursday October 3 at 10:00 am.


    This hybrid meeting will be held in the Chamber (Main Floor) at Ben Franklin Place – 101 Centrepointe Drive and through electronic participation in accordance with Section 238 of the Municipal Act and the Procedure By-law.


    The meeting agenda, which includes the staff report and draft by-law, has been posted to the City’s web portal.


    Should you wish to provide feedback on the by-law, you may do so by attending the meeting or by contacting the Committee coordinator in writing. Please see the meeting agenda for more information on how to make your delegation to the Committee.

  • Summary of Feedback

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    Thank you to all those who participated in the Site Alteration By-law review. We appreciate the comments, questions, and concerns raised by those who took part in the consultation events and the online survey. All submissions will be considered during the preparation of the final version of the by-law for Council’s consideration in the fall of 2024.

    Consultations held:

    • Four information sessions were held in collaboration with the City of Ottawa’s rural ward Councillors – Ward 1 Orléans East-Cumberland, Ward 5 West Carleton-March, Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan, Ward 20 Osgoode, and Ward 21 Rideau-Jock. A total of 18 people attended those sessions.
    • Through the online survey, we received feedback from 15 participants.


    Summary of feedback:

    • In general, feedback received at the rural information sessions indicated that many people were unfamiliar with the by-law and its application.
    • Several questions were received about whether the by-law would impact farm operations or rural residents in their daily activities, and how people would know if they needed the City’s approval for site alteration.


    Proposed changes to Schedule B:

    • Regarding the proposed changes, two respondents wanted the by-law’s environmental protections limited to the urban boundary, while five individuals raised concerns on reducing the buffer from 2 km beyond the urban boundary to 1 km. This concern was also raised during one of the rural information sessions.


    Proposed changes to the drainage section of the by-law:

    • Several survey respondents stated that there was a need for regulation of groundwater flow and better protection for subsurface and groundwater, including well water.
    • The Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) written feedback recommends that the City retain the regulation of groundwater and subsurface drainage in the Site Alteration by-law.


    Proposed changes to the notification section of the by-law:

    • Some survey respondents raised concerns that without a notification process for projects that are not subject to a Planning Act application, there would be unintended property damage, such as flooding.
    • Several survey respondents emphasized the need for those completing major site alterations and clearing of land to notify their neighbours, as well as City Staff and the local Councillor.
    • Overall, survey feedback emphasized the need for effective enforcement and clear procedures to protect neighbouring properties.


    Notifying the ward Councillor for site alteration not subject to a Planning Action application:

    • Feedback varied, but the overall sentiment leans towards reserving notifications for significant alterations, rather than involving the Councillors in routine property changes.


    Additionally, GOHBA would like to see an opportunity for an appeal on any decision made by the General Manager on site alterations within 30 metres of a natural feature and on issuing of Notices of Violation or Stop Work orders. GOHBA suggests that the right of appeal be made to committee (Planning and Housing Committee and Agriculture and Rural Affairs), with subsequent appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

  • Survey (closed)

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    The Site Alteration By-law survey is now closed. Thank you to all who participated. Please continue to watch this website for more information.