Have your say on protecting employment areas in Oakville

Town begins Employment Areas Review to support job growth and business development

The Town of Oakville has begun an Employment Areas Review to ensure Oakville remains an attractive place with continued opportunities for business and employment growth. As part of the initial phase of this review the town has an online survey open for businesses and landowners to complete from June 2 to 13, 2025.

Employment Areas are lands set aside for non-residential use such as offices, manufacturing, warehouses, and businesses that create and sustain jobs in our town. The town protects lands for employment to ensure that as Oakville grows, job opportunities grow too, and people can live and work in Oakville. Designated Employment Areas are illustrated in blue in the Livable Oakville Official Plan, Schedule A1, Urban Structure (pdf). 

On October 20, 2024, the Province of Ontario introduced a new definition for “employment areas” which has an impact on some areas in Oakville that were previously identified only for business and employment uses. 

The town’s review will focus on how the town will implement the new provincial direction and confirm employment land use designations and policies while protecting job growth and land supply over the long term. 

Input collected from this initial engagement phase will help inform staff recommendations. 

Broader engagement with residents and members of the public will take place later in the process to ensure the community has meaningful input into these policy directions for the town’s employment lands.

More details including a link to the survey are available on the Employment Areas Review page.