The Ford government is moving to crack down on illegal trucking operations in rural Ontario towns, changing the law to make it easier for local municipalities to deal with groups misusing agricultural land.
Illegal trucking occurs when a company uses land zoned for activities like farming or homebuilding and converts it into a large, industrial truck depot without local permission.
It’s an issue that smaller towns near major highways — like Caledon or Halton Hills — have increasingly struggled with.
In Caledon, some trucking operations have also been accused of burying potentially toxic substances like asphalt or concrete in the ground, without notifying local authorities or getting the green light to begin changing the landscape.
“Several municipalities have asked the government for more tools to address illegal land uses, including trucks illegally parked on agricultural, rural, and residential lands,” Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack said in a statement.
“That is why we are pleased to support this locally led solution, protecting our communities, including the surrounding farmland, and ensuring the health and safety of residents.”
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The province’s current laws allow municipalities to prosecute groups breaking zoning bylaws, the government said, but those tools take significant staff time and often years to play out in court.
The changes will let municipalities issue financial penalties directly to those breaking their zoning laws, without going to court.
The new powers will be delivered through changes to the Planning Act.
The Town of Caledon is one hotspot, which began to seriously try to address the issue of illegal trucking about six years ago.
Between 2020 and 2023, roughly two dozen operations were charged by the town, with more than $750,000 in fines levied.
Last week, the town issued an updated highlighting the recent work it had done.
Officials said that, between Jan. 1 and April 30 this year, bylaw officials launched multiple prosecutions relating to illegal trucking, with more than $100,000 in fines.
“The prosecutions involved a range of zoning and illegal land use violations, including unauthorized trucking operations, commercial vehicle storage, illegal event activities and unlawful land alterations,” the town said in a news release.
In a statement issued by the Ford government to announce its new changes, Caledon Mayor Annette Groves said the changes would help the town to go further.
“I would like to thank the Ford government for hearing us. This means a great deal to Caledon and other municipalities facing this issue,” she wrote.
“We have advocated hard for more ability to enforce illegal land use. This now gives us more tools to keep our community safe.”
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