Official Plan Review Kicks Off
Prior to the regular meeting, Council held a special meeting to initiate the process of Middlesex Centre’s Official Plan Review. More information about the review will be available on the municipality’s website in the weeks to come.
Zoning By-law Update
Jennifer Gaudet from MHBC provided a presentation regarding Middlesex Centre’s proposed Zoning By-law Amendment (ZBA-01-2026) as it relates to initiatives under the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).
Middlesex Centre is eligible to receive $4.24 million in funding over four years through HAF. The purpose of the HAF is to help municipalities improve land use planning and development approval processes to increase the supply of housing more quickly and to enhance the approvals and building process.
The Zoning By-law Update is one of Middlesex Centre’s HAF initiatives. The update will introduce changes to the Comprehensive Zoning By-law, including the end of exclusionary zoning, the elimination of restrictions, added flexibility, and design and implementation guidelines for additional residential units (ARUs).
Council approved the Zoning By-law Amendment in principle and directed staff to consider any comments received. The revised amending by-law will be referred to the February 11, 2026, meeting of Council for adoption.
Council Business
During the meeting, Council also:
- Authorized lease agreements for municipal property at 10191 Longwoods Road, the Hedley Pit, and 2301 Sunningdale Road East.
- Awarded the purchase of precast culverts to Coldstream Concrete Ltd. in the amount of $375,316 (excluding HST) to support planned culvert replacements on Poplar Hill Rd., McEwen Dr., Fernhill Dr. and Gold Creek Dr.
- Approved funding supporting community events and organizations. This year, ten community organizations will receive funding under the Council Grants program and one under the Delaware Hydro Reserve Fund. For more details on this year’s grant recipients, please refer to the Council Grants Recipients 2026 list.
- Directed staff to proceed with the filing of the Environmental Study Report (ESR) for the expansion of the Komoka Wastewater Treatment Facility for the mandatory 30-day public review period under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Process.
- Received the 2025 Middlesex Centre Fire Services (MCFS) year-end report. In 2025, MCFS staff responded to 502 emergencies, compared to 434 in 2024. Motor vehicle collisions were the most common emergency call. MCFS Fire Prevention staff conducted 330 fire inspections in Middlesex Centre, North Middlesex and Thames Centre, compared to 481 in 2024 (MCFS provides fire prevention services to the other two municipalities under a shared service agreement). The MCFS Fire Investigation Team investigated six fires in Middlesex Centre and seven in North Middlesex.
Next Council Meeting
A special meeting of Middlesex Centre Council is set for Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., at the municipal office, to hold a public meeting related to the Official Plan Review. The regular meeting of Council will proceed at 5:30 p.m.
For More Information
For more details on any of these items, see the full meeting agenda or contact the Municipal Clerk. You can view the meeting on YouTube.
Meeting highlights are prepared to give residents timely updates on council decisions. The Council Meeting Minutes are the official record of the meeting.