NVCA Fee Policy
Conservation authorities are permitted to charge fees for a program or service that is included in the
Minister’s list of classes of programs and services. Below is a a summary of NVCA's fee policy and fee schedule for all chargeable programs and services.
Policy Review and Public Notification
This policy shall be evaluated from time to time for its effectiveness and fairness. The public shall be notified of any changes or amendments to the policy through posting on the NVCA website and/or Board of Director's meeting process. This policy, as a minimum, will be reviewed once annually to include a review of the cost of living adjustment.
NVCA may consult stakeholders/partners, as appropriate, for various fee changes for the programs and services that it provides. NVCA also considers the fees of other CAs that offering the same level of service and technical advice; the fees set by neighbouring CAs; and fees charged by member municipalities and local agencies.
User-Pay
The attached fee schedules are based on the user-pay principle. The fees and revenues generated are designed to recover the costs associated with administering and delivering the services on a program basis in accordance with the Minister's policy.
Program costs include (but not limited to): staff salaries; equipment and supplies; overhead costs associated with office use; legal expenses; compliance costs; vehicle operating costs; allocation of assets to deliver services; and a reasonable charge to cover administration of the program.
Fees have been rounded up or down to the nearest dollar when applicable.
Refunds
Refunds for various fees are identified in the individual program sections of this policy document. In general, no refunds will be provided for services after NVCA has initiated the work, including planning review, permit processing, parking or facility rental after use of the service, except when request for reconsideration has been submitted and approved.
Download the full NVCA Fee Policy and Fee Schedule Here
NVCA Planning Services Fee Schedule
Appendix A: NVCA Planning Services Fee Schedule
Official Plans and Zonings |
Fee |
Official Plans and Secondary Plans | General Levy |
Comprehensive Zoning By-law | General Levy |
Site Specific Official Plan and Zoning
By-Law Amendments | $530 |
Additional fee for technical study review | $796 |
Letter of approval
(no technical review or site inspection required) | $107
|
Plan of Subdivision/Condominium (Residential, Commercial and Industrial) |
Fee |
Minimum Fee | $13,260 |
Maximum Fee (See Note 1)
| $106,080 |
Lot/Unit fee and Net hectare fee | $3,425 per hectare |
Design Resubmission surcharge for subdivisions and residential/mixed use site plans | 3rd Submission - 25% of original fee (maximum charge of $13,260) 4th and subsequent submissions – 50% of original fee (maximum fee of $13,260) |
Redline Revisions | Minor (Design Change) 25% of original fee (maximum fee of $ $13,770) Major (Change to Limits of Development) 75% of original fee (not to exceed maximum fee $106,080)
|
Site Plans |
Fee
|
Letter of Approval
(no technical review or site inspection required) | $556 |
Minor: Site Plan Area less than 2 ha | $1,591 |
Intermediate: Site Plan Area more than 2 ha,
less than 4 ha | $5,824 |
Major: Site Plan Area more than 4 ha (Additional $1,250/ha fee charge for sites over 10 ha.) | $14,285 |
Site Plan: Residential (multi-unit and/or mixed use) | Use Residential Subdivision Fees |
Design Resubmission surcharge for non-residential site plans | 3rd Submission - 25% of original fee
4th and subsequent submissions – 50% of original fee
|
Golf Courses |
Fee |
New Golf Courses | $15,912
|
Aggregate Proposals |
Fee |
Minimum fee for Below Water Table | $13,260 |
Maximum fee for Below Water Table | $106,080 |
Net hectare fee for Below Water Table | 1352/ha |
Above water table proposals or expanded extraction within a licensed area | $13,260
|
Consents |
Fee
|
Base Fee | $321 |
Additional fee for technical study review
(e.g., SWM Report or EIS) | $530 |
Letter of approval (no technical review or site inspection required) | $107
|
Minor Variances |
Fee |
Base Fee
| $214 |
Additional fee for technical study review
(e.g., SWM Report or EIS) | $530 |
Letter of approval
(no technical review or site inspection required) | $107
|
Niagara Escarpment Commission Applications |
Fee |
Base Fee | $321 |
Additional fee for technical study review, for example EIS | $530
|
Letter of approval
(no technical review or site inspection required) | $107
|
Conservation Authorities Act |
Fee |
Letter of Approval (site inspection not required) | $102 |
Permit Application Minor Works | $255 |
Permit Application Intermediate Works | $561 |
Permit Application Major Works | $1,591 |
Permit Application Major Works – complex | $3,182 |
Agricultural Permit Applications (separated in 2016) | |
Letter of Approval (site inspection not required) | $102 |
Minor works or works located in regulated adjacent lands | $255 |
Works located within flood and/or erosion hazard | $561 |
Unauthorized works | 2 X permit fee |
Permit application large fill projects: 250 – 1,000 m3 (Permit application for large fill projects - See procedural guidelines for more detail.) | $530 plus $0.82/m3 |
Permit application large fill projects: more than
1000 m3 | $1,591 plus $0.82/m3 |
Permit – amendment | 50% of original fee |
Additional fee for significant technical review | Varies
|
Other |
Fee |
Legal/Real Estate Inquiries | $214 |
Legal/Consultant Peer Review Costs
(charged on the basis of cost recovery) | Varies
|
Provision of Individual Property Information | $77 |
Pre-consultations Fee | $561 (without site visit) $1,591 (analysis by one planner and one technical discipline) $3,182 (analysis by one Planner and more
than one technical discipline) |
Notes:
Fee Schedule Notes:
- The maximum review fee for plans of subdivision/condominium is $104,000.
- Plans of subdivision/condominium fees may be phased as outlined in NVCA's policy for charging fees if the total fee meets the minimum threshold of $50,000.00.
- NVCA reserves the right to not allow the phasing of fees for development subject to a Minister's Zoning Order (MZO) issued by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
- When processing and reviewing consolidated planning applications (e.g. OPA/ZBA/Subdivisions), the higher fee is applicable (including MZOs).
- Plans of subdivision/condominium and site plan fees include permitting fees under NVCA's Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alteration to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation, Ontario Regulation 172/06.
- Notwithstanding note # 5, permit issuance for works occurring two years after the date of the last NVCA comments on a file will be subject to the relevant permit fee for the scale of the works.
- A net hectare refers to the total area of land available for development. It excludes lands outside of the development limit (e.g., natural hazard, natural heritage areas and buffers).
- NVCA reserves the right to reassess the review fee after 5 years of receipt of the application based on timing and receipt of technical information.
- The applicant will be responsible for any external peer review costs necessary to review submitted technical submissions.
- Alterations or expansions to existing golf courses not requiring Planning Act approvals and within a regulated area will be addressed through the Conservation Authorities Act approval fees.
- Permit approval will not be required from NVCA for certain small-scale projects as outlined in NVCA's Policy for Charging Fees.
- Please see NVCA's Policy for Charging Fees for further an explanation of the minor, intermediate and major permit fee categories, as well as other matters (e.g., fee exemptions, appeal process, etc.). This document is available at www.nvca.on.ca under Planning & Permits – Policies & Guidelines.
ATTACHMENT - Costs for Mapping/GIS Requests Fee per Map |
Fee |
Pre-made NVCA General Maps (8.5x11 or 11x17 Color) | $10 |
Comprehensive Mapping Request (minimum fee) | $2,040 |
Custom Made Maps (data processing fee + printing costs) |
Fee |
8.5x11 or 11x17 | $10 |
17x22 | $20 |
22x34 | $26 |
24x36 | $31 |
Add Ortho Imagery to a 17 X 22 or larger map | Add $10 |
Digital Maps |
Fee |
Data Processing Fee -The fee for data preparation will be based on an hourly administration cost of the GIS Department's time for compiling and processing the requested information. | Varies |
Products |
Fee |
Digital Ortho Imagery | $77 per tile |
Packaged GIS Datasets |
Fee |
Price will vary depending on level of complexity of the data and the time put into processing i.e., Generic Regulation Mapping $2000 | Varies |
Appendix B: Planning Glossary of Terms
CALC: Conservation Authorities Liaison Committee
CALC Report: MNRF's May 2010 report, “Policies and Procedures for Conservation Authority Plan Review and Permitting Activities"
EIS: Environmental Impact Study. A study of the environmental affects, both positive and negative, of a proposed development.
GIS: Geographic Information System. An integrated collection of computer software and data used to view and manage information about geographic places, analyze spatial relationships, and model spatial processes. (esri GIS Dictionary)
MNRF: Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (Ontario).
Mixed Use Development: A development that blends residential, commercial, cultural, institutional or entertainment uses into one physically connected space.
MZO: Minister's Zoning Order.
Net Hectare Area: A net hectare refers to the total area of land available for development. It excludes lands outside of the development limit (e.g., natural hazard, natural heritage areas and buffers).
NVCA: Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority
OPA: Official Plan Amendment
PEAC: Planning and Engineering Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of the Board of Directors and Staff tasked in 2015 -2016 to review NVCA's Planning Services review fees.
SWM Report: Stormwater Management Report. An engineering study looking at the management (e.g., ponds, low impact development, etc.) of stormwater run-off with respect to a proposed development.
ZBA: Zoning By-law Amendment
Appendix C: Conservation Lands Fee Schedules
Day/Seasonal Use Fees |
Fee |
Day Use Permit (per vehicle) | $10/vehicle |
Seasonal Day Use | $71/vehicle |
Hunting - Watershed Resident (annual) | $71/person |
Hunting – Non-Watershed Resident (annual) | $122/person |
First Hunt Stand Permit | $0 |
Second Hunt Stand Permit | $20 |
Fishing (annual) | $51/person |
Events |
Fee |
Festival at Fort Willow (individual) | $10 |
Festival at Fort Willow (family: 2 adults, 2 children) | $36 |
Rentals |
Fee |
Group Camping (Tiffin) | $10/person (min $204) |
Weddings (peak season) | $6,120 |
Weddings (off-peak) | $5,228 |
Ceremony-only | $841 |
Single Day (evening event) | $2,295 |
Single Day (day time) | Varies ($510-$1,020) |
Pavilion rentals | $204 |
Day Rental (south lab) | $102 |
Day Rental (outdoor classroom) | $102 |
Cabin | $204 |
Fort Willow Wedding Ceremony | $510 |
Fort Willow Pavilion Rental | $102 |
Rescheduling fee | 10% |
Photography Permit (annual pass) | $153 |
Photography Permit (special events) | $153 |
Photography Permit (single family) | $51 |
Photography Permit (daily session) | $102 |
Products |
Fee |
Maple Syrup | Varies ($3.60-$26.00) |
Note: HST is charged on Conservation Lands fees.
Appendix D: Environmental Education Fee Schedules
Education Fees |
Fee |
Full Day (onsite) | $16/student ($337 min) |
Full Day (outreach) | $12/student ($245 min) |
Half Day (onsite) | $11/student ($219 min) |
Half Day (outreach) | Varies: $8-$17/student ($337-$505 min) |
Specialist High Skills Major - Full Day | $51/student ($765 min) |
Specialist High Skills Major - Half Day | $31/student ($459 min) |
Specialist High Skills Major – 1.5 days | $72/student ($1,071 min) |
Events |
Fee |
Birthday Parties | Varies ($235 - $347) |
Birthday Party add-ons: extra time (extra participant) | $107 ($10) |
Public Outreach - Full Day (outreach) | Varies ($408-$765) |
Public Outreach - Half Day (outreach) | Varies ($255-$459) |
Nature School |
Fee |
Half Day - 6 week program | $255 |
Full Day - 6 week program | $132 |
Camp |
Fee |
PD Day Camp | $46/day |
Camp Tiffin | $219 |
Extended Care
| $8/day |
Other |
Fee |
Borrow an Outdoor Educator (1.5hrs/14 ppl) | $158 |
Homeschool
| 3 pack - Half Day $38.00 3 pack - Full Day $56 |
Appendix E: Forestry Fee Schedules
Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP) |
Fee |
Plans and Certification | Varies ($510-2550) |
Arbour Day |
Fee |
Tree Sales | $31 (bundle of 10 seedlings) |
Tree Planting |
Fee |
Planting and site preparation | $0.31-1.53/tree |
Note: HST is charged on Forestry fees.
Appendix F: Administrative Fees
Finance |
Fee |
NSF Cheques | $40 |
Corporate Services |
Fee |
Freedom of Information Request* | $5 |
Information Management - Mapping/GIS Requests | See attachment to Planning and Permitting fees |
General |
Fee |
Contracts for special projects by any program | 2 times job rate (where applicable) |
Note: Other administrative changes may apply as outlined in the Access Guide: Fees, Fee Estimates and Fee Waivers (Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, June 2018).