Halton Hills, like many municipalities, has seen a notable increase in illegal land use for truck terminals. Operators are purchasing rural and agricultural land for their truck depot operations as it is less expensive than employment or industrial-type lands (where these types of uses may legally be located, depending on the zoning), and to avoid the costs of legally developing on their lands. Often, multiple municipal by-laws are violated by these operations. The Town has had several major successes in litigating against these operations, however, new illegal operations continue to emerge.
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Many operators have shown blatant disregard for municipal bylaws
| Q: What problems are created with illegal truck depots? |
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From zoning to building permits to site alteration and entrance permits, these operations often show a complete disregard for applicable requirements. As a result, there can be a variety of negative community impacts, including noise, dust, traffic safety, impacts on natural areas, destruction of prime agricultural land, etc. |
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Q: What is the Town doing about illegal truck depots? |
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The Town’s enforcement staff check for illegal truck depots and undertake progressive enforcement, beginning with warnings to illegal operators. Ultimately, if operators refuse to comply with the law, the Town will take them to court, or for certain types of by-law contraventions, may issue administrative penalties. The Town has been successful in its prosecutions and court proceedings, although these can take time due to the nature of these processes. |
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Q: Why don’t municipalities put an immediate stop to truck depots? |
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For the court to issue an order for an illegal activity to cease, a municipality must initiate civil litigation or a prosecution. These processes, including the initial investigations, are time-consuming and labour-intensive. |
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Q: What is the Province’s role? - Updated May 2026 |
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The Province of Ontario has announced that it will propose amendments to the Planning Act that would give municipalities stronger tools to address illegal land uses. The changes would allow municipalities to impose administrative monetary penalties for illegal land uses. |
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Q: What is the Town’s role? |
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The Town’s role is to utilize the procedural tools available to them to enforce the by-laws. If the Province were to make changes to the current legislation, enforcement staff would have more options to address illegal truck depots. |
| Q: What can residents do? |
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Residents can contact MPP Racinsky and ask that he advocate on behalf of Halton Hills to make changes to the Planning Act, which would help the Town deal with illegal truck depots. |
| Q: Where can I get more information? |
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What Residents Can Do
Residents are encouraged to review the resources and share their concerns about illegal truck operations with MPP Racinsky, asking him to help get the Planning Act changed.
Email: josephracinskympp.com
Joseph Racinsky, MPP, Wellington-Halton Hills
Legislative office
Room 180
Main Legislative Building, Queen's Park
Toronto, ON M7A 1A2
Resources
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Fact sheet sent to MPP Racinsky.
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Media release on truck operator conviction.