A Durham Region resident is calling on the province to require every newly elected municipal official in Ontario to pass a municipal law program before taking office.
Jim McEwen wrote to Rob Flack, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, with a copy to Premier Doug Ford's office, requesting the ministry 'create an education program for all elected local officials in 2026' and that 'all elected officials including mayors must take and pass this program before they are sworn into office in 2027,' with no exemptions for incumbents.
McEwen proposed the program cover the local planning process, zoning bylaws, official plans and secondary plans, the Ontario Planning Act and public engagement, the Greenbelt and associated legislation, and ethics in council decisions, offered both in person and online.
'I consider this program to be essential as most new officials have no municipal experience and incumbents would benefit from a refresher course,' McEwen said.
The call comes ahead of the Oct. 26 municipal elections across Durham's eight municipalities. In Oshawa, which has 151,945 eligible voters, only 18.42 per cent voted in 2022.
Behind the story
Sources & publication details
- Byline
- Daily Durham News
- Published
- Oct 20, 2026, 8:56 a.m.
- Source
- durhampost.ca
