What is the OLT?

The OLT was established in 2021 as the amalgamation of Ontario’s five former environment and land related tribunals, including the Land Planning and Appeal Tribunal (LPAT), formerly the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

The OLT hears and adjudicates matters related to land use planning, environmental and natural features, heritage protection, land valuation, land compensation, municipal finance, and related matters.

The OLT acts as a tribunal, meaning it holds hearings, hears evidence from parties, and issues legally binding decisions. It operates under its own set of rules of practice and procedure, outlining how cases are to be conducted. In certain circumstances, the decisions made by the OLT can be appealed to higher courts.

Who is fighting for Mount Nemo at the OLT?

CORE Burlington (and PERL) will join the City of Burlington and the Region of Halton to challenge the Nelson Aggregates’ expansion application for the Mount Nemo quarry.

What’s the format of the OLT?

Over the last two and a half years, the “Procedural Order” for this hearing has been developed. It outlines the details, which includes the parties, the issues, the schedule, the witnesses, and an exchange of evidence. It is expected to be heard by two “Members”, who will act as the adjudicators.

The hearing will begin on Tuesday, March 4, with opening statements. After that, there are 42 scheduled witnesses, followed by closing statements.

The hearing is expected to take three and a half months and is anticipated to finish hearing evidence by the middle of June. Our legal team, alongside the City of Burlington, and the Region of Halton, will be present for the entirety of the hearing.

When can we expect to know the outcome of the OLT?

The OLT’s target is to issue decisions within 90 days of the hearing, but a decision in our case is expected to take longer due to the complexity of the issues. We’ve been told it could be anywhere from six weeks to six months before a decision is made.

What role can I play?

This is an important hearing, and community participation sends a strong message to the OLT. Joining the hearing from your computer or telephone on a daily basis demonstrates the investment the community has in this matter. When you log in to the hearing, your camera and microphone will be disabled automatically, but your presence will be registered and speak volumes for the investment the community has in the protection of Mount Nemo.

What updates can I expect to receive from CORE?

As we get into the swing of things, we’ll send an email out each morning with the link to the hearing over the first few days. The link to log in to the meeting won’t change, so you might like to bookmark the link in your browser to make it easier to log in every day.

While the process is lengthy and largely technical, we will do our best to send out highlights from the hearing, as you all have been incredibly supportive in funding the legal and technical experts that will be presenting evidence throughout the hearing.

What else can I do to support CORE at the OLT?

We are so very close to reaching our fundraising goal of $150,000 by the beginning of the OLT—and we can’t thank you enough! But with over three and a half months of legal fees and expert witnesses ahead, we really need to reach that goal. If you’ve been thinking of making a donation, please put those thoughts to action and make a donation now.