Glossary

A1 Appeal Form: form used to initiate an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) as an alternative to e-file. It is used if appellants need to file with an approval authority that is not registered on e-file, or where paper or email is their preferred method to submit the appeal.

appeal: for the purposes of e-file, “appeal” refers not just to appeals, but also applications, objections and referrals.

appellant: A person or corporation who initiates and submits an appeal for adjudication by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).

approval authority: The initial decision-maker of the matter appealed to the OLT. It may be a municipal council, conservation authority, ministry, board, commission, agency, etc.

case type: categories based on the topic under appeal and the applicable legislative provision. If you are unclear as to the case type that applies for your appeal, try filling out the legislation/section first, and e-file will filter the list of case types.

child appeal: any subsequent appeal filed when filing related appeals (e-file will pre-populate the child appeal with the same property, approval authority, appellant and representative information from the lead or parent appeal, but you can add additional properties, appellants or representatives if needed and provide different details about the case type, legislation and section number, and reasons for the appeal).

Consolidated Appeal Record: record of all the information an appellant entered when submitting an appeal through e-file including appeal details, reasons for appeal, and any supporting attachments.

Consolidated Municipal Record: record of all case information municipality or other approval authority entered in e-file including all checklist attachments they provided and all the appellant Consolidated Appeal Records.

file: to send, submit, deliver or transmit appeal(s) and related documentation material to the proper authority for receiving appeals. Requires that the appeal material is either deemed to be or has actually been received by the OLT or authority.

instrument: a broad term referring to any legal or regulatory document, order or tool, (e.g., zoning bylaw) that governs, permits, restricts or requires certain activities related to land use, development or environmental planning. Instruments are typically the subject of a formal decision (or in some cases a “non-decision” where no decision is made within statutory deadlines). Depending on the relevant statutory scheme, either the instrument itself or the decision (or non-decision) may be appealed to the Tribunal.

level-1 administrator(s): OLT’s primary contact(s) for e-file at the approval authority office. They can grant or revoke access to other staff from their office.

level-2 users: any staff in the approval authority office who have been granted access by their Level-1 administrator(s). They do not need approval from the OLT to access e-file.

lead appeal: the first appeal filed when filing related appeals. Sometimes also referred to as “parent appeal”

legal description of property: a written statement that describes where a particular plot of land is located, often by reference to a survey, recorded map or adjoining property. This is generally used for rural routes or concessions without a municipal address and is used to identify a particular plot.

municipal file number or reference number: Number on official documentation of underlying decision (e.g., notice of decision) that will help identify the matter that you are appealing (for example, application number, By-Law number, Official Plan number, Director’s Order number).

notice of decision: catch-all term to describe the official document that provides notice to the public or specific persons of the underlying decision, amendment, bylaw, order, motion or other action of an approval authority. It may have various titles, and generally instructs how an appeal may be filed.

representative: a person authorized under the Law Society Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L. 8, as amended, or its By-Laws to represent a person in a proceeding before the OLT. This includes legal counsel or the individuals that are authorized to provide legal services. Representatives who are not legal counsel or licensed paralegals (e.g., a family member or a friend) must file a written confirmation of authorization to act for the party or participant (see OLT Rules of Practice and Procedure, Rule 4).