Municipal Restructuring since 1996

Since the mid-1990's, expansion of urban areas, changes in responsibilities of local government and provincial government initiatives have lead to a massive wave of municipal mergers. The most important changes saw some counties and regional municipalities merge with their constituent local municipalities. As a result, the number of municipalities has been reduced by more than forty percent between 1996 and 2001, from 815 to 447.

Consult the annual Municipal Directory (published by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario) for information about these changes as well as changes that have affected local municipalities since the beginning of the 20th century. This directory can be consulted at the Archives of Ontario and in most libraries in Ontario.

The table below provides information on many of the changes that have taken place at the county or regional government level since 1996. Click on the links to view maps of pre-1998 regional municipalities.

For additional information you may also want to consult the following resources:

• The website of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario provides links to other municipal organizations and information on the development of municipal policies and programs.

• The web site of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing includes information and maps on municipal restructuring.

• The annual official road map shows localities that are not incorporated municipalities; it is available on the Web site of the Ministry of Transportation.

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Municipal Restructuring since 1996 | Sources of Information