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THE CORPORATION OF THETOWN OF BRADFORD WEST
GWILLIMBURY
Development Charge
Information
By-Law 2018-18 as amended by By-law 2025-87
By-Law 2025-86
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2026
The information contained herein is intended only as a
guide. Interested parties should review the approved by-
law and consult Town staff to determine the applicable
charges that may apply to specific development
proposals.
For further information, please contact:
Ms. Nathalie Carrier, Deputy Treasurer
Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury
P.O. Box 160, 61 Holland Street East
Bradford, Ontario L3Z 2A8
Tel: 905-775-5366 ext. 3102
Fax: 905-775-4472
Email: [email protected]
www.townofbwg.com
Purpose of Development Charges
Development charges assist in financing capital projects required to meet the
increased need for services resulting from growth and development. Development
charge funds may only be used for the purpose for which they are collected.
Background Studies
The Development Charges Act, 1997 and Ontario Regulation 82/98 require that, prior
to the passing of a bylaw, a development charges background study be undertaken,
with reference to:
The forecasted amount, type and location of future development;
The average service levels provided in the Town over the 15-year period;
immediately preceding the preparation of the background study;
Capital cost calculations for each of eligible development charge service;
An examination of the long term capital and operating costs for the infrastructure
required to service the forecasted development.
Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. prepared the two Development Charges
Background Studies for the Town. These studies serve as the basis for the
development charge rates approved by Bradford West Gwillimbury Council on March
6, 2018 through By-law #2018-18 that came into effect on March 7, 2018 and
amended by By-law #2025-87 on September 2, 2025; and approved by Bradford
West Gwillimbury Council on September 2, 2025 through By-law #2025-86 that came
into effect on January 1, 2026.
Development Charges for the Town Of
Bradford West Gwillimbury
(By-Laws 2025-86 & 2018-18 as amended by By-law 2025-87)
Development Charge By-law No. 2025-86 applies to all lands in the Town of
Bradford West Gwillimbury and Development Charge By-law No. 2018-18 as
amended by By-law 2025-87 applies to lands in the Town of Bradford West
Gwillimbury as identified by the key maps included in the By-law.
Development charges for Water, Wastewater and Services Related to a Highway
shall be calculated and be payable at the time of execution of a subdivision
agreement or an agreement entered into as a condition of consent. The
development charges for the other services shall be calculated and be payable on
the date the first building permit is issued.
The per unit development charge rates set out below are effective January 1, 2026:
Development Type
Rate
( BWG urban)
Rate
(BWG rural)
Rate
(Bond Head)
single and semi-detached dwelling
$76,871
$52,762
$122,334
apartments (2 bedrooms +)
$38,670
$26,440
$61,734
apartments (1 bedroom or less)
$26,871
$18,128
$43,337
Other (multiple units)
$56,501
$39,449
$88,651
Special Care/ Special Dwelling Unit
$24,000
$16,312
$38,494
non-residential
$29.96
$13.45
$27.04
Term of By-Laws
By-law 2025-86 will remain in force until September 2, 2035.
By-laws 2018-18 as amended by By-law 2025-87 will remain in force until March 6,
2028.
Indexing Of
Development Charges
The development charges will be adjusted annually on January 1 of each year,
without amendment to the by-law, in accordance with the most recent annual change
in the Statistics Canada Quarterly "Non-Residential Building Construction Price
Statistics."
Services Covered
Development charges have been imposed for the following categories of Town
services to pay for the increased capital costs required as a result of increased needs
for services arising from development:
Water Services
Wastewater Services
Services Related to a Highway
Public Works - Facilities and Vehicles
Fire Services
Police Services
Parks & Recreation Services
Library Services
Growth Studies
Transit Services
Unpaid Charges
Added to Tax Roll
Where a development charge or any part of it remains unpaid after it is payable, the
amount unpaid will be added to the tax roll and will be collected in the same manner
as taxes.
Discount
The D.C. payable for rental housing developments, where the residential units are
intended to be used as a rented residential premises will be reduced based on the
number of bedrooms in each unit as follows:
Three (3) or more bedrooms - 25% reduction;
Two (2) bedrooms - 20% reduction; and
Fewer than two (2) bedrooms - 15% reduction.
Redevelopment
A reduction in development charges under the by-laws is allowed in the case of a
demolition or redevelopment of a residential, non-residential, or mixed use building or
structure, provided that the building or structure was occupied, and a building permit
for the redevelopment of the land was issued within five years of the issuance of the
demolition permit within the Bradford Settlement Area, BWG Strategic Settlement
Area (OPA15), or Bond Head Settlement Area (OPA16); and within ten (10) years of
the date of the issuance of a demolition permit within the rural area.
Exemptions
Several exemptions to the payment of development charges are established under
the Development Charges Act, 1997 and By-law 2025-86 and By-law 2018-18 as
amended by By-law 2025-87:
Lands owned by and used for purposes of a municipality, local board thereof, or
board of education;
An interior alteration to an existing building or structure which does not change or
intensify the use of the land;
The enlargement of an existing residential dwelling unit, or the creation of one or
two additional units where specific conditions are met;
The enlargement of the gross floor area of an existing industrial building where the
gross floor area is enlarged by 50 percent or less of the original gross floor area of
the industrial building prior to the first expansion;
A public hospital exempt from taxation under Section 3 of the Assessment Act;
A non-residential farm building, except for the gross floor area in a greenhouse
used for retail sales.
Lands or buildings used or to be used for a place of worship or for the purposes of a
cemetery or burial ground exempt from taxation under the Assessment Act, R.S.O.
1990, Chap. A.31; and
A Garden suite on a residential lot where the garden suite is detached from and
ancillary to an existing single detached dwelling or semi-detached dwelling and such
building is designed to be portable and where the property owner has entered into
an agreement with the municipality that establishes the temporary nature of the
garden suite.
land vested in or leased to a university that receives regular and ongoing operating
funds from the government for the purposes of post-secondary education is exempt
from development charges imposed under the Act if the development in respect of
which development charges would otherwise be payable is intended to be occupied
and used by the university
Non-profit Housing developments;
Affordable housing units required pursuant to Section 34 and 16(4) of the Planning
Act (Inclusionary Zoning);
Affordable Residential Units (that meet the criteria set out in subsection 4.1(2) or
4.1(3) of the Act;
Long-term Care Homes;
On-site farm accommodations
Statement of the Treasurer
The Town Treasurer is required to produce an annual statement showing detailed
information about each reserve fund established to account for development charge
revenues.
The statement will document the continuity of each reserve fund, including the
description of each service, opening and closing balances, details of any credit
transactions, details of any borrowing from the reserve fund that may have occurred,
the amount spent on growth related projects, the portion of each project that is
funded from the reserve fund and the portion funded from other sources of financing.
Additional Information
This pamphlet is intended to give an overview of development charges. For more
complete information, reference should be made to the Development Charges
Background Study and Addendums, By-law 2025-86, By-law 2018-18 as amended
by By-law 2025-87 and the Town's annual development charges statement.
These documents are available for inspection in the Finance Department and the
Clerk's Office, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on the Town's website
at: www.townofbwg.com