The following definitions that are used in this guide are also defined at Part I section 1 of the NSBA.

Board
A local services board established under the NSBA Part I. For the purposes of this guide, LSB shall mean the same.

Board area
The geographical area within which the board may exercise its jurisdiction.

Days
The calendar days (and not business days).

Inhabitant (except for the purposes of sections 3 and 31)
A permanent resident of a board area or an owner of property situated in a proposed board area, who is a Canadian citizen and who has attained the full age of 18 years.

Inhabitant (under sections 3 and 31)
A permanent resident of a proposed board area or an owner of property situated in a proposed board area, who is a Canadian citizen and who has attained the full age of 18 years. For the purposes of this guide, such Inhabitants will be referred to as proposed inhabitants.

Minister
The Minister of Northern Development.

Owner
A person entitled to convey land and whose interest in the land is defined and whose name is specified in an instrument registered in the proper land registry office.

Other terms

Terms used in this guide, but not defined in section 1 in the NSBA:

Board member
An inhabitant who is elected by the Inhabitants of the board area to serve a 1 year term of office on the board, or for a different term in the first year as may be set out in the Regulation establishing the LSB (NSBA, sections 4(1)(d), 5 and 19(6)).

Chair
A board member who is elected by the board to act as head of the board, except in the initial term where the chair may be determined in the regulation establishing the LSB. (NSBA, section 21).

Dissolution proposal
A proposal for dissolution of an LSB brought forwards by the dissolution committee or the board.

Dissolution committee
A committee created by any 10 inhabitants proposing that the board be dissolved.

Election meeting
An annual meeting of inhabitants be held in the board area after August 1 and before the September 30 for the purpose of electing a new board (NSBA, section 19).

Establishment committee
A committee created by any 10 proposed inhabitants desiring the establishment of a local services board.

Establishment meeting
A meeting of proposed inhabitants of a specific geographic area called pursuant to section 3 of the NSBA by a person authorized by any 10 proposed inhabitants to consider the desirability of establishing a local services board.

Fiscal year
The fiscal year of a board which commences on October 1 and expires on September 30 of the next September following (NSBA, subsection 29(2)).

First meeting
The first meeting of a newly elected board following the election meeting, which must be held no later than October 10. The board must elect a chair at the first meeting (NSBA, section 21).

Ministry
The Ministry of Northern Development.

MFIPPA
The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

MOF
The Ministry of Finance.

MPAC
The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, a non-share capital, not-for-profit corporation, whose main responsibility is to provide property owners, tenants, municipalities, governments and businesses with property valuations (assessments). LSBs receive a copy of the interim assessment roll from MPAC for the land in the board area.

Public accountant
An accountant authorized to perform audits in the Province of Ontario, licensed under the Public Accounting Act, 2004, S.O. 2004, c. 8.

Recording secretary
A person appointed by the chair of the establishment meeting or the chair of the dissolution meeting where the dissolution request came from the dissolution committee. The recording secretary performs certain duties related to the establishment and dissolution of an LSB (refer to the sections Establishment of an LSB and Dissolution of an LSB for further details).

Secretary
A person appointed by the board to carry out the duties described in the NSBA,The secretary may be a member of the board other than the chair. The secretary holds office at the pleasure of the board (NSBA, section 14) and is not required to be an inhabitant of the board.

TPON
Transfer Payment Ontario means an online system to access Ontario Government funding programs.

OPTA
Online Property Tax Analysis means a tool provided by the MOF to LSBs to assist in the calculation of levies/fees.

Opted-in LSB
An LSB that has chosen to opt into the MOF consolidated billing system, whereby they have agreed to have MOF collect fees or levies on its behalf.

Levy
Refers to a tax rate applied to the assessed value and type of a property.

Fee
Refers to assessing costs for LSB services by applying a flat fee to properties.

PLTA
The Provincial Land Tax Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 33, Schedule Z.2.

Power
Any 1 of the 9 powers set out at the schedule to the NSBA and described in this guide under the heading powers (services) of the board. An LSB may provide any 1 power or any combination of powers as authorized by the minister and provided in a by-law duly passed by the board in accordance with the NSBA, and powers means any combination of the 9 powers.

Tenant
Any person who rents rather than owns a residence within the board area and if a permanent resident is considered an inhabitant as defined in section 1 of the NSBA.

Powers (services) of the board

Powers are not obligations. Powers give the LSB the authority to provide certain services, but do not impose a legal obligation to provide those services. (NSBA, section 7). In addition, the NSBA provides flexibility with respect to the provision of services within the board area. This allows the LSB to provide:

  • service to the whole of the board area or to a part thereof as designated by the board
  • a different level of service to different designated parts of the board area

However, no fee may be charged, and no levy may be imposed in respect of a service or level of service in any part of the board area where the service or level of service is not provided (NSBA, subsection 7(2)).

The type and level of services provided by LSB varies.

The minister may by order designate any number of combinations of the 9 powers to the board. For information on requesting additional powers or establishing an LSB refer to the Appendix.

Available powers

The powers available to a LSB are set out in the schedule to the NSBA and are as follows.

Water supply
The board may by by-law:

  • acquire, establish, operate, and maintain water supply works
  • contract for, a supply of water and for that purpose may regulate the time, manner, extent and nature of such supply and the persons to whom water may be supplied and may charge a fee for the cost of such supply

Fire protection
The board may by by-law:

  • establish a fire department and for that purpose acquire, operate and maintain a fire-hall, fire engines and apparatus and equipment for use by volunteer firefighters in connection with fire suppression and other fire protection activities
  • contract for fire protection, and may charge a fee for the cost of such service

Garbage collection
The board may by by-law:

  • establish and maintain a system for the collection and removal of garbage
  • contract for the collection, removal, and disposal of garbage, and for that
  • purpose may regulate the occasions, manner, extent, and nature of such service
  • the persons to whom such service may be supplied and may charge a fee for the cost of such service

Sewage
The board may do the following by by-law:

  1. Acquire, establish, operate, and maintain sewage works, including sewers, pumping plants, treatment works and other like works necessary for a sewage collection and treatment system.
  2. Contract for the collection and treatment of sewage, and for such purposes may charge a fee for such service or add a surcharge to the fee, if any, for water supply.
  3. Upon such terms and conditions as the board considers appropriate and with the approval of a majority of the inhabitants at a meeting called for that purpose, financially assist by grant or loan the installation of private septic tank systems or other systems approved by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for the benefit of any inhabitant or inhabitants.

Street or area lighting
The board may do the following by by-law:

  • Contract with any person for the provision of street or area lighting in the board area.
  • Contract with any person for the provision of power and acquire by purchase or lease lights, light standards and lighting equipment in order to provide street or area lighting in the board area and may charge a fee for the cost of such service, but no board shall generate its own power.

Recreation
The board may by by-law:

  • contract for the use of recreation facilities or participation in programs of recreation
  • provide for the carrying out of programs of recreation
  • acquire, establish, construct, operate and maintain recreation facilities, and may charge fees in respect of the programs of recreation or the recreation facilities

Roads
The board may by by-law:

  • contract for the construction, inspection and maintenance of roads and bridges in the board area
  • determine the work to be performed on roads and bridges in the board area, and may charge a fee for the cost of such services

Public library service
The board may by by-law:

  • contract for the provision of public library service by a public library board, union board or county library board or by a board of an Ontario library service area acting under subsection 34 (2) of the Public Libraries Act
  • establish and maintain a public library service, and may, subject to the Public Libraries Act, charge fees in respect of such service

Emergency telecommunications
The board may, by by-law:

  • contract for the establishment, operation and maintenance of an emergency telecommunications service that communicates with fire, police, and ambulance communications services, and may charge a fee for the cost of such service.