Request for a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) to maintain lands in the City of Toronto as employment lands to protect the Ontario Food Terminal

A Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO), made pursuant to clause 47(1)(a) of the Planning Act, regulates the use of land and the erection, location and use of any building or structure on the land, and prevails over the existing municipal zoning by-law to the extent there is any conflict.

The Ontario Food Terminal Board, with the support of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, has requested an MZO in order to safeguard the continued operational viability of the Ontario Food Terminal.

Accordingly, an MZO is being considered for 125 The Queensway (the property), adjacent to the Ontario Food Terminal, that would maintain the existing zoning for the property to prevent the introduction of incompatible land uses (e.g., residential).

To help ensure decisions are made in a transparent manner and support government priorities, the Ministry is seeking feedback on whether an MZO should be made in response to the request and is seeking additional information from the public and other stakeholders that may help inform a decision.

This proposal for an MZO is posted for consultation as a “regulation” notice type due to webform template formatting limitations. However, as a result of amendments to section 47 of the Planning Act by Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, which received Royal Assent on November 27, 2025, the proposed MZO, if made, will not be a regulation and will not be filed with the Registrar of Regulations.