Should the Ontario Municipal Board Be Abolished?

Each country has many political bodies that help her function systematically. Amongst this complex web in which each string strengthens and facilitates a nation to function lays the local government. A local government also referred to as a municipality not only provides its residents of a nation with various services and programs for the convenience and well-being of its residents, such as fire protection, animal control, traffic control, water supply and public transit to name a few. They also provide a gateway for the local community to express and address its collective objectives and work towards achieving them. It is a municipality that provides citizens with an opportunity to select its representatives who in return make decisions that echo their views and take action in accordance to them. As C Richard explains: “ The municipality is an extension of the community, the community governing itself, displaying a municipality and society work together to make a peaceful and superior society.
In Canada municipalities play a vital role in determining the development of communities, use of land and providing to its residents. As stated by Lazar and Seal “ The general purpose of municipalities in Canada is two-fold: local government exists both as a political mechanism for the pursuit of community objectives and as a provider of services to local residents.” This is done so by preparing official plans and zoning by laws all under Ontario’s provincial policies. However not all decisions made by municipalities may prove to be beneficial for a community or even it may be the case, other controversies make the decision making process and get-go sign more complicated to achieve. It is in such situations, the Ontario Municipal Board plays a very crucial part. The Ontario municipal board early in the 19th century was recognized as the Ontario Railway and Municipal board. However later on in the early 1930’s, the board’s name and purpose were altered and it became an