Zorra-Now-Winter 2025-Web

20 Zorra Now | Winter 2025 Zorra Now | Winter 2025 21 Rural BUSINESS CHECKLIST Ronda Stewart Economic Development Director ronda@ruraloxford.ca 519-619-6895 Crystal Van Roekel Economic Development Officer crystal@ruraloxford.ca 519-639-0724 Have Questions? Need Confidential Assistance? Connect with us. We're here to help you navigate the way. Proudly Serving Building a business can be exciting, but it can be hard to knowwhere to begin. This information guide is intended to help get you thinking, asking questions, and connecting with local supports who can help you navigate the many aspects of starting or growing your business. Business Support Whether you are a start-up or expanding business, our Rural Oxford Economic Development team has expertise to help you on your path to success. At no charge to you, we offer a broad range of services and resources to help you grow in Rural Oxford. Economic Development Services: • Confidential site selection • Assistance with permit and process navigation • Facilitated pre-consultation with Planning and Building Officials • Expansion and relocation support • Marketing and promotion for your business • Referrals to professional service providers • Connection to community partners • Networking opportunities Learn more at ruraloxford.ca Location, Location, Location There are many important considerations when selecting a location for a business. Whether you are thinking about acquiring property or using one you already own, make sure you do your research up front to make sure it is the right fit, and that you understand the requirements you may need to address as well as their implications. Things to Consider When Choosing a Business Location When selecting a location for your business you’ll need to have some information on the physical scale and the nature of the business you are proposing, such as: • How much space you need to operate • How much additional space you need for related aspects of your business (ex. offices, parking, warehousing, shipping and receiving, dry or cold storage) • How many employees you will have • How much traffic, including large trucks, will be coming/going from the business • How much noise, dust, waste your business will generate • The type and level of services your business may require (ex. water, sewer, 3-phase hydro, gas, fibre internet, etc.) There are location specific and technical requirements for larger scale businesses to be aware of (ex. locating in settlement areas, servicing, etc). Small home occupation businesses that are fully contained within an existing residence are generally permitted on most properties. Obtaining Applicable Municipal Permits and Approvals Depending on the type of use proposed, the size or scale, and the location, local requirements may vary. It is important to understand which and how these requirements will apply in relation to your proposed business use and location to ensure that you obtain all required permits and approvals ahead of time. Know Your Zone Your Area Municipal zoning by-law sets out the rules for all properties in the municipality, including the rules for: • How a property can be used • The size of a property • Where buildings can go on a property • How tall, what size and how many buildings can be built • The number of parking spaces and where these spaces can go Understanding the permissions on the zoning by-law and how they relate to your proposed business use may influence where you choose to locate and how you choose your next steps. Application Forms & Fees It is important to take time upfront to learn about the process, application timelines, fees, and associated development charges. Area Municipality forms and fees can be accessed from your Area Municipal website or through the County of Oxford Planning and Development page under Available Resources by Municipality. When to Contact Your Area Municipality's Building Official You Need Site Plan Approval Site plan is a more detailed process that helps ensure the details from the zoning by-law are appropriately designed and landscaped; the development has sufficient services and other on-site facilities; and the design elements are implemented so the development doesn’t have negative impacts on neighbouring properties. Not every type of development requires site plan approval so it’s best to reach out to see if site plan is required and how to get started. You Need a Building Permit A building permit is required for new construction, additions, alterations, renovations, relocations, demolitions, and repairs or rehabilitation of a building or structure. Some minor repairs do not require a permit. You’re Unsure if Your Project Meets All Municipal Requirements If it looks like your project doesn’t meet the Municipal zoning requirements, or doesn’t meet some of the criteria, you may be able to pursue an application to ask permission from your Area Municipality to vary some of these requirements. Other Permits and Approvals Additional supporting documentation may be required to support your proposal, this could include environmental matters, servicing, and other technical requirements. Do You Need a Permit from the Conservation Authority? If the property you choose to locate your business includes or is close to an area that may be at risk of flooding (ex. streams and wetlands) you may need written permission or a formal permit from the local Conservation Authority. Oxford County is split between four different Conservation Authorities to reflect the four watersheds the County is a part of (Catfish Creek Conservation Authority, Grand River Conservation Authority, Long Point Region Conservation Authority, Upper Thames Region Conservation Authority). Does Your Property Have the Right Servicing? You may need to contact service providers and qualified professionals to confirm if your current service connections can accommodate the increase in service use or to see if you will need to pay to upgrade your services. Common service providers may include: • Hydro Services – Hydro One, Erie Thames Power • Natural Gas Services - Enbridge • Well and Septic Services - Qualified Professionals • High-speed or Fibre Internet Providers • Private Engineering Firms Will Running a Business Impact My Property Taxes? Possibly. Property value and taxation changes may occur and will be dependent on the type and extent of the activity on a property as categorized by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). Adding additional buildings or uses to a property may increase the value of the property. It also depends on what else is on the property and where it is located. Any subsequent increase to property taxes would be phased in through MPAC. More information can be foun d at mpac .ca or by contacting your Area Municipality. Location, Location, Location There a many importan considerations when s lecting a location f r a busine s. Whet r you are thinking about acquiring pro erty or using one you alre dy own, make sure you do your research up front to make sure it is he right fit, and tha you understand the requirem nts you may need to address a well as their implicat ons. Things to C nsider When Choosing a Business Location When s lecting a location f r y ur b sine s you’ll need to have some information o the physical scale nd the nature of the busine s you are p o osing, such as: • How much space you need to operat • How much additional space you need for relat d aspects of y ur b sine s (ex. offices, parking, warehousing, shipping and receiving, dry o c ld storage) • How many employees you will have • How much traffic, in luding large trucks, will be coming/going from the busine s • How much noise, dust, waste your b sine s will generat • The type and level of services your b sine s may require (ex. water, s wer, 3-phase hydro, gas, fibre inter t, etc.) There a location specific and technical requirem nts for large scale busine s to be aw re of (ex. locating settl m nt are s, servicing, etc). Small home occupation busine s tha are fully contai ed within a existing resid nc are g nerally permitted on most pro erti s. Obtaining Applicable Municipal Permits and Approvals Dependi g on the ype of use pro osed, the siz or scale, nd the location, l cal requirem nts may v ry. It is importan to understand whic and how these requirem nts will apply in relation t your pro osed busine s u e and location t ensure tha you btain all required permits and approvals he d of time. Know Your Zone Your Area Municipal zoning by-law sets out the rules for all pro erti s in the municipal ty, including the rules for: • How a pro erty can be us d • The siz of a pro erty • Where buildings can go on a pro erty • How tall, what size and how many buildings can be uilt • The number of parking spaces and where th se spaces an go Understandi g the p rmission the zoning by-law nd how they r lat to your pro osed busine s u e may influenc where you choose to locate nd how you choose your next steps. Application Forms & Fees It is importan to ake time upfront to learn bout the process, applicat on timelin s, f es, and associated development charges. Area Municipal ty forms and fees can be access d from your Area Municipal website or th ough the County of Ox ord Planni g and Development page under Available Resources by Municipal ty. When to Contact Your A ea Municipality's Build ng Official You Need Site Plan Approval Site plan is a more d tailed process tha elps en ure th d tails from the zoning by-law are ppro iately designed and landscaped; the d velopment has sufficient services and other on-site facilities; and the d sign elem nts are implem nt d so the development doesn’t have n gative mpacts on neighbouring pro erti s. Not every type of development requires site plan pproval so it’s best to reach out to see if site plan is required and how t get started. You Need a Building Permit A building permit is required for new construction, additions, alterations, renovations, relocations, demoliti ns, and repairs o rehabilitation of a building or struct re. Some minor repairs do n t require a permit. You’re Unsure if Your Project Meets All Municipal Requirem nts If it looks li e your project doesn’t meet the Municipal zoning requirem nts, or d esn’t meet some of the criteria, you may be able to purs e an pplicat on t ask permission from your Area Municipal ty to vary some of these requirem nts. Other Permits and Approvals Additional supporting documentation may be required to support your pro osal, this could include environmental matters, servicing, and other t chnical requirem nts. Do Y u Need a Permit from the Conservation Authority? If the pro erty you choose to locate your b sine s includes or is close to an re th may be at risk of fl oding (ex. streams and wetlands) you may need written permission or a formal permit from the local Conservation Authority. Oxford County is split be w en four different Conservation Authorities to reflect the four watersheds the County is a p rt of (Catfish Creek Conservation Authority, Grand River Conservation Authority, Long Point Region Conservation Authority, Upper Thames R gion Conservation Authority). Does Your Property Have th Right Servicing? You may need to c ntac service providers and qualified professionals to c nfirm f your current service connections can ccommodate the increas in service us or t see if you will need to pay to upgrade your se vices. Common service providers may include: • Hydro Services – Hydro One, Erie Thames Power • Natur l G s Services - Enbridge • Well and Septic Services - Qualified Professionals • High-speed or Fibre Inter t Providers • Private Engi eering Firms Will Runni g a Business Impact My Property Taxes? Possibly. Property value and taxation changes may occur and will be d pend t o the type and exten of he activity on a pro erty as c tegorized by the Municipal Property Asse ment Corp ation (MPAC). Adding additional buildings or uses to a pro erty may increas th value of the pro erty. It also depends on what else i on the pro erty and where it is located. Any sub equ nt i creas to pr erty taxes would be phased in through MPAC. More information can be found at mpac.c or by contac ing your Area Municipal ty. Rural BUSINESS CHECKLIST Thamesford Trojans 3-on-3 Youth Shock Hockey Tournament Returns in 2026 Your Thamesford Trojans have concluded their 2024-2025 season, and are now focused on planning for the 2025-2026 season. One of the last co munity owned clubs in the PJHL, we are proud of the commitment from all of our volunteers, staff, and the community itself. As a community owned club, we are always thankful o our sp nsors, who go above and beyond supporting our team. Anyone looking for sponsorship opportunities, please contact any executive member or reach out on social media, we are always looking for new sponsors, fundraising id as, d are open to any and all suggestions. Our year end awards banquet was h ld March 30 in the beautifully refurbished hall at Thamesford arena. We are one of the few clubs in the area that still gets together at year end to celebrate our accomplishments, and award our hardworking players, staff, and volunteers. Special shout out to Village Catering & Deli for providing the delicious lunch. 2024-2025 Award winners were: Riley Wood - Offensive MVP, 3 Stars, Playoff MVP + 2 hat tricks Yusuf Jomaa - Plus-Minus award Carter Musselman - Most Points award, + a hat trick Hometown Hockey The Thamesford Trojans are bringing back the March Break 3-on-3 Youth Shock Hockey Tournament in 2026! This event took place over three days during March Break 2025 and was a huge success. The “shock hockey” format of the tournament saw teams in age groups U9, U11, and U13, with each team made up of three rep players, three houseleague players, three girls, and one goalie. The games were 20-minutes in length, with line changes required with every one- minute buzzer. The Thamesford Arena was buzzing with excitement each day. The fast-paced format of the games made for a fun day for parents, friends and family who came to watch. The Thamesford Lions Club was there each day serving up delicious hot food in the canteen. Doris Weir Photography was on hand capturing photos of the teams each day. All of her photos are available online at https: /www.flickr.com/photos/ dweirphotography/albums/ with/72177720324368963 We are looking forward to hosting the event again during March Break 2026. Registration opens soon and spaces are limited. Watch the Trojans website and social edia accounts for sign up details! If you’re in the Thamesford area during March Break (March 16-18), stop into the arena to check out this awesome hockey experience!