I found this web page that has a good overview of how land use planning occurs in Ontario. It has links to all the relevant Acts and policy, so it is useful to bookmark.
www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page186.aspx

Bill Royds
17 December 2007

and more…
That’s an excellent reference for the overall picture, Bill. Another interesting page is http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page167.aspx [no longer found online]. The full text of these “Innovative Municipal Land Use Planning Practices” is to be found by scrolling down to the bottom of that page, organized under four topics:
1. Municipal Approvals
2. Municipal Alternative Review Models
3. Planning Service Working with the One Window Provincial
4. Other Ideas and Approaches

Erwin