The Clerk is the essential link between Essa ratepayers and Council.  The primary duty of the Clerk is to act as corporate secretary to Township Council and its Committees, administering legislative requirements under the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended.  The Clerk is responsible for the preparation of Council Agendas and Minutes.  

Persons wishing to speak to Council can complete a delegation request form.  In accordance with the Procedural Bylaw, notice must be given to the Clerk's Office by 12:00 noon on the Wednesday one week before the requested deputation date, specifically stating the purpose of the delegation by providing a written outline of the subject matter of the presentation.  Confirmation will be provided by the Clerk's Office if and when a time slot is available. Additional material and information of the submission shall be provided to members of Council and the Clerk's Office at the time of the deputation.

The Clerk also acts as a Commissioner of Oaths, which is a person that is empowered under provincial or state legislation to administer and witness the swearing of oaths or solemn affirmations in the taking of an affidavit for any potential legal matter. Commissioners of oaths are also empowered to witness any declaration as required under a statute.

This department acts as the local representative of the Division Registrar for vital statistics, which involves the registration of deaths, births and marriages.  Additionally, this department handles all requests for information under the Municipal Freedom of Information Protection and Privacy Act.

This Department is also responsible for the following service areas:  

• Customer Service
• Freedom of Information (MFIPPA)
• Information Technology
• Lottery Licensing (Raffle, Bingo and Nevada)
• Marriage Licenses
• Municipal Donation/Grant Program
• Municipal Elections
• Municipal Law Enforcement
• Records Management
• Vital Statistics

Your feedback is important to us.  If you have recommendations on how we can improve our service to you, please contact the Clerk's Office.

The Corporate Services Department is responsible for information technology services to Township Council and staff.  Main services that are provided include:

• Website maintenance
• Acquisition of hardware and software
• Maintenance and repair coordination
• Management of voice communication systems

The Municipal Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act designs a method for the public to gain access to records within the Clerk's Department.  The Clerk is the coordinator of municipal records for the Township of Essa, so your request would be processed through the Clerk.

If you would like to make a request for records which fall under MFIPPA, it is required that you complete and submit a Freedom of Information Request Form with the application fee.  You will be notified of additional charges accumulated upon completion of the request.  A breakdown of the FOI request and additional charges can be found in our Schedule of Fees.

Some records or parts of a record may not be publicly accessed based on requirements set out by MFIPPA.  These guidelines are in place to protect the rights of another person or organization.  If we are not able to disclose a record, you will be informed accordingly based on the exemption that the Clerk is applying to the record(s).

The Clerk's Department is responsible for the issuance of lottery licenses to eligible organizations within Essa Township.  Applicants must be an eligible charitable organization or a non-profit organization with charitable purposes.  Organizations must have been in operations for at least one year and demonstrated a charitable or religious mandate throughout the year in order to qualify.  The courts have determined that the term "charitable" refers to organizations which provide programs for the following:

• The relief of poverty;
• The advancement of education;
• The advancement of religion; or
• Other charitable purposes beneficial to the community.

In simple terms, a lottery scheme may be defined as any scheme which has the following three components:  

• a prize;
• the chance to win a prize; and
• a fee.  

A lottery scheme exists if money is paid for a chance to win a prize.

The types of events that municipalities may issue lottery licenses for are:  

• Bingo events with prize boards of up to $5,500;
• Raffles with prizes of up to $50,000;
• Break Open Ticket events that are not conducted in conjunction with another event, and where the tickets are sold within the municipality;
• Bazaar gaming events; and
• Media Bingo

Prior to the issuance of a lottery license, the applicant must complete and submit the following documents:

• Eligibility application (is required to be submitted annually) in conjunction with the Designated Members in Charge Form;
• Application for either a raffle license / break-open ticket license / or bingo license;
• Fee

Please be advised that supplementary documentation is required to be submitted with each application prior to the approval of the municipality.  Visit our Licensing Information and Checklist for further information.

Upon expiry of the lottery license, it is mandatory that applicants complete and submit the reporting requirement forms to the Clerk's Department as per the conditions laid out in the approval of the license. Future lottery licenses will not be issued if there are outstanding reports.  The following reporting forms are listed below for your convenience:

• Raffle Reporting Form (to be submitted within 30 days of the completion of the event with a complete list of the winners of the prizes);
• Break Open Ticket Reporting Form (to be completed and submitted quarterly, with the final report being submitted within 30 days of the expiry of the license); and
• Bingo Reporting Form (to be completed and submitted after every bingo event held).

**Municipal authority to issue lottery licenses has been granted by the Order-In-Council.  The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has established the policies and manuals for approvals.  Essa Township is bound by these guidelines and procedures in determining an organization's eligibility and issuance of lottery licenses.  Please visit the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario website for further information.

If you require additional information please contact the Clerk's Assistant.

Marriage licenses may be purchased at the Administration Centre. The application for the marriage license must be signed by both individuals in front of the Clerk; however, once the license has been issued it may be picked up by one or both applicants.  It is suggested that you call ahead for an appointment prior to bringing the application to our office.
For further information please read our Marriage License Application Procedures.

If you are interested in having the Clerk perform your Civil Marriage Ceremony, please contact the Clerk's Office at (705) 424-9770 to make arrangements for this event.  Civil Marriage Ceremonies can be performed in Council Chambers at the Administration Centre on Friday afternoons. Bookings for the ceremony are required to be made at least two weeks prior to the actual date of the ceremony.  The cost for this service is $250.

The purpose of the Municipal Grant Program is to provide non-profit groups and organizations with an opportunity to apply for funding from the municipality to help offset costs associated with running their program.  Each group and/or organization applying under this program is required to offer a needed and worthwhile service that has been proven to benefit the community of Essa.

For more information, please look at our Municipal Grant Guidelines.  Persons wishing to apply for grant funding can fill out the application form and once completed, submit to the Clerk's Office.

**All decisions regarding financial support are solely at the discretion of Council. Organizations will be notified in writing if their application was successful or not.

Official 2010 Election Results

2010 Financial Statements 

Township of Essa Municipal Election Candidate's Guide
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Municipal Elections Guide

Municipal Law Enforcement Officers are responsible for the administration and enforcement of all by-laws passed by the Township of Essa and various Provincial Statutes.

Inquiries and complaints are received and recorded by the By-law Department. 

Canine Control 

According to By-law 2006-18 every owner of a dog shall obtain a license annually as soon as the dog has attained the age of twelve (12) weeks. 

If you have found a dog during regular business hours please call the Administration Centre at 424-9770.  After hours Canine Control can be reached at (705) 623-3223.

If you have lost your dog, our Officers may have taken the dog to Alliston & District Humane Society. Please contact them directly to make arrangements for pick up and payment of any outstanding charges at:

Please be advised that The Township of Essa does not currently license cats.  The Barrie SPCA will accept healthy stray cats from residents in Essa for a fee if their kennel is not full. Contact the Barrie SPCA at (705) 728-7311 for more information.

Corporate Services is responsible for the processing, indexing and retention of information presented to Council in the form of By-laws, Resolutions, Agendas and Minutes, as well as maintaining the official corporate record of all Council and Committee meetings.  As part of records retention, Essa Township works jointly with the County of Simcoe Archives in the archiving and storage of records as in accordance with Essa Township's retention by-law.

The Clerk's Office acts as the local representative of the Division Registrar for vital statistics, which involves the registration of deaths, births and marriages.  The Clerk is the Division Registrar under the Vital Statistics Act.  All deaths which occur within the Township of Essa must be registered with the Division Registrar.

You can apply online for birth certificates through Service Ontario, or applicants can submit the completed form to the Office of the Registrar General at:
                        PO Box 4600
                        189 Red River Road
                        Thunder Bay, ON
                        P7B 6L8
For inquiries into birth registrations, please contact the Office of the Registrar General by calling the toll free number at 1-800-461-2156, or visit the Service Ontario website.