The Downtown Orillia BIA Board meets every third Tuesday of the month at 5:30pm.
For DOBIA Nomination Forms, please click here.
For Attestation of Representative Nominee Authorization Form, click here.
All forms are to be sent to [email protected] no later than October 5, 2026 at 5pm.
The Downtown Orillia Business Improvement Area (DOBIA) will be holding an election to fill eight (8) elected Director positions on its Board of Management.
The DOBIA Board consists of nine (9) Directors: eight elected representatives from the Downtown Orillia BIA membership and one member appointed by Orillia City Council.
Following the election and appointment by City Council, the new Board will serve a four-year term.
If you are passionate about Downtown Orillia and want to play a role in shaping its future, we encourage you to consider putting your name forward.
Notice of Election: September 14, 2026
Nominations Open: September 14, 2026
Nominations Close: October 5, 2026
Voting Day: October 22, 2026
Voting Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Annual General Meeting: October 22, 2026
Additional information regarding nominations, voting procedures and the Annual General Meeting will be provided to eligible DOBIA members.
A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is a local board established by municipal by-law under Ontario’s Municipal Act, 2001.
A BIA represents businesses and commercial property owners within a defined geographic area and works to strengthen and enhance the district as a place to shop, dine, work, invest, experience and visit.
The Downtown Orillia BIA supports the downtown through marketing and promotion, events and programming, beautification and streetscaping, advocacy, partnerships, member support and other initiatives designed to strengthen Downtown Orillia.
Board Directors provide leadership, governance and strategic direction for the Downtown Orillia BIA.
Directors help:
Directors serve the BIA as a whole and are expected to consider the interests of the entire Downtown Orillia business community when making decisions.
Directors should be prepared to dedicate approximately 6–10 hours per month to Board and committee responsibilities.
This may include:
Regular participation is important to effective Board governance.
Directors are expected to attend regular Board meetings and actively participate in the work of the organization. Directors may not miss more than three (3) consecutive Board meetings without approval of the Board.
All Directors
are required to serve on at least one standing committee and actively participate in its work.
DOBIA’s current committees include:
Committees play an important role in the organization, with much of the detailed planning, discussion and project development taking place at the committee level.
There is no single background or professional experience required to be an effective DOBIA Director. A strong Board benefits from having members with a variety of perspectives, skills and experiences.
Experience or knowledge in the following areas may be particularly valuable:
Previous Board experience is welcome but is not required.
Eligible nominees must be an assessed commercial property owner or business occupant within the Downtown Orillia BIA boundary, or be formally authorized to represent an assessed owner, business or corporation within the BIA.
Nominees must meet all applicable eligibility requirements established for the DOBIA Board of Management election.
Serving on the Downtown Orillia BIA Board of Management is an opportunity to contribute your experience, perspective and ideas while helping guide the future of Downtown Orillia.
Nominations open September 14, 2026 and close October 5, 2026.
For nomination forms, detailed eligibility requirements, voting information or questions about serving on the Board, please contact the Downtown Orillia BIA office.
For Nomination Forms, please click here.
For Attestation of Representative Nominee Authorization Form, click here.
All forms are to be sent to [email protected] no later than October 5, 2026 at 5pm.
The Orillia BIA Board helps new and existing businesses gain access to several programs and navigate signage decisions that support the beautification and development of Downtown Orillia as a heritage shopping attraction. Below are key resource kits and information that support doing business in Downtown Orillia.
Welcome to Downtown Orillia! The Orillia BIA office is located at 23 Mississaga St. West, on the 2nd floor, and is here to help you in the success of your new business location. In fact, part of the process of opening a store in the Downtown is to come and speak to us. There is a lot of information we need to share with you, especially regarding signage.
We would be happy to meet with you at your convenience, so just email us at [email protected]. We can help you with everything from your businesses Grand Opening, obtaining signage permits, supporting ongoing special events and staying up to date on news and information that supports business downtown. For more information you can also download our Welcome Kit.
Any person wishing to appear as a deputation to the BIA Board at a regular meeting must contact the Board office by email at: [email protected]
The BIA Office will contact you by email regarding your request.
If a deputation request is granted, all presentation materials must be submitted to the BIA Office by 12:00 Noon on the Wednesday prior to the BIA Board meeting date.
There are some restrictions regarding delegations/deputations:
• The subject matter of the deputation must be within BIA boundaries
• Any person who has previously addressed the BIA on a topic will not be allowed a second deputation unless the person can prove that there is new information to present to the Board
• A maximum of three speakers will be permitted per deputation
• Each deputation will be limited to a maximum of 10 minutes
• No more than two deputations shall be scheduled for any BIA meeting, subject to the necessity to deal with matters of an urgent nature
• Deputations shall not promote a specific business
Deputations are scheduled at the beginning of regular BIA meetings only. If you are chosen to present a deputation, you do not have to read your deputation to the BIA. They will have already received a copy of your written submission. Instead, simply state the reason you are appearing, the solution or action you are seeking and the reason for your request.
Following your deputation, members of the BIA Board will then have the opportunity to ask you any further questions but they shall not enter into a debate. BIA Board Members will only interrupt a deputation on a point of order.
After the BIA Board has heard your deputation and the members have asked you any questions that they might have, the Chair will ask you to take a seat in the gallery. Any motions arising from a deputation shall be considered under the “Motion” heading of the agenda. BIA Board Members will then discuss the matter and determine an appropriate course of action.
Stay up to date on events, Downtown promotions and other community announcements by making sure we have your business name, address, postal code, phone number, email address, website, hours of operation and business description.
Board meeting agendas and minutes are posted each month. Previous years have been archived. Click each icon to either download or view each document.
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Welcome to Downtown Orillia! The Orillia BIA office is located at 23 Mississaga St. West, on the 2nd floor, and is here to help you in the success of your new business location. In fact, part of the process of opening a store in the Downtown is to come and speak to us. There is a lot of information we need to share with you, especially regarding signage. We would be happy to meet with you at your convenience, so just email us at [email protected].
We can help you with everything from your businesses Grand Opening, obtaining signage permits, supporting ongoing special events and staying up to date on news and information that supports business downtown. For more information you can also download our Welcome Kit.
The Downtown Tomorrow Community Improvement Plan (DTCIP) launched on January 1, 2017. This program seeks to encourage growth in Downtown Orillia, and in 2016 will include the provision of $185,000 in grants to offset costs of development in the downtown core for projects such as façade improvements, signage, feasibility studies, building improvements and the creation of residential units.
Implementation of the following five grant programs began on January 1, 2017;
• Feasibility/Design Study Grant Program
• Fees Grant Study Program
• Façade Improvement Grant Program
• Building Improvement Grant Program
• Residential Grant Program
For further information on the DTCIP Program:
Garbage, recycling and compost pick-up is Wednesday morning at 5 AM. Therefore, it should be placed in front of your store on Tuesday AFTER 4PM. Recyclables must be separated (paper and containers). All garbage bags, cans and bundles MUST have a City of Orillia garbage tag attached. Tags have been sent to all of the property owners; be sure to ask your landlord well in advance for your tags. Additional tags are available from City Hall, the landfill site and selected merchants around town. If your garbage does not have a tag on it, it WILL NOT be picked up. It is your responsibility to tag every bag that you put out for collection.
Starting February 7, 2022, Orillia is moving to a clear garbage bag program. Residents and business owners are to place their garbage in a clear plastic bag instead of an opaque (black or green) plastic bag. Residents/Business Owners can use up to two small privacy bags such as a regular-sized shopping bag to hide items they don’t want others to see. Rigid garbage containers are still able to be used, but if the garbage bin is lined, it will need to be lined with a clear garbage bag.
Monthly parking permits are available from the City for one of the numerous municipal lots located in the Downtown core.
If downtown business members and their staff use metered spaces, they take prime parking locations away from people who are coming to shop in our beautiful Downtown. Let’s all work together to make our Downtown as user friendly as we can.
“My sign is the single most important piece of advertisement for my business”
Please be advised that all signs, including window and sandwich boards in the City of Orillia require a permit.
However, effective January 13, 2025, all sign permit applications are to be made directly to the City of Orillia, regardless of whether the proposed sign will be erected within the DSPA (Downtown Sign Area), or outside the DSPA.
The Board of Management of the Downtown Orillia BIA is no longer involved in any sign permit application process.