{
  "title": "Dark Sky Law: Ontario",
  "description": "Ontario has no province-wide dark-sky statute, but a growing number of municipalities, especially in cottage country, have passed their own outdoor-lighting bylaws requiring shielded, downward-directed fixtures, including Huntsville (2016), Seguin Township, Muskoka Lakes (2023), and Mississauga's nuisance-lighting rule (2012). The province is also home to more RASC-designated Dark-Sky Preserves than any other, including Torrance Barrens, Killarney, and Lake Superior provincial parks.",
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    "code": "ON",
    "name": "Ontario",
    "country": "CA",
    "status": "limited",
    "laws_json": "[{\"title\":\"Outdoor Lighting By-law\",\"citation\":\"Town of Huntsville\",\"year\":2016,\"url\":\"https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/outdoor-lighting-bylaw/\"},{\"title\":\"Dark Sky By-law\",\"citation\":\"By-law 2023-009 (amended by 2025-029), Township of Muskoka Lakes\",\"year\":2023,\"url\":\"https://muskokalakes.civicweb.net/document/78279/\"},{\"title\":\"Nuisance Lighting By-law\",\"citation\":\"By-law 262-12, City of Mississauga\",\"year\":2012,\"url\":\"https://www.mississauga.ca/file/COM/nuisancelighting2013.pdf\"}]",
    "summary": "Ontario has no province-wide dark-sky statute, but a growing number of municipalities, especially in cottage country, have passed their own outdoor-lighting bylaws requiring shielded, downward-directed fixtures, including Huntsville (2016), Seguin Township, Muskoka Lakes (2023), and Mississauga's nuisance-lighting rule (2012). The province is also home to more RASC-designated Dark-Sky Preserves than any other, including Torrance Barrens, Killarney, and Lake Superior provincial parks.",
    "municipal_json": "[{\"place\":\"Huntsville\",\"summary\":\"Requires full cut-off, downward-shielded outdoor fixtures on new construction since January 2016, gave property owners until January 2026 to upgrade existing lighting, and restricts dock lights to warm amber or yellow tones.\",\"url\":\"https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/outdoor-lighting-bylaw/\"},{\"place\":\"Muskoka Lakes\",\"summary\":\"By-law 2023-009 regulates exterior lighting intensity, shielding, and hours of use township-wide to protect dark skies.\",\"url\":\"https://muskokalakes.civicweb.net/document/78279/\"},{\"place\":\"Seguin Township\",\"summary\":\"Adopted a bylaw restricting unshielded and excessive outdoor lighting to protect its \\\"dark sky environment.\\\"\",\"url\":\"https://www.myparrysoundnow.com/76948/news/municipal-news/seguin-township/seguin-adopts-bylaw-to-protect-dark-sky-environment/\"},{\"place\":\"Mississauga\",\"summary\":\"Nuisance Lighting By-law 262-12 (2012) bans glare-producing fixtures such as floodlights, spotlights, and flashing lights that trespass onto neighboring properties.\",\"url\":\"https://www.mississauga.ca/file/COM/nuisancelighting2013.pdf\"},{\"place\":\"North Frontenac\",\"summary\":\"Township-wide RASC dark-sky preserve designation (2013) protects the North Frontenac Astronomy Park near Plevna from light pollution.\",\"url\":\"https://www.northfrontenac.com/things-to-do/north-frontenac-astronomy-park/\"}]",
    "sources_json": "[\"https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/outdoor-lighting-bylaw/\",\"https://muskokalakes.civicweb.net/document/78279/\",\"https://www.mississauga.ca/file/COM/nuisancelighting2013.pdf\",\"https://www.myparrysoundnow.com/76948/news/municipal-news/seguin-township/seguin-adopts-bylaw-to-protect-dark-sky-environment/\",\"https://www.northfrontenac.com/things-to-do/north-frontenac-astronomy-park/\",\"https://rasc.ca/lpa/dark-sky-sites\"]",
    "checked": "2026-09-23",
    "laws": [
      {
        "title": "Outdoor Lighting By-law",
        "citation": "Town of Huntsville",
        "year": 2016,
        "url": "https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/outdoor-lighting-bylaw/"
      },
      {
        "title": "Dark Sky By-law",
        "citation": "By-law 2023-009 (amended by 2025-029), Township of Muskoka Lakes",
        "year": 2023,
        "url": "https://muskokalakes.civicweb.net/document/78279/"
      },
      {
        "title": "Nuisance Lighting By-law",
        "citation": "By-law 262-12, City of Mississauga",
        "year": 2012,
        "url": "https://www.mississauga.ca/file/COM/nuisancelighting2013.pdf"
      }
    ],
    "municipal": [
      {
        "place": "Huntsville",
        "summary": "Requires full cut-off, downward-shielded outdoor fixtures on new construction since January 2016, gave property owners until January 2026 to upgrade existing lighting, and restricts dock lights to warm amber or yellow tones.",
        "url": "https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/outdoor-lighting-bylaw/"
      },
      {
        "place": "Muskoka Lakes",
        "summary": "By-law 2023-009 regulates exterior lighting intensity, shielding, and hours of use township-wide to protect dark skies.",
        "url": "https://muskokalakes.civicweb.net/document/78279/"
      },
      {
        "place": "Seguin Township",
        "summary": "Adopted a bylaw restricting unshielded and excessive outdoor lighting to protect its \"dark sky environment.\"",
        "url": "https://www.myparrysoundnow.com/76948/news/municipal-news/seguin-township/seguin-adopts-bylaw-to-protect-dark-sky-environment/"
      },
      {
        "place": "Mississauga",
        "summary": "Nuisance Lighting By-law 262-12 (2012) bans glare-producing fixtures such as floodlights, spotlights, and flashing lights that trespass onto neighboring properties.",
        "url": "https://www.mississauga.ca/file/COM/nuisancelighting2013.pdf"
      },
      {
        "place": "North Frontenac",
        "summary": "Township-wide RASC dark-sky preserve designation (2013) protects the North Frontenac Astronomy Park near Plevna from light pollution.",
        "url": "https://www.northfrontenac.com/things-to-do/north-frontenac-astronomy-park/"
      }
    ],
    "sources": [
      "https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/outdoor-lighting-bylaw/",
      "https://muskokalakes.civicweb.net/document/78279/",
      "https://www.mississauga.ca/file/COM/nuisancelighting2013.pdf",
      "https://www.myparrysoundnow.com/76948/news/municipal-news/seguin-township/seguin-adopts-bylaw-to-protect-dark-sky-environment/",
      "https://www.northfrontenac.com/things-to-do/north-frontenac-astronomy-park/",
      "https://rasc.ca/lpa/dark-sky-sites"
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        "description": "Ontario has no province-wide dark-sky statute, but a growing number of municipalities, especially in cottage country, have passed their own outdoor-lighting bylaws requiring shielded, downward-directed fixtures, including Huntsville (2016), Seguin Township, Muskoka Lakes (2023), and Mississauga's nuisance-lighting rule (2012). The province is also home to more RASC-designated Dark-Sky Preserves than any other, including Torrance Barrens, Killarney, and Lake Superior provincial parks.",
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