LOGO

Office of the Clerk

The roles of Legislative Service/Clerk include the preparation and circulation of Council documents and maintaining the original copies of all by-laws and minutes of Council. The Director of Legislative Services/Clerk is responsible for requests under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and for the conduct and administration of Municipal elections. The Director of Legislative Services/Clerk also issues marriage and lottery licenses. The Legislative Services/Clerk's office also has a Commissioner of Oaths for signing affidavits and statutory declarations.

Council generally meets twice per month. Special and emergency meetings can be called by the Mayor and/or CAO from time to time. Meetings usually occur at the Council Chambers located at 157859 7th Line. 

Marriage and Vital Statistics

Marriage Licences

To obtain a marriage licence, couples must complete and sign the pdf Marriage License Application (168 KB)  form. You can also obtain an application form by emailing Legislative Services at clerk@meaford.ca.

When the application has been completed and signed by both parties, either of the applicants or both may bring the application to the municipal office at 21 Trowbridge Street West to obtain the licence.  Both applicants must provide original proof of identity (a birth certificate or passport) and a second piece of government issued photo identification.  Photocopies are not acceptable and documents in a language other than English or French must be translated by a certified translator.

A marriage licence can be purchased anywhere in Ontario and applicants may be married anywhere in Ontario.  The licence is valid for a period of three (3) months from the date of issue.

Cost: The fee for a marriage licence is $140.00 (non-refundable), payable by cash, Visa, Mastercard or debit.  No cheques please.

Important Information

• If either party has a box number as an address, the 911 address needs to be provided. 
• If either party lives on a Canadian Armed Forces Base, please provide both room and barrack numbers.
• The application requires the intended place of marriage including municipality and the county where the ceremony will be performed.
• For applicants divorced within Canada, an original or court-certified copy of the Final Decree, Final Judgment or Certificate of Divorce must be provided at the time of application (this certificate will have a seal and original signature). No photocopies will be accepted.
• If there is a previous divorce granted outside of Canada, the Ministry of Government Services requires couples to provide specific documentation before a marriage licence can be issued. The application must be submitted a minimum of four weeks prior to the date of the ceremony.  pdf Divorce Outside of Canada (88 KB)
  
• Persons under the age of 16 may not marry. Persons who are 17 or 18 years old require consent from both parents or guardians.  Please request Form 6 from our office.
• Widow or Widower: If either party to the proposed marriage is a widow they are not required to produce a death certificate to obtain a marriage licence. 

Hours

The Legislative Services department issues marriage licences Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  While appointments are not required, they are strongly recommended. Please contact clerk@meaford.ca for more information or 519-538-1060.  

Marriage Ceremonies

Congratulations on Your Upcoming Marriage!

For your convenience, your civil wedding ceremony can be performed at Meaford Hall.  Services can be performed during or after regular business hours. Three municipal staff are available to conduct wedding ceremonies, as well an independent third party provider. 

Fees for a civil marriage service during the daytime (Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) at Meaford Hall are $175, including room rental, based on availability. 

Ceremonies can also be performed on evening and weekends. Costs, excluding room rentals are:

Evening/Weekend Ceremony - $300.00 (from January 1, 2016)
Rehearsal/Incidental Fee - $75.00
Witness Fee - $50.00 (from January 1, 2016)

There are numerous options available for your civil ceremony from a basic standard service to the inclusion of your own vows, poems, quotes or songs. Sample ceremonies are provided as part of our civil marriage services.

Please contact clerk@meaford.ca or 519-538-1060, Ext. 1100 for more information and to check the availability of our officiants. 

Births

Congratulations on the birth of your baby!

You can come to the Municipal Office at 21 Trowbridge Street West during regular office hours to pick up a form or download the following form to apply for a Birth Certificate:

• Request for Birth Certificate Form

To link directly to Service Ontario in order to apply online for the Birth Certificate, click on the following link: https://www.orgforms.gov.on.ca/eForms/start.do

If you have any questions, please call the Office of the Registrar at 1-800-461-2156.

Deaths

You can come to the Municipal Office at 21 Trowbridge Street West during regular office hours to pick up a form or download the following form:

• pdf Request for Death Certificate Form (394 KB)

To link directly to Service Ontario in order to apply online for the Death Certificate, click on the following link: https://www.orgforms.gov.on.ca/eForms/start.do

If you have any questions, please call the Office of the Registrar at 1-800-461-2156.

Contact Us

For more information on marriage services, contact us at:

Phone: 519-538-1060 ext. 1100
Email: clerk@meaford.ca

Lottery/Licences

Lotteries

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario regulates Charitable Lottery Licensing for the province.

The Municipality of Meaford is the licensing authority for the following:

• Bingo events, with prize boards of up to $5,500

• Media Bingo events with prizes of up to $5,500

• Break Open Tickets for local organizations

• Raffle lotteries for total prizes of $50,000 and under

• Bazaar lotteries which include: wheels of fortune with a maximum bet of $2.00, raffles not exceeding $500, and bingo events up to $500.

To be eligible to apply for a charitable lottery licence with the Municipality of Meaford, your organization must have its office/organization located in the municipality and have been in existence for at least one year.

For a list of eligibility requirements please refer to the quick guide. The Quick Guide should be read in conjunction with the appropriate Terms and Conditions for the lottery event you intend to apply for.     pdf Quick Guide - Are You Eligible for Charitable Gaming Licences (179 KB)

Organizations are required to have a Canadian dollar trust account(s) for lottery proceeds. Please click on the following link for further information onTrust Accounts.

• Raffle Lottery Terms and Conditions (PDF)

• Break Open Ticket Terms & Conditions (PDF)

• Regular and Special Bingo Terms & Conditions (PDF)

Applications

• Raffle Application (PDF)

• Break Open Ticket Application (PDF)

• Regular and Special Bingo Application (PDF) 

Lottery Reporting

Any organization that obtains a lottery licence through the Municipality of Meaford must submit a completed Lottery Report within 30 days of the expiry of the licence. For a copy of the Lottery Report click on the appropriate link below:

• Raffle Lottery Report (PDF)

• Break Open Ticket Report (PDF)

• Regular and Special Bingo Report (PDF)

For further details regarding lottery licensing within the Province of Ontario please visit  http://www.agco.on.ca/

If you have an inquiries regarding eligibility and applying for a charitable lottery licence with the Municipality of Meaford, please email info@meaford.ca or call the Legislative Services department at 519-538-1060 ext. 1101.  

Licences

Refreshment Vehicles, Taxis and Transient Traders

Licensing By-law 053-2012 is the by-law that allows us to license and regulate businesses including taxis, refreshment vehicles and transient traders in the Municipality of Meaford. Holding a valid business licence is vital to ensure businesses follow by-law regulations and limitations, providing consumer protection.

By-Law 053-2012

The Municipality is currently conducting public consultation regarding a proposed update to the Business Licencing By-law. Members of the public are asked to complete the survey found at www.surveymonkey.com/r/MeafordBusinessLicencing or to attend the Public Information Centre at Meaford Hall on Tuesday, April 24 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Comments will be used to inform the draft Business Licencing By-law that will be presented to Council for their review in May 2018. Responses are requested by April 30, 2018.

Dogs

Dog owners in the Municipality of Meaford must license their dogs each year. For more information on Dog licencing and kennel licensing, see Animal Control.

Contact Us

For more information on lotteries and licencing, contact us at:

Phone: 519-538-1060 ext. 1101
Email: clerk@meaford.ca