HISTORY
Where we came from
and where we’re going.
From research and permitting modernization to a national Centre of Excellence for trusted land intelligence, responsible AI and collaborative public decision-making.
2014
Foundation
Dr. Arash Shahi, a Civil Engineer with a PhD in multi-sensory data fusion for automated construction management, co-founded the Building Innovation Research Centre (BIRC) at the University of Toronto.
Collaborating with industry partners, municipalities, and agencies, Shahi led research on streamlining development approvals in Ontario, analyzing global permitting solutions. The research demonstrated the potential of shared data and digital tools to improve approvals, while also revealing the broader challenge of fragmented systems, standards and institutions.
May 2020
Industry collaboration
Recognizing the limitations of academia in driving implementation, Dr. Shahi co-founded AECO Innovation Lab alongside key industry partners to address the digital transformation needs of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sectors.
July 2020
The birth of One Ontario
AECO partnered with the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) to launch the One Ontario initiative with the goal of creating shared infrastructure that could simplify communication between applicants, municipalities, and approval agencies while supporting more efficient development approvals.
The initial alliance brought together nearly 40 professional associations, municipalities and government agencies around a shared goal: modernizing development approvals and creating a more connected foundation for housing delivery.
April 2021
CMHC Housing Supply Challenge success
AECO’s One Ontario initiative received funding under the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Housing Supply Challenge. This funding supported a scalable proof-of-concept pilot titled “Pre-development Process Streamlining and Modernization in Support of Housing Affordability in Simcoe County: a scalable Proof of Concept solution for all regional governments in Canada.” This project aimed to pilot the One Ontario initiative within Simcoe County.
October 2022
Continued funding and development
The One Ontario project was named a final funding recipient of the CMHC Housing Supply Challenge, enabling further research, prototype development, and implementation of the concept. This phase saw the research evolve into a robust platform for streamlining real estate and development decisions, by normalizing fragmented data into structured, machine-readable formats that can be queried to improve planning and decision-making processes.
January 2024
Incorporation as a non-profit organization
One Ontario transitioned into a non-profit organization to strengthen its role as a neutral convening body. The shift allowed the organization to prioritize public value, transparency and cross-sector collaboration while expanding its work with municipalities, governments, academia and industry.
2026
Today
What began as an initiative to modernize development approvals has evolved into a broader national Centre of Excellence focused on the shared intelligence Canada needs to grow. Today, One Ontario brings together municipalities, provincial and federal governments, public agencies, industry, technology providers and academia around trusted land intelligence, responsible AI and cross-sector collaboration.
The work now spans five interconnected priorities—housing acceleration, environmental stewardship, economic growth, emerging industries and shared data standards—all built on the same foundation: better information, stronger collaboration and a common ground truth.
A decade of work behind Canada’s next generation of land intelligence.
One Ontario has spent more than a decade working to understand and solve the fragmentation behind land and development decisions. What began with research grew into collaboration with municipalities, governments, academia and industry.
Today, One Ontario is uniquely positioned to bring those perspectives together with government, industry, technology providers and public agencies to build the shared land intelligence and responsible AI Canada now needs.