Building on Momentum: OPPI’s Learning Journey into 2026

In 2025, OPPI delivered a dynamic year of learning opportunities for our members and planning-adjacent professionals. We celebrated several firsts, including offering training outside of the GTA in Ottawa, Guelph, Kingston, and Hamilton. We hosted a two-day symposium in Kitchener featuring panels and guided excursions, and our co-organized conference welcomed more than 1,500 attendees, both in person and virtually. We also launched customized training sessions across Ontario, along with several new workshops.

How do we match that in 2026? It’s a tall order, but we are excited to try our best!

This year, we are introducing something new. With your permission, OPPI will now report your CPL credits for workshops on your behalf, making it easier to track and manage your professional development. For more information on CPL credits, visit CPL | OPPI.

We are also launching seven new workshop offerings on timely and critical topics for planners. Working with a diverse group of experienced facilitators, we are excited to bring you the following learning opportunities.

ChatGPT for Planners: Transforming How We Write, Review, and Communicate
Facilitator: Lisa Orchard, M.Sc.Pl.
Lisa returns with a third workshop for OPPI on the rapidly evolving topic of artificial intelligence. This session introduces practical ways ChatGPT can support planners in drafting reports, studies, emails, and other professional content. Participants will explore how AI can assist with drafting, summarizing, and tailoring text for different audiences, while also understanding its limitations and the essential role of professional judgment.
Through live demonstrations and real-world examples, this workshop highlights how planners can use AI to work more efficiently without compromising accuracy or ethical standards.

This workshop is part of our writing workshop suite. Those who take two or more writing workshops in 2026 will receive a five percent discount.

Ethics, Professionalism, and Code of Practice for Planners
Facilitator: Justine Giancola, B.ES., MCIP, RPP, LEED AP
This interactive workshop covers OPPI’s Code and Standards of Practice and replaces the former Ethics and Professionalism for Planners workshop. Ideal for those preparing for the RPP exam or seeking a refresher, the course explores real-world situations encountered in everyday practice, the meaning of the public interest, and the complaints and discipline process. Participants are encouraged to bring their questions and dilemmas and engage with peers in a supportive learning environment.

From Reaction to Resolution: Communication Skills
Facilitator: Danielle Blommestyn
Danielle returns with a second workshop. This interactive three-hour workshop helps planners build confidence in navigating challenging conversations with the public, stakeholders, and colleagues. Participants will learn how to respond rather than react under pressure, communicate assertively without defensiveness, and move discussions from entrenched positions toward shared interests. Through reflection, real-life scenarios, and practical tools, participants will leave with strategies to foster constructive dialogue in even the toughest situations.

Indigenous Consultation and Engagement in Planning
Facilitator: Shay Colley
Designed as a next step for those who have completed OPPI’s Duty to Consult workshop, this session goes beyond compliance to equip planners with the tools, insight, and humility needed for meaningful consultation. Led by a First Nations facilitator with lived experience, participants will deepen their understanding of reconciliation, trust building, and inclusive planning practices.

QGIS for Planning and Local Government
Facilitator: Cliff Patterson
This hands-on, tutorial-based workshop helps municipal and regional staff harness the full potential of QGIS, a free and open-source GIS application widely used by local governments. Through guided instruction and practical exercises, participants will learn common spatial analysis tasks, data management techniques, and how to create high-quality maps and reports. Real-world applications, including demographic mapping, walkability analysis, site suitability, and environmental hazard assessment, demonstrate how QGIS supports data-driven decision making.

Smart Mobility and Growth: Digital Tools for Tomorrow’s Cities, Ottawa
Facilitators: Adam Beck and Gavin Cotterill
Taking place in Ottawa this July, this workshop features a panel of local transportation planners discussing the challenges and opportunities of delivering roads, transit projects, bike lanes, and pedestrian infrastructure. Adam and Gavin will explore how digital twins, integrated data systems, and real-time analytics are transforming how planners design, manage, and operate transportation systems. Participants will learn how digital tools enable smarter decision making, improved collaboration, and more inclusive, sustainable mobility outcomes.

Understanding Ontario’s Planning Legislation
Facilitator: David Ashbourne, RPP
Facilitated by experienced practitioners, this course explores the policy and regulatory framework at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels, how planning decisions are made, and the role planners play throughout the process. Whether you are new to the profession, seeking a refresher, or working in an adjacent field, this workshop offers valuable insight into Ontario’s planning system.

We’re not done yet! Additional learning opportunities, including new workshops and our second annual symposium, will be launched in the new year.

And don’t forget our conference in Blue Mountain September 16-18. Call for Proposals for the conference will launch in January.

 We’re excited to see where 2026 takes us!
  
For more information on all educational opportunities, visit the OPPI Events Calendar.  
For any questions regarding our workshops, please contact: education@ontarioplanners.ca. 

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from the Education and Events Team,

Karenza-Sutton-Bennett, PhD
Katie Watt, OCT, MA
Elis de Britto