The OHIA formed as a result of meetings held in 1997 between investigators within the Golden Horseshoe. In 1998 these agencies formed the Golden Horseshoe Homicide Investigators Association, at that time the membership consisted of the following ten agencies:
By 2004 membership had grown to fourteen agencies with the addition of Barrie, Brantford, Guelph and the Office of the Chief Coroner and the first Charter was adopted.
