At their regular meeting on September 16th, Council gave first reading to the proposed amendments necessary to bring the housing relevant sections of Chapters 1, 2 and 3 of the Official Community Plan into alignment with the Province’s Local Government Housing Framework and new housing legislation introduced since the Fall of 2023. These amendments integrate the findings from the City’s interim 2024 Housing Needs Report and initiatives from the 2024 Proposed Housing Action Plan. 

It is recommended that the proposed 2025 OCP housing update follow the City’s typical referral process and early posting of the proposed Official Community Plan amendments on the City’s website, without the need for further additional consultation. Following the referral process, the Bylaw can be considered by Council for second reading and will include a Public Hearing anticipated to be scheduled for November 2025, with Third and Final Reading to be brought forward in December 2025 for the Bylaw to be adopted before the end of the year. 

In parallel, to accommodate the new land use designations required as a result of the new provincial housing regulations, an associated Zoning Bylaw amendment will be brought forward once Council has had the opportunity to consider the various OCP area plan updates. 

Additional information can be found in the  full report by City staff and  Official Community Plan Amending Bylaw. 

At their same meeting, Council gave first reading to the Official Community Plan Amending Bylaw to update the below Area Plans to reflect changes brought into effect with the new Provincial Housing Legislation: 

• Town Centre Plan Area Update  
• Hammond Area Plan Update  
• Silver Valley Area Plan Update  

Additional information can be found in the full reports by City staff on each Area Plan: 

• Town Centre Plan Area Update:  full report by City staff  
• Hammond Area Plan Update:  full report by City staff
• Silver Valley Area Plan Update:  full report by City staff