January 30, 2024

The process to update the District’s Official Community Plan consists of six phases, and we have now completed Phase 2: Community Engagement! Now we are beginning Phase 3 which is drafting the Official Community Plan.

CLICK HERE for the Open House Survey Summary

Official Community Plan Survey is now CLOSED

Were you unable to attend the Official Community Plan Open House on November 4^th? Haven’t filled out the engagement survey yet? The District of Hudson’s Hope is inviting you to take an online survey to help guide the Official Community Plan. Paper copies will be available at the District Hall, or click here for the online version”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!

1. What is the Official Community Plan?

An Official Community Plan is the highest level policy document for a local government – it informs and guides how the community grows for the next 15+ years. The Official Community Plan is a bylaw adopted by Council that sets out the vision and direction that will guide the future growth and development of the District of Hudson’s Hope. It includes policies on the future use and management of lands, as well as elements such as municipal facilities and services, utility and transportation systems, environmental stewardship, economic development, arts, heritage and culture, and social health and wellness to set out a clear path to guide District Council, District staff and the community.

2. Why do we need an Official Community Plan?

The Official Community Plan guides every decision made by Council, keeping in mind what the community has identified as important. The Official Community Plan provides a regulatory framework to guide how the District evaluates and approves future development. It also provides clear direction for how Hudson’s Hope should grow in the coming years so that growth is well planned and supports the community’s vision for its future.

3. Does Hudson’s Hope already have an Official Community Plan?

Yes. The current Official Community Plan was adopted in 2013. Best practice is to review an Official Community Plan every 5-10 years and revising as necessary. The District seeks to provide greater clarity on Official Community Plan policies, and ensure the policies are modern, reflect recent legislative changes, and include studies and plans that the District has undertaken since 2013. All of this makes it a good time to update the Official Community Plan to reflect these changes and better positions Hudson’s Hope to achieve its future aspirations.

Click here to view the current Official Community Plan.

4. What Legal status does an Official Community Plan have?

All Official Community Plans are prepared under the authority of the Local Government Act. The Local Government Act describes an Official Community Plan as a comprehensive guiding document, primarily in relation to land use planning. The Local Government Act outlines both required policy components (e.g. approximate location, amount and type of residential development to meet the community’s expected housing needs for the next five years) and optional elements (e.g. policies relating to social well-being in the community). In the past, Hudson’s Hope has chosen to include a wide range of policy areas in its Official Community Plan, including policies related to affordable housing, parks and recreation, arts, culture, heritage, and economic development. These all help create a vibrant, holistic, and desirable community, thereby increasing the overall quality of life in Hudson’s Hope.

All of the District’s policies, plans, capital projects, and bylaws created after adoption of its Official Community Plan should consider the Official Community Plan and align with it. For example, the Zoning Bylaw should be made consistent with the Official Community Plan over time.

5. Who creates the Official Community Plan?

Our whole community does. Every person is asked to provide input: residents, business owners, community groups, First Nations, Métis communities, District Council and staff, and government agencies.  Ultimately, District Council will adopt an Official Community Plan that they believe best represents the interests and objectives of the community as a whole.

6. How will the Official Community Plan be developed?

An Official Community Plan involves much community engagement and input. All of this information is gathered through surveys, public workshops, and conversations with the community in a variety of forms. A draft Official Community Plan will be developed that captures the vision of the community, which will then be presented to Council for their feedback. It is then presented to the community for another round of community engagement. Once the final Official Community Plan is complete it will be referred to external government agencies for their comment and work through the bylaw adoption process. Before any Official Community Plan can be adopted by District Council, a public hearing must also be held.

7. How can you get involved?

Open House: Join us on November 4^th at the Community Hall from 3 – 6 pm to talk about the Official Community Plan and provide your input on a variety of topics!

Online Survey: Complete the online engagement from November 4^th – 18 ^th. A link will be provided closer to November 4^th.

Social Media: ‘Like us’ on the District of Hudson’s Hope Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/hudsons.hope.bc/) to stay up to date on this process.

Website: Follow the District of Hudson’s Hope website for more information and project updates here: https://hudsonshope.ca/

Contact Us: If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail office2@hudsonshope.ca or call Andrea Martin, Corporate Officer at (250) 783-9901.

8. Will the Open House be live-streamed?

No, the open house will not be live-streamed due to the style of activities. Community members can come anytime from 3 – 6 pm to the Community Hall and have conversations about their vision for Hudson’s Hope. If you are not able to make it to the Open House, you can take the survey or email office2@hudsonshope.ca any additional input you would like to provide.