Official Community Plans
How Do We Shape the Places We Call Home?
Have you ever wondered who decides where neighbourhoods grow, forests are preserved, or new businesses open their doors? These decisions don’t just happen—they’re guided by a powerful tool called the Official Community Plan (OCP). The best part? You have a say in shaping it.
What is an OCP?
Think of an OCP as the community’s blueprint for the future. A long-term plan—spanning 10-20 years— the OCP lays out the vision, values, and priorities for land development. From housing and transportation to natural spaces and infrastructure, the OCP influences the choices that define our daily lives and the legacy we leave for future generations.
But it’s more than a plan—it’s a commitment.
Every zoning bylaw, development approval, and community policy must align with the OCP. Importantly, it plays a vital role in protecting sensitive ecosystems by applying land use, directing appropriate development to the right areas and away from sensitive ecosystems and safeguarding our region’s natural environment.
Why Now? Why You?
The Lower Sunshine Coast stands at a turning point. As our population grows, so do development pressures. Climate change impacts and biodiversity loss add new challenges. The upcoming OCP renewal isn’t just a policy update—it’s a chance to decide what kind of future we want.
The Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (SCCA) invites you to take part in shaping this future. The Green Bylaws – Sunshine Coast Report offers science-based recommendations to strengthen biodiversity protection and ecosystem resilience. But these recommendations need community support to become reality. Your participation can make all the difference.
Additional Background Information
Take Action – Your Voice Shapes Our Future
This is a pivotal moment for the Sunshine Coast. Your engagement can tip the scales toward a future where nature remains at the heart of community planning.
Here’s how you can help:
🌿 Attend public engagement sessions hosted by local governments.
📝 Submit feedback during consultation periods—every voice counts!
💚 Support SCCA’s advocacy efforts for stronger environmental protections.
Let’s seize this opportunity to protect what makes the Sunshine Coast extraordinary. Together, we can create an Official Community Plan that safeguards our environment, strengthens climate resilience, and ensures a thriving, sustainable future for all.
What Can the OCP Renewal Achieve?
A Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity
The Official Community Plan (OCP) renewal is more than a policy update—it's a chance to shape the Lower Sunshine Coast's future. This process will define how we grow, where we build, and most importantly, how we protect the natural environment that sustains us. Together, we can create a community where development and nature coexist in balance, ensuring a healthy, vibrant region for generations to come.
Why Your Voice Matters
The Sunshine Coast faces mounting development pressures, climate change impacts, and biodiversity loss. Without strong environmental policies in our OCPs, we risk losing the forests, wetlands, and watersheds that make our region unique and livable. A unified regional plan is essential. By incorporating science-based recommendations from the Green Bylaws – Sunshine Coast Report, we can prioritize ecosystem health and resilience in every land-use decision.
Our Shared Vision: What We Can Achieve
Unified Environmental Protection
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- Merge fragmented policies into a single, cohesive master plan with area-specific chapters.
- Establish a Regional Conservation Strategy to safeguard sensitive ecosystems, watersheds, and wildlife corridors.
- Update and enforce Sensitive Ecosystem Mapping to ensure high-risk and ecologically significant areas are protected.
Stronger Zoning & Development Protections
- Limit development in critical habitats, riparian zones, and high-risk areas through robust zoning bylaws.
- Expand Environmental Development Permit Areas (EDPAs) to regulate land use near wetlands, streams, and forests.
- Ensure zoning bylaws align with climate resilience goals, promoting compact, sustainable communities that reduce urban sprawl.
Water Security & Climate Resilience
- Protect local drinking water sources by expanding aquifer protection policies and restricting high-impact developments.
- Implement green infrastructure solutions for stormwater management to prevent flooding and habitat loss.
- Restrict development in floodplains, wildfire-prone zones, and climate-vulnerable areas to enhance community safety.
Indigenous-Led Environmental Stewardship
- Align OCP policies with BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) to support Indigenous-led land and water management.
- Partner with the shíshálh and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nations to integrate traditional ecological knowledge into regional planning
How the Sunshine Coast is Planned
Did you know that the Lower Sunshine Coast is governed by over 11 local planning documents? These include:
- Seven OCPs for the SCRD electoral areas.
- Two municipal OCPs for Sechelt and Gibsons.
- Three OCPs under the Islands Trust, cover islands like Gambier, Keats, Thormanby Islands and other smaller islands in Electoral Areas B and F,
First Nations play a vital role:
- The shíshálh Nation is a self-governing municipal entity with a seat at the SCRD table. It follows its own Strategic Land Use Plan and negotiates directly with the BC government on land use decisions in its territory.
- The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation leads with its Sacred Land Use Plan and negotiates land use decisions directly with the BC government.
Working collaboratively with First Nations is essential for building a cohesive and respectful vision for the entire region.
Updates on Official Community Plans
Part Two: The Future of Sechelt OCP Process
Back in February, we invited our community to attend the first public workshop for the District of Sechelt’s Official Community Plan (OCP) update—a chance to help shape how Sechelt grows, protects nature, and responds to climate change. If you missed that post, you can read it here: The Future of Sechelt: Your Opportunity to Shape […]
Help Shape Gibsons’ Urban Forest Plan
The Town of Gibsons has released its first-ever Urban Forest Plan to protect and expand the tree canopy within the Town. It is currently collecting public feedback through a community survey until March 18. This is your chance to help ensure that bold, science-based solutions guide the future of Gibsons’ forests. Why Does This Matter? […]
Strengthening Local Authority: How the Sunshine Coast Can Take Charge of Land Use Decisions
For too long, a common misconception has restricted local government’s ability to protect the environment and manage responsible development. Many elected officials on the Sunshine Coast—and throughout British Columbia—believe that regional districts have limited control over significant land use decisions because the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MoTT) has authority over subdivision approval. However, this belief […]
Let’s Talk Green Bylaws in Átl’ḵa7tsem West Howe Sound!
Are you a West Howe Sound resident passionate about protecting our region’s natural beauty and biodiversity? Join us for an important West Howe Sound Community Association (WHSCA) Meeting on Thursday, February 13th, from 7:00 to 8:15 PM at Eric Cardinall Hall. The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), the Town of Gibsons, and the District of […]
The Future of Sechelt: Your Opportunity to Shape the OCP
The District of Sechelt is embarking on a much-needed update to its Official Community Plan (OCP), a guiding document that will shape land use and development for years to come. This OCP renewal is an exciting opportunity for residents to share their vision and ensure that Sechelt grows sustainably, resiliently, and in accordance with community […]
Be a Voice for Conservation: Join Sechelt’s Advisory Planning Commission (APC) Today
The Sunshine Coast boasts an abundance of biodiversity, with its lush coastal temperate rainforests and vibrant marine ecosystems. The Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (SCCA) and its members are dedicated to preserving this natural treasure for generations to come. One effective way to contribute to this mission is by becoming a member of the District of […]