Official Community Plan Update

The Town of Sidney now has an updated Official Community Plan (OCP) reflecting the values and shared vision of community members. Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2240 was adopted by Council following a Public Hearing on June 27, 2022 .

Take a look at Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2240

An evolving community plan

Thank you to everyone who got involved in the OCP update over the two year project. While initial public engagement from 2020-2021 informed the development of the overall OCP document, community input continued to be a critical factor in refining the first draft of the OCP following its introduction on February 28, 2022.

If you’d like to see the substantial changes that have taken place since that time, check out this list of Council resolutions outlining specific changes that were made to the draft OCP after the first draft was introduced. You can also look back at the February 28, May 5, May 30, June 13, and June 27, 2022 Council meeting minutes or video for further details.

Project Overview

An OCP is a Town bylaw that sets out the broad objectives and policies that guide decisions on planning, land use and provision of municipal services in the community. It also establishes a degree of certainty about the location and nature of community change to residents and landowners while providing a framework for guiding and managing future development and growth. The process to update Sidney’s OCP took two years, spanning 2020 to 2022.

Want to find out more about the project?

Listen to Corey Newcomb, the Town's Senior Manager of Long Range Planning, on Radio Sidney's Peninsula Affairs show, discussing the project and how the community can get involved. Click here to listen to the recording.

Project Updates

June 2022 (OCP Bylaw Adopted)

Staff incorporated final public feedback up to the June 13th Council meeting and presented a final draft of the OCP to Council for review.
Following some additional changes at the June 13th meeting, Council gave OCP Bylaw No. 2240 first and second reading and directed staff to advertise for a public hearing.
On June 20th the OCP Bylaw was considered in conjunction with the Town’s Financial Plan and Waste Management Plans as required by the Local Government Act.
On June 27th Council held a public hearing on OCP Bylaw No. 2240 and it was adopted at the same meeting.

May 2022

Planning staff reported out on public feedback on the first draft of the OCP at the May 5th Special Council meeting. At the May 5th meeting, Council directed staff to make substantial changes to the draft OCP based on public feedback.
A revised version of the draft OCP returned to Council on May 30th for additional review and Council direction.
The updated draft was put out for public feedback again, from May 30th to June 13th.

March – April 2022

The draft OCP was released for public feedback for a six week period from March 3rd to April 11th.
The OCP Review Advisory Committee and the Advisory Planning Commission reviewed the draft OCP and provided feedback.

January – February 2022

Drafting of the first draft of the OCP document continued through January and February.
The first draft of the OCP was presented to Council on February 28th.

November – December 2021

The Key Directions Report and feedback from the public was considered by the OCP Review Advisory Committee on November 4th (see link to meeting minutes in sidebar).
Early stage drafting the final OCP document continued through November and December.
Staff prepared a report for the December 13th Council meeting regarding the anticipated final stages of the project. This included an overview of the remaining work and required legislative steps as the project concludes.

September - October 2021

The Town’s Advisory Planning Commission also reviewed the Key Directions Report during two meetings and provided detailed feedback.
The staff and consulting team began Phase 3 of the project – drafting the plan
The Key Directions Report was released for public review and input. The report summarizes public feedback to date and highlights general policy direction on issues that were often raised during the community engagement process.

July - August 2021

The Town hosted an Economic Development Workshop with local business owners and industry representatives.
Sidney planning staff participated in discussions with Panorama Recreation Commission, BC Transit and neighbouring municipalities to coordinate emerging OCP policy with work being undertaken by these partner organizations.
The project team worked to finalize the Key Directions Report.

May - June 2021

Community engagement activities continued with the “OCPizza Night” workbook, which was distributed to every household in Sidney and posed a number of questions for residents to consider with their families, friends and neighbours over a slice of pizza. Those who submitted completed workbooks were eligible for a gift card from a local restaurant.
The Mayors and staff from Sidney, North Saanich and Central Saanich hosted an “Indigenous Peoples Forum” with First Nations residents of the Saanich Peninsula to discuss the OCP project and future opportunities for reconciliation and collaboration.
The project team held a number of workshops with the business community, students from Parkland High School, childcare providers and other community organizations to discuss issues specific to these groups.

March - April 2021

Community members were invited to fill out the “Community Design Survey” which asked a number of questions based on the outcomes of the Virtual Design Charrette held in February. Feedback for the survey was very strong, with triple the response goal for this part of the project. The results of the survey will be included in the Phase 2 summary report – the “Key Directions Report” – coming in the summer.
Planning staff from Sidney, the District of North Saanich and the District of Central Saanich met with the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council to discuss a First Nations’ perspective on the future of the Saanich Peninsula and how the OCPs can incorporate a reconciliation approach into our planning processes.

January - February 2021

The Town hosted a “Virtual Design Charrette” with about 50 community members and stakeholder groups to discuss opportunities and design approaches for a number of topic areas. The outcomes of this event will help to inform a number of policy areas in the new Official Community Plan.
The OCP Review Advisory Committee met to receive a project update from the Planning Department and provide feedback for next steps.

November - December 2020

Due to the ongoing pandemic, some community engagement activities, including the land use options and design charrette that were scheduled for November and December were postponed to 2021. Stay tuned for more news on how to get involved in the project.
Collaboration with staff from the Districts of North and Central Saanich continued, in order to ensure a high degree of coordination during our respective OCP update processes.

October 2020

The Background Report for the project was finalized, with input from Council, the OCP Review Advisory Committee and the Advisory Planning Commission. This document provides a basis for future discussions and policy development as the project proceeds.
Community engagement continued on the OCP Ideas Forum and via discussions with stakeholders in the community. The Town also partnered with the District of Central Saanich and North Saanich on opening discussions with peninsula First Nations communities.
The Town applied for an active transportation grant which will allow for more robust policy development in this specific area of the OCP.
Phase 1 (Background Review) of the project wrapped up with a presentation to Council on October 19th.

September 2020

Planning staff and members of the OCP advisory committee hit Beacon Avenue in early September to connect with the public and raise awareness of the project and the project launch open house.
The public project launch open house was held at the Mary Winspear Centre on September 26th as well as virtually online. This event was intended to gather initial feedback on the community’s priorities for the project and help guide future work. Combined, the in-person event and the online version more than doubled the attendance target of 100 people, so thank you to everyone who participated!

July - August 2020

The project consultant conducted a series of initial stakeholder interviews with various community organizations and representatives. Together with early community engagement feedback, these interviews will help set the broad directions for the project and inform future detailed planning work.
At their regular meeting on August 17th, Council considered some potential areas of collaboration with Sidney’s neighbouring municipalities of North Saanich and Central Saanich, who are also undertaking their own Official Community Plan Review projects. Additional information can be found in a staff report on the subject.
The OCP Review Advisory Committee reviewed the draft project Work Plan and Community Engagement Plan at their July 6, 2020 meeting and recommended approval of the documents, with the addition of several community engagement tasks. Council gave final approval for these changes and the documents at the regular Council meeting on July 20, 2020.
Work began on the Background and Recommendations report, which provide a high level assessment of the current OCP and issues to address during the review.
Preparations began for the public launch of the project in September.

June 2020

Council considered the draft project Work Plan and Community Engagement Plan at the June 22, 2020 Council meeting. These documents will form the basis for the work to follow over the next 18 months. Council also referred these documents to the OCP Review Advisory Committee for their review and feedback.
The OCP Review Advisory Committee met for a second time on June 18, 2020. This meeting introduced committee members to some of the more technical aspects of the Town’s OCP and provided an overview of how the OCP is used in practice and how it integrates with other Town bylaws. See the right-hand column for a link to the committee's minutes and a video of the meeting.
Background document review, policy review and data gathering and analysis work has begun.

May 2020

Project introduction letters were sent to stakeholder organizations, local governments, First Nations, and relevant provincial and federal ministries regarding the Town’s intention of undertaking the project, and asking for the participation of these organizations in the engagement process.
Council considered a staff report regarding letters to be sent to Sidney and Saanich Peninsula community organizations, inviting them to participate in the project.
The OCP Review Advisory Committee held its first meeting. Visit the OCP Review Advisory Committee page for more information on the committee's meetings.

April 2020

A Project Update, including a short discussion on the potential implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the project, was included in the Spring 2020 issue of Town Talk.
Town staff held initial meetings with the consultant team to discuss and confirm the scope, timing and other details of the project.

March 2020

Council considered a staff report on the results of the Town’s RFP process and selected Modus Planning Design and Engagement Ltd. as the primary project consultant for the project. Council requested that staff bring more detail forward in June regarding the cost of potential extra community engagement initiatives for further consideration.

January 2020

Town issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the project.
As one of the initial steps in the OCP Review process, Council established an OCP Review Advisory Committee, which will provide general guidance and advice to the Town during the project. The Committee is comprised of the Mayor, Councilor Wainwright and 7 members of the public and will assist in the project by:
- Considering new policy directions;
- Reviewing draft sections of the plan;
- Acting as informal ambassadors with the public by encouraging community participation and engagement with the project;
- Providing input into the final version of the OCP document.

December 2019

Council considered an approach report prepared by staff which provides an overview of the proposed approach to the OCP Review project, its objectives, and process.

February – November 2019

The Town completed its Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) prior to initiating the OCP Review. Provincial legislation requires municipalities to undertake a HNA before completing an OCP update.

January 2019

Staff prepared an OCP Review Memorandum for Council’s consideration. This Memorandum provided an overview of the legislative requirements for OCPs, potential Town objectives, and an early discussion on project scope. Based on this memorandum, Council elected to undertake a “comprehensive” review and update of the Town’s OCP.

OCP Review Advisory Committee

For information about the OCP Review Advisory Committee, including meeting agendas and minutes, visit the OCP Review Advisory Committee page.

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