The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George is launching a review and update of all eight Official Community Plans (OCP) throughout the rural areas of the district.
An OCP is the long-range planning document for a community, and provides direction for land use and zoning through the area. The first three OCPs the regional district intends to review are in the Salmon River-Lakes area, Robson Valley-Canoe Upstream and Robson Valley-Canoe Downstream areas.
Kenna Jonkman, district general manager of development services, said the process for each review should take between 12 and 24 months and will include engagement with the public, board and Indigenous leaders.
“It is a long and involved process,” Jonkman said.
Some of the areas of focus are likely to be housing needs, agriculture, development regulations, meeting current provincial requirements and regional district strategic priorities. The district has allocated $450,000 to do the first three OCP reviews, and will be seeking a consultant through a request for proposal process to do the work.
Regional district chairperson Lara Beckett said she hopes to see the process not just planning for today, but for the changing climate the region will face.
“I think we have to set the bar much higher as a board,” Beckett said. “I’m really interested in starting this conversation with the public from the global state of the planet. I think we need to define climate action as an item to consider.”
In addition, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) means that engagement with the Indigenous groups whose traditional territories are impacted must be part of the process, she said. Engagement with young people through UNBC and other educational institutions should also be part of the process, she added.
“This is a whole new world we’re leading into,” Beckett said. “I see these young people who will inherit what we do with this Earth, and they should have a say in it.”
Director Danielle Alan said ultimately, the OCP process is about communities and the visions they have for themselves.
“We have to take a good look at our OCPs and recognize they are community-drive,” Alan said.
