Official Community Plan Review

An aerial view of Prince George from the cutbanks of the Nechako River

Community Open Houses

Two Community Open Houses were held on April 9 & 10 at the House of Ancestors. During these events we shared information about our community, the OCP, and the feedback we've received so far.

The City of Prince George kicked-off the Official Community Plan (OCP) Review in fall 2023. The existing OCP was adopted in 2011 and a lot has changed since that time. 

In 2023, the City hosted a various engagement opportunities to gather feedback and ideas from residents about the future of Prince George:

  • Online survey
  • Four roundtable discussions with community interest groups
  • Community open house
  • Three pop-up events 

On January 8, 2024, Council will receive an update on community feedback so far, future engagement opportunities, and next steps. View the What We Heard Report: Phase 1 & 2 for more information. 

Informational graphic, with illustrations of devices, letter envelopes, and a person using a laptop. Text reads: How we informed. 12 social media posts across 4 platforms (40,8000 impressions). 2 digital newsletters (449 impressions across both editions). 34 radio ads on 2 stations over 8 days. 1 print ad in the Prince George Citizen. 50 posters distributed. 114 community organizations emailed. 1,313 website visitors. Info graphic with group of people at table, and looking at posters on large whiteboard. Te

What is an OCP?

An OCP...

  • Communicates a community's vision, goals, and objectives.
  • Outlines long-term development plans for a community.
  • Guides planning and land use management.

How does the OCP relate to other plans?

The Local Government Act enables municipalities to adopt OCPs.

OCPs are informed by regional plans where a regional government exists. In our case, the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George’s regional plans (e.g., Agricultural Strategy and Cultural Plan) provide input into the Prince George OCP.

OCPs set the overarching planning framework for a municipality and are implemented (in part) by Zoning Bylaws. You can think of an OCP like an umbrella that all other municipal plans and studies fall under and must be consistent with.

The goals, objectives and policies of an OCP are much broader than those found in area plans, like the Civic Core District Plan, because they apply to the whole city and not one area.

OCPs also acknowledge the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples. The OCP Review will be an opportunity to advance truth and reconciliation with the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and Urban Indigenous members of our community.

The infographic below shows how the different layers of planning policy work together.  

An infographic showing the relation between (from top to bottom) the Local Government Act, Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, and the City of Prince George. The Prince George Official Community Plan is then broken down into Area Plans, Zoning Bylaw, Bylaws. From Zoning Bylaw it breaks down into Municipal Secondary Plans & Studies.

 

Where are we in the planning process?

The OCP Review was publicly launched on September 18, 2023. We are currently in phase 3 of the OCP Review process, which began in December 2023 and will continue to August 2024.

A timeline showing that we are in phase 3 of a 4 phase project. Phase 3, Draft OCP, December 2023 to August 2024.

Phase 3 will focus on policy development, and will include more opportunities for community members and those interested to provide their input.

How do I get involved in the OCP Review?

      Thank you for getting involved and helping us plan the future of Prince George!

      Share your thoughts at ocp@princegeorge.ca.