Elaine and Jeff Sonoda may be new to Niagara-on-the-Lake, but they want to stay informed every step of the way on one of the town’s most significant policy updates.
That’s why they took the opportunity to have their say on the municipality’s official plan update, at an open forum hosted by the town to keep residents in the loop.
“I’m just very interested in what’s happening,” said Elaine in an interview.
“There’s a lot of excitement happening in the town right now, with regards to certain developments, and I just want to stay informed,” she said, adding that she and Jeff had no specific concerns about the official plan — just a desire to understand the process.
The first meeting of this kind, which the town calls “public information centres,” took place on March 27 at the St. David’s Fire Station, with another on April 1 in Old Town.
Both aim to gather feedback and inform residents about planning policy changes.
The town aims to present a draft official plan to council in June, followed by formal consultations and public engagement over the summer. A statutory public meeting — a required step before adoption — will take place afterward.
Final adoption is targeted for October or November, but will require provincial approval first.
“We’re really hoping to try and stick to that (timing),” said Steve Burke, the town’s manager of policy and heritage planning, during his presentation at the public information centre.
The official plan, which guides community growth and sets priorities for the future, is being updated.
The last official plan, adopted in August 2019 with a 2031 growth forecast, was delayed as it didn’t fully align with the Niagara Region’s official plan.
The town’s key focus areas are growth management, intensification targets (increasing development in already-developed areas), natural heritage and agriculture policies, employment area designations, secondary planning, housing policies and watershed planning.
The update responds to 2024 provincial policy changes and the region’s loss of planning responsibility as of today, March 31. The new plan must align with the region’s last adopted one, then a unified document will be made, with planning timelines extended to 2051.
So the plan’s approval authority will shift from the region to the province, with final approval from Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs, Hon. Rob Flack.
The update also addresses the need for more focus on local priorities, seeking input from residents, town advisory committees, Indigenous communities and community groups, through public information centres and an online survey, to shape its vision for the next 25 years and beyond.
Kirsten McCauley, the town’s director of community and development services, called this a “typical process” for an official plan update in an interview.
“Planning processes are never-ending,” Burke said to the group gathered. “When the province does one, the region has to catch up.”
During the public information centre, Jeff Sonoda asked Burke how to stay informed about developments “in his backyard.”
“Specific development — either proposed or approved — who should we go through? Who should we ask about that?” Sonoda asked. “We just moved here, so we’re trying to get a much better flavor for the area.”
Burke and McCauley recommended contacting planning.development@notl.com for specific development updates, as staff will direct inquiries to the appropriate expert. Burke also suggested Sonoda provide his address for more specific information.
Resident David Snelgrove asked how to contribute to the process as a member of the urban design committee.
“There are people on the committee that want to contribute,” Snelgrove said in an interview. “So I was just asking for mechanisms to allow us — and they kindly provided some.”
Burke said that many residents may be focused on other issues, like tariffs or the federal election, and don’t realize how the official plan affects them — until a nearby development impacts their neighborhood.
“And then they realize that the official plan does influence those kinds of decisions,” he said, highlighting the town’s efforts to raise awareness of the process and its importance — which Coun. Adriana Vizzari said she takes pride in representing.
“There are a handful of staff here at your service and as a resident, that is so rare and incredible. This is better than an email, this is better than a phone conversation,” said Vizzari.
“There really are no barriers in Niagara-on-the-Lake.”
Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa was pleased to see five residents attend the public information centre, over the two available time slots, but encouraged more to participate in the next session, even if Old Town is outside their district.
“Anybody in town. If you’re in Glendale and you want to plug in and get involved in the process, come in,” said Zalepa.
“You can give your contact information to the staff and they can keep in touch with you through the whole process.”
He highlighted the value of residents’ professional input and agreed with Burke that many don’t realize the plan’s relevance, stressing the importance of residents exploring areas of the plan.
The next public information centre will be held on April 1 at the community centre in the Simpson room, with sessions from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m., including a presentation at 7 p.m.
This session will also cover details on the Queen-Picton (Old Town) Heritage Conservation District project.
Residents can also make their voices heard by completing the town’s online survey at jointheconversationnotl.org/officialplan/surveys/official-plan-survey until April 16.
