The Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee (SS LTC) is updating its official community plan (OCP) and land use bylaw (LUB) to address the community’s changing housing needs.
The goal of the OCP-LUB Update Project is to increase housing options and housing equity on the island in ways that integrate:
- The interests of First Nations with treaty and territorial interests in the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Area
- Ecosystem integrity and connectivity
- Climate change resiliency
This project will engage the general public and other interest holders to influence residential land use change on the island in the decade(s) to come in a manner consistent with the project goals and the Islands Trust Policy Statement.
Project Updates
The Official Community Plan (OCP) and Land Use Bylaw (LUB) Update project will continue, with work underway to complete key draft components that will inform the next stage of the process.
Project consultant McElhanney Ltd. has advised it will not extend its contract beyond March 31, 2026. Prior to concluding its work, the firm will deliver several draft materials, including a technical review summary (with GIS analysis), policy gap analysis, draft revised vision and objectives, a draft OCP framework (excluding mapping), engagement summaries, and a memo outlining short-, medium-, and long-term LUB alignment opportunities.
As anticipated in the workplan, the project follows an adaptive approach. The Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee will review the draft materials and determine next steps to complete the OCP and LUB update.
The LTC acknowledges the work completed to date and thanks community members, First Nations partners, the Project Advisory Planning Commission, and all participants for their contributions.
Public Engagement Opportunities
There are no formal engagement is active at this time. Public input is welcome throughout the project. Please be sure to let us know that you are reaching out about the OCP-LUB Project, specifically when submitting any correspondence:
- Email: ssiinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca
- Phone: 250-538-5608
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Project Advisory Planning Commission
The Project Advisory Planning Commission (PAPC) is an essential part of the community engagement and land use planning process for this project. The PAPC will promote community engagement and the project process by providing advice to the LTC for consideration. These volunteer roles provide an opportunity to help shape land use policies and regulations that will guide the future of Salt Spring Island. PAPC members Eric G. March (Chair), Tim Hiltz, Anne Gunn, Robert Steinbach, Riley Donovan, Maxine Leichter, and John Cade were appointed in May 2025.
Updates
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Frequently Asked Questions
An OCP implements the community’s vision.
It provides a long-term strategy for land use management, outlining broad objectives and policies to guide future growth and development of the community.
An OCP:
- Outlines the community’s desired vision
- Includes objectives and policies to achieve vision
- Includes a framework that officials use to justify land-use decisions
- Enables developers and residents to plan with clarity and confidence
- Aligns with other municipal bylaws and zoning amendments
- Protects the community by guiding land use away from hazards such as flood zones and steep slopes
An OCP does not:
- Get approved without being vetted by the community
- Contain objectives and policies contrary to community vision
- Override provincial requirements for housing needs
- Rezone land or stop future rezoning applications from being submitted
- Remove or alter the island’s population goals
- Remove existing protections that have been established through regulatory document
A LUB creates regulation based on OCP policy
A LUB is developed in alignment with an OCP policy, turning high level vision into local regulation. A Land Use Bylaw implements the community vision included in the OCP on the ground by regulating the use and development of land, and the construction of buildings on the land.
The Salt Spring Island Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw update project aims to refresh 1999/2008 policy and regulation through a community driven process to identify and implement current and flexible options to address current housing gaps. Through this exercise, LTC will remain committed to implementing solutions in line with:
- The interests of First Nations with treaty and territorial interests in the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Area
- Ecosystem integrity and connectivity
- Climate change resiliency
The Official Community Plan (OCP) update is a focused effort to improve the usability, clarity, and alignment of the existing plan. It is not a complete overhaul or re-write.
The update will make structural and administrative improvements to better organize policies, consolidate overlapping or duplicative content, and group related direction into clear policy areas.
The review focuses housing diversity, while ensuring that performance on climate mitigation and adaptation, ecological function, and First Nations relationships are improved or sustained in the pursuit of those goals and objectives. It is anticipated there may be minor updates to the infrastructure section to ensure the plan reflects the most recent information about the current state and capacity of services on the island.
Housing and environmental policies will be reviewed to refine and clarify where housing development should and should not occur.
The Land Use Bylaw (LUB) update includes a targeted review of select zoning and development regulations. The primary focus is on updating and strengthening Development Permit tools, particularly those related to wildfire risk, environmental protection, and hazard management, to improve clarity, consistency, and effectiveness.
These updates are intended to enhance environmental protection and support implementation of the OCP, without fundamentally changing how land use is regulated across the community.
The OCP update is based on many different sources to make sure it reflects local priorities, follows the law, and can be realistically put into practice. These sources include studies and reports, feedback from community engagement, information from the Capital Regional District about regional services and the broader planning contexts, input from service providers like utilities, advice from agencies such as school boards and transit authorities, legal and regulatory requirements, local history and context, and examples of best practices from other communities.
On Salt Spring Island, the Local Trust Committee has primary authority over land use, development, and housing policy. The Capital Regional District (CRD) does not make land use decisions on the island, but it provides regional services, advice, and data that can influence planning. This includes housing programs and funding, transportation and water services, regional parks, and environmental initiatives. While the CRD cannot mandate zoning or development, its policies, strategies, and technical guidance are considered in the OCP to ensure coordination and support for community priorities.
The Islands Trust Policy Statement represents Trust Council’s vision for the preservation and protection of the Islands Trust Area and its unique amenities and environment.
Under Section 15(4) of the Islands Trust Act, any amendment to the Salt Spring Island Official Community Plan (OCP) must not be contrary to, or at variance with, the Islands Trust Policy Statement.
Until a new Islands Policy Statement is adopted, all amendments to the Salt Spring Island OCP must be consistent with the current Policy Statement that is in force, and has been since 1993.
In 2019, Islands Trust launched the Policy Statement Amendment Project (Islands 2050) to update the Policy Statement to adapt to current and future challenges and opportunities, and to reflect its commitments related to Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, responding to climate change, and more diverse housing options in the Islands Trust Area. Learn more about this draft Policy Statement here. Islands Trust Council gave First Reading to the draft Policy Statement on July 29, 2025 and on February 2, 2026 concluded Phase 4 of public engagement, which involved a survey and a Trust-wide webinar. Further readings of the Policy Statement bylaw will be considered by Islands Trust Council in the months ahead.
If Islands Trust Council adopts the new Policy Statement bylaw before the Salt Spring Island OCP is itself ready for adoption, then the new Salt Spring OCP must be consistent with the new Policy Statement. If the new Policy Statement won’t be ready for adoption until after the Salt Spring Island OCP is adopted, then the OCP must conform with the current Policy Statement.
Because of these parallel Policy Statement and OCP processes, the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee must be attentive to the content of both the current Policy Statement and the draft Policy Statement. While there is significant overlap between the policy commitments in both the current and draft Policy Statement, the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee must nonetheless remain agile to ensure any proposed OCP amendments can satisfy the consistency requirements of either document.
For this project, the consultants support the update by designing and facilitating a clear, inclusive planning process; helping to gather and interpret community input; and translating that input, along with background and contextual information, into practical, policy-ready guidance for decision-makers. They work alongside staff, the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee, and the Project Advisory Planning Commission to provide technical and planning expertise, strategic advice, and policy drafting support to update the OCP and LUB in a way that reflects local priorities, meets legislative requirements, and can be implemented over time. Consultants also provide decision support, help navigate trade-offs throughout the process, and manage the project in accordance with approved scope, timeline, and budget.
Effective public engagement leads to better plans, more informed decisions, and greater confidence in the fairness of the planning process and an inclusive approach is a priority for the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee. Since September 2025, the Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee has been working with a professional engagement consultant to design a process that goes beyond one-time public meetings.
The first phase of engagement included pop-up events, a market booth, and an online survey. While valuable, this initial phase did not reach as many people as intended. In response, the Local Trust Committee approved a second round of engagement, beginning in April 2026, with expanded opportunities for participation including drop-in open houses, participate in kitchen table workbooks, online options to submit input, drop-in open houses or a community workshop.
This second round of this engagement is aimed at reducing barriers to participation and ensuring that input reflects the full diversity of the Salt Spring Island community, including people who may be excluded from traditional town hall-style meetings due to work schedules, caregiving responsibilities, accessibility needs, or concerns about public conflict.
Community input is an important part of updating the OCP and LUB. Salt Spring Island residents are invited to share their ideas, priorities, and concerns through workshops, surveys, interactive online mapping, at in-person pop ups, and more. This input helps guide the policies and rules in the plans, including decisions about land use, housing, environmental protection, and community character. Summaries of the feedback are shared so everyone can see how community input helped shape the updated plans.
No. Traditional town halls can be valuable in some contexts, but they also tend to amplify the voices of people who are comfortable speaking publicly, have flexible schedules, and feel safe participating in a highly visible forum. This can unintentionally exclude people who face barriers such as work and caregiving responsibilities, language differences, accessibility needs, past experiences of harm, or concerns about public conflict or retaliation.
For the OCP and LUB update, the engagement approach is intentionally designed to prioritize equity, safety, and broad participation. Instead of relying on a single public forum, the process uses multiple ways for people to share input such as surveys, facilitated small-group conversations, targeted outreach, and online options so residents can participate in ways that work for them.
This multi-path approach helps ensure that input reflects the diversity of the community, not just those who are most able or willing to speak in a large public setting and creates safer conditions for sharing honest perspectives on complex and sometimes sensitive topics.
The engagement process is designed to hear a range of perspectives and reflect the diversity of opinions in the community. When conflicting views arise, planners look for shared values and identify areas of tension. All comments received are recorded. This information is summarized and provided to the Local Trust Committee so decision makers can understand the trade-offs and make informed choices. The goal is not to eliminate disagreement, but to ensure decisions are based on a clear picture of community priorities and concerns.
Planners aim to provide clear, accurate, and accessible information throughout the OCP and LUB update process. When incorrect or misleading information arises, it is addressed by sharing factual details, referencing official studies or regulations, and explaining the reasoning behind policies and decisions. The goal is to make sure everyone has reliable information so the community can participate in discussions and decision making with confidence.
Islands Trust local trust committees are obligated to comply with those sections of section 473.1 of the Local Government Act which apply to “local government”, which includes local trust areas by definition. Other subsections of s. 473.1 apply only to municipalities, which does not include local trust areas. Importantly, local trust areas, including the Salt Spring Local Trust Area is exempt from any obligation to use its housing needs report numbers as its 20-year projection (473.1(3)); and from undertaking changes by December 31 of the year in which the report was received (473.1 (5)).
However, the Local Government Act does still set out that local governments, in their OCPs and amendments, must:
- consider housing needs over the next 20 years (473(1)(a))
- consider the most recent housing needs report (s. 473.1(2))
- include housing policies respecting each class of housing need identified as required (s. 473.1(4)).
Acknowledging housing needs data ensures transparency in decision-making and demonstrates that Islands Trust has turned its mind to the information, while still ensuring compliance with the Islands Trust mandate.
Housing needs reports and supporting studies are just some of the many inputs reviewed by the consultant. Their inclusion does not signal endorsement of all perspectives expressed in those documents, nor does it imply adoption of a municipal growth model.
The project consultant’s role in creating a Gap Analysis is to assess policy gaps relative to current legislative context and planning best practices. It is neither within the authority or intent of this project to redefine the Islands Trust mandate.
Referencing housing needs information in an OCP does not obligate or encourage Islands Trust to:
- Accommodate projected growth,
- Increase densities, or
- Override environmental or growth management objectives.
Rather, acknowledging housing needs data ensures transparency in decision-making and demonstrates that Islands Trust has turned its mind to the information, even where the mandate will prioritize environmental protection.
Housing needs reports and supporting studies are just some of the many inputs reviewed by the consultant. Their inclusion does not signal endorsement of all perspectives expressed in those documents, nor does it imply adoption of a municipal growth model.
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1 - About the Project
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2 - Staff Reports
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3 - Proposed Bylaws-none
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4 - Public Correspondence
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5 - Community Consultation-none
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6 - Other Information
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7 - Project APC Business
What is a Complete Communities Assessment?
Part of Phase 1 of the OCP/LUB update was the Complete Communities Assessment, and it took place in the Fall and Winter of 2024. The assessment included a grant-funded Complete Communities Assessment, in accordance with the UBCM Guide. This assessment aims to identify gaps in the communities completeness, through various lenses including Transportation, Housing, Amenities, and the Environment. Learn more about the Complete Communities Assessment here.