The Village of Anmore is updating its Official Community Plan (OCP) to reflect our latest Housing Needs Assessment report (2024), to comply with new provincial housing legislation and Metro Vancouver’s new Regional Growth Strategy, and to better reflect how the existing plan is being applied in practice. This process will help plan for future housing needs while maintaining Anmore’s unique character.
The proposed changes are minor or necessary to reflect changes in policy and operating practices since our existing OCP was adopted in 2014. Planning for a new OCP is expected to begin in 2027 and will take approximately two years to complete.
Why We’re Updating the OCP
In late 2023, the Province of B.C. introduced new legislation that significantly changes how municipalities plan, consider and approve development in their communities. These changes are intended to increase housing supply and improve affordability across the province.
In 2024, Anmore updated our Housing Needs Report. Additionally, our Regional Context Statement needs to be updated to align with Metro Vancouver’s 2023 Regional Growth Strategy.
Why Participate?
The proposed changes primarily address provincial requirements and current practice. As such, the changes are considered either necessary or minor, so the opportunity to consider additional changes is limited.
Anmore is engaging directly with organizations that have the potential to be directly affected by the changes and is inviting all residents to be informed, ask questions and offer comments for consideration.
All viable suggestions will be considered, in context of existing policies and bylaws, and our obligations to senior levels of government. Staff will prepare an engagement summary report reflecting all feedback received, including recommendations to Council for additional OCP changes in response to public feedback that staff considers viable as well as reasons for not recommending other feedback. This report will be posted to our website when available.
Understanding the New Housing Legislation
Bill 44: 2023 Housing Statutes (Residential Development) is designed to increase the amount of ground-oriented housing, such as:
- Secondary suites in single-family homes
- Detached accessory dwelling units (garden suites, coach houses)
- Triplexes, townhomes, and house-plexes
Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) regulations under the Local Government Act apply to municipalities based on their population size and whether they are located within an Urban Containment Boundary established by a regional growth strategy.
As required by this legislation, Anmore updated its Zoning Bylaw in mid-2024 to:
- Permit secondary suites in all residential zones outside the Urban Containment Boundary.
- Within the Urban Containment Boundary, permit:
- Up to 3 units on parcels smaller than 280 m²
- Up to 4 units on parcels larger than 280 m²
- Exempt parcels larger than 4,050 m² within the Urban Containment Boundary from SSMUH density requirements.
Bill 44 also introduced changes to shift long range planning to a more proactive approach. As such, municipalities must now update their Housing Needs Reports on a regular basis using a standard provincial methodology to ensure a consistent understanding of local housing needs over 5- and 20-year timeframes.
Municipalities were also required to complete Interim Housing Needs Reports by January 1, 2025. Anmore Council received its Interim Housing Needs Report in 2024, completing this requirement.
Metro 2050, the current Regional Growth Strategy, was adopted by the Metro Vancouver Board on February 24, 2023.
Under the Local Government Act, all member jurisdictions must prepare a Regional Context Statement (RCS) within two years of the strategy’s adoption. The RCS explains how each municipality’s Official Community Plan (OCP) aligns with the regional growth strategy.
Anmore’s RCS will be updated in conjunction with the Bill 44 amendments as part of this OCP update process.
How We’re Proceeding
With the Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) zoning amendments and Interim Housing Needs Report complete, Anmore is now entering the next stage of the Official Community Plan (OCP) update.
Council directed staff on October 7, 2025, to begin aligning the OCP with new provincial requirements. Staff presented draft amendments to Council on December 2, 2025 for review and approval to commence community engagement in early 2026. Staff also determined that no further changes in the Zoning Bylaw are required at this time.
Use the toggles below to see what’s next and how the process will unfold.
Remaining steps as part of Anmore’s Official Community Plan (OCP) update process are:
- Referral letters to potentially affected parties (sent Dec 2025).
- Public information sessions (Jan 28-29, 2026).
- Finalize OCP revisions in consideration of engagement feedback (Feb 2026).
- Recirculation to those who received the Section 475 referral.
- Statutory process to receive Council approval, including public hearing if required (Late Mar/Early April 2026).
- Metro Board Approval of the Regional Context Statement (target date: Spring 2026).
Under the new legislation:
- By December 31, 2025 – municipalities must also update their Zoning Bylaws to align with their OCP and Housing Needs Report. Status: complete.
- By December 31, 2025 – municipalities must complete their first OCP update based on the Interim Housing Needs Report. Status: OCP update in progress; delayed and on target for completion in summer 2026).
- Going forward, municipalities must plan for housing needs on a regular basis, ensuring their OCPs and zoning remain consistent with updated housing data and provincial requirements.
On October 7, 2025, Council received a staff report outlining a high-level proposed approach to bring Anmore’s OCP into alignment with new provincial requirements and directed staff to begin the process. On December 2, 2025, Council reviewed the draft OCP amendments and approved to proceed with public engagement.
A public engagement drop-in information session open house is scheduled to take place on January 29, 2026. This will provide an opportunity for residents to learn about the proposed changes and share feedback. Anmore Committee meetings also will take place in February.
Read the staff reports (see Resources section of this page).
