Official Community Plan Update - Bowen Island Municipality

On October 6, 2025, McElhanney Consulting provided an overview of the OCP drafting process, and the early structure of the OCP update. The draft Guiding Frameworks, Vision, Principles and content structures were introduced. The consultants presented the outline in context to other BIM plans, strategies, and policies. The Committee was guided through an activity to explore and learn how the Guiding Frameworks can integrate to the OCP, and spent time working through specific examples as practice. The Committee expressed and interest in providing written feedback on the vision and principles. The meeting concluded with a review of land use designations and organizing principles for supporting growth in the context of what was learned in the Baseline Findings Report and previous project work. The Committee will work with staff to provide feedback to the McElhanney team at their November 12, 2025 meeting.

View the Agenda for the October 6, 2025 meeting of the Official Community Plan Steering Committee here.

Round 1 of Community Engagement is now complete!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. Your feedback will be used to develop a plan that truly reflects what is important to us as a community. (The Round One Survey has now closed, but is provided here for your information).

What We Heard Report

McElhanney consultants have prepared a report of Round One Engagement Findings.

Next Steps

Next steps include drafting vision, goals, and emerging policy options, followed by preparation of a draft OCP outline and policies. Round Two of community engagement will follow that – see the chart below.

Stay Informed

Stay tuned to this page for more opportunities to get involved and help shape the future of Bowen Island. And sign up to receive updates and alerts from Bowen Island Municipality – sign up here!

OCP Update ProjectTimeline

We are currently in Phase 2 of the Official Community Plan update process.

What is an OCP Update?

An Official Community Plan, often known as an OCP, is a local government’s overarching guiding document.

The current OCP was adopted in 2011, through Bylaw No. 282, 2010. It was conducted as an update to the 1996 OCP and as they are typically updated every 10 years or so as communities change, we are due for an update!

Mayor & Council has appointed the OCP Steering Committee to guide the OCP Review, with their initial meeting taking place in April 2024. Based on the Committee’s recommendation, Mayor & Council has hired McElhanney as the consultant team leading the review.