DAWSON CREEK, B.C. - The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) has voted to abandon its proposed Regional Zoning Bylaw, a project that aimed to create a single set of land-use regulations for electoral areas across the region.
The decision was made at the PRRD Board of Directors meeting on August13, following a recommendation from the Electoral Area Directors Committee to discontinue the initiative.
The board also approved seeking an extension from the provincial government to meet housing legislation requirements through amendments to the region’s existing zoning bylaws.
Work on the proposed Regional Zoning Bylaw No. 2582, 2025 began in October 2023.
The project was intended to address new provincial housing legislation while consolidating five separate zoning bylaws, some dating back to 1976, into a single document.
The bylaw would have governed a range of land-use matters, including property uses, housing densities, building setbacks, accessory structures, home-based businesses and land classifications.
According to the PRRD, the initiative was also designed to simplify regulations, reduce administrative complexity and incorporate public feedback on issues such as secondary suites and accessory dwelling spaces.
Throughout the process, the regional district conducted public engagement with residents, property owners, advisory committees, stakeholders and elected officials.
Despite the project’s cancellation, PRRD Board Chair Brad Sperling said the extensive consultation and planning work completed over the past year will continue to provide value.
“Over the past year, staff, directors, committee members and residents invested significant time and effort reviewing regulations, sharing perspectives and helping shape the discussion around land use and housing in our region. That work has provided valuable insights that will continue to support the PRRD as we move forward with updating our existing zoning bylaws,” said Sperling.
The PRRD thanked residents and stakeholders who participated in the engagement process, saying the feedback gathered helped improve the regional district’s understanding of local priorities and will continue to inform future planning and zoning discussions.
“The decision to discontinue a unified Regional Zoning Bylaw does not diminish the tremendous amount of work that went into this initiative,” said Sperling .
The regional district will now seek provincial approval for more time to bring its existing zoning bylaws into compliance with housing-related legislative requirements rather than moving forward with a single regional bylaw.