Provincial legislation requires local governments to update their official community plans by December 31, 2025, to accommodate anticipated housing needs over the next 20 years and to provide policies addressing the seven categories of housing outlined in the municipalities’ most recent housing needs report:

• affordable housing
• rental housing
• special needs housing
• housing for seniors
• housing for families
• the number of beds in shelters for individuals experiencing homelessness and the number of housing units for individuals at risk of experiencing homelessness
• housing near transportation infrastructure that supports walking, bicycling, public transit, or other alternative forms of transportation

The Official Community Plan’s terminology, definitions, and references to other City documents have been amended, including:

• addressing the City’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation through updated language related to Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc, heritage, and history, as well as the addition of the City’s Land Acknowledgement

• updating terminology and names of plans, ministries, and organizations.

• removing completed action items and those that are no longer applicable.

• aligning with plans and strategies that have been developed since the 2018 Official Community Plan was adopted.

Using a projected annual growth rate of 1.3%, the updated Official Community Plan will forecast an additional 30,910 residents by 2045, resulting in a total population of 134,000. Based on Census data for the average household size, this additional growth would need to be accommodated in 14,000 new housing units.

This growth is expected to be distributed differently than the current Official Community Plan’s projection which had a stronger focus on the Southwest Sector. The updated growth distribution sees the Core Sector receive an increased share of population and housing unit growth, reflecting recent and anticipated development activity Downtown and in North Kamloops.

Table 1 shows the 2025–2045 projected distribution by sector of both housing units and their residents.

Note the neighbourhoods associated with each sector are as follows:

• Core: Downtown, North Kamloops, West End, Sagebrush
• Northeast: Rayleigh, Heffley Creek
• Northwest: Brocklehurst, Westsyde, Batchelor Heights, Tranquille
• Southeast: Lower Sahali, Upper Sahali, Dufferin, Aberdeen, TRU, Southgate, Pineview
• Southwest: Valleyview, Dallas, Juniper Ridge, Rose Hill, Barnhartvale, Cambell Creek

The updated Growth Plan anticipates that 48% of new units will be high-density residential units (i.e. five or more storey apartment buildings). Medium-density residential units (e.g. three- to four-storey apartments and denser townhouse complexes) and low-density residential units (e.g. single-detached dwellings and small-scale multi-unit housing) are each anticipated to comprise 26% of new units.

Local governments are required to update their official community plans to accommodate anticipated housing needs over the next 20 years, considering their most recent housing needs reports. Kamloops’ 2024 Housing Needs Report states that 23,228 units are needed by 2021 to meet six components of housing need identified by legislation, as is shown in Table 2.

The 2025 Official Community Plan’s land use designations support a maximum unit capacity of 197,200 units, which is determined by assessing the highest allowable densities to estimate the potential maximum number of units permitted city wide. Once the existing number of units is subtracted from the maximum, 152,160 units of additional capacity can be accommodated by the Official Community Plan.

As noted above, the Official Community Plan’s estimated housing demand from growth by 2045 is approximately 14,000 units. While this projection is slightly below the projection in Component D shown in Table 2 (15,508 units between 2021 and 2041), the additional unit capacity of 152,160 units shows that the Official Community Plan’s land use designations are more than sufficient to meet projected housing needs of 23,228 units, which also includes demand from factors other than population growth.

While the 2025 Official Community Plan primarily focuses on residential growth, data related to industrial development, commercial, and educational/institutional growth have also been updated.

The 2025 Official Community Plan supports sustainable growth by focusing most of the expected residential growth in urban centres and mixed-use areas. The growth structure shown in Figure 1 and supporting land use policies prioritize infill over development of greenfield areas, which tend to be further from existing services and amenities. Infill growth is typically more environmentally and fiscally sustainable, as it capitalizes on existing servicing infrastructure, reduces impacts on the natural environment, and enables more walkable and complete communities.

Town centres updates:

• Adding the Valleyview Town Centre and Aberdeen Town Centre designations.

• Adjusting the boundary of the City Centre to support commercial and mixed-use development on Battle Street and Nicola Street in the Downtown.

• Creating the town centre definition which is defined by a group of designations and emphasizes the leading commercial and residential role that the seven town centres will play (town centres are the existing City Centre, Sahali Town Centre, North Shore Town Centre, Tranquille Market Corridor, and McGill Corridor, and the proposed Valleyview Town Centre and Aberdeen Town Centre).

Neighbourhood centre updates:

• The minor neighbourhood centre identifications on the Growth Map have been removed and the existing properties have been redesignated to one of the new commercial designations that most align with their current use.

• The major neighbourhood centres identification has been replaced by four neighbourhood centres (Brock, Westsyde, Orchards Walk, and Dallas). All of these properties are designated as Mid-Rise Commercial with policies supporting the continuation of these secondary mixed-use nodes after town centres.

Figure 1: Growth Structure

The Official Community Plan’s land use policies complement the Growth Plan by providing specific planning direction for each land use designation:

Click here or on the map below to compare current and proposed land use designations.

Town Centres

• Town centres support the City’s highest densities, building heights of 10 storeys and greater, and urban commercial uses such as office complexes.

• Each town centre has its own unique policies and is subject to development permit area guidelines.

• Town centres may have unique development permit area guidelines that could be created in the future to provide detailed guidance on area-specific design and site-planning, similar to the City Centre Development Permit Area and the North Shore Development Permit Area.

Commercial

• The existing Commercial designation is split into the following three separate and more precise land use designations primarily based on commercial uses:
  • The Mid-Rise Commercial designation supports mixed-use development opportunities up to six storeys in height outside of town centres that are pedestrian-oriented and emphasize streetscape improvements and placemaking.
  • The Highway and Service Commercial designation is clustered around locations that have direct highway access, are primarily vehicle oriented, and support large-format retail. Mixed-use and stand-alone residential uses may be on a case-by-case basis.
  • The Local Commercial designation supports smaller, neighbourhood-serving commercial services in residential areas, such as corner stores and daycares.

Urban

• The existing Urban designation is split into the following three separate and more precise land use designations:
  • The High-Rise Urban designation has no height limit and is intended for development near town centres (the 100 and 200 blocks of Columbia Street are identified, and other areas could be included through future Official Community Plan amendment applications).
  • The Mid-Rise Urban designation supports buildings up to four storeys, with six storeys supported on arterial roads, and is primarily concentrated adjacent to mixed-use areas and major transportation corridors.
  • The Low-Rise Urban designation comprises most of the existing Urban-designated area and supports the existing development pattern of two- and three-storey buildings. Four storeys may be supported on corner lots on a case-by-case basis.

• Rationale for the proposed changes to the Urban land use designation is as follows:
  • The current Urban designation supports a very wide range of residential uses that spans single-detached houses to tall apartment buildings.
  • Recent provincial legislation prohibits local governments from holding a public hearing for a rezoning application for residential uses if the application is consistent with the municipality’s official community plan.
  • As compared with the current Urban designation which relies on contextual land use policies and can lead to different interpretations of the policy’s intent, the proposed land use designations aim to reduce ambiguity and dispute over whether an application is consistent with the Official Community Plan.
  • Splitting up the Urban designation into three may result in more official community plan amendment applications since land uses and building heights are more clearly categorized into specific designations. However, using more specific land use designations creates greater certainty to residents as to what they can expect in their neighbourhood without a public hearing versus when they can provide input via a public hearing, which is required in conjunction with an Official Community Plan amendment.

• Orchards Walk East (new): The objective is to accommodate residential growth and provide public open space and transportation connectivity between Valleyview and Dallas.
• Henry Grube (altered): The eastern property is designated as Parks and Open Space to reflect the current park usage (e.g. volleyball).
• Juniper West (altered): Updated map to reflect recent development.
• Iron Mask North (altered): Combined with the larger and more generalized Future Development Areas rather than the current Future Industrial Development Area.
• Pineridge Golf Course, Iron Mask West, and The Dunes at Kamloops (removed).

In addition to the highlighted changes above, multiple aspects of the Official Community Plan have been revised, including:

• Language has been added to support sidewalks, streetscape improvements, and loading zones for new developments and modernize active transportation terminology.

• Policy language has been added encouraging comprehensive development through lot consolidation, discouraging small lots where there is comprehensive development potential, and restricting density on small lots to minimize impacts of parking and loss of greenspace.

• Added policy language related to wildfire mitigation, development in the flood plain, and areas in Aberdeen susceptible to geotechnical instability.

• An Aberdeen Slope Hazard Development Permit Area has been added to replace Council Policy EDS-16 Technical Criteria for Development Conditions in the Aberdeen Hills Neighbourhood, to better address geotechnical stability in the affected area. (Rescinding EDS-16 will require Council approval).

• City-owned properties outside of the Agricultural Land Reserve are designated as Parks and Open Space in alignment with neighbouring Parks and Open Space areas or zoning.

• Land south of Juniper Ridge has been designated as Parks and Open Space in recognition of the BC Parks Foundation’s acquisition and intended use for these lands that are already identified as Grassland Priority Areas in Map 10: Environmentally Sensitive Areas.

• The Parks and Recreation, Utilities, and Major Transportation Network Maps were updated.

Community engagement on the Official Community Plan update took place from May to June 2025. Key components of the engagement process were:

• hosting three meetings with the KAMPLAN Advisory Group

• conducting targeted engagement sessions with the development industry, the business community, and urban Indigenous housing providers and non-profit service agencies

• providing information on the City’s Let’s Talk page and conducting four public information events on proposed changes to seek feedback

A detailed summary of comments received during the engagement process, along with staff responses, is provided in the Documents section of this KAMPLAN web page here.

The following is the plan content informed by community engagement:

• Transit-Oriented Areas: The 2025 Official Community Plan will clearly identify Transit-Oriented Areas using property lines to more visibly show what is included. Where provincial Transit-Oriented Areas bisect City blocks, the Official Community Plan will designate additional properties as Transit-Oriented Areas to the complete block (where it is logical to do so).

• Home-Based Businesses: Policy will support minor changes to as-of-right zoning permissions to permit customer visits for some businesses (e.g. home-based counsellors, life coaches, and personal trainers) while discouraging the expansion of business types which are needed to support the vibrancy of commercial districts (e.g. medical and professional offices) into residential areas.

• Future Development Area: The proposed McGowan South area has been removed from the Future Development Area list in the draft plan after comments regarding inconsistency with the Agricultural Land Commission Act from the Agricultural Land Commission and will maintain its current Agricultural designation.

• Shelters/Housing for Vulnerable People: Staff propose policies encouraging supportive housing, subsidized housing, and emergency shelters to be distributed throughout the community and managed to minimize adverse impacts associated with the over-concentration of vulnerable community groups. Policy supports consideration of temporary housing projects in all land use designations, subject to individual evaluation and community engagement.

• Social Equity: The 2025 Official Community Plan seeks to ensure that amenities, services, and cultural and recreational opportunities are equitably available and accessible to all residents, reflecting the diverse needs, identities, and experiences within the community.

• Urban Indigenous: the 2025 Official Community Plan includes demographic information regarding the urban Indigenous population and policies supportive of partnerships for Indigenous-led affordable housing projects.

• Child Care and Social Infrastructure: policy language regarding the development of childcare facilities and other social infrastructure supports working families in participating in the economy and encourages the development of childcare facilities close to residents’ homes.

• Wildlife Corridor Mapping: the 2025 Official Community Plan includes wildlife corridors, provided by the Thompson-Nicola Conservation Collaborative, as a feature in the Environmentally Sensitive Areas map, as well as policies for wildlife corridors.

• Alignment with other plans: the 2025 Official Community Plan includes goals and details from other plans such as tree canopy targets and guidelines encouraging planting of trees within infill development (as identified in the City’s Urban Forest Management Strategy) and supporting cooling stations (as identified in the City’s Extreme Heat Response Plan).

Staff presented a report to Committee of the Whole on August 19 (posted in the Documents section of this KAMPLAN web page here), summarizing community engagement, and seeking direction on how staff should proceed on topics of concern identified during the engagement process.

The following is the direction received from the Committee of the Whole on August 19, 2025:

• Building Heights in Valleyview: Option 1.2 was chosen which supports the maximum building heights in the Transit-Supporting Area resembling what would be allowed if the area was provincially designated as a Transit-Oriented Area (10 and six storeys), except for residential areas east of Plover Road (three storeys south of Glenwood Drive and four storeys north of Glenwood), and residential areas west of Oriole Road (three storeys).
  • As a point of clarification, the maps in the August 19, 2025 report referenced “10 Storeys” in the legend for the maximum supported heights in the Valleyview Town Centre when they should have referenced “10 Storeys+”. While 10 storeys is the typical as-of-right allowable height used in town centre zones in the Zoning Bylaw, the land use designation should be above this height, relying on development permit area guidelines, land use policies, and zoning regulations to manage potential impacts of taller buildings on adjacent properties.

• Rental Replacement and Tenant Protection: Option 2.2 was chosen which relies solely on provincial legislation to minimize displacement impacts associated with the redevelopment of manufactured home parks, affordable housing, and purpose-built rentals.

• Strata Conversion of Rentals: Neither option was chosen which results in the Official Community Plan not having a policy related to the strata conversion of previously occupied rental buildings to permit individual ownership. Council will instead consider strata conversions in line with the requirements of the Strata Property Act.

• Family-Friendly Housing Units: Option 4.2 was chosen which, provides policy supporting the distribution of three-bedroom units throughout the community and outlines a strategy to encourage and incentivize the development of more family-friendly units.