Zoning Bylaw Update: Key Map Changes from 2024 to 2026

The Village of Pouce Coupe is in the final stages of reviewing and updating its Zoning Bylaw. While the 2024 zoning update focused mainly on meeting provincial legislative requirements, including small-scale multi-unit housing requirements under Bill 44, the 2026 Draft Zoning Bylaw provides a broader review of zoning regulations across the Village.

A key goal of the 2026 update is to simplify the zoning framework, reduce unnecessary restrictions, and provide greater flexibility for future development. The updated zoning map also reflects several important changes from the 2024 zoning map.

Key Zoning Map Changes

• Residential zoning has been simplified.
  The 2024 map included three residential zones: R1 Low-Density Residential, R2 Medium-Density Residential, and R3 High-Density Residential. The 2026 draft reduces this to two residential zones: R1 Low-Density Residential and R2 High-Density Residential. This creates a simpler residential zoning structure and removes the former medium-density category as a separate zone.
• Commercial zoning has been streamlined.
  The 2024 map included C1 General Commercial, C2 Core Commercial, and C3 Service Commercial. The 2026 draft removes the C3 Service Commercial zone, leaving C1 and C2 as the main commercial zones. This supports a simpler and more flexible commercial zoning approach.
• A new Comprehensive Development zone has been added.
  The 2026 draft introduces a new CD1 Comprehensive Development zone near the central commercial/downtown area. This type of zone allows for more site-specific development regulations and can help accommodate unique or mixed-use development opportunities.
• Institutional lands have been expanded and clarified.
  The 2026 draft shows larger P1 Institutional areas, particularly east of the railway and near the river corridor. Some lands that were previously shown as Parks and Recreation appear to have been reclassified as Institutional, helping to better distinguish civic, public, and community-use lands from park and open-space areas.
• Parks and Recreation lands have been reorganized.
  P2 Parks and Recreation remains in the 2026 draft, but some boundaries have changed. The update appears to refine which lands are intended for parks and recreation and which are better identified as institutional or public-use lands.
• Industrial zoning has been refined.
  Industrial lands remain generally concentrated near the railway and Elevator Road area. The 2026 draft appears to clean up and refine some industrial boundaries while keeping the overall industrial area in a similar location.
• A West Pouce Coupe Neighbourhood Plan Area has been added.
  The 2026 draft map introduces a new West Pouce Coupe Neighbourhood Plan Area. This is shown as a planning boundary, not a zoning district. It identifies an area for future planning and growth on the west side of the Village.
• Agricultural lands remain largely consistent.
  The major A1 Agricultural areas to the north and west remain broadly similar between the 2024 and 2026 maps, with most changes focused within the developed Village core and future growth areas.

What This Means

Overall, the 2026 Draft Zoning Bylaw modernizes Pouce Coupe’s zoning framework by reducing the number of zones, broadening permitted uses, and making development regulations more flexible. The update also supports mixed-use development in commercial areas, reduced off-street parking requirements, increased permitted building heights in residential zones, relaxed home-based business regulations, new short-term rental accommodation regulations, and revised shipping container regulations.

These changes are intended to make the bylaw easier to use, better reflect existing and future land uses, and support long-term housing and development needs in the Village.

Image 1; 2024 Zoning Map
The 2024 Zoning Map under Bylaw No. 1058 shows the Village’s previous zoning structure, including three residential zones, three commercial zones, and existing agricultural, institutional, parks and recreation, and industrial designations.

Image 2; 2026 Draft Zoning Map
The 2026 Draft Zoning Map under Bylaw No. 1093 proposes a simplified zoning structure with fewer zones, including two residential zones, two commercial zones, a new Comprehensive Development zone, expanded institutional areas, and the addition of the West Pouce Coupe Neighbourhood Plan Area.