Understanding an Official Community Plan (OCP)

If you've ever wondered whether your children or grandchildren will be able to afford to live in your community, worried about housing, transportation, water, wildfire risk, climate change, traffic congestion, environmental protection, or simply what future generations will inherit, then you already have a stake in this conversation.

While this episode focuses on Bowen Island where I live, the questions being discussed are the same ones facing communities across British Columbia and Canada. How do we grow? What should we protect? What infrastructure will we need? And how do we balance housing, environment, economy, and quality of life?

In this episode, we talk with Mayor Andrew Leonard, Daniel Martin (Manager of Planning and Development), and James Crandles (OCP Steering Committee Co-Chair) to unpack Bowen Island's proposed Official Community Plan and the current phase of public engagement.

Together they explore:
• What an Official Community Plan (OCP) is — and what it isn't
• Why Bowen's OCP is being updated now
• The guiding frameworks shaping the draft
• Housing diversity and infrastructure planning
• Biodiversity, stewardship, and climate resilience
• Transportation, community vitality, and circular economy principles
• Land use maps, conservation areas, and development permit areas
• How residents can participate meaningfully during this phase of engagement

Whether you live on Bowen Island or in a growing community elsewhere, this conversation is about understanding the choices, trade-offs, and opportunities that shape the places we call home.You can learn more at bowenislandmunicipality.ca.