Frequently Asked Questions
on the Regional Growth Strategy

What is the Regional Growth Strategy?

The Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) for the Capital Region was adopted by the Regional District Board in August 2003. It defines a common vision, regional goals and priorities, and strategies for local jurisdictions to manage growth to the year 2026. The strategy outlines environmental, social and economic objectives for member municipalities as outlined in the Local Government Act.

The Local Government Act defines the purpose of a regional growth strategy – which is to promote human settlement that is socially, economically and environmentally healthy and that makes efficient use of public facilities and services, land and other resources.

What geographic area is covered by the Regional Growth Strategy?

The Growth Management Planning Area (GMPA) for the RGS includes the municipalities of Central Saanich, Colwood, Esquimalt, Highlands, Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, Langford, Metchosin, North Saanich, Oak Bay, Saanich, Sidney, Sooke, Victoria, and View Royal. Salt Spring Island and the Outer Gulf Island Electoral Areas are not included in the CRD's Regional Growth Strategy as the Islands Trust has planning jurisdiction for those areas. The GMPA is approximately 197,600 ha.

Map of the GMPA (PDF )

When did the Regional Growth Strategy process begin?

In February 1996 the CRD Board formally initiated a Regional Growth Strategy in accordance with Part 25 of the Municipal Act. The process which involved extensive consultation and technical analysis was completed in August 2003 when the Board adopted the Regional Growth Strategy Bylaw.

Regional Context Statements — the mechanism that ensures consistency between the RGS and member municipalities' Official Community Plans — were required from each municipality within 2 years of RGS adoption. Some of these are undergoing updates.

A more detailed chronology of events may be found by reading the Regional Growth Strategy Chronology.

What is the status of the Regional Growth Strategy?

The Regional Growth Strategy has been in place since 2003. Since that time, twelve of the thirteen member municipalities have supported the RGS through their regional context statements. In 2007, an amendment process was initiated in response to a request from the District of Highlands to expand the urban containment boundary in that district to accommodate a new comprehensive development. The amendment request was subject to a dispute resolution process and was eventually decided through an arbitrated settlement process. The decision of the Arbitrator was delivered in December 2008.

Decision of the Arbitrator (PDF )

In 2008, the five year review of the RGS was initiated. The review will be undertaken through a four-phase process.

RGS Revision Consultation Strategy (PDF )

Why is the Regional Growth Strategy needed?

In order to preserve regional quality of life, the region needed a coordinated approach for addressing the management of this growth and its related challenges. The Regional Growth Strategy identifies what we value in the region, what impacts an increase in population will have, and how future growth should be managed. The Growth Strategy provides a framework for agreements among jurisdictions on matters such as major public works, which will help to shape long term development patterns in a sustainable manner.

What are the benefits of implementing the Regional Growth Strategy?

The Growth Strategy process encourages discussion, coordination and cooperation among jurisdictions on many issues, including regional matters that cannot be addressed effectively by one jurisdiction on its own. A Regional Growth Strategy also provides a framework for attracting provincial investment, so that capital spending is consistent with the overall regional vision.

The projected benefits of the RGS would see the targets of each Strategic Initiative set out in Table 3 (Page 27) of the RGS being met.

What is in a Regional Growth Strategy?

Provincial legislation requires the Regional Growth Strategy to cover a period of at least 20 years and it must include:

A regional vision, including social, economic and environmental objectives
Population and employment projections
A list of actions to meet projected needs of the projected population in relation to:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Regional district services
- Parks and natural areas
- Economic development.

Regional Growth Strategy Bylaw (PDF )

What is not adressed in a Regional Growth Stretegy?

The RGS does not make land use decisions for a municipality or jurisdiction. Development approvals remain the responsibility of each individual jurisdiction. The intent of the RGS is a common regional vision for housing, the environment, transportation and growth management. The RGS allows flexibility in terms of municipal implementation, specific content is only required in Official Community Plans and Regional Context Statements.

What is the Capital Region's current population and how fast is it growing?

In 2006, the population of the GMPA within the Capital Region (excluding Salt Spring and the Outer Gulf Islands) was approximately 345,000. The population within the GMPA grew on average 1.2% annually between 2001 and 2006. According to BC Stats population forecasts (which are being used as a “best estimate” for the project, assuming that past policies are continued into the future without substantial change), the population is expected to increase to 451,214 by the year 2036, an increase of approximately 106,000 people.

Where is our population growth coming from?

There are two sources of population change: natural increase (or the difference between the number of births and the number of deaths) and net migration. The amount by which the inflow of migrants exceeds the outflow is net migration.

In the Capital Region, unlike most other parts of the country, migration has always been the primary contributor to the increase in population. This trend is expected to continue, but the rate of migration is influenced by employment and housing trends here, as well as socioeconomic factors existing at locations where potential migrants originate. The Region's appealing climate, natural setting, proximity to recreational opportunities, lower travel times and high quality of life attract people to move here. The Capital Region attracts a large number of “amenity migrants”: people moving to the region to take advantage of the natural environment and lifestyle opportunities. There are also migrants who move out of the Capital Region each year. However, the inflow of migrants exceeds the outflow, resulting in a positive net migration to the region.

In the past fifteen years, the bulk of migrants to the Capital Region have come from elsewhere in BC. The second largest source of migrants is people moving from other provinces to the Capital Region. For the past forty years, international migrants have made up the smallest proportion of newcomers to the Capital Region.

The rate of natural increase in the CRD continues to be negative, meaning that the number of deaths exceeds the number of births. Therefore, even maintaining existing levels of population will require net migration to the region.

Who makes the major decisions and who advises on the Regional Growth Strategy?

The CRD Board is ultimately responsible for major project decisions on the process and content of the Regional Growth Strategy and was responsible for giving it final approval as a bylaw on August 13, 2003. The RGS development process was a consultative process conducted in partnership with member municipalities and every effort was made for decisions to be consensus based. The partnership approach is important for the ultimate success of the Regional Growth Strategy as it is implemented in part by the member municipalities who need to ensure that their Official Community Plans and policies become consistent over time with the RGS.

The Planning and Transportation Committee, a standing committee of the CRD Board, was responsible for guiding the process and received advice from the RGS Public Advisory Committee and the Intergovernmental Advisory Committee.

The RGS was developed with significant input from two advisory committees: the Public Advisory Committee and the Intergovernmental Advisory Committee. The RGS Public Advisory Committee's members were regional residents who advised the Board on public consultation, media relations and community discussion groups for the Regional Growth Strategy. The Intergovernmental Advisory Committee consisted of senior staff from the CRD, member municipalities, the Provincial and Federal governments, and other agencies. This group advised the Board on the development and implementation of the Regional Growth Strategy, and facilitated the coordination of related Provincial and local government actions, policies and programs.

Advisory Committees (PDF )

The day to day coordination of the Regional Growth Strategy is conducted by CRD Regional Planning staff with assistance on specific projects by consultants. The RGS review process will be guided by the Planning and Transportation Committee, with input from the Development and Planning Advisory Committee (DPAC), the IAC, and the Round Table on the Environment.

What are the regional issues dealt with in the Regional Growth Strategy?

The RGS deals with a broad range of region-wide and inter-jurisdictional issues, including housing, transportation, centre development, economic prosperity and resource protection. Eight strategic initiatives are supported by the RGS:

Keep urban settlement compact
Protect the integrity of rural communities
Protect regional green and blue space
Manage natural resources and the environment sustainability
Build complete communities
Improve housing affordability
Increase transportation choice
Strengthen the regional economy

The 5-year review will build on these strategic initiatives and refine the regional policy direction based on input received through the consultation process.

How is a Regional Growth Strategy implemented?

Municipalities and electoral areas are required by provincial legislation to prepare regional context statements for their Official Community Plans which indicate how their plans are consistent with the RGS and how they may become more consistent over time. The RGS is not legally binding on the member municipalities. Their regional context statements, developed as part of their Official Community Plans, are the statutory link between the RGS and the OCPs.

In addition, the Capital Regional District will be working with provincial and federal agencies and others to develop Implementation Agreements on joint actions that can further the vision and objectives of the Regional Growth Strategy.

Implementation Agreements are tools under the Local Government Act, to define and coordinate the efforts of local and provincial jurisdictions to implement RGS content. They can be used to outline the steps required by jurisdictions to achieve consistency with the RGS. While the RGS proposed the development of a Master Implementation Agreement, it has not been adopted by the Board.

The various departments of the Capital Regional District will also implement the Regional Growth Strategy through their own policies and programs. The RGS is legally binding on the regional district. As outlined in Section 865 of the Local Government Act, all bylaws adopted by the regional district board (including Electoral Area OCPs) must be consistent with the regional growth strategy.

How is the Regional Growth Strategy monitored?

Provincial legislation requires the establishment of a program to monitor the implementation of the Regional Growth Strategy and resulting progress made towards achieving its objectives. A report on RGS progress and implementation is prepared annually. Every five years, a more comprehensive report is prepared. This comprehensive report, the RGS State of the Region, was released in September 2008 and includes detailed indicators, maps and interpretive information on the RGS data.

RGS State of the Region Report (2008) (PDF )

How does the public contribute to the RGS ?

The RGS legislation establishes the minimum requirements for public consultation required to develop or update a regional growth strategy. Throughout the development of a regional growth strategy the CRD must provide an opportunity for consultation with stakeholders who are considered to be affected by the RGS. In addition, a consultation plan must be prepared that provides for early and continued consultation with Provincial and federal governments, first nations, affected local governments and its citizens.

Once every 5 years a regional district that has an adopted regional growth strategy must consider whether to review the document for possible amendments. The regional district must provide an opportunity for input from affected local governments and stakeholders regarding the review process and content.

Details on the RGS public consultation events that have taken place to date can be found here.

Consultation plan for the RGS 5-year review (PDF )

What is the relationship between the growth strategy, sustainability and climate change?

The Regional Growth Strategy can provide an appropriate planning framework for addressing sustainability and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. The Provincial Government recently established Bill 27 which gives local governments tools to help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve energy and work toward creating more compact and sustainable communities. Bill 27 requires targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and include Provincial targets in Regional Growth Strategies and Official Community Plans.

What is an Urban Containment Boundary?

An urban containment boundary defines the boundary between urban and rural areas. The goal of the boundary is to promote efficient use of land, and servicing infrastructure. It is meant to encourage the development of compact communities and control urban sprawl, while preserving rural space along and environmentally sensitive areas.

Where can I find out more?

For more detailed information, many of the summaries or full versions of Regional Growth Strategy publications are available from the Regional Growth Strategy Reports page. All RGS publications are available at the local public libraries, and at the libraries of Camosun College, University of Victoria, and Royal Roads University. In addition, copies of some of the publications are available for sale on a cost recovery basis from Regional Planning, by calling 250.360.3160.

Regional Planning

Frequently Asked Questions on the Regional Growth Strategy

Introduction

Population Growth

Stakeholders & Decision Makers

Issues, Framework and Related Issues

Implementation & Monitoring

Public Consultation

Further Information