HALIFAX: On Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, the Halifax Regional Municipality received a letter from the Province of Nova Scotia’s Minister of Municipal Affairs, John Lohr, in response to the municipality’s submission of the updated Regional Plan.
In the letter, the Minister indicated that the Regional Plan, as submitted, could not be accepted by the province and therefore could not be approved.
Underway since 2020, the Regional Planning process has incorporated years of extensive public engagement to inform updates to the 2014 Regional Plan – aimed at supporting sustainable growth across our region.
On Thursday, June 19, 2025, Regional Council passed a motion to repeal the existing 2014 Regional Municipal Planning Strategy (also known as the Regional Plan) and adopt the proposed 2025 Regional Municipal Planning Strategy with related amendments to other planning documents including the Regional Subdivision By-Law, Secondary Municipal Planning Strategies and Land Use By-Laws.
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In accordance with the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter, adoption of the Regional Plan and other planning documents is subject to provincial review and approval.
Over the past several months, municipal Planning & Development staff have been actively working with provincial staff to address feedback that had been previously received from the province.
The decision by the province to not approve any of the proposed amendments was not expected, given the ongoing collaboration with provincial counterparts leading up to and following the submission for approval.
Moving forward, this means that the current 2014 Regional Plan, last amended in May 2025, remains in effect, as the new proposed amendments have not been approved by the province.
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Over the coming weeks, municipal staff will re-engage with the province to determine the next steps on the planning process.
They will work to ensure the Regional Plan is updated in a way that aligns with provincial interests and fulfills the municipality’s obligations under existing legislation.
For more information on the Regional Plan, including a copy of the Aug 8. letter from the Minister of Municipal Affairs, visit the website.
