A new Town Plan to guide High River from now to 2042
High River's new Town Plan is reaching final stages. A Draft Town Plan is completed and in review. Once approved it will replace the 2009 Town Plan, guiding High River to 2042.
Thank you for participating in our survey.
- Click here to view the Draft Town Plan. *see below
- Scroll down to view the Poster Boards from the January 23 Open House found under each GOAL in the accordions.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Town Plan Open House on January 23.
High River's Town Plan
Also called Municipal Development Plan (MDP), the Town Plan is a key policy document that describes a vision and desired outcomes for the future of High River. It shows how our community is expected to change over time and the shape it will take.
The updated Draft Town Plan includes policies, objectives and strategies for how the Town will work towards that vision through the land use decisions, development management, and investment in infrastructure and programs., guiding High River to 2042. Once approved it will replace the previous 2009 Town Plan.
Questions? Comments? Please contact Project Manager, Khalid Mohammed, Manager of Planning & Development Services at 403-603-3408 or kmohammed@highriver.ca
*January 26 update: The appendices have now been added to the Draft Town Plan. Thank you for your patience! .
Learn More: View the Draft Town Plan and Open House Poster Boards Below
View the Draft Town Plan
Click here to view the Draft Town Plan.
January 26 notice: Appendices have been added to the Draft Town Plan.
January 24 notice: Please check back as the Appendices will be added to the end of the Draft Plan as soon as possible. They were available at the Open House as part of the hard copies available for review. We apologize for this delay.
Why are we creating a new Town Plan?
Town Plan Vision Statement:
Guiding Principles & Goals
Goal 1: Small Town-Feel: High River’s “Small-Town Feel” will Be Protected Through Responsible Growth Management
Goal 2: High River’s Parks and Open Spaces are Year-round Facilities Actively Used by Individuals and Groups of All Ages.
Goal 3: Health and Wellbeing: High River is committed to improving community health care and wellbeing for all.
Goal 4: Interconnected Community. High River is a vibrant, interconnected community accessible to all ages & abilities for sharing social & cultural connections.
Goal 5: Environmental Stewardship: High River protects its natural environment for now and for future generations.
Goal 6: Strong Economy: High River is a regional hub for health care, agricultural support, and innovative small business.
Goal 7: High River community growth is guided, balanced, and pays for itself.
Goal 8: High River existing infrastructure is optimized to its full extent.
Goal 9: High River is a compact, walkable community.
Priority Growth Area Map
Land Use Concept Map
Protect Timeline & Next Steps
Town Plan Information
Key Elements of a Town Plan
Under the Provincial Municipal Government Act (MGA), the Town Plan (also known as a ‘Municipal Development Plan’) is a requirement for all municipalities. The current Town Plan was developed in 2009 and amended to include a Growth Management Strategy in 2013.
The Key Focus Areas of the Town Plan Update will be identifying:
- What makes High River special and what are our community values?
- What has changed in our community since 2009 and how will we continue to grow?
- What kinds of housing do we need?
- Where should future development occur?
- What are our transportation needs?
- How can we support and encourage business and industry?
- How can we protect and celebrate our natural environment and green spaces?
- What policies and strategies can we establish to make sure future growth and development adheres to our community vision?
Community Feedback: Read the What We Heard Reports and Feedback
Thanks to everyone who has participated in the community engagement sessions so far. Please watch for next steps as we plan our future together.
- View the Community Feedback Report 'What We Heard' summarizing the results of community engagement from April to June, 2022 (PDF)
- Read the Comments Received here - September - October, 2022 (personal information is redacted - Link opens a PDF)
- View the Community Feedback Report #2, 'What We Heard,' summarizing the results of community engagement from September 15 - 30, 2022.
- Read the Comments Received here - April to June, 2022 (personal information is redacted - Link opens a SharePoint document)
Town Plan Task Force - Your Community Representatives
Town Plan Task Force Committee Members - view list of members
Town Plan Task Force members are working together to ensure there is a community-driven process undertaken for the duration of the Town Plan re-write project. The Task Force members are helping to guide public engagement methods by sharing their knowledge of our community. They will also assist the project team in creating a document that can be used by the entire community to reach shared goals and objectives.
Town Plan Task Force Terms of Reference
- Read the Terms of Reference guiding the Task Force in it's important role
Town Plan Task Force Role and Duration
- The Task Force will liaise with the project team for the duration of the project.
- The Task Force will be involved in project team meetings, development of the engagement plan, review of consultant recommendations, drafting of the vision, goals, objectives and policies, and determining the overall format and organization of the final Town Plan.
Task Force member videos
Town Plan Task Force Video #1 - Alex Constantin & Ed Cameron
Town Plan Task Force Video #2 - Councillor Jenny Jones, Blair McNaughton & Kenah Elwan
Town Plan Task Force Video #3 - Kevin Genereux and Lorraine Watson
We're here to help, contact us!
309B Macleod Trail S.W., High River, Alberta
Monday to Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm (Closed on statutory holidays)
planning@highriver.ca
403-652-2110
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