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The City of Cranbrook is inviting community members to participate in Phase 2 of the Official Community Plan (OCP) update, which will guide the City’s growth and development over the next 20 years.

An OCP is about listening and co-creating goals to build a great city together. Last fall, the City began Phase 1 of the OCP update process, which undertook a series of public engagement initiatives that explored the community’s vision for the future. The feedback received was used as a starting point for formulating policy direction for the new OCP. Residents can read more about this process in the What We Heard Report, available at https://www.cranbrook2042.ca/pages/get-involved.

“I want to thank everyone who made their voices heard during Phase 1, and encourage everyone to continue participating in Phase 2,” said Mayor Lee Pratt. “The Our Path to Cranbrook 2042 OCP is our main tool for determining how different policies will change and shape our community over the next 20 years.”

The City is now looking to hear the public’s thoughts on some of the key policies included in the OCP. Residents are asked to complete a series of short surveys, about land use, housing, transportation, parks and recreation, social matters, and arts and culture.

The surveys are available at https://bit.ly/cranbrookocp.

Residents are also invited to attend one of the pop-up engagement activities planned throughout the City this week:

• Friday, August 5 from 8 – 9:30 a.m. outside of Kootenay Grounds
• Friday, August 5 from 10:30 a.m.– 12 p.m. at Western Financial Place
• Friday, August 5 from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the City Hall Parkette
• Saturday, August 6 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Farmer’s Market
• Saturday, August 6 from 2:30 -3:30 p.m. outside of Cranbrook Public Library
• Saturday, August 6 from 5 – 7 p.m. at Summer Sounds at Rotary Park
• Saturday, August 6 from 7:30 - 9 p.m. at Roller Skating at the Cranbrook Curling Centre

The City's existing OCP was adopted in 2006, and Cranbrook has undergone significant change since then. Every municipality in British Columbia has the authority to develop an OCP under the Local Government Act. An OCP guides the growth and development of a community, and provides direction and guidance on items relating to land use, transportation, housing, environment, infrastructure, parks, agriculture, economic development, art and culture, amongst others, to give shape and overall function to a municipality.

Residents are invited to learn more about the Our Path to 2042 OCP at https://www.cranbrook2042.ca/.