Municipal Development Plan

On November 4th, 2024, Camrose City Council gave second reading to Bylaw 3341-24 being the Our Camrose, Shaping the Future Municipal Development Plan (MDP). Administration will take back the Municipal Development Plan back to Council for third reading which is the final reading completed by Council on November 18th. Should the Municipal Development Plan receive third reading, the effective date of the MDP will be January 1, 2025.

Council of the City of Camrose has given first reading to Bylaw 3341-24 on September 23, 2024. The purpose of Bylaw 3341-24 is to adopt the Our Camrose, Shaping the Future Municipal Development Plan. Referrals were sent out to the City’s referral agencies as per the requirements set out in the Municipal Government Act Section 636.

Public hearing/ second reading and potentially third reading are scheduled for November 4th, 2024.

The Growth Study is a comprehensive examination of future growth anticipated for Camrose. The findings of the Growth Study are based on the City’s historical growth rate and future growth projections, with considerations for demographic shifts and employment forecasting.

In combination with existing land supply analysis, the Growth Study provides varied future growth scenarios for population and employment. The Growth Study also establishes potential land that Camrose may require to accommodate future growth and identifies priority areas of the City that should be developed based on a variety of factors. A significant aspect of the MDP project was understanding how Camrose would grow and the impacts of that growth on the community.

The updated Growth Study key findings shape and inform the policies in the MDP.

Some of those key findings are:

• International migration, which was already a large source of population growth in the past, has further increased in recent years.
• Camrose is expected to grow by 0.9% per year on average from 2023 to 2048. This growth rate is 40% less than the growth rate of the provincial average, but 28% greater than the growth rate for Census Division-10 (CD-10). This results in a net population growth of 4,865 over the next 25 years and 2,390 new jobs.
• 18% of the population is over 70, and the median age in Camrose is 43.2. The current labour force participation rate in Camrose is 61.6%, significantly below the province’s average of 69.7%.
• 67.1% of commutes are less than 15 minutes. This is substantially shorter commute time than the provincial average of only 30.9% of commute times being less than 15 minutes.
• Household size continues to decline, albeit at a slower rate than in previous decades. The growth plan forecasts household size to decline from 2.3 residents per household to 2.2 per household, on average.
• In total, the Growth Study estimates that 140 hectares of new residential land will be required to build new communities. As well, 134 hectares of industrial land will be required, and 12 hectares of commercial land.

At the September 23, 2024, Council meeting, Council passed a motion to approve the Growth Study as a guiding document with the effective date of January 1, 2025.

It has been a busy summer for the project team, as the final draft of Our Camrose, Shaping the Future has been prepared. The project team has spent the past few months incorporating the results of the public engagement activities and the What We Heard report into the final draft of the MDP. The next step in the process is for the document to appear in front of Council on September 23, 2024, for First Reading, which is when Council will have their first official look at the Plan as it is formally introduced to the public as a proposed Bylaw. In the weeks ahead, a public hearing will be scheduled, and you will have another chance to share your thoughts, ideas and feedback on the Plan and how it will guide Camrose’s growth and development over the next 25 years.

We thank everyone for their continued interest in this project and look forward to working through the approval process.

Between March to June 2024, the Project Team conducted several comprehensive engagement activities (Phase 3) on the Municipal Development Plan draft policy sections. Phase 3 public engagement activities for the Municipal Development Plan aimed to collect insights, opinions, and suggestions from various participants.

Engagement activities included a survey, a workshop with Council, a workshop with the steering committees, a public open house, and a pop-up booth at the Jaywalker’s Jamboree. There were over 300 online submissions through the photo contest and engagement survey and over 138 in-person interactions at the workshops and public events.

A What We Heard Report summarizes the input received throughout phase 3 engagement. Public engagement continues to inform all aspects of the draft MDP. The What We Heard report will be presented to Committee of the Whole of Council on June 24th, 2024.

The Community Development Department will have a booth at Jaywalkers on Friday and Saturday this weekend. Come engage on the Municipal Development Plan project and check out what the City has been up to in regards to tourism and heritage work.

Thank you to everyone that participated in the 2024 Capture Camrose Photo Contest! Over 140 images were submitted from community members that showed what a beautiful and diverse area Camrose is to live, work, and play in! The results were truly impressive, and we would like to congratulate our three winners- Alex McKeil, Olivia Vinet and Don Arsenault. Submitted photos will be used in the 2024 Camrose Municipal Development Plan and for future communication materials. Winners will be contacted.

Can't make it to the Open House? Check out the project boards here!

Join the Open House on May 28th at the Stoney Creek Centre from 4-7 p.m.

Location: Stoney Creek Centre

Address: 5320 39 Ave, Camrose, AB T4V 4L3

City of Camrose Municipal Development Plan

How should Camrose grow and develop in the next 25 years? We are listening!

The City of Camrose has started writing a new long-term plan to outline the way the city should grow into the future. This plan will:

• Operate under a guiding vision and core values that represent the heart of Camrose

• Lay out types and locations of potential development

• Support transportation, environment and economic growth

• Respect and promote the relationship Camrose has with Camrose County and other neighbouring entities

What is a Municipal Development Plan (MDP)?

A Municipal Development Plan (MDP) is a document that creates a long-term plan for a community. Municipalities use MDPs to show what values are going to guide their decision-making processes, what the community currently looks like and where they want to focus different types of growth, and how the area will connect to its surroundings through roads, utilities, and other services.

Why is the City writing this MDP now?

The current MDP in Camrose was adopted in 2011. Over the last 13 years Camrose has faced significant changes and it's time for a fresh outlook on the way the City decides to move forward with its growth and development. An increasing population, an ever-urgent need for affordable housing, climate change and emerging technologies are just some of the factors that represent significant potential for Camrose to adapt its leading policy document.