Among key recommendations is more mixed-use development, a French elementary school, bike corridors, and a park-and-ride.
The future holds so many uncertainties—and while a forward-thinking community’s vision is toward growth, progress, and creating a better place to live, knowing what kind of future is coming requires something more than a crystal ball. Enter: the Town of Niverville’s new development plan.
On July 24, Niverville’s town council entertained representatives from Sison Blackburn Consulting (SBC) Inc. and Catapult Community Planning (CCP), companies hired to assist council in creating a long-term development plan through the use of historical analysis, resident feedback, and modern-day design strategies. SBC was the project liaison while CCP took the lead on policy development and community engagement.
The development plan was 15 months in the making and provides town council with blueprints of population projections up to 25 years into the future. It will enable council to move forward with confidence when determining future housing and commercial land needs, reviewing zoning bylaws, and assessing the requirements of town services such as schools, recreation, and emergency services down the road.
“The new [development] plan has been made more user-friendly for the decision-makers and applicants,” says Kristy LeBaron, senior planner for CCP. “This means providing clear directions for new development, minimizing the need for amendments to the plan by allowing flexibility, and creating an easy-to-use-and-understand format.”
LeBaron says that this new plan puts more emphasis on allowing a mix of uses in commercial areas, specifically in downtown and highway commercial lots, where multifamily residential can and should complement the business sector. This will require council to consider mixed-use zoning in commercial areas. Niverville’s zoning bylaws are already being updated.
“Because Niverville is growing quickly, development pressure can be high,” LeBaron says. “The town will need to balance development demands with its capacity to provide services.”
Stephen Walker, regional manager of the Community and Regional Planning (CRP) branch of the provincial government, weighed in on his department’s analysis of the completed development plan at the July council meeting.
“CRP commends council for their concern and interest in design guidelines for Main Street, and infill development in residential neighbourhoods,” Walker said. “These are important considerations in managing the growth of the community and making Niverville a great place to call home. We encourage council to further refine… this plan with the assistance of planners and urban designers and to create a robust and transparent process… [We] encourage the town to ensure that the process, requirements, and tracking of these approved plans is well managed and transparent to developers and the community.”
Walker also made a number of key recommendations to council, including a suggestion to create policies and zoning standards that will move the community forward in a positive direction when considering the impending risks of climate change.
“A growing population will lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions,” says Walker. He commended council for pursuing active transportation routes within the plan, such as Main Street bike corridors and sidewalk improvements. “The town may also want to think about a policy to create future park-and-ride locations connected to the active transportation network to encourage ridesharing for people commuting into and out of Winnipeg.”
The land designated as highway commercial on the east side of town, he says, would be a logical place to incorporate a park-and-ride.
Walker also recommended that council consider working together with the Franco-Manitoban school division (DSFM) and the province to establish a French elementary school in the community within the next 10 to 25 years.
“The DSFM is always willing to work in partnership with municipal and provincial governments to grow the number of francophone schools in Manitoba,” says Bernard Lesage, DSFM president. “Every year our school board reviews its five-year plan in infrastructure, which is subsequently submitted to the public school’s finance board. With data prepared by our administration, we determine where new schools are needed or which schools should be expanded.”
French schools in the area surrounding Niverville, he says, are at maximum capacity with little room for expansion. For this reason, and because Niverville’s bilingual population is growing, the community could help enhance schooling options in the region.
Lesage says he would welcome discussion with Niverville’s town council at any time. Should council agree to partner with DSFM, a request would be made of the provincial government for consideration in their future budget.
While the prospects of short-term and long-term development in Niverville looks bright, the development plan, as proposed, must still be approved by the provincial government.
“The Manitoba government reviews all municipal development plans to ensure they are consistent with provincial planning regulations, and all plans must be approved by the Minster of Municipal Relations,” says Julie DeVoin, public affairs specialist for Communications Services Manitoba.
According to LeBaron, until the Minister approves the plan and the town gives third reading to adopt the bylaw, the plan and maps are not official.
