Imagine MOPC

The Municipality of Pictou County is the third-largest by population and sixth-largest by area of Nova Scotia’s nine municipal counties. It has a high diversity of land uses; significant heritage, cultural, and institutional assets; and a strong industrial and commercial base. The history of industry in Pictou County reflects the utilization of its natural resources, the skills of its workforce, and the challenges faced by traditional industries. The county continues to adapt and evolve, seeking new opportunities for economic growth and sustainable development.

Changes made to the Nova Scotia Municipal Government Act in 2018 made it mandatory for municipalities to implement comprehensive land use planning across all their land area. The Municipality of Pictou County was one of many municipalities in the province that did not previously have comprehensive planning, with its existing planning documents limited to the topic of wind energy development.

UPLAND was tasked with developing a new Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw from scratch. Because of the previous lack of planning there was also a fundamental need to educate the community about the mechanics and benefits of planning, and to alleviate any worries about the impact of planning on landowner rights.

UPLAND undertook extensive engagement efforts, which included a mix of online and in-person engagement tools, including surveys, online interactive maps, and facilitated workshops.

These efforts resulted in a set of streamlined documents that meet the requirements of the Municipal Government Act, are easy to understand and to use, reflect the rural nature of the municipality and the long history of limited land use controls, and were accepted by the community and by Council.