Mission — On Wednesday night (June 21) after more than eighteen-months of public consultation, stakeholder and landowner engagement, technical research, and financial analysis, the Waterfront Revitalization Master Plan took another major step forward when Council granted third reading to an OCP Bylaw Amendment during Regular Council.
“By passing third reading of this OCP change, Council has ensured that all of our research, community consultation, and collaboration over the last two years will find a place in our City’s official vision,” said Mayor Paul Horn. “The plan is ambitious, but it is grounded in significant market research and it reflects voices from across all of Mission.”
The Master Plan will be a living document, one that will adapt and change to the needs of Mission as the community grows into the future.
“We know that the vision will evolve over its 40-year projected life, but we are encouraged by the feedback we have heard from current business leaders and those hoping to be a part of our waterfront’s future,” said Horn.
As a result of a thorough engagement process with residents, landowners, industry, and other levels of government, the values of the plan became clear:
- Leverage Mission’s competitive advantage in rail, port, and highway services to attract nationally scaled employers and create local jobs.
- Create hubs to attract like-minded people to interact, explore, experience, and promote social interaction.
- Nurture a naturalized interface with the Fraser River’s edge.
- Integrate flood protection with environmental, educational, recreational and cultural amenities to re-establish people’s, particularly Indigenous, relationship with the river and its estuaries.
- Increase accessibility between Mission’s downtown and the Waterfront with a new pedestrian friendly link to strengthen the heartbeat and add a new dimension of urban living in the City.
- Intertwine the natural experience with opportunities for iconic and interactive cultural and artistic creations.
“The degree of community consultation undertaken in this planning process has been extraordinary,” said Horn. “Even with the challenges presented by COVID-19, the people of Mission engaged in a remarkable way with our planning team, demonstrating a passion for an exceptional Waterfront.”
The OCP Bylaw Amendment and its direct relationship to the Waterfront Revitalization Master Plan will be considered for final reading in July before it will be amended to the Official Community Plan.
See the interactive plan to experience how everything comes together at the Waterfront.
