Municipality of North Hatley Master Plan

I must confess, I’ve been in business for 20 years and I think I’m well educated, but it can be difficult to clearly identify what a master plan represents for a municipality. Of course, it’s a nice phrase that makes the discussion sound serious. Unfortunately, for many people, this term means very little!

Many terms are used, such as PDAD for plan d’aménagement et de développement, plan d’urbanisme and so on. In business jargon, it’s called strategic planning. For those who’ve already done one, it’s long and seems pointless, but it lays out a path for everyone to follow for years to come!

Here’s what was communicated by the Municipality of North Hatley on June 4, 2025.

Before we even get into the expected benefits of a master plan, let’s take a look at what a master plan is for a municipality like North Hatley. As the saying goes, “what’s for dinner in winter?”.

As you know, I like to use Chatgpt, a rather trendy tool for getting usually relevant answers to our questions.

So I asked Chatgpt, what’s a municipal master plan?

---

A master plan (often referred to as a Plan directeur d’aménagement et de développement – PDAD, or Urban Plan) is a strategic planning document drawn up by a municipality to guide its long-term development, generally over a period of 10 to 20 years.

Main objective
The master plan aims to organize the territory in a coherent, sustainable way that meets the needs of the community. It serves as a frame of reference for decisions on urban planning, infrastructure, economic development, the environment, mobility, recreation, etc.

---

Typical contents of a municipal master plan

Il contient généralement :

1. Portrait of the region
   • Geographical location, population, physical characteristics, etc.
     
2. Long-term vision
   • Development objectives: growth, conservation, quality of life.
     
3. Orientations and policies
   • Land use (residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural zones, etc.).
   • Environmental protection (protected areas, sustainable development).
   • Transportation networks, infrastructure, municipal services.
   • Economic development, culture, heritage, tourism.
     
4. Action plans or strategies
   • Concrete measures to achieve objectives.
     

---

Legal effects

• The master plan is not directly binding on citizens, but it does guide municipal bylaws (such as zoning or subdivision bylaws).
  
• It obliges the municipality to respect this vision in its future decisions.
  

---

Application example

If the master plan calls for limiting development near a lake for environmental reasons, the municipality must :

• Refuse certain types of construction in sensitive areas.
  
• Adapt regulations to reflect this orientation.

---

Finally, a master plan redefines just about everything that concerns the future of a municipality. In order to follow its master plan, the municipality will undoubtedly have to redefine zoning, municipal by-laws and possibly allocated budgets in order to respect its future vision and achieve the objectives targeted by this PDAD.

As mentioned in its press release of the town on June 3, 16:29.

This plan will enable the municipality to set out the broad outlines for the development of this key sector, particularly with regard to the consolidation of the urban fabric, the planning of living environments, green spaces and commercial zones.

As a North Hatley citizen and business owner, it’s essential that you take an interest in this project, which will transform the entire village ecosystem. There are three ways in which you can have your say and comment on the proposals put forward by the firm selected to produce the master plan:

1. By completing the survey on http://imaginonsnorthhatley.com between June 4 (starting at 3 p.m.) and June 30;
   
2. By attending the open house on June 14 between noon and 5 p.m. at the Lucien-Vachon hall of North Hatley’s Sainte Élisabeth church;
   
3. By writing to the master plan team using the form on the platform or by writing to [email protected]

Reference: North Hatley press release, June 3, 2025 4:29pm.

On that note, take the time to learn more about the future master plan.