Upcoming Public Workshop
June 10, 2010. 7:00pm Pepsi Centre

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A vibrant region with a diverse past and promising future

Early settlement in the Corner Brook-Humber Valley Planning Area was based on the Bay of Islands fishery, logging the interior for lumber production and, beginning in the 1920s, the pulp and paper industry. The region has always been a food producer, with its significant pockets of fertile ground. In addition, its spectacular landscape and natural resources have attracted recreational hunters/fishers and adventure seekers. Today, there is active exploration for minerals such as oil and gas, quarry material and other minerals contained in the underlying bedrock.

Study Area - Click to enlarge (2.5MB)

Within the region, approximately 32,000 people reside in seven incorporated communities. The largest of these, the City of Corner Brook is a major employment centre where government offices, hospitals, the university, college and industry are located. Corner Brook also acts as a regional service centre for much of western Newfoundland with its concentration of retail and other services.

At the other end of the region, Deer Lake serves as an important transportation hub and gateway to Gros Morne National Park and the northern peninsula beyond. The communities of Reidville and Cormack, and the Nicholsville area of Deer Lake, have traditionally been agricultural communities with extensive areas of developed agricultural lands. Pasadena and Steady Brook provide quality living environments in visually stunning surroundings close to major recreational assets.

The need for long term planning

In 2005, the Department of Municipal Affairs and the seven local communities recognized a need for long term planning in the region, particularly in the unincorporated areas to guide decision-making with respect to increasingly complex land use conflicts.

A Regional Planning Authority has been established to oversee the preparation of a land use plan for the region. A governance structure that includes a Leadership Committee consisting of the mayors of each of the seven municipalities and a Technical Committee composed of staff representatives of the communities and provincial government agencies, has been set up to guide the process over the next year.

The outcome of the regional planning process will be a regional land use plan that will provide an over-arching planning vision and objectives for the Corner Brook-Humber Valley Region including the seven municipalities and unincorporated area. The regional land use plan and a set of development control regulations that will apply to the unincorporated areas of the region. Once the Plan has been approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs, the job of the Regional Planning Authority will be complete, and the Regional Plan and Development Control Regulations will be administered by the provincial government, through the Government Service Centre. Municipalities will have an important role to play in implementing the Plan through their respective municipal plans and development regulations.

Who is Involved?

You! The public will play an important role in shaping the future direction of the region through the regional planning process. The province, partnered with elected representatives and staff in local municipalities will be working with CBCL Limited as lead consultant to develop the Corner Brook Humber Valley Regional Plan. CBCL Limited has teamed with DW Knight and Associates and Anderson and Yates Forest Consultants Inc. to provide the experience, expertise, awareness and sensitivity needed to successfully guide this important process.