The Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth (P4G) has been a project that has been in the works for the past several years through collaboration between Saskatoon, Martensville, Warman, Osler and Corman Park. Together, these municipalities are working on land use, development and infrastructure plans and policies to support future growth within the area.
“This is about making a plan for growth and how it will all fit together. There are a lot of key features that we need to look at and make a plan that works for everyone so we can have space for agriculture uses, country residential, urban development, infrastructure, conservation areas, the airport – all of those things that are required to support a region,” Bonnie Gorelitza, City of Martensville Planning Manager, explained.
Following a Joint Councils Public Hearing on September 24, each of the councils from the municipal partners adopted bylaws approving the P4G District Official Community Plan (DOCP).
This was a huge step for P4G, as the DOCP is a foundational piece in the establishment of the new P4G Planning District that is proposed to replace the existing Corman Park-Saskatoon Planning District. It will provide a vision, principles and policies to guide long term planning within the region.
“This is truly a historic occasion for the Saskatoon region. The DOCP cements the commitment of the partners to work together for the betterment of the region for the next 50-60 years. The path to the future has been set, Neal Sarnecki, Director of P4G, said.
“This is a huge milestone for P4G. We are now at the tipping point and becoming official. When this started, it was a grassroots project where the partners were meeting informally, so it is good to see this taking place. It has been a great process for everyone involved to have the opportunity to collaborate on such a significant project. We have come such a long way and we have grown together. This project really bodes well for the region and it is something that we can showcase globally that shows that we are ready for growth,” Gorelitza stated.
For Saskatchewan, this is the largest collaborative project of its kind. Although there are other regions within the province that see multiple municipalities working together, none have this many people involved. In provinces, such as Alberta, there are planning projects taking place that were mandated by the province; however, with P4G, it was built and financed by the municipalities themselves. “The Council’s involved are there because they want to be there and they see the benefit to where this is going,” added Gorelitza.
The next step for P4G will be the approval of the District Zoning Bylaw early next year by Corman Park, then the bylaws will be forwarded to the Province for approval, and formal establishment of the Planning District.