LAND USE PLANNING


A long term vision for our community.

What is a Land Use Plan?



The Lower Nicola Indian Band (LNIB) developed a Land Use Plan (LUP) to capture the community’s vision, objectives, and priorities regarding the use of land on LNIB’s reserves. The Plan has several purposes:

  • Setting goals and policies for how different types of land uses;
  • Determining the type, location, and intensity of future development; and
  • Guiding how leadership and staff make transparent decisions about land use.

The Plan outlines how the community will use land for specific purposes, including residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, community uses, future development, and natural areas. The Plan also considers what land is culturally significant or environmentally sensitive to ensure it is protected.

Implementing the Land Code


The Land Code is a law created by a First Nation to replace land management sections of the Indian Act. This means that the community throughChief and Council, not the Government of Canada, will control how reserve lands are managed. LNIB adopted the Land Code in 2016 and now has exclusive legislated authority over how its reserve lands are used and managed. The Land Use Plan is one of several laws and policies that will support the implementation of the Land Code.

Creating the Land Use Plan


The process to develop the Land Use Plan included several steps that were informed by community consultation and engagement:

  • Background Information Review – background information, including the community plans, past land use plans, and other policies were reviewed and incorporated into an initial draft of the Land Use Plan;
  • Presentations to Staff and the Lands Management Advisory Committee – meetings with staff and the Lands Management Advisory Committee were held to seek their input;
  • Community newsletter articles – a series of articles were published in the Nʔeʔiyk Spíləx̣m newsletter providing background about land use planning and the process for developing the Land Use Plan for LNIB;
  • Community engagement (November 2019) – a community engagement session was held to engage community members;
  • Elders engagement – an engagement session with Elders was held in January 2020 to seek their input on land use planning;
  • Community Open House – a community open house was hosted on October 17, 2020, as part of an event to highlight various Lands Department initiatives.

Voting on the Land Use Plan


The Land Use Plan is subject to a community referendum. This means the community gets to vote on whether they want to move forward with the proposed direction of land management.


Land Use Types


Residential


The intent of these areas is to ensure there is space for residential development. The type of housing varies based on each reserve. These areas allow for a range of housing types, including single-family homes, multi-family homes (townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, etc.), and mobile homes.

Reserves with this land use type:
  • Nicola Mameet IR #1
  • nsísq’t - Joeyaska IR #2
  • zúxʷt - Zoht IR #4

Traditional


This special land use type recognizes Shulus village as a key community core area that can provide a mix of land uses including housing, community facilities, administrative and institutional facilities, and commercial facilities.

Reserves with this land use type:
  • Nicola Mameet IR #1

Communal


These areas are intended to provide space for daycares, health services, education, and other general community purposes.

Reserves with this land use type:
  • Nicola Mameet IR #1

Industrial


Industrial use areas are intended to provide employment opportunities for LNIB members. However, industrial activities can sometimes create visual, noise, and air quality impacts. For this reason, the location of these areas is carefully considered to ensure they have the lowest impact on the surrounding land uses.

Reserves with this land use type:
  • Nicola Mameet IR #1
  • zúxʷt - Zoht IR #4

Commercial


Commercial land is used for businesses to buy and sell products and services.

Reserves with this land use type:
  • Nicola Mameet IR #1

Agriculture


Areas identified for agricultural uses are intended to preserve local agricultural production for food and forage crops.

Reserves with this land use type:
  • Nicola Mameet IR #1

Natural Areas


Natural areas are intended to be left largely intact and are important for habitat protection as well as the enjoyment and cultural practices of LNIB community members.

Reserves with this land use type:
  • Nicola Mameet IR #1
  • zúxʷt - Zoht IR #4
  • sxats'éts'eń - Zoht IR #5/14
  • Logan’s IR #6
  • Hamilton Creek IR #7

Infrastructure


Reserves with this land use type:
  • Nicola Mameet IR #1
  • nsísq’t - Joeyaska IR #2
  • zúxʷt - Zoht IR #4

Future Development


Lands identified for Future Development could have a number of uses and it is difficult to predict what these might be. These uses could include highway commercial development, tourism, market housing, and/or industrial development. Prior to development in these areas, there will need to be an amendment to the Land Use and Zoning Law that is approved by Chief and Council which would be informed by community consultation.

Reserves with this land use type:
  • Nicola Mameet IR #1
  • nsísq’t - Joeyaska IR #2
  • pípsulh - Pipseul IR #3



What’s Proposed for Each Reserve


Please review the entire Land Use Plan for a complete list of policies and objectives outlined for each reserve. The following provides a brief summary of what is being proposed for each reserve.

Nicola Mameet IR #1


One of the management goals for Nicola Mameet IR #1 is to reinforce the area as the main community centre for LNIB by focusing the bulk of new housing and facilities. The land will also be used to create employment opportunities while ensuring infrastructure has the capacity to support that development, and ensure that creeks, waterways, and cultural areas are protected.

Nicola Mameet IR #1 land uses include residential, community use, industrial, commercial, agriculture, and natural areas. Nicola Mameet IR #1 also has a unique land use type called the Shulus Village Area which recognizes the area as a key community core with a mix of community, commercial and residential uses.


nsísq’t - Joeyaska IR #2


The objectives for Joeyaska IR # 2 are to promote economic opportunities for LNIB, address infrastructure issues, and resolve issues around custom family land holdings on reserve. Joeyaska IR # 2 land uses include residential, future development, and infrastructure. For the residential area, more housing will be encouraged on the southern portion through methods such as secondary suites. For the future development area, consideration will be given to uses such as highway commercial development, industrial use, market housing, big box retail, and industrial development.




pípsulh - Pipseul IR #3


LNIB members have used Pipseul IR # 3 reserve for hunting, fishing, gathering, storytelling, social and recreational gatherings, and industrial purposes. The entire reserve is now entirely the future development land use type. This means that the community can still decide what is developed in the area which could include housing and/or industrial development.




zúxʷt - Zoht IR #4


The management goals for this reserve are to enable future development of housing and ensure infrastructure meets the needs of the residents. The land use types for Zoht IR # 4 are residential, industrial, natural areas, and infrastructure. For the residential area, new development will be considered to support a more cost-effective upgrade of the existing water system infrastructure. The industrial area does have room for expansion. However, this new industrial development is likely more suitable on other reserves.




sxats'éts'eń - Zoht IR #5/14, Logan’s IR #6, Hamilton Creek IR #7


The management goals for these reserves are to ensure ecological integrity and leverage the reserves for economic development including agriculture. Currently, the only land use type for the reserve is natural area. This means the area is intended to be left largely intact and will be important for habitat protection as well as the enjoyment of LNIB community members.



Speous IR #8


The management goal for Speous IR # 8 is to retain the low-impact development of the reserve. Some of the objectives include ensuring access on Sunshine Valley Road, retaining the western part of the reserve as a natural area, retaining the eastern part of the reserve for low-density housing, and reviewing the feasibility of tourism initiatives.



Next Steps


The development of a strong and cohesive LUP will enable LNIB to achieve economic stability and self-sufficiency, and will help the Band enhance social development and environmental stewardship of the reserves. Such a Land Use Plan (LUP) will serve as a legacy for future generations - the next caretakers of this land.

LNIB LAND USE PLAN - DRAFT

A draft of the Land Use Plan has been prepared and is available for download and review. The Lands Department encourages community feedback and is hoping to hear Members' comments about the plan. A survey will be posted here soon.

Bookmark this page and check back often for updates about Land Use Planning.

*This project is in development.



Email the Lands Department or call the office at 250-378-5157 if you have questions about this project.