Resources -- Links to Town Documents, Residents' Letters to Town Council, News/Media Articles
Explore the official materials concerning Qualicum Beach planning and development. These resources provide a deeper look into the Official Community Plan and other reports crucial to our community's future.
NEW BELOW - Articles & OpEds
News Articles & Opinion Editorials
Links to relevant articles & editorials concerning local community development in BC and across Canada
Opinion article from QB Good Neighbours on importance of Development Permit Areas
Watch Global News Morning coverage of Vancouver Council's rejection of a massive densification project -- Public backlash sinks Vancouver’s ‘villages’ plan
PQB News article "Residents object to height of residential development in Qualicum Beach" 1 Mar 2026
Letter to Council re Times Colonist article on Gorge Waterway Project
Times Colonist article on growing prevalence of "closed door" meetings in North Saanich.
Link to Qualicum Beach Residents' Association.
QBRA is a non-partisan, non-profit society representing the citizens of Qualicum Beach and area.
Link to BC Alliance of Neighbourhoods.
A province-wide alliance of community groups dedicated to prioritizing Local Democracy and Local Accountability.
Link to Qualicum Beach Insights website, an excellent source of critical investigative analysis on topical issues facing the Town
NEW BELOW - LETTERS TO COUNCIL
Article on Development Permit Areas - Form & Character
In this Section, we present preliminary research that QB Good Neighbours has done on Development Permit Areas - Form & Character in Qualicum Beach.
This article explores an important aspect of the Official Community Plan – the designation of Development Permit Areas which are meant to safeguard our community’s Form & Character.
WHAT IS A DEVELOPMENT PERMIT AREA (DPA) – FORM & CHARACTER
AND
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Question 1: Development Permit Areas – What Are They and Why Do They Matter?
Did you know that within the Town’s 2025 Official Community Plan (OCP), the 532 Memorial Avenue property is designated as a Development Permit Area (DPA) to preserve Form & Character?
And what exactly is a DPA? Does this designation even matter?
These were questions we started asking as we read through the OCP and the Zoning Bylaw No. 900.
This short article is a summary of our brief research into the topic.
Appended at the end of this article is the Letter we sent to Town Council on 532 Memorial’s DPA status in July 2026 ahead of an Advisory Planning Committee (APC) meeting. Our Letter was not circulated to the APC since the APC does not take direct feedback from the public. However, we understand that our letter was circulated to Town Council.
Question 2: What is a Development Permit Area (DPA)?
Per the BC Government website (link below), DPAs are locations identified by a local municipality that “need special treatment for certain purposes including [a] the protection of development from hazards, [b] establishing objectives for form and character in specified circumstances, or [c] revitalization of a commercial use area.”
Question 3: Why Does a DPA designation for Form & Character Actually Matter?
A property owner must adhere to DPA requirements when submitting plans to develop the property.
A Form & Character DPA is meant to protect the community’s “sense of place” and ensure that developments “compliment the small-town village character and ambience of the Town”. Please refer to Section 2.7.3 of the Qualicum Beach OCP page 63 (link below).
Since 532 Memorial is designated as a DPA for Form & Character within the OCP, we understand that any development proposal would need to adhere to the Zoning Bylaw No 900 Part 5 (Interim Design Guidelines). You can view these Guidelines by clicking on the link below.
These Design Guidelines have very clear requirements for developers across design elements such as:
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Neighbourhood Context – covers (a) site integration and architectural harmony and (b) preservation of natural features
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Building Form & Elements – covers (a) height (maximum 3 storeys allowed for new multi-unit housing), (b) scale & massing (which “should tie into the overall neighbourhood form & character) and (c) design & proportionality
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Site & Landscaping – covers (a) parking, (b) site access and (c) landscape design & aesthetic
Question 4: Has the 532 Memorial Ave project plan taken these Interim Design Guidelines into account?
This is a question we ask of Town Council in our July 2026 Letter. The OCP has requirement to complete an OCP Consistency Worksheet and we have asked to see this for 532 Memorial Avenue. To date, our Letter has gone unanswered.
Since 532 Memorial Ave is zoned as C9 Commercial and does not have a Residential zoning code, it is possible that this property may not need to strictly adhere to the Interim Design Guidelines. This is because the Interim Design Guidelines appear to focus on residential developments (see Section 3.4.c of Zoning Bylaw pg 43).
But 532 Memorial is still nonetheless designated as a DPA Form & Character and it is situated in a high-visibility location at the north entrance to our lovely Town. We feel that an enlightened project design would take this into account and honour the spirit and letter of what the DPA Form & Character is meant to achieve.
Question 5: How many DPAs for Form & Character are there in Qualicum Beach’s OCP?
Per Section 2.7.3 of the OCP (pages 63-71), there are 15 property areas designated as DPAs preserving Form & Character.
Aside from the two properties along Memorial Ave (DPA Codes C6 and C7), which are the subject of our Letter to Town Council, we highlight below other areas located near residential neighbourhoods that are also designated as DPAs for Form & Character:
-College Road (C5)
-Crescent Road East (C8)
-Berwick Road (C9)
-Eaglecrest area (RFC2)
Is your neighbourhood near a DPA for Form & Character? If yes, you may want to further investigate more closely the development plans for these parcels of land.
Question 6: So, what next?
This article aims to highlight that the OCP does an admirable job of outlining a vision for how Qualicum Beach can maintain our small-town village charm as the community grows and develops.
The OCP does this by designating several key areas as Form & Character DPAs. This designation does place requirements on developers to adhere to certain design elements that safeguard our community’s “sense of place.”
Even if under Provincial Bill 44 the importance of Form & Character DPAs may be diluted, these DPAs still exist and we believe they still have the force of a Bylaw requirement.
We encourage you to read up about your own neighbourhood and advocate your view directly to Town Council by writing to qbtown@qualicumbeach.com. You can also share your opinions with the Qualicum Beach Residents’ Association by writing to qbra100@gmail.com.
We sincerely hope that the Town will get back to our community group with answers to these important questions.
We deserve to know and understand the intentions for the 532 Memorial Avenue property. Not responding to citizen concerns that are raised professionally and respectfully indicates a rupture in our democratic process. The Civic Election this fall is a perfect opportunity for us to challenge Candidates on how well they understand and respect our right of inquiry as law-abiding taxpayers.
Our business community will also want answers – it is Qualicum Beach’s small-town charm of a seaside village that draws tourists year after year. Development projects that prioritize densification over all other considerations may end up killing the goose that lays the commercial egg for this Town.
QB Good Neighbours Group
03 August 2026
Helpful Links & References
Explore resources and organizations dedicated to supporting the Qualicum Beach community.
Town of Qualicum Beach
The official municipal website for local government services and announcements. Navigate the Document Library under Government tab to stay abreast of latest Council and Committee discussions.
Official Community Plan
Read in detail Qualicum Beach's 2025 Official Community Plan. Located under Community -> Community Strategic Plans tab on Town's official website.
About Us: Background to QB Good Neighbours Group (May 2026)
Learn more about the background of the QB Good Neighbours Group and our concerns around the 532 Memorial Project development
Zoning Bylaw No 900 & Interim Design Guidelines
Read the Zoning Bylaw details and review the Interim Design Guidelines starting from Page 187.
Like-Minded Community Groups - Still WIP
Qualicum Beach Insights
British Columbia Alliance of Neighbourhoods
Questions or Suggestions?
We welcome residents to reach out and share their ideas, information, or resources with our group. Community involvement is essential for the future of Qualicum Beach, and we value your input as we work together for better development planning.
We are committed to fostering respectful, community-minded dialogue based on facts and shared local values.