Strategies & Plans

The purpose of the District of West Vancouver’s Draft Accessibility Plan is to provide actions that identify, remove, and prevent barriers to individuals in or interacting with the District. The draft will be presented to Council for endorsement at an upcoming meeting.

These actions outline how the District of West Vancouver, the West Vancouver Memorial Library, and the West Vancouver Police Department (the District) will further its efforts to make its workplaces, services, and built environment accessible and welcoming to people of all abilities.

This Accessibility Plan enables the District to meet the requirements of the Accessible British Columbia Act (ABCA), which came into force for British Columbia municipalities on September 1, 2022.

The Accessibility Plan provides awareness and education on accessibility. The actions provide a formal strategy to advance accessibility throughout West Vancouver proactively.

This is the District’s first Accessibility Plan covering the next three years (2023 – 2026). As a living document, it recognizes accessibility as ongoing and iterative. It requires continuous adaptation, and to be updated at least every three years to reflect progress, evolving community needs, and future legislative requirements (such as the pending release of provincial accessibility standards).

The following documents are the outcome of several years of work directed by Council and undertaken by the Planning Department and various consultants to create a new direction and vision for Ambleside.

The District contracted Cornerstone Planning Group to prepare a comprehensive plan for arts and culture facilities. The study was performed over a five-month period beginning in January 2019 and considered all of the District’s facilities used to provide arts and culture programming.

The Arts & Culture Strategy is a high-level document that sets the stage for more detailed planning for facilities and programs that will be undertaken over five years (2018–2023).

The process of creating the West Vancouver Arts & Culture Strategy began in late 2016 with the formation of a steering committee. In May of 2017, the District embarked on an extensive community engagement process. A Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results (SOAR) analysis summarizes what was heard from the community, supplemented by background research and analysis.

Prepared by the Community Grants/North Shore Social Services Working Group.

The Caulfeild Park Management Plan is a detailed plan that outlines specific work to be done to maintain the landscape of this beautiful shoreline park. Rocky shores, sandy beaches, and forested trails co-exist in this unique community space. The plan ensures that the natural environment, views, and walks are protected and maintained.

The plan was created by a task force in the mid-1990s, in consultation with residents and adopted by Council in 1996. Parks department staff are responsible for implementing the plan.

The District of West Vancouver, along with members of the North Shore Congress, confirmed its commitment to children and families by signing the Child and Family Friendly Community Charter in October 2011. Signed by key North Shore decision-makers, including the Mayors of all three North Shore municipalities, the Charter provides guidance for specific strategies and solutions to improve the health and opportunities for children in the community.

The Child Care Action Plan will provide the District with evidence-based, concrete, and actionable recommendations to improve accessibility, affordability, and quality of child care for families. The Action Plan is informed by research and best practices in child care and is ultimately grounded in the unique needs and opportunities available to the residents and communities of the District of West Vancouver.

The Civic Youth Strategy was created in 2002 to give the youth of our community a chance to directly affect the decisions that matter to them the most and to give them a voice within the community and civic government.

The Civic Youth Strategy is not a project but an ongoing process and guideline for youth, staff, Council and community partners. The strategy is about changing the culture of municipal government, bringing about awareness of the positive contributions youth can make to their community, bringing a youth perspective to civic policy development and planning, and making municipal resources available to all youth. Achieving and maintaining these goals/vision requires a constant and persistent effort.

This Strategy won an award for Excellence for Innovation from the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association in 2005.

It was updated and renewed for the period 2006–2010.

On July 14, 2008, West Vancouver became a Signatory of the British Columbia Climate Action Charter.

The Charter called on BC communities to find ways to tackle the challenges posed by climate change, and to pledge to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2012.

The Climate Action Working Group was created to prepare and implement a Climate Action Plan for the community and the commercial and municipal operations in West Vancouver.

Guided by the findings and recommendations of The BC Climate Action Charter, the group was challenged to identify and initiate an adoptable set of programs and projects where identifiable reductions take place. West Vancouver has produced an inventory of the District’s GHG emissions, which shows that residents are responsible for 95% of emissions.  Therefore, meaningful reductions will require modifying the behaviour and life-styles of residents.

The District of West Vancouver’s Climate Action Strategy (CAS) details a pathway to near-net-zero emissions by 2050 and achieving 45% emission reductions under 2010 levels by 2030. These targets follow from the District’s 2016 Community Energy & Emissions Plan, Official Community Plan policy, and its 2019 climate emergency declaration, and are aligned with what the global scientific community has determined necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change impacts.

The Coastal Marine Management Plan (the “Plan”) was created by the Coastal Marine Management Plan Working Group over three years. The Plan provides a policy framework informed by past and recent initiatives to guide District Council and staff in the management of coastal areas and assets.

In 2014 the District appointed a citizen working group to develop a Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP). The purpose of the CEEP is to address the twin challenges of climate change and energy security in a manner that maximizes opportunity for residents, businesses and institutions. Key science, resource and policy issues make climate change and energy security important to address today and protect future generations.

The process focused on the following areas:

Buildings and Transportation: The principal sectors from which the vast majority of energy is consumed and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are generated.

Land Use: Land use decisions (e.g. building types, sizes, uses and locations) strongly influence transportation and building energy use and supply opportunities. Land use is also the primary area of responsibility for municipalities.

Local Energy Supply: Energy supply opportunities are typically small in BC, however, with technological change and rising energy prices, there will be more renewable energy opportunities for neighbourhoods and individual buildings and lots.

Solid Waste: Waste management has GHG and energy dimensions and is strongly influenced by local government decision-making.

The Strategic Plan Working Group (2010) took the lead in developing a Strategic Plan, supported by a vision and mission statement.

West Vancouver has taken a leadership role in reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within its own operations. This plan supports the District's goals and commitments with regards to climate action, community sustainability and asset management.

The two key goals of the Cycling Network and Greenway Plan are to 1) increase bicycle and walking trips; and, 2) improve safety for cyclists and greenway users.

The Cycling Network and Greenway Plan was approved by Council in 2007. In June 2012, the Engineering Department reviewed the 2007 plan, updated the network map and presented an implementation strategy that was approved by Council. The Cycling Network Implementation Plan Report lays out a strategy for implementing on-street cycling route improvements, particularly in the Ambleside and Dundarave areas.

The preparation of an Economic Development Plan for the District of West Vancouver was initiated in early 2016. Work included nearly two years of research, stakeholder engagement, academic and other working partnerships and strategy development.

This plan represents the first in-depth analysis of local economic conditions in West Vancouver—both the challenges and the opportunities and the relationship between local economic health and community resilience. It has also clarified the municipality’s role in economic development: to grow and diversify the local economy to support existing and future businesses, provide more local employment opportunities and broaden the municipal tax base. 

The plan shifts our thinking about West Vancouver’s economy from purely serving the needs of local residents to what it takes to build a more vibrant, thriving and sustainable local economy over the long-term.

It is founded on three strategies focused on visitors, commercial areas and emerging opportunities. Individually, these strategies will capitalize on business opportunities in key economic sectors—be they immediate or short-term opportunities or longer-term possibilities. Together, they provide the framework for a sustainable local economy.

Part A of this document speaks to the role of municipal economic development and the District’s economic partnership model. The plan’s three key strategies for economic diversification are presented in Parts B, C and D respectively.

The Emergency Plan serves as a guide for Council and staff in order to prepare for, and respond to, major emergencies and disasters affecting the District. It is required by legislation, and this is the plan referenced in the District of West Vancouver Municipal Bylaw No. 4309 (2002), North Shore Disaster Bylaw No. 4485 (2006), and Section 6(2) of the Provincial Emergency Program Act.

As part of the District's commitment to move towards a more sustainable future, Council adopted an Environmental Strategy that outlines how the environmental policies of the Official Community Plan will be put into action.

The strategy recognizes that environmental stewardship is the shared responsibility of the entire District and has been developed cooperatively by all municipal departments. The Environmental Strategy is designed to protect our natural resources and preserve ecosystems. 

In the Five-Year Financial Plan, the District outlines how it has allocated its available resources to achieve Council’s priorities while continuing to deliver services at the high level expected by District residents.

This plan is often referred to as the budget for the year.