St. Thomas 2051 – Setting the Track for our Future

The City of St. Thomas is in the process of reviewing and updating its Official Plan. An Official Plan is an important land use planning document that provides strategic direction and land use policies to support the goals, objectives, and long-term vision for the City. This helps guide the physical, social, economic, and environmental management and growth of the City over its planning horizon.

Essentially, this document helps in “Setting the Track for our Future” by balancing the interests of private property owners and what’s best for the community as a whole. The update and review are important opportunities to ensure that the City continues to address local priorities and provincial requirements based on changing community needs.

Why do we need a New Official Plan?

The City’s current Official Plan is over 45 years old (approved by the Province in 1980). Since then, direction from the Province has evolved and changed multiple times, much like the City of St. Thomas. A new and more modern Official Plan will better allow the City to meet the current and future needs of the community.

Recent Provincial changes are requiring the creation of a more streamlined development approvals process. The updated Official Plan will bring the City’s policies more in line with current planning practices and other various provincial requirements, while ensuring that the City is still able to influence the types of growth, development, and communities that residents, businesses and visitors want to be a part of. In addition, this updated direction will better align with types of development that the City is seeing today and support new types of businesses and developments that the community would like to see moving into the future.

Why should this matter to you?

As a resident, landowner, business owner, or member/visitor of the community, you live and/or work in this community. You should have an opportunity to help plan, create and have a say in the future of your community.
Your input is important and will help us identify a vision and guiding principles for the new Official Plan, revise existing policies and/or create new policies that help the City manage growth and development, protect what you value, and create an innovative and forward-thinking community.

Building off of the successful initial engagement and feedback that was received in Phase 1 of the City's Official Plan review, Staff are currently preparing draft policies to support the new City of St. Thomas Official Plan document. As per the City's work plan, the policy development will occur in phases with the opportunity for Council, community, and stakeholder feedback as specific chapters and sections of the Official Plan are complete.

As was provided in the Phase 1 - Engagement Report, the policies will be guided by the City's vision "to become a complete, connected, prosperous and resilient community where growth improves quality of life, creates opportunity and strengthens the City's distinctive character".

The City is also currently undertaking a city-wide Natural Heritage System and Natural Hazard Review that will be informing the Official Plan update. Current opportunities to be involved with both the policy update and natural heritage review are noted below.

The City encourages you to stay updated on this project by clicking the "+ Follow" button in the top banner. As this page is updated, you will receive email notifications to keep you informed on progress.

Session 4: Natural Environment, Hazards and Public Open Space

To Be Determined (Fall 2026)

The City of St. Thomas has recently selected a consultanting firm to assist with the completion of a city-wide Natural Heritage System and Natural Hazards review to help provide direction into the Official Plan update. To ensure that the City is coordinating these two separate review processes, Session 4 will be held once an approved work plan for teh Natural Heritage System Review has been established. It is currently anticipated to be held in the Fall of 2026.

The City completed an initial comprehensive engagement process in the Spring - Summer of 2026 as a kick-off to its Official Plan update and review. The Phase 1 - Engagement Report provides the following:

• Recommendation and project background, including provincial legislative and policy changes.
• Phase 1 engagement activities, participation levels and survey limitations.
• A consolidated summary of the nine key engagement themes, including relevant statistics and implications for Official Plan policy.
• The proposed St. Thomas Vision 2051 and all eight overarching Official Plan goals.
• Next steps, anticipated engagement and policy development timelines, strategic priorities

The City's initial Official Plan engagement activities included three in-person workshops at Memorial Arena from May to July 2026, as well as a community survey, vision/story board and pin-drop map on the Speak Up St. Thomas project page. Staff also engaged with Indigenous communities in Southwestern Ontario and met with two communities.

Phase 1 workshop materials can be found in the "Engagement Session Materials" on the project page.