Official Plan Review

The Municipality of Bluewater is updating the Bluewater Official Plan. Check this page regularly for details on this project, including opportunities for public consultation, the draft plan, maps and more.

An Official Plan (OP) provides a short and long term vision for land use, growth, and development within a municipality.

The Planning Act requires that municipal Councils review their OP not less than every five years to ensure that the OP has regard for matters of provincial interest, is consistent with policy statements issued by the Province, and conforms to the upper tier official plan (Huron County OP). Bluewater’s last review of the Bluewater OP was in 2018. The Huron County OP was reviewed and updated in 2021 and is currently undergoing another review. The latest policy statement issued by the Province, The Provincial Planning Statement, was released in 2024.

The first draft of the proposed amended Official Plan with both policy and mapping changes has been released. In addition, you can view the proposed settlement area boundary adjustments and Official Plan designations for the entire Municipality, including your property, with the Official Plan Review Online Interactive Map. Both the first draft and interactive map can be found later on this page.

For a copy of the current Official Plan, maps, schedules and appendices, please email op@municipalityofbluewater.ca or call Sarah Smith, Planner, at 519-524-8394 ext. 3 (Huron County).

Public Open Houses

Members of the Bluewater community are invited to participate in public open house sessions to discuss draft changes to the Bluewater Official Plan. These are drop-in sessions where the public can review draft policies and mapping, ask questions of Planning staff and provide comments.

Multiple open house sessions are being held as follows:

• Huron County Library Zurich Branch, 10 Goshen St N, Zurich, ON—Monday, November 24, Wednesday, November 26 and Friday, November 28. Drop-in open house runs 9  a.m.–5 p.m. Appointments are available for the morning
• Huron County Library Zurich Branch, 10 Goshen St N, Zurich, ON—Tuesday, November 25 and Thursday, November 27. Drop-in open house runs 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Appointments are available for the morning.
• Hensall Heritage Hall (Upper Hall), 108 King St, Hensall, ON—Saturday, November 29. Drop-in open house runs 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

To make an appointment during open house hours or if you are unable to attend an open house but wish to provide comments, please email op@municipalityofbluewater.ca or mail Bluewater Municipal Office, 14 Mill Ave, Zurich ON, N0M 2T0 Attention: Lindsay Whalen, Planning Coordinator. You may also call the Planner at 519-524-8394 ext. 3 or the Planning Coordinator at 519-236-4351 ext. 235.

Note: No significant changes are proposed for the settlement area of Bayfield in this official plan review as a result of the Bayfield Secondary Plan.

Please note that comments and opinions submitted on these matters, including the originator's name and address, become part of the public record and may be viewed by the general public and published in a Planning Report, Council agenda, or Council minutes.

Interactive Map

Use the interactive map to search for properties and see proposed land use designations under the revised plan.

Documents

The first draft of the proposed amendment Official Plan is available. 

Meetings to date

• October 20, 2025, Regular Council meeting—First Draft of the proposed amended Official Plan review presented
• June 16, 2025, Special Meeting of Council—Possible revisions discussed. Meeting legislated under Section 26 of the Planning Act, RSO, 1990.
• April 7, 2025, Project kick-off meeting held seeking approval to initiate review.