N.S. minister suggests standardizing municipal bylaws to speed development

Nova Scotia's housing minister has suggested streamlining development bylaws across every municipality to speed up new housing.

John Lohr, also minister of municipal affairs, made the comment Thursday during a question-and-answer session with municipal leaders at the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities conference in Halifax.

Coun. Eric Boutilier of the Municipality of the County of Colchester told Lohr that while many communities and towns want to move new development projects along, they simply don't have enough staff to keep up.

Lohr said developers who are frustrated with different building rules between municipalities have brought him an idea that could "make things easier and more straightforward for everybody."

"Do we really need a different set of bylaws in every municipality on what construction looks like? There'll always be some individual differences for sure but there could be a standard operating platform maybe that's something that the NSFM looks at," Lohr said during the session.

In an interview after the panel, Lohrsaid he wanted to put the idea out into the room for feedback.

"It's not an easy job and it won't happen quickly," he said.

Boutilier said in an interview he was hoping to hear about more specific provincial support for municipalities, like funding for more staff. But, Boutilier said he'll take Lohr up on his call for other ideas by working with federation leadership to have the province "help us in the way we ask."

Housing top of mind at N.S. municipalities meeting

11 months ago

Duration 1:50

Nova Scotia's municipal leaders had a chance to question provincial ministers at the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities Conference. As Haley Ryan reports, housing was top of mind.

Lohr's idea of aligning bylaws across municipalities is "a challenge because we're not all the same," Boutilier added.

"The regions have some similarities, but obviously Colchester County is not like Halifax or not like Sydney or not like Yarmouth," Boutilier said.

"But I do understand there should be some basic things that each municipal government can do to help out with development."

The minister's comments come amid criticism the PC government is already overstepping into municipal territory with Bill 329. The bill, which passed during the fall legislative session, will allow Lohr's office to approve any Halifax development.

At the federation's conference Wednesday, Coun. Alison Graham of Truro congratulated Mayor Mike Savage and the rest of Halifax regional council for voicing strong opposition to the bill.

"You're representing not just Halifax but the entirety of our province," Graham said to loud applause. "I think that it's the beginning of the end for our autonomy. It's patriarchal, it's authoritarian."

Newly elected federation president, Mayor Carolyn Bolivar Getson of the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, said in an interview she's looking forward to sitting down with Lohr soon to talk about various topics.

She is also a former PC MLA, and Bolivar-Getson said she plans to use the connections and networks she's built over her years in politics to advocate for municipal issues.

When asked about whether Lohr has shown he respects municipal independence, Bolivar-Getson said "that's a bridge that we have to work on."

"Municipalities feel that that bridge is not there right now and they are looking for that. So I know that the provincial government is looking at moving housing as quickly as possible, but it's better to do things together," Bolivar-Getson said.

The conference wraps up Friday.