Understanding the review
The comprehensive review of the regulatory framework is not, in and of itself, a legal requirement. It is an initiative undertaken by the municipality to update its urban planning tools.
However, the municipality must comply with certain legal requirements regarding consistency. Its urban planning by-laws must be consistent with higher-level planning documents, namely the Metropolitan Land Use and Development Plan (PMAD) and the Montreal Urban Agglomeration Land Use and Development Plan (SAD).
When a planning document is amended or revised and adjustments are necessary, the municipality must adopt concordance by-laws, in accordance with the Act respecting land use planning and development.
The review thus allows the municipality to meet its alignment obligations while more broadly modernizing its regulatory framework.
The planning program is a planning document that presents the municipality's long-term vision for the sustainable planning and development of the territory, in line with the Land Use and Development Plan (SAD).
It serves as a reference framework to guide municipal actions relating to housing, public facilities and infrastructure, as well as economic, commercial, and cultural activities. This vision is reflected in particular through guidelines concerning land use designations, occupancy densities, the protection of natural environments, and the enhancement of built heritage.
The by-laws translate these planning choices into standards applicable within the territory, notably regarding zoning, subdivision, and construction. They must conform to the planning program and, once in force, may be enforceable against the persons to whom they apply.
They translate the vision of the urban plan into prescriptive rules applicable to the planning and development of properties.
These are the bylaws that are applied when a permit application is submitted!
The zoning bylaw;
The subdivision bylaw;
The construction bylaw;
The permits and certificates bylaw;
The site planning and architectural integration programmes by-law;
The specific construction, alteration or occupancy proposal for an immovable by-law;
The Act respecting land use planning and development also allows a municipality to adopt new regulatory tools to address specific local needs, including:
incentive zoning, which allows a project to receive additional benefits in exchange for a contribution to the community;
differentiated zoning, which allows for the relaxation of certain rules for social or affordable housing projects in order to facilitate their implementation.
To date, the City has not made use of these regulatory tools. However, their relevance could be examined as part of the overhaul of the regulatory framework, based on the area’s needs and future land-use objectives.
The City is giving itself a horizon of approximately two years. This horizon is a working framework: it could change depending on the progress of the analyses and the course of the consultations.
What difference could this make
The review could bring about regulatory changes in certain sectors. These could notably concern permitted uses, land occupancy intensity, and the rules applicable to construction and land development.
However, it would not automatically call into question legally established uses and structures, which could be protected by acquired rights, subject to applicable rules. Thus, a legally built structure that becomes non-conforming following the coming into force of new regulations would not necessarily have to be modified to be brought into conformity, subject to the provisions applicable to acquired rights. This protection could, however, be lost if the non-conforming use is abandoned or discontinued for the period provided for under municipal regulations.
The actual scope of these changes will, however, depend on the provisions adopted in the draft by-laws. The precise impacts cannot be determined until the draft by-laws have been prepared. The adoption of these by-laws will be preceded by public consultation meetings, in accordance with the requirements of the Act respecting land use planning and development.
Projects that have already received a building permit or another valid municipal authorization may generally continue in accordance with the rules in force at the time that authorization was issued, subject to compliance with the associated conditions.
However, following the filing of a notice of motion announcing a regulatory change, the issuance of new permits is temporarily frozen in the affected sectors, in accordance with the applicable provisions, until the new regulations are adopted.
Projects that have been submitted but for which no permit or authorization has yet been issued at the time the new regulations come into force may need to be adjusted to comply with the new provisions.
When a new urban planning rule comes into force, anything new (land, construction, sign, use) must comply with it. No permit can be issued if it does not comply with the new rules.
But what happens to something that already existed before, that was compliant, and that no longer complies with these new rules? It becomes protected by “acquired rights.” Important: not complying with the new rules does not mean it is illegal.
An acquired right therefore allows things to continue as before, even if the new regulations would no longer permit it for something new. This protection may, however, be lost if a non-conforming use is abandoned or discontinued for the period provided for under municipal regulations.
Once the public engagement process is complete, the municipal team will proceed with drafting the planning program and by-laws. The draft by-laws must go through the steps set out in the Act respecting land use planning and development before coming into force. They will first be submitted for public consultation, explained to residents, and then adopted by City Council. Once adopted, the new by-laws will become applicable on the date the certificate of conformity is issued by the Montreal Agglomeration. Until the certificate of conformity is issued, the regulations currently in force will generally continue to apply.
The City is undertaking this process on its own initiative and is not subject to a legal deadline to revise its planning program and by-laws. It is setting itself a horizon of approximately two years to carry out this reflection, consult the public, and develop tools tailored to the characteristics of the territory and the needs of the community.
| Time period | Steps |
| Fall and winter 2026 | Analyze existing documents and applicable broad guidelines. |
| Winter 2026 - spring 2027 | Conduct an assessment based on the territory's characteristics and the input gathered. |
| Spring - summer 2027 | Determine the broad guidelines and objectives for the future. |
| Summer - fall 2027 | Translate the vision and guidelines into a draft planning program. |
| Fall 2027 - spring 2028 | Draft the by-laws necessary to implement the plan. |
| Spring - summer 2028 | Present the proposals and gather public feedback. |
| Summer - fall 2028 | Refine the documents and proceed with the adoption steps. |
| Fall 2028 and winter 2029 | Complete the compliance steps and bring the new tools into force. |
The two-year timeline is a working horizon. It could change depending on the progress of the analyses, public consultations, coordination with the Montreal Agglomeration, and the steps set out in the Act respecting land use planning and development.
Citizen participation
Documents related to the revision of the planning program and by-laws will be gathered on these webpages. They will notably allow you to view information documents and the schedule of activities.
The Cocoriko consultation platform will also allow residents to submit comments, share their concerns, and ask questions on topics of interest to them, including topics that may not necessarily be part of the questions raised in the consultations.
See the section “Opportunities to get involved” to learn about the activities offered as part of the process.
Comment puis-je rester informé?
The process is open to everyone. Local organizations, business owners, property owners, developers, and all residents are invited to participate.
Some activities will be aimed at the population as a whole, while others will target specific audiences in order to better take into account their realities and needs. Activities may notably be offered to young people, seniors, young adults, people with specific accessibility needs, community organizations, and members of the business community.
You can contribute by taking part in the activities offered or by submitting written comments on the Cocoriko consultation platform. This platform also allows you to share your concerns and ask questions on topics of interest to you, including issues that may not necessarily be part of the questions raised in the consultations.
Yes. Online consultations and the comment platform are accessible at any time, without needing to travel. Mobile information booths are also set up in various sectors of the City to reduce the distances residents need to travel.
If you have questions you would like to see addressed and that could be useful to the community as a whole, we invite you to send them to us through the Cocoriko platform.
The comments collected will be analyzed to bring out the issues raised, community priorities, and the main trends emerging from the contributions. The analysis will draw on residents' first-hand knowledge of the area and will take into account the diversity of the people and groups who took part in the process, with a view to inclusive representativeness. The highlights of the consultation will be made public and will help inform the development of guidelines and proposals. This collaborative process will help ground the discussion in the realities of the territory, without every comment necessarily being individually retained.