FAQ

An Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) is a long-term and strategic plan between two or more municipalities that is required by the Municipal Government Act (MGA), unless the municipalities choose to opt-out. The IDP’s purpose is to provide a coordinated and collaborative framework respecting land use, servicing and transportation on lands adjacent to the boundaries of the respective municipalities.

The MGA requires that the IDP address:

• future land use;
• the manner of and the proposals for future development;
• transportation systems;
• proposals for the financing and programming of intermunicipal infrastructure;
• the co-ordination of intermunicipal programs related to physical, social and economic development; and environmental matters.

The MGA also requires that the IDP address matters relating to the administration of the plan, including a process to resolve intermunicipal disputes.

The County of Grande Prairie and the Town Wembley are temporarily suspending the project to create an Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP) until more funding can be secured for additional public consultation.

Based on the feedback received from residents to this point, the two municipalities felt that more public consultation and design work is required to develop a plan that works for both the Town and County. 

The municipalities will now make an application to the Province of Alberta for the required funding. 

This project involves the preparation of three separate IDPs between the County of Grande Prairie and the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith and Wembley. The project initially included an IDP with the Village of Hythe until it became a hamlet within the County. The Sexsmith IDP was completed in 2021.

The project was initiated as a result of changes to the Municipal Government Act making IDPs mandatory for neighbouring municipalities in 2016. Prior to that IDPs were an optional tool for municipalities and the County had them with the City of Grande Prairie and Birch Hills County to support collaborative planning. The County and the Towns were approved for provincial funding to undertake the IDPs in 2017 and the project was launched that year.

In 2019, the MGA was amended to allow municipalities to choose to opt out of the IDPs. The County and the Towns of Beaverlodge, Hythe, Sexsmith, and the Wembley put the IDP project on hold to focus on the Intermunicipal Collaboration Frameworks, which were also required by the MGA. Since then, the IDPs have resumed with the various municipalities, except for Hythe, which is now a hamlet.

The County’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP) identifies a 2 mile (3.2 km) wide fringe area around each of the partner municipalities as shown in the maps below. This fringe area will serve as the study area for each of the IDPs. The study area boundary is outlined in red.

IDPs are long-term land use and servicing plans that address how the participating municipalities and the County are to address the future growth needs of these communities. The IDPs also include frameworks for annexation should it be necessary in the future. As these plans address long-term future land-use and development opportunities for these areas, it is important that landowners be involved in the process and provide input on the future use of these lands.

Existing land uses and development rights are not affected by the IDP. Development approvals continue to fall under the County’s Land Use Bylaw and Municipal Development Plan (MDP). The IDP policies come into effect when there is a proposal to change the use of the land to something that is not currently proposed in the MDP.

Visit the Town of Beaverlodge and County website to learn more about existing Land Use Bylaws, Area Structure Plans and Municipal Development Plans.

County of Grande Prairie: www.countygp.ab.ca

Town of Beaverlodge: www.beaverlodge.ca

Town of Wembley: wembley.ca

The County of Grande Prairie currently has IDPs with Birch Hills County, the City of Grande Prairie and the Town of Sexsmith.

Public consultation is critical to the success of the project and in ensuring the IDPs are prepared to reflect the individual needs of the partner municipalities and the interests of landowners. Based on this understanding, the municipalities have placed an emphasis on community engagement throughout the project.

Over the course of the project we will be asking each municipal council and administration, residents, business owners, and community stakeholder groups to share how each municipality should grow. There will be many opportunities for you to learn more, provide feedback throughout the process through various public engagement opportunities including open houses and through an online engagement website. Each of the IDPs will be prepared independently and will include policies that are unique to the needs and opportunities of each urban area and their partnership with the County.