UDI Nova Scotia

01/14/2026

Please see the attached letter and share with members of your organization.

Thank you.

10/14/2025

There has been a great deal of confusion regarding Minister Lohr's designation as an Interim Planning Area. Some have confused it with a Special Planning Area, which is far different.

The Interim Planning Area was implemented so that the Minimum Planning Requirements can be enable. That's it. There are no hidden agendas or ulterior motives. Once the Minimum Planning Requirements are approved by Council, the Interim Planning Area designation will be removed.

Below is an interview I had with Dan Ahlstrand on October 14th. Our segment begins at the 14:11 mark

Hour 1: • Stephen Adams Executive Director UDINS • Lori Turnbull, Dalhousie University • Jim Gallant CUPW negotiator Hour 2: • It's the Open Hour. Todd takes your calls! Hour 3: • • • •

10/08/2025

Congratulations to UDI member Rooted for working with the Nova Scotia government to deliver more affordable housing!

News release Province, Community Organization Preserve Affordable Housing in Dartmouth, Truro 8 October 2025 | 1:23 PM Growth and Development housing The Province has partnered with Rooted, a community housing organization, to preserve close to 200 affordable housing units in Dartmouth and Truro. Ro...

10/08/2025

Please see the information from HRM below, which includes 2 open houses and other options for input. We encourage everyone to participate in this very important process This is your opportunity to provide meaningful input. Please take some time to attend.

Thank you,

Stephen Adams

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Subject: Invitation to Development Industry Open House – Planning Changes for Provincial Requirements

Invitation to Development Industry Open House
Minimum Planning Requirements Regulations
Hosted by HRM Planning & Development

HRM Planning and Development is pleased to invite members of the development industry to attend an open house. The goal is to provide information and seek feedback on the approach to implementing the Minimum Planning Requirements Regulations in HRM’s planning documents as well as other amendments to support housing supply, strategic planning efforts, site specific requests, rural short-term rentals, and wind turbine setbacks. It is expected that the proposed planning changes and feedback will be presented to Council for review and approval in early December 2025.

Two Open Houses will be held (drop-in format) to provide options for attendance. Municipal staff will be available for information and questions and to gather feedback. No RSVP is required, but for planning purposes a confirmation of attendance can be sent to Maliheh Mousanejad Shalkouhi: [email protected]

Open House #1
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
1 pm – 4 pm (drop in at any time)
Duke Tower, 3rd Floor, Room 301/302

Open House #2
Thursday, October 16, 2025
1 pm – 4 pm (drop in at any time)
Duke Tower, 3rd Floor Room 301/302

The proposed draft changes were released as part of an initiation staff report on October 3, 2025 and presented at the October 7, 2025 Regional Council meeting. The staff report and proposed amendments are available on the October 7 agenda.

Additional information including fact sheets and red line versions of existing planning documents showing mark-ups of the proposed amendments are available at: https://www.engagehalifax.ca/2025-planning-changes.

Feedback received at the Open Houses will be compiled and presented as part of the final recommendation report to Regional Council.

If you are not able to attend the open houses in person but would like to provide feedback, you are encouraged to submit written comments by October 24, 2025 to: [email protected].

We look forward to seeing you at the Open Houses.

REGIONAL PLANNING
PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

Halifax Regional Municipality is inviting residents to learn about changes the Province of Nova Scotia has made to the Halifax Charter’s Minimum Planning Requirements

09/19/2025

As a result of Minister's Lohr's rejection of HRM's Regional Plan, a new process has been initiated. HRM staff and the Province have been working to bring another version forward, with extensive input and recommendations from UDI.

This is an historic moment in time for the development community and specifically UDI. Over the past years, we have been approached to offer suggestions and insight regarding specific matters. However, we have never been consulted and asked for our input on a planning document of this magnitude and scale. For this, we should be proud.

08/12/2025

From the desk of the Executive Director, Stephen Adams – August 12, 2025

Dear UDI members:

As promised, I have an update to report regarding the Province’s refusal to approve HRM’s
amendments to the Regional Plan.

On Monday, August 11, Halifax Regional Municipality announced that the Nova Scotia government rejected changes to the revised Regional Plan submitted by the municipality to the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

What does this mean for you as UDI members and your clients?
It means that the Nova Scotia government listened to our concerns around two specific
issues:

- Clauses EN-34, 40 and 47: Changing watercourse setbacks from 20 meters to 30
meters; and,

- Clause EN-70: requiring EV-ready parking stalls for all parking spaces.
After Halifax Regional Council adopted these changes to the Regional Plan in June, despite UDI Nova Scotia’s opposition, we wrote Municipal Affairs Minister John Lohr to ask that these
clauses be removed.

The Nova Scotia government responded with positive action.

For the time being, it means that the previous Regional Plan, first adopted in 2014 and last amended in May 2025 remains in effect. In other words, the 20-meter watercourse buffer will remain in place, and there is no legislated requirement to install EV-ready parking spaces.

At this point in time, we do not know the extent of any negative implications this decision may have. Over the next few days, we will work to find out and most importantly, determine how they can be resolved.

As we always do, UDI Nova Scotia will be doing everything we can to engage constructively with HRM and the Province as they consider next steps. Once the processes get underway,
we will contact you for your input.

Stephen Adams
Executive Director