Cape Breton Regional Municipality

Municipal Planning & Land Use By-laws

 

CBRM's Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw (jurisdiction is all of CBRM except the North End neighbourhood of Sydney)

The Province’s Municipal Government Act gives municipalities the authority to adopt a Municipal Planning Strategy to provide statements of policy to guide their development and management.  In 2004 CBRM adopted its first Planning Strategy which included an implementing Land Use Bylaw.  The Act describes a Land Use Bylaw as a regulatory document which enables certain policies of the Planning Strategy to be carried out.  After a review by the Province’s Department of Municipal Affairs these planning documents came into effect September 17, 2004.

This new Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw replaced the 15 municipal planning strategies and land use bylaws adopted by the former municipalities of Cape Breton County prior to the 1995 amalgamation. These former documents were repealed with the adoption of the new CBRM MPS and LUB.

These current versions of the Land Use Bylaw and Municipal Planning Strategy available here also include amendments adopted by Council to date.

• CBRM Land Use Bylaw with amendments to June 22, 2020 (Text only, maps not included)
• CBRM MPS with amendments to July 14, 2020 (Text only, maps not included)

 

Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw - North End Sydney

In addition to the regional Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw noted above, the CBRM Council adopted a Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw for an area in the North End of Sydney on May 16, 2006. The Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw were developed following a year and a half of consultation with residents and landowners of the North End. These documents replace the regional Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw for the area of Sydney affected.

The North End Sydney Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw took effect on September 2, 2006, following a review by the Nova Scotia Department of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. Copies of these documents and related maps are available below for download.

• North End Land Use Bylaw with amendments to February 5, 2020 (Text only, maps not included)
• Secondary Planning Strategy, Amendments up to February 5, 2020 (Text only, maps not included)
• North End Sydney Future Land Use Map
• North End Secondary Planning Strategy Viewplanes Map [11.6 MB]

 

Land Use Bylaw/Zoning Maps

• CBRM Landuse Interactive Map

 

Miscellaneous Maps

• CBRM Road Network & Intersection Hierarchy [4.8 MB]
• Prefabricated Homes [7 MB]
• Schedule I Subdivision Bylaw [12.5 MB]
• CBRM Sewer Infrastructure

 

Subdivision Bylaw

• Subdivision Bylaw with Amendments to July 14, 2020 [1.3 MB]

 

Zoning Confirmation

What is a Zoning Confirmation?

Upon receipt of a formal written request, the Development Officer will provide a signed letter certifying the zoning provisions of the Land Use Bylaw in effect for a given parcel of land.

What is the fee for a Zoning Confirmation?

The fee for a Zoning Confirmation is $25.00. Because a Zoning Confirmation is not a licence or permit you are obliged to acquire under legislation of the Province of Nova Scotia, the CBRM is obliged to charge HST. The inclusion of this tax increases the fee to $28.75.

 

Demographic Information

According to the 2001 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 109,330. This represents a decline of approximately 7.2% from the population recorded during the 1996 census (117,849) including Native Reserves. When Statistics Canada releases more 2001 census data the CBRM web page will provide a more detailed analysis of this latest census.

Below is a table providing historic demographic statistics for the CBRM and the eight former municipalities which comprised Cape Breton County prior to the August 1st, 1995 amalgamation.

 

YEAR	LSB*	DOM*	NSY*	SYM*	NWD*	GLB*	SYD*	CBM*	CBRM*
1891			2,522	2,466		2,459	2,427	23,274	34,244
1901			4,646	3,191		6,945	9,909	23,489	49,166
1911		2,589	5,418	7,470		16,562	17,723	22,562	73,330
1921		2,390	6,585	8,327	5,615	17,007	22,545	22,698	86,319
1931		2,846	6,139	7,769	7,745	20,706	23,089	23,237	92,503
1941	1,012	3,279	6,836	8,198	9,302	25,147	28,305	28,264	110,703
1951	1,120	3,143	7,354	8,410	10,423	25,586	31,317	32,953	120,306
1961	1,414	2,999	8,657	9,122	10,592	24,186	33,617	39,644	131,507
1971	1,508	2,879	8,604	8,991	9,579	22,440	33,230	40,221	129,075
1981	1,410	2,856	7,820	8,501	8,808	21,466	29,444	44,688	127,035
1991	1,261	2,517	7,260	7,551	7,695	19,501	26,063	45,555	120,098
1996	1,152	2,452	6,797	7,559	7,374	18,659	25,636	48,220	117,849
2001	1,071	2,144*	6,158*	6,982	6,944*	16,984	23,990	45,057*	109,330
2006	971*	2,019*	5,921*	6,689*	6,556*	16,139	22,789*	44,644*	105,928
2011	945	1,955*	5,480*	6,217*	6,032*	15,485	20,940*	44,565*	101,619

* Estimated 2006 and 2011 population by CBRM Planning & Development Department; estimates were
required due to changes in dissemination area boundaries implemented in 2001 and 2006
by Statistics Canada

* LSB = Louisbourg DOM = Dominion NSY = North Sydney SYM = Sydney Mines

NWD = New Waterford GLB = Glace Bay SYD = Sydney

CBM = Municipality of Cape Breton County

Population counts in red indicate a decline from the previous census.

"The Cape Breton Regional Municipality at the End of the 20th Century " (480.89 KB) 

The Report entitled Population Projections for Cape Breton Municipal Units - 2001-2021 dated February 5, 2004 as prepared by the Terrain Group Inc. can be viewed by clicking here (508.84 KB).

 

Population Projections for Cape Breton Regional Municipality: 2006 - 2021

CBRM Demographic Final Report (2008)

CBRM Demographic Presentation to Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) (May 2008)

CBRM Demographic Presentation to PAC (February 2008)

 

Proposed: Commercial District Improvement Bylaw

Further information for public hearing