Project Update!

Notice of Effect

Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw

Effective date: October 21, 2026

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Section 208 of the Municipal Government Act, that the Town of Yarmouth’s new Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw are in effect as of October 21, 2026.

Town Council adopted these documents on July 9th, 2026 and the required provincial review process has been completed.

The Municipal Planning Strategy sets out the Town’s vision, goals, and policies for land use, growth, development, and conservation. The Land Use Bylaw puts these policies into action through zoning and development regulations, including what uses are permitted and where development can occur.

The adopted documents and accompanying maps are available:

• Online: See "Final Planning Documents" in the sidebar to the right.
• In person: Town Hall, 400 Main Street, Yarmouth, during regular business hours.

For questions about the new documents or how they apply to your property, please contact the Town’s Planning Department at planningadmin@townofyarmouth.ca or (902) 742-1505.

Notice published: October 21, 2026

About the Project

The Town of Yarmouth Planning Review is a project to review the Municipal Planning Strategy, Land Use Bylaw and Subdivision Bylaw for the Town of Yarmouth. The Municipal Government Act, which governs how municipalities operate in Nova Scotia, requires planning documents to be reviewed at least once every 10 years. The Town of Yarmouth's planning documents were last reviewed in 2016.

The planning documents include:

1. The Municipal Planning Strategy is the primary planning document that guides growth and development in Yarmouth. It lays out the vision, goals, and policies that guide how growth and development are managed within the Town.
2. The Land Use Bylaw is the companion document to the Municipal Planning Strategy, and puts the vision, goals, and policies into action through specific regulations that have to do with development activities. This includes where certain types of buildings can be built and what kind of land uses (like commercial, residential or industrial) can happen where.
3. The Subdivision Bylaw is a planning document that guides how a parcel of land can be divided into two or more lots, or how multiple lots can be combined to create one parcel. It also guides the construction of new services in new subdivision developments, such as streets, sewers, water lines, parkland, and sidewalks.

Together, these documents guide the Town of Yarmouth by determining what types of development can happen, and where.

The Town of Yarmouth Planning Review presents an exciting opportunity to establish a vision for the Town and to ensure our planning and development processes better serve our residents and businesses.

Your input will help to inform future changes to the Town's planning bylaws and policies.