New Zoning Bylaw Adopted

A new Zoning Bylaw has been adopted by City Council.

The Zoning Bylaw governs what kind of development can occur and how property and land can be used within the city.

The new Zoning Bylaw incorporates changes designed to:

• Enable more housing development
• Promote transit use and neighbourhood walkability
• Support local food and urban agriculture
• Increase efficient use of land within Whitehorse
• Increase clarity and transparency around development processes
• Recognize First Nation legislation alongside other orders of government and affirm the spirit and intent of First Nation Final and Self-Government Agreements

The bylaw also introduces:

• Updated parking requirements for housing developments
• New regulations for short-term rentals (set to come into force on October 1, 2026)
• Benefits for qualifying affordable housing developments
• Relaxed building height, site coverage, and parking requirements to support housing density
• Modern urban design principles for winter cities, pedestrian access, and to address light pollution

Quotes

“The new Zoning Bylaw is a significant and complex piece of legislation that will guide the development of our community well into the future. A tremendous amount of work went into developing this new bylaw. I want to thank Council for the many hours devoted to getting this right, in line with our priorities and input from the public, the many citizens and stakeholders that provided input throughout the process, and the staff that provided invaluable support to put this all together. I also want to thank our partners at the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council for providing valuable input that strengthened the bylaw. Additionally, a big thank you to the Government of Yukon for providing the extra time needed to ensure City Council could undertake due diligence in reviewing and meaningfully engaging with the public on this important bylaw.”

Kirk Cameron
Mayor of Whitehorse

Additional Info:

• The Zoning Bylaw was updated to align with the Whitehorse 2040 Official Community Plan that was adopted in 2023.
• In accordance with section 288 of the Municipal Act, the Zoning Bylaw needed to be updated within two years of the adoption of the Whitehorse 2040 Official Community Plan. The City of Whitehorse was granted two extensions by the Minister of Community Services to adopt the new Zoning Bylaw.
• The City will be publishing updated information about the new Zoning Bylaw, including guiding documents and other resources in the coming weeks. Other municipal bylaws will also be updated to reflect the new Zoning Bylaw, including the Fees & Charges Bylaw, Animal Control Bylaw, and Maintenance Bylaw.
• The City’s e-permitting system is in the process of being updated to reflect the new Zoning Bylaw. The update is expected to take 1-2 weeks to complete.
• Find information about the engagement process for the new Zoning Bylaw at engagewhitehorse.ca.

Contact
Matthew Cameron
Manager, Strategic Communications
City of Whitehorse
[email protected]
867-689-0515