The goal of this Master Plan is to foster Mino Pimâtisiwin (the good life) for Opaskwayak community members both now and for future generations.

PROJECT GOALS

Respects the land and mother nature using traditional land management principles in harmony with modern day sustainability technologies;

Integrates Indigenous Knowledge and cultural traditions to connect community members through gathering spaces, green spaces, roads and trails;

Accelerates the economic growth, skills development and community independence;

Focuses developments in support of the circular local economy and regional trade relationships;

Considers recreation, tourism, industrial, commercial, health care, education, and housing development as a whole with all supporting infrastructure required for success;

Listens to all community members and builds upon previous Opaskwayak studies;

Thinks big in planning for phased long-term growth over the next 20 years with enough flexibility to be opportunistic when partnership or funding opportunities arise; and

Inspires all members of the community to be involved in community growth through the use of compelling visuals.

PROCESS

This project started in May 2021. It involved an intensive and iterative process designed to explore and test multiple development ideas and build meaningful relationships between various community groups and stakeholders.

The entire team worked together to define development ideas that balance commodity (meaning), firmness (constructability), and delight (beauty).

The process involved four stages:

Getting Started and Setting Goals –establishing a Steering Committee, undertaking preliminary research on lands, setting project goals
Visioning – conversations with all departments and special community contacts, program research, site tours, and preliminary plan development
Refining – Review by Steering Committee and Chief and Council, additional technical reviews with engineers, and one-on-one departmental follow-up research
Finalizing, Sharing and Adopting –Finalizing Master Plan, 3D models and video production, presentation to community at Opaskwayak Treaty Days, and submission of final report and materials to the community website.

The project team composed of Land Use Planners and Landscape Architects from HTFC Planning & Design, Indigenous Architects from Verne Reimer Architecture, civil engineering experts who have developed much of Opaskwayak’s community infrastructure from JR Cousin Consultants, and economic suitability advisors Meyers Norris Penny worked collaboratively to ensure community growth ideas were visionary, appropriate and realistic.

DEVELOPMENT TYPES

The Community Vision Master Plan development program includes a list of all of Opaskwayak’s estimated development needs over the next 20 years, organized by development type. This development program includes:

Projects that are already underway
Projects that have already been planned and/or have financing in place
Projects that have been identified as community needs in the next 20 years by Opaskwayak Chief and Council, department heads, or other community leaders
Projects identified in the Opaskwayak Comprehensive Community Plan Community Vision & Future Plans survey and supported by Opaskwayak leadership

Details on the items in the development program by category are provided below. The colour indicated at the end of each heading indicates the zoning colour that type of development parcel is on the master plan drawings