Simpcw Land Use Plan

Meraki was contracted to work with Simpcw in the Southern Interior to develop a new, comprehensive Land Use Plan for Reserve and Addition to Reserve lands with a focus on community values and pressing issues such as housing and geohazard risk areas.

The project included brand development to create a clear identity for the Plan and community engagement process, and a multi-phased engagement strategy to gather input from Members living at home and away from home.

Targeted, interactive engagement with Elders and youth was an important component of the engagement strategy as was utilizing a variety of engagement techniques to ensure diverse community representation. Land use goals and policies were developed for each Reserve and Addition to Reserve and for each land use category (i.e. housing, natural areas, culturally protected areas). Simpcw identity was infused throughout the Plan with the use of community photos, traditional language, community member quotes and youth drawings.

Comprehensive mapping of existing conditions across the land base and future land use mapping was updated using ESRI ArcGIS and incorporated into the Plan which is anticipated to be complete and presented to the community for review and feedback in 2025.