Big White Official Community Plan Update

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Banner Photo Credit: Big White Ski Resort

We are looking for your input to update Big White’s Official Community Plan!

Big White is a four-season mountain resort, just an hour from Kelowna. Known for its famous “champagne powder” snow, it’s the second largest ski area in B.C., with 15 lifts and a ski-in/ski-out village. Around 1,000 people live here year-round, but the population grows during peak seasons with visitors and seasonal staff.

Most of the areas developed for the ski resort are within Crown land managed by Big White Ski Resort under agreement with the Province, while private lands at the base are managed by the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (Regional District). The community’s growth and development plan for the privately owned lands - called the Official Community Plan - is nearly 25 years old and needs an update to reflect today’s realities, including challenges such as high housing costs, limited services, and climate risks.

An update to the Big White Official Community Plan is underway, focused on addressing these issues. The project was initiated in March 2023 by RDKB staff. When this RDKB staff member went on parental leave, a consultant, MODUS, was hired to continue guiding the OCP project to completion.

It is forecast to be completed in July 2026. The project is being completed in four broad phases:

  • Phase 1: Project Initiation (March to April 2025)
  • Phase 2: Explore (March 2025 to December 2025)
  • Phase 3: Develop (January 2026 to April 2026)
  • Phase 4: Finalize (May 2026 to July 2026)

The updated Big White Official Community Plan will:

  • Align with the strategic directions, priorities, plans and policies of the Regional District;
  • Align with the Master Plan currently in progress by Big White Ski Resort in concert with the Provincial Mountain Resort Branch;
  • Account for changes in the community’s diverse population;
  • Reflect the community context, trends, best practices, Provincial legislation and changing expectations related to land use planning;
  • Incorporate public and interest-holder input; and
  • Create a framework to guide land use and growth over the next 20 years.

Note: for more information on the relationship between the OCP land use designations and Provincial decision making on Crown lands within the Controlled Recreation Area, please see the FAQ section.

How to get involved

Round 1 of engagement is underway!

  • Complete the online survey – Closes Friday, December 26, 2025!
  • Thank you to everyone who attended the open house on Friday, December 12th, 2025 at the White Crystal Inn

Stay Informed:

The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary is committed to keeping its community informed about the Big White OCP Update. Here’s how the community can stay informed:

  • Check Join the Conversation regularly for updates
  • Complete the online survey (closes Dec 26th, 2025)
  • Attend Board of Directors Meetings (stay tuned for links!)


Area E Director Sharen Gibbs at the OCP Open House

Interactive boards at the OCP Open House (Dec, 2025)


Final Thoughts? Getting involved in the OCP Open House (Dec 2025)


March 2026 Update: A resident recently posted a question on our 2026 Town Hall Join the Conversation page regarding workforce housing and year-round resident needs. We have included our response below:

The following is an excerpt from our Interim Housing Needs Report that was completed in 2025:

  • "In 2024, Big White Resort provided a total of 477 staff beds, including 192 two-bed units in purpose-built rental accommodations across four buildings managed by the resort. An additional 45 staff rooms were rented out by the resort in 2023. In winter 2024, Big White completed construction for two new staff housing buildings, which added 128 new beds to the resort community and brought the total capacity to 605 beds, meeting 70% of the resort’s seasonal staff housing needs. Big White rents its staff accommodations at market rates by charging approximately $800 per month in winter and $600 in summer in compliance with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) affordability standards (25% of base wage)" - page 25

The excerpt above focuses on what Big White Resort is doing for their staff, however information on how the needs of other staff and residents are being met was not included.

We are in the process of updating the Official Community Plan for Big White. A draft will be available for public review and input in the next few weeks on THIS page.

I can share that an overall goal will be to “Promote a range of housing types that support a variety of needs, including affordable housing, rental housing, special needs housing, and housing for families.” Here are some policies that are under consideration in the draft:

  • Support a variety of housing tenures, including ownership, rental, not-for-profit, co-housing and cooperative housing and consider allowing non-market housing broadly in all residential zones.
  • Require that Future Growth Areas incorporate housing types that address the specific needs identified in the latest Housing Needs Report.
  • Consider strategies and tools provided through the Local Government Act, such as density bonusing; inclusionary zoning; development fee waivers and process streamlining to support the specific needs identified in the Housing Needs Report.
  • Collaborate with the Big White Ski Resort and the Province to encourage the development of community-oriented housing, employee housing, and rental suites within new development.
  • Explore partnerships and funding sources to secure the delivery of below market, supportive housing and emergency shelters that meet the community’s core housing need.
  • Update the Zoning Bylaw to increase housing choice in existing neighbourhoods by allowing secondary suites in detached and semi-detached housing.

Donna Dean, Manager of Planning and Development



Banner Photo Credit: Big White Ski Resort

We are looking for your input to update Big White’s Official Community Plan!

Big White is a four-season mountain resort, just an hour from Kelowna. Known for its famous “champagne powder” snow, it’s the second largest ski area in B.C., with 15 lifts and a ski-in/ski-out village. Around 1,000 people live here year-round, but the population grows during peak seasons with visitors and seasonal staff.

Most of the areas developed for the ski resort are within Crown land managed by Big White Ski Resort under agreement with the Province, while private lands at the base are managed by the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (Regional District). The community’s growth and development plan for the privately owned lands - called the Official Community Plan - is nearly 25 years old and needs an update to reflect today’s realities, including challenges such as high housing costs, limited services, and climate risks.

An update to the Big White Official Community Plan is underway, focused on addressing these issues. The project was initiated in March 2023 by RDKB staff. When this RDKB staff member went on parental leave, a consultant, MODUS, was hired to continue guiding the OCP project to completion.

It is forecast to be completed in July 2026. The project is being completed in four broad phases:

  • Phase 1: Project Initiation (March to April 2025)
  • Phase 2: Explore (March 2025 to December 2025)
  • Phase 3: Develop (January 2026 to April 2026)
  • Phase 4: Finalize (May 2026 to July 2026)

The updated Big White Official Community Plan will:

  • Align with the strategic directions, priorities, plans and policies of the Regional District;
  • Align with the Master Plan currently in progress by Big White Ski Resort in concert with the Provincial Mountain Resort Branch;
  • Account for changes in the community’s diverse population;
  • Reflect the community context, trends, best practices, Provincial legislation and changing expectations related to land use planning;
  • Incorporate public and interest-holder input; and
  • Create a framework to guide land use and growth over the next 20 years.

Note: for more information on the relationship between the OCP land use designations and Provincial decision making on Crown lands within the Controlled Recreation Area, please see the FAQ section.

How to get involved

Round 1 of engagement is underway!

  • Complete the online survey – Closes Friday, December 26, 2025!
  • Thank you to everyone who attended the open house on Friday, December 12th, 2025 at the White Crystal Inn

Stay Informed:

The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary is committed to keeping its community informed about the Big White OCP Update. Here’s how the community can stay informed:

  • Check Join the Conversation regularly for updates
  • Complete the online survey (closes Dec 26th, 2025)
  • Attend Board of Directors Meetings (stay tuned for links!)


Area E Director Sharen Gibbs at the OCP Open House

Interactive boards at the OCP Open House (Dec, 2025)


Final Thoughts? Getting involved in the OCP Open House (Dec 2025)


March 2026 Update: A resident recently posted a question on our 2026 Town Hall Join the Conversation page regarding workforce housing and year-round resident needs. We have included our response below:

The following is an excerpt from our Interim Housing Needs Report that was completed in 2025:

  • "In 2024, Big White Resort provided a total of 477 staff beds, including 192 two-bed units in purpose-built rental accommodations across four buildings managed by the resort. An additional 45 staff rooms were rented out by the resort in 2023. In winter 2024, Big White completed construction for two new staff housing buildings, which added 128 new beds to the resort community and brought the total capacity to 605 beds, meeting 70% of the resort’s seasonal staff housing needs. Big White rents its staff accommodations at market rates by charging approximately $800 per month in winter and $600 in summer in compliance with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) affordability standards (25% of base wage)" - page 25

The excerpt above focuses on what Big White Resort is doing for their staff, however information on how the needs of other staff and residents are being met was not included.

We are in the process of updating the Official Community Plan for Big White. A draft will be available for public review and input in the next few weeks on THIS page.

I can share that an overall goal will be to “Promote a range of housing types that support a variety of needs, including affordable housing, rental housing, special needs housing, and housing for families.” Here are some policies that are under consideration in the draft:

  • Support a variety of housing tenures, including ownership, rental, not-for-profit, co-housing and cooperative housing and consider allowing non-market housing broadly in all residential zones.
  • Require that Future Growth Areas incorporate housing types that address the specific needs identified in the latest Housing Needs Report.
  • Consider strategies and tools provided through the Local Government Act, such as density bonusing; inclusionary zoning; development fee waivers and process streamlining to support the specific needs identified in the Housing Needs Report.
  • Collaborate with the Big White Ski Resort and the Province to encourage the development of community-oriented housing, employee housing, and rental suites within new development.
  • Explore partnerships and funding sources to secure the delivery of below market, supportive housing and emergency shelters that meet the community’s core housing need.
  • Update the Zoning Bylaw to increase housing choice in existing neighbourhoods by allowing secondary suites in detached and semi-detached housing.

Donna Dean, Manager of Planning and Development



  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Closed survey

    Hello and thank you for your interest in the Big White Official Community Plan Review. 

    The Official Community Plan (OCP) review process is a good time to look at how to address challenges a community is experiencing with land development, as well as to look at ways to plan for providing the services needed. This can mean implementation of new services or expansion of current services. 

    This survey is one way to gain input from Big White Community members for the reviewed OCP. This provides a baseline of information to try to work through some of the issues that have already been identified by Planning Staff and members of the OCP Review Steering Committee. The survey will be available until June 1. 

    Throughout the process there will be opportunities to provide comments, including at two Open Houses planned for next winter, or by reaching out directly to Planning Staff by email or phone. 

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Page last updated: 04 Mar 2026, 09:31 AM