WEST VANCOUVER –  

Summary

• The District of West Vancouver delivered only 58 of its 220 net-new units year 1 housing target and missed the Dec. 31, 2025, deadline to meet all three provincial housing directives, prompting the Province to act
• The Province has ordered the district to implement the Ambleside Centre Plan so more homes can be built, bringing the district into compliance with one of the overdue directives
• The district must now share progress reports every three months with the Province for the Ambleside Apartment and the Park Royal-Taylor Way area initiatives to make sure the district stays on track creating more new homes as the community grows

__________

The plan to build more homes for seniors, families and young people can move forward in West Vancouver through a provincial order to implement the Ambleside Centre Local Area Plan.

“Our children, grandchildren and seniors who grew up in and helped build this community should be able to find a home in the place they know and love,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “That is why we are taking action to help give people living in West Vancouver more homes and housing options. Municipalities are key partners in tackling the housing crisis, and we’ve been encouraged by the work of many municipal councils. In some communities, there is still work to do.”

The provincial order makes changes to the District of West Vancouver’s bylaw so that the Ambleside Centre Local Area Plan moves forward. The change came into effect on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, and will allow more homes to be built, while creating more opportunities for nearby shops, community spaces and improved sidewalks, with public infrastructure already included in the Ambleside Plan.

Actions taken before the order

The Province created housing targets to encourage building more types of homes and to help create more options so that people can live in the communities they love. Many local governments have been proactive partners in meeting housing targets, supporting the building of thousands more homes in B.C.

However, the District of West Vancouver failed to make satisfactory progress toward its year 1 housing target, building only 58 units of the 220 units target. To help the district make progress, the Province appointed an adviser to identify barriers and recommend solutions. The Province later applied the adviser’s recommendations through three directives.

The district did not complete any of the directives by the Dec. 31, 2025, deadline, limiting development opportunities in the Ambleside and Park Royal-Taylor Way areas.

To maintain fairness for municipalities, the provincial order approving the Ambleside Plan brings the district into compliance with one of the three directives. The Province, also recognizing that work is underway toward meeting the other two directives, has applied enhanced reporting requirements to the remaining directives.

The Ambleside Centre Local Area Plan 

The Ambleside Plan was created by district staff and supported by strong community engagement and technical analysis. It is an in-depth plan that lays out a clear long-term vision for the neighbourhood. The plan:

• explains what new buildings can look like, how tall they can be and how they should fit in with the area
• meets the direction for adding more homes, improving transportation options and creating better public spaces for people to enjoy

The Province issued an order to make sure the plan moves forward without delays so that people living in the community will have more opportunities to find a place to call home.

Reporting to support local progress

To ensure the ministry stays informed about progress, the Province will require the district to provide additional updates to help keep West Vancouver on track with the work underway on the remaining two directives.

Housing targets delivering new homes

Since September 2023, housing targets have delivered 25,700 net-new homes for people in 30 municipalities, giving seniors, families and young people more options in finding a place to call home. The progress reflects the efforts of many municipalities in opening the door to more homes. Over the next five years, more than 172,000 net-new homes are expected to be delivered through the program.

Government is working with all levels of government to add more homes in communities throughout B.C. and make sure more people and families can find a place to live. Through a historic $19-billion investment, the Province has more than 95,000 homes delivered or underway in B.C. since 2017.

Quick Facts:

• The Housing Supply Act allows the Province to set housing targets in communities with the most urgent housing needs.
• Targets are set at 75% of the municipality’s housing need.

Learn More:

• To learn more about municipal housing targets and municipal progress, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/local-governments-and-housing/housing-targets
• To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for people in British Columbia, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing/
• To learn more about how B.C. is working to deliver more homes for people, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/HomesforPeople
• To learn more about the directives issued to the District of West Vancouver, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025HMA0062-000698

A backgrounder follows.

Why one order is issued, not three

• The Province decided to issue a provincial order for the Ambleside Centre Local Area Plan because the plan was already finished. 
• Public engagement had taken place, technical studies were complete and the plan was ready to move forward despite previously being withdrawn by council from its October 2025 meeting agenda, with no further direction to implement it.  
• The remaining two directives still have steps to be taken in terms of technical analysis, public consultation and drafting of plans, which is why the Province has opted to require enhanced reporting instead.

Reporting timelines for the remaining two directives

The district will need to provide:

• updates every three months on directive 1, “Increase Density at Park Royal,” until Dec. 31, 2027
• updates every three months on directive 2, “Extend Ambleside Apartment Area DPA,” until Dec. 31, 2026

The directives issued in July 2025

The directives to the District of West Vancouver are it must:

• amend its official community plan bylaw to increase density in the Park Royal-Taylor Way area by Dec. 31, 2025, providing development regulations and an accompanying schedule that defines the area and provides for the minimum required densities
• amend its official community plan bylaw to provide for increased density in the single-family and duplex prescribed areas adjacent to Ambleside and Dundarave by Dec. 31, 2025
• adopt the proposed Ambleside Centre Local Area Plan by Dec. 31, 2025

More about the Ambleside Centre Local Area Plan

The Ambleside plan was developed by district staff and is informed by community engagement that took place throughout 2023 and 2024. The plan was presented to council in 2025 and not brought forward to adopt. Contact the district for more information about the plan and how it was informed.