Public Notices & Hearings | City of Victoria

Public Notices

The following Public Notice is for the Special Council meeting on October 02, 2025:

Special Council Meeting

Public Hearings

Unless otherwise noted, Public Hearings are held during regularly scheduled Council meetings. Meetings take place on Thursday evenings, beginning at 6:30 p.m., in Council Chambers at Victoria City Hall, 1 Centennial Square.

You can search upcoming and previous Public Hearings, including agendas, minutes and recordings.

Details about specific applications and other relevant documents are generally available on the City’s Development Tracker.

Development Tracker

Public Hearing Process

The Local Government Act requires that a Public Hearing be held before Council adopts:

Amendments to the Zoning Bylaw
Amendments to an Official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw
Proposed Heritage Designation Bylaws

The Local Government Act prohibits local governments from holding public hearings for:

Residential rezoning applications consistent with the Official Community Plan (OCP)
Amendments to the Zoning Bylaw that facilitate small scale multiple unit housing
Mixed-use projects that are consistent with the OCP, where at least half of the proposed gross floor area is residential.

For rezoning applications that do not require a public hearing, Council may grant first, second and third bylaw readings and adopt the bylaw (if no pre-requisites are required to be met prior to the adoption) at the same Council meeting.

At least 10 days before the Public Hearing is held, a notice is sent to property owners and occupiers within a radius of 100 metres of the subject property for a rezoning application, and 200 metres for an Official Community Plan amendment. Notices regarding heritage designation applications are sent to all occupants of the subject property and all persons who have a registered interest in the property. In all cases, a notice is published in two consecutive issues of a local newspaper.

At the Public Hearing, all persons who consider their interest in property affected by a proposed application, will have an opportunity to present their views to Council. It is requested that speakers keep their comments to the subject of the proposed land use application.

Participating in Public Hearings

You can indicate your support or opposition to a Public Hearing item in one of the following ways:

Attend In Person

Submit Written Comments

Written submissions will be published on the Council Meeting Agenda if they are received by 12 p.m. on the day of the Council meeting when the Public Hearing will take place. There are three options for providing written submissions:

email your submission to publichearings@victoria.ca
mail your submission to Legislative Services, 1 Centennial Square, Victoria, BC V8W 1P6
drop off your submission to the Ambassador in the City Hall Lobby (entrance off Pandora Avenue)

Submit a Pre-recorded Video

You may submit a pre-recorded video up to five minutes in length to be played at the Public Hearing. Video submissions are to include:

Public Hearing item
your first and last name
your home address
whether you support or oppose the item

For further instructions, email publichearings@victoria.ca or phone 250.361.0571. To ensure your submission is reviewed and played during the Public Hearing, please submit your video by 2 p.m. the Tuesday before the meeting. We cannot ensure inclusion in the Agenda if it is received after the requested time.

Speak Live Via Phone

You can speak live via phone for up to five minutes.

To speak by phone and receive further instructions, email publichearings@victoria.ca or phone 250.361.0571 by 2 p.m. the day before the meeting to ensure your phone number can be entered into the conference software. When you request to speak by phone, please provide:

Public Hearing item
Your first and last name
Your home address

Note: If you aren't able to make your request before 2 p.m. the day before the meeting, please watch the live meeting, as you may instead call into the meeting while it is underway. Call 778.698.2440 then participation code 1551794#. Please only call if you wish to speak to the matter under consideration. You will be muted until asked to speak and will be introduced by way of the last four digits of your phone number being announced.

Call-in Instructions

Your comments must be relevant to the item being considered at the Public Hearing
You will have five minutes to speak
Watch the live meeting to hear when your item is under consideration. Note: there is a one-minute delay in the live stream.
Call in using the phone number and access code we provided you, and:
- Say your name when prompted
- You will be put on hold until it’s your turn to speak
- You will be connected as soon as possible (your turn is determined by the order of calls received)
- When it's your turn to speak, staff will unmute your call and announce that you are the next speaker
- State your name and address and the item you are speaking to
Turn off all audio devices of the live meeting when you are speaking on the phone to prevent feedback
Do not put your phone on speakerphone.

About Public Hearing Participation

During a Public Hearing, Council will not debate the merits of the proposed bylaw nor enter into dialogue with the public. There is no opportunity at the hearing to debate points-of-view expressed by other members of the public. Presentations or submissions must be received by Council before the Public Hearing. When the Public Hearing is closed, Council is not permitted to receive or consider any further submissions.

After the Public Hearing, Council will discuss, express opinions and vote on the third reading and adoption of the proposed bylaw amendments. If Council does not support the bylaw at third reading, the bylaw may be defeated or Council may postpone its decision until further information is received from staff. Council may only receive information from staff and the information may only address issues raised at the Public Hearing.

It is important to note and understand that Council has not made up its mind on the issue. While a Council member may have a position on an issue, they each come to the Public Hearing with an open mind, to listen to and hear from the public. You are being given the opportunity for Council to hear your views and opinions on the application.

Council is committed to ensuring that all people who speak at a Public Hearing are treated in a fair and respectful manner. No form of discrimination is acceptable or tolerated. This includes discrimination because of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or economic status. This Council Chamber is a place where all human rights are respected and where we all take responsibility to create a safe, inclusive environment for everyone to participate.

Privacy

Please note that the opinions you express orally and any presentations you submit to the City of Victoria will be webcast live and will be recorded to form a part of the public record. The correspondence you submit will form part of the public record and will be published on the agenda.

The City considers your address relevant to this matter and will disclose this personal information. This information informs Council’s consideration of your opinion in relation to the subject property and is authorized under section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Your phone number and email will not be disclosed. For more information on FOIPPA please email privacy@victoria.ca.