Flood Resilience Land Use Bylaw Amendments going to Infrastructure and Planning Committee April 15, 2026

BILD Calgary Region Bulletin 2026 – 21

From:	Deborah Cooper, Director of Policy, Strategic Initiatives & Government Relations
Date:	April 9, 2026
Subject:	Flood Resilience Land Use Bylaw Amendments going to Infrastructure and Planning Committee April 15, 2026

Message from the City of Calgary

Overview

The City of Calgary will present Report IP2026‑0212: Flood Resilience Land Use Bylaw Amendments to the Infrastructure and Planning Committee (IPC) on April 15, 2026. The report proposes adopting an updated River Flood Map for Calgary (including overland and groundwater flood hazard areas) and associated land use regulations. This initiative follows the Calgary River Valleys Project’s multi-stage engagement process.

The City would like to thank BILDCR members for participating in the engagement on this project. The time, expertise, and thoughtful input members shared throughout the process directly contributed to the recommendations now before Committee.

Closing Out Stage 3 of Public Engagement — What We Heard

Your participation in workshops and discussions helped shape the proposed direction and recommendations outlined in IP2026‑0212. The engagement was designed to surface key perspectives, test ideas, and refine proposed approaches related to flood mapping and draft regulations.

The What We Heard Report from the last stage of engagement (November 24 – December 12 2025) is now available online. Feedback highlighted:

Broad support for the proposed regulations as appropriate and responsive to risk.
Opportunities to improve clarity and communication for implementation.
Adjustments to regulations affecting residential vacant lots in the high hazard flood fringe.

Public Release of the Report and Opportunities to Participate

The full report, including proposed bylaws and maps, is publicly available here: Infrastructure and Planning Committee – April 15, 2026. Members of the public and organizations are encouraged to participate by:

Submitting a written letter for consideration by Committee and Council.
Registering to speak at Committee and/or Council.

Guidance is available here: https://www.calgary.ca/council/meetings/public-hearing.html

Written submissions must be received by 12:00 p.m. (noon) two days before the meeting. City staff are available to answer questions, provide clarification, or support you in understanding how to participate in the process.

What Happens After IPC

Following the April 15 IPC meeting, the Committee may:

Forward the item to Council for approval,
Make changes and forward it to Council, or
Decide not to support the item.

If the item proceeds to Council, anticipated steps include:

Notification letters to impacted property owners.
Additional public information sessions prior to the Council Public Hearing.
Council Public Hearing and debate, after which Council may approve, amend, or not approve the report.

City staff are recommending June 23, 2026 as the tentative Council Public Hearing date, pending the outcome of the IPC meeting.

About the Calgary River Valleys Project and Bylaw Amendments

As of 2026, Calgary’s flood damage potential of a 1:100 flood has been reduced by 70% per cent. Although our city is more resilient than ever, our river communities remain vulnerable to varying degrees of flooding, and development regulations in flood hazard areas remain essential to ensure safety and address residual risks.

To ensure updated development regulations reflect both technical evidence and Calgarians’ priorities for their river valleys, The City established the Calgary River Valleys Project (CRVP) in 2023 as a multi-year planning and engagement forum to understand how Calgarians value and want to shape their river valleys including areas impacted by flooding. The CRVP engagement process helped to gather input on updated flood hazard mapping and proposed flood regulations.

The Flood Resilience Land Use Bylaw Amendments report seeks Council approval to amend the Land Use Bylaw 1P2007 (the Bylaw):

To align development regulations with updated provincial flood hazard mapping and City-led river flood-induced groundwater risk mapping.
To replace outdated Floodway, Flood Fringe, and Overland Flow maps with River Flood Maps.
To strengthen safeguards in high-risk areas while allowing continued growth in lower-risk and protected areas.

The Calgary River Valleys Project team thanks all members for their contributions and continued interest in Calgary’s river valleys and flood resilience.

For questions or to discuss next steps, please contact Sarah Marshall at Sarah.Marshall@calgary.ca