VANCOUVER residents and businesses can find out about upcoming public hearings on rezonings and more online. The City of Vancouver switched to publishing public notices online, following the introduction of a Public Notice Bylaw last summer.
Public notices are required to be posted at two online locations:
- On the City’s website at vancouver.ca/public-notice
- As an advertisement in a local, online newspaper
The new bylaw, enacted by Council in July 2023, removed the requirement for certain notices to be published in print edition newspapers. Additional ways to notify the public – including social media, posters and other print materials – may still be used as appropriate.
Shifting this online will help save costs, boost audience reach and offer greater flexibility for posting and updating notices. Electronically posted notices also support accessibility and are easy to find through online search engines.
This revised approach meets the provincial requirements for publishing public notices. Under the bylaw, public notices on the City’s website and online newspaper advertisements must be published at least seven days prior to consideration of the matter by Council. A public notice includes:
- Election notices
- Public hearing notices
- Single Room Accommodation (SRA) Bylaw amendments
- Tax averaging bylaws
- Tax exemptions
- Tax sales
Previously, the Vancouver Charter required certain public notices to be printed in a newspaper that is distributed at least weekly. In 2022, the Province updated the Vancouver Charter to include a new regulation under Section 3.2, which gives Council the option to enact a bylaw that allows the City to use alternative means of publication for public notices. Council adopted this approach and enacted the Public Notice Bylaw in July 2023.
