The City of Moose Jaw Zoning Bylaw was adopted in 2010 to implement the City’s Official Community Plan (OCP).  The Zoning Bylaw is the primary document to regulate land use and development, its general-purpose is to “regulate development in the City of Moose Jaw, to provide for the amenity of the area, and for the health, safety and general welfare of the inhabitants in the City”.

The Zoning Bylaw divides the City into zoning districts (land use districts), and lists permitted and discretionary uses in each zone. Zoning districts can be found by locating the property on a map found at this link: https://citymj.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=048e2c9aa6754ac4aef50ed0d90f5cce . If you are having trouble reading the map, please contact the Planning and Development Department at 306-694-4443.

Whether you are building a new structure or moving into an existing one, contact Planning & Development Services (planning@moosejaw.ca or 306-694-4443) to find out If the proposed location is zoned for the type of business you’d like to open.

Development Permit

A Development Permit is a legal document that confirms that the proposed project or business complies with the City's Bylaws. When an application is received, the Development Officer reviews the operation and proposed construction against the City's minimum standards. This review begins with confirmation that the proposed land use is a permitted use at that location.

Building Permit

A Building Permit is a legal document that confirms that the proposed building or space complies with the requirements of the National Building Code. The Building Code prescribes different safety and construction requirements depending on the use of the space. For uses which that involve significant public visitation of the property (eg. retail store or restaurant), the safety requirements may be more strict. For example: An office use which only has employees or limited public visitation, the standards may be lower. When the use of the space changes, it may require alterations to meet the safety standards of the new use.

Permitted Uses vs. Discretionary Uses

In each zoning district, there is a list of land uses that are either permitted or discretionary. Permitted land uses are determined to be compatible with the area and can be approved by the City's Development Officer. Discretionary land uses are operations that may be appropriate in that area but must be further reviewed for compatibility. The size and scale of the proposed development, traffic impacts, servicing and adjacent land uses may all be taken into consideration. The demand for the land use in that area may also be considered. City Council must approve any application for a discretionary use.

An application to change the use of a space will be reviewed for a Development Permit and a Building Permit. These permits examine different requirements and have different purposes. For example: An empty office space becomes occupied a new retail store or restaurant. The commercial zoning of the property may allow for those uses as permitted, but changes may be required to the space to meet the safety requirements of the National Building Code.