About ORRSC


ORRSC Logo 2009-sm

About ORRSC:

The Oldman River Regional Services Commission provides a spectrum of land use planning, subdivision, GIS, drone photography and assessment review services to municipalities spanning the Oldman, Milk and Bow River watersheds. 2023 marks our 68-year anniversary of embodying an exemplary shared service approach to regional service delivery. Going forward, we will continue to champion municipal perspectives—sustaining the legacy of southern Alberta as a region where meaningful connections to place are experienced.

ORRSC Bylaw Download:

Bylaw No. 2021-01 – Board of Directors and Executive Committee Bylaw

Bylaw No. 2021-02 – Administrative Bylaw

Bylaw No. 2021-03 – Procedural Bylaw

Bylaw No. 2021-04 – Code of Conduct for Board of Directors Bylaw

Bylaw No. 2021-05 – Document Retention Bylaw

ORRSC is short for Oldman River Regional Services Commission.  Established under Part 15.1 of the Municipal Government Act, this service commission is a cooperative effort of its member municipalities in southwestern Alberta who have created an organization to provide municipal planning advice to its members.

ORRSC is contracted by its member municipalities and provides advice to administration and Council regarding land use planning matters.  ORRSC is available as a resource to landowners as well but does not engage in the preparation of any statutory plans, such as area structure plans, for the private sector.

One major duty of ORRSC is to process applications for subdivision on behalf of our member municipalities.  Although the processing is conducted by this organization, the decision is made by a municipal subdivision authority.

When Was ORRSC Established?

ORRSC was recreated and renamed in 2003, from the previous Oldman River Intermunicipal Service Agency (ORISA) – which was established in 1995 as a successor organization to the Oldman River Regional Planning Commission.  The Municipal Government Act, 1994 was amended to dissolve all regional planning commissions in the province and our organization was formed by the member municipalities to carry on the same functions, ensuring consistency in terms of staff and planning advice to our members.  ORRSC has a long planning history in southern Alberta and has evolved from various forms since 1955 when it first started as the Lethbridge District Planning Commission.

Why Does ORRSC Exist?

The Municipal Government Act requires municipalities to manage land use, subdivision and development by preparing bylaws and statutory long-range planning documents.  ORRSC assists municipalities in this regard.  Each municipality has a representative appointed by Council on the ORRSC Board of Directors, which meets quarterly.  The Board of Directors’ meetings are an opportunity for municipalities to discuss land use planning issues and related concerns on a regional level and, in some instances, to voice the collective opinion of the member municipalities rather than just one.

-->