Strategic Plan Progress and Initiatives for 2026

On March 31, a report was presented to Council at the Committee of the Whole outlining progress on the City’s strategic plan as well as the draft plan for 2026.

Read the Report

About our Strategic Plan

In its eighth year, Our City, Our Future is the City’s overarching 10-year Strategic Plan. It has four strategic directions – Sustainability, City that Moves, Connected City and Effective City and 12 goals that direct the annual action planning process. Additionally, the plan considers the City’s continuous improvement efforts and links to other plans and strategies.

Overall Plan Progress

In 2025, 47 initiatives were completed, bringing the total number of initiatives completed to 235.

All strategic directions are tracking at more than 80% completion rate with a couple tracking above 90%. These numbers change as new initiatives are added annually. A public dashboard shows real time progress on the plan’s strategic directions, goals, and the annual initiatives.

New Initiatives for 2026

For 2026, staff have identified 48 new initiatives bringing the total number of initiatives in the plan to 357. While new initiatives start this year, some projects may have multiple phases/take several years to complete.

Some project highlights include:

Sustainable City

• Develop a neighbourhood plan for the Goulds, which provides a detailed roadmap for how the area can grow and change in ways that reflect the needs of the people who live, work, and spend time there.
• Design Long Pond Flood Control Structure that will regulate water flow during major storms and help reduce flooding downstream in Rennie’s River.
• Complete a Critical Infrastructure Climate Risk Assessment, which will enable strategic, data-driven climate adaptation investments to protect infrastructure, enhance resilience, and support equitable, sustainable community outcomes.
• Advantage St. John’s to complete an investment attraction toolkit, identify 50 companies interested in investing into the region, and conduct an investment readiness review.

City that Moves

• Several improvements to Metrobus, including increasing frequency on several routes and expanding a route.
• Complete studies of several intersections to enhance safety, including Garrison Hill/Military Rd and Brier Ave/Columbus Dr./Old and New Pennywell Roads
• Complete safety improvements to the road network from Kelsey Drive area, along Goldstone Street to Thorburn Road.

Connected City

• Implement a plan to better understand behaviours and interests of Grades 7-12 students as it relates to recreation programs and services
• As the 2024-26 Accessibility Plan is in its final year, staff will complete a new plan this year informed by engagement.
• Construct new Goulds Fire Station
• Design and construct a new accessible washroom at Rotary Park

Effective City

• Develop and Implement a Corporate Accessibility and Inclusion Orientation for staff
• Review and update public engagement policy, processes and training
• Begin the development of an Election Reform Report that will help address how we move forward with the elections. 
• Redevelop and improve access to information through a new city website

2025 Progress

In 2025, 47 initiatives were completed, bringing the total number of initiatives completed to 235. Since the last update to Council in November, 22 initiatives have been completed. Some highlights include:

1. Establish a preventative maintenance program for St. John’s Regional Fire Department vehicles.
2. Develop a Heritage Strategic Plan
3. Identify adaptation and resilience improvement for existing buildings.
4. Add hybrid buses to Metrobus fleet (8)
5. Complete detailed design for high collision locations to improve intersection safety.
6. Design new Goulds Fire Station
7. Develop an Anti-Racism Workplan in collaboration with the Anti-Racism Working Group
8. Identify and host civic engagement events for 18–30-year-olds that advance other City priorities
9. Explore opportunities to create efficiencies in the parking fine contesting process, within the City’s scope of authority
10. Explore opportunities to have pre-approved house plans for contractors to decrease processing times (Housing Accelerator Fund initiative)
11. Review and update Residential Property Standards By-law
12. Update Archival Guide to Holdings
13. Enhance the Information Management/Information Protection culture at the City

Update on Continuous Improvement

A cumulative report of progress from continuous improvements projects is also included in the snapshot which shows ongoing savings of process time, staff time and dollar value reinvested because of these projects. In 2025, 12 projects were completed, bringing the total number of projects completed since 2018 to 107.

Since the last report, the City completed five continuous improvement projects: 

• Implement standardized naming convention for cheque requisitions
• Standardize calibration process of electronic salt spreaders
• Standardize evaluation process for high-angle training (SJRFD)
• Clarify process for lease of equipment
• Improve process of information sharing between Inspection Services and Facility Engineering related to City infrastructure projects.

Continuous improvement projects aim to reduce waste in processes (activities that do not add value from a customer perspective), thereby improving lead time, turn-around time, saving hard costs and ultimately improving employee engagement and customer experience. 

In 2025, continuous improvement projects saved an estimated 148,344 hours of processing time and helped improve capacity for employees by reinvesting over 12,127 hours of staff time, for a total of nearly 33,000 hours since 2018.