City Council Meeting Recap: January 13, 2026

- Jan 16, 2026

The following is a recap of the City of St. John's Regular Council Meeting on January 13, 2026, which provides an overview of Council decisions. All related documents for the decisions outlined below and the full agenda from the meeting are available by clicking the button below.

Council Meeting Video, Agenda & Documents

Development Applications:

Development applications are formal requests submitted to the City of St. John's by individuals, businesses, or developers seeking approval for projects that involve land use, building construction, or changes to property. These applications require council approvals and ensure that proposed developments comply with the City’s Envision St. John’s Development Regulations.

The following development applications were reviewed at the meeting:

Council was asked to approve a Discretionary Use application for 26 Diana Road to operate a home-based dog grooming salon. The proposed Home Occupation would occupy approximately 19 m², operate Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment only, serve up to four clients per day, and provide off-street parking. The property is zoned Residential 1 (R1). One public submission was received opposing the application on the basis that it is too commercial for a residential area. Under the Development Regulations, Home Occupations are limited in size to help maintain the residential character of neighbourhoods.

Decision: Approved unanimously

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Council was asked to approve a Crown Land Grant for 0.405 hectares at 1226 Blackhead Road. The application, referred by the Provincial Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, proposes amending an existing Crown Land Lease to allow a Grant, providing freehold title to the land. The property is located in the Rural Residential (RR) Zone and is developed with a single detached dwelling and an accessory building.

Decision: Approved unanimously

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Council was asked to consider a Crown Land easement of approximately 1,900 m² off the Trans-Canada Highway in the area of Torbayman’s Pond. The easement was referred by the Provincial Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture and is located within the Mineral Working (MW) Zone.

Decision: Approved unanimously

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Council was asked to approve a Discretionary Use application for 222 Ruby Line to subdivide an existing single detached dwelling from the agricultural use. The proposed standalone dwelling is a Discretionary Use in the Agriculture (AG) Zone and meets required zone standards. One public submission was received with no concerns. The application received provincial approval from the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture and requires Council to set zone standards for the remaining agricultural land, including a minimum lot area of 49,399 m² and minimum frontage of 37.19 m.

Decision: 10 voted in favour and Councillor Davis voted against

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Council was asked to approve a residential accessory building (swimming pool) within the Floodplain Buffer at 300 Frecker Drive. An existing swimming pool is located in the rear yard, partially within the Floodplain Buffer. Under Section 4.10(6)(a) of the St. John’s Development Regulations, Council may permit residential accessory buildings in this area, and consultation with the Environmental and Sustainability Experts Panel is not required.

Decision: Approved unanimously

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Council was asked to approve a variance to the accessory building height at 54 Fourth Pond Road. The application seeks a 10% variance to allow an accessory building height of 5.5 metres, where the maximum permitted height for residential uses is 5 metres or the height of the main dwelling. The variance is permitted under Section 7.4 of the St. John’s Development Regulations. Notices were issued to abutting properties, and no submissions were received.

Decision: Approved unanimously

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Sale of City Land: 100 Bonaventure Avenue

Council was asked to approve the sale of approximately 259.41 ft² of City land in front of 100 Bonaventure Avenue, which the property owner had previously paved without permission. Staff recommend selling only the encroached portion at $15 per ft² plus HST and fees, for a total of approximately $3,891.15 plus HST. The purchaser will complete a survey and must consolidate the land with their existing property.

Decision: Approved unanimously

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Committee of the Whole Delegation Request Process

Council was asked to approve the drafting of amendments to the Rules of Procedure By-Law (2024) to formalize and improve the process for Committee of the Whole delegations. The proposed changes would embed existing guidelines into the by-law, increase transparency and accountability, and ensure due diligence before delegations appear before Council. Proposed amendments include updating delegation request requirements, expanding the list of prohibited topics, requiring delegates to demonstrate efforts to resolve issues with City staff first, and allowing staff to recommend delegations for Council’s consideration. Delegation requests would be reviewed by the Office of the City Clerk, in consultation with the Office of the City Manager. Draft amendments would be brought forward through a Notice of Motion.

Decision: Approved unanimously

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Appointments

  • Youth Engagement Working Group: Council approved the appointment of new members to the Youth Engagement Working Group. Following a Call for Members issued in April 2025 and extended to June 8, staff selected two individual representatives—Matthew Locke and Abigail Martin—based on diversity, age representation, and potential contributions. In addition, two organizational representative changes are recommended: Nirmit Sarkar replacing Valerie Pike for the Association for New Canadians, and Becky Martin replacing Julia Halfyard for Memorial University.
  • St. John's Transportation Commission: Council approved the appointment of Franklin Onwa to the St. John’s Transportation Commission for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2026, following a public call that received 23 applications. The Commission also recommended renewing the appointments of Commissioners Josh Smee and Derrick Hutchens for a second two-year term.

Travel Authorization

Council was asked to approve travel costs for Mayor Danny Breen to attend the in-person Big City Mayor’s Caucus meetings in Ottawa in February 2026. Attendance supports the City’s membership, allows engagement with municipal leaders, and provides an opportunity to advance the City’s priorities.

Decision: Approved unanimously

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Tenders

A list of contracts awarded from December 11 to January 7 was shared for Council’s information.

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Permits Issued

Council was provided with a list of Development Permits and Building Permits issued since the last council meeting for their information.

Weekly Payment Vouchers

Council approved the following weekly payment vouchers:

 

Mayor Danny Breen, Aleatta Hunt, and Kahlan Fleming2025 City of St. John's Scholarship Presentation

Each year, the City of St. John’s awards two scholarships to recognize the academic achievements of children of City employees. These scholarships are granted to students who not only successfully complete high school but also achieve the highest overall averages among all applicants.

The 2025 recipients of the City of St. John’s Scholarships are Aleatta Hunt and Kahlan Fleming.

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