M-1: Light Industrial

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

No homes except one caretaker suite with a business on the lot (ss. 22.2.2, 4.19)

Exceptions (1)

• A house on each of three lots the bylaw names

Listed in s. 22.2.1(aa) of the bylaw.

Main uses

Light manufacturing, secondary wood processing, produce and meat processing, cold storage and ice plants, warehouses, wholesale, freight terminals, industrial storage yards, mini-storage, feed and seed storage, bulk fuel sales, sales and service of cars, boats, snowmobiles, RVs, trucks, trailers, commercial vehicles and heavy equipment, factory-built house sales, vehicle washes, oilfield sales and services, contractors' offices, trade training, printing and publishing, broadcasting, labs, data centres, recycling, a wrecking yard, major animal services, utility stations; accessory buildings and a caretaker suite (s. 22.2)

Exceptions (1)

• Cannabis production on one lot the bylaw names

Listed in s. 22.2.1(d) of the bylaw.

Smallest lot for a subdivision

555 m², 15.0 m wide (s. 22.3)

Lot coverage

100% (s. 22.3)

Height limit

15.0 m (s. 22.3)

Setbacks

Front 7.5 m, inside sides 0 m (one side 4.5 m with no lane behind), street side 3.0 m, rear 3.0 m; next to a residential or park zone, inside sides and rear 7.5 m and street side 6 m (ss. 22.3, 22.4.4, 22.4.5)

The zone is for light industry with highway access or close to it (s. 22.1).

No odours, noxious matter, effluent, dust, fumes, smoke, heat, glare, noise, radiation or vibration past the Province's standards (s. 22.4.6).

Shipping containers and temporary storage structures at the rear, screened from view, as many as the lot coverage allows (s. 4.25).

Fenced on at least three sides; fences up to 2.4 m (s. 4.13). Landscaping and screening follow the general rules (s. 22.4.3).

A caretaker suite: one per lot, only with a commercial or industrial use on it, walled off from the business; inside the main building it has its own outside entrance, shares the building's utility connections and is at most 40% of the building's floor area or 90 m², whichever is less (s. 4.19).

Short-term rental of a home isn't a listed use; ask the City.

Parking and loading (Section 5), landscaping, fencing and the other general regulations (Section 4) also apply.

Site-specific exceptions listed in the bylaw by legal description can add or change uses for one property, and development permit areas, the ALR and building rules apply on top. Confirm with the City of Fort St. John's planning department before you buy or build.

Source: Section 22 of City of Fort St. John Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-04); zone map: Open Government Licence – City of Fort St. John.