Alan is the Planning Director with Wallace Insights Inc. in Saskatoon.
Alan is the former Director of the Planning and Development at the City of Saskatoon. He left the City in 2016 to join the private sector after 32 years of service. Alan was the Planning Lead for Saskatchewan with V3 Companies of Canada Ltd. until 2020. Alan is currently the Planning Director with Wallace Insights and responsible for leading the planning and development activities for a large list of clients in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Alan teaches Legal Issues and Municipal Finance in Planning at the University of Saskatchewan in the College of Geography and Planning. He is a member of the Global Alliance for Professional Leadership Development, the Past-President of the Saskatchewan Professional Planners Institute, Board Member Emeritus with Jubilee Residences, Foundation Board Member with Jubilee Residences, and Volunteer Co-ordinator with Janes Walk Saskatoon. Alan volunteers as a mentor to young planners in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. Alan is also a volunteer assessor for the Professional Standards Board of the Canadian Institute of Planners.
Saskatchewan’s Planning and Development Act, 2007 (PDA) governs land use, zoning, and subdivision regulations for over 750 municipalities — from resort villages and small towns to major cities. A single piece of legislation applies to all of them. Our premise is that the PDA has become increasingly outdated, process heavy, and misaligned with Saskatchewan’s economic and social realities. The cost of this misalignment is measurable: approvals take longer and longer, developers work around regulations rather than with them, and councils spend more time focusing on zoning rather than planning. The end result is a loss of opportunity, frustration and exhaustion amongst stakeholder groups, and wasted resources. It’s time for a fundamental rethink. This interactive workshop invites Saskatchewan planners and associated professionals to engage directly in shaping an agenda to create an entirely new PDA — not a patch or an amendment, but a clean-sheet approach grounded in evidence, designed for the 21st century and built for efficiency.
