The Union of British Columbia Municipalities presented its 2022 Community Excellence Awards Tuesday during the UBCM convention.
The Community Excellence Awards recognize and celebrate UBCM member First Nations, regional districts and municipalities that have implemented projects or programs that go above and beyond in meeting the purposes of local government in B.C. The awards are intended to showcase outstanding initiatives and share them with other members to implement in their communities.
The Community Charter and the Local Government Act set out the purpose of local government: provide good governance; deliver services for community benefit; ensure responsible stewardship of public assets and maintain a sustainable framework. Recognizing these goals, the award categories are:
Service Delivery – by providing effective and beneficial services to the community in a proactive manner and drawing on performance measures, benchmarks and standards to ensure that service delivery is sustainable;
Asset Management – by developing comprehensive, integrated, innovative and effective approaches to the management of existing and new infrastructure to maximize benefits, reduce risk and provide satisfactory levels of service to the community in a sustainable manner;
Sustainability – through being committed to the premise of meeting current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, and incorporating the four pillars of sustainability (cultural, social, economic and environmental) into local government planning, policy and practice; and
Governance – by utilizing decision-making processes and policies that are outcomes-based and consensus-oriented, support and encourage citizen participation, are efficient, equitable, inclusive and transparent, and exemplify best practices in accountability, effectiveness, and long-term thinking.
A new category added initially in 2021 – the Presidents Committee Choice award – recognizes a community the UBCM Presidents Committee believed deserved special recognition for exemplary demonstration of excellence and outstanding achievement about a current issue faced by local governments (e.g., COVID-19 response and recovery).
UBCM would like to acknowledge our 2022 award sponsors:
GOLD: Municipal Finance Authority of BC
GOLD: Urban Systems
SILVER: Joint Provincial-UBCM Green Communities Committee (GCC)
Excellence in Service Delivery
WINNER: City of Coquitlam
Wildlife Attractant Reduction Through Solid Waste Compliance
Honourable Mention: District of Sparwood
Lions Park Skating Loop
Excellence in Asset Management
WINNER: District of Oak Bay
Sustainable Infrastructure Replacement Plan
Excellence in Sustainability
WINNER: City of Kamloops
Kamloops Makes Big-Move Investments in Climate Action
Honourable Mention: City of Prince George
Integrated Stormwater Management Plan
Excellence in Governance
WINNER: Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen
Utility Acquisition Policy and Process
Honourable Mention: District of Lake Country
Let's Talk: What Happens After You Flush, Poop 101
Presidents Committee Choice
WINNER: City of Kelowna
Real-Time Flood Response EOC Dashboard