WHEREAS Bill 11 amends the Local Government Act to allow the Lieutenant Governor in Council to designate a resort region and establish a resort municipality without the consent of residents within that area and without consultation and support of the affected regional district: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Bill 11 be amended so that the designation of a resort region and the establishment of a resort municipality is contingent upon the support of the affected regional district by resolution and the consent of residents and property owners within the regional district by referendum.
MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY SERVICES Section 112.1 provides the Minister with the authority to recommend the incorporation of an area as a mountain resort municipality without a vote. This section could be used to incorporate remote, unpopulated areas that have considerable potential for large scale, alpine ski development. This option would only be used in rare circumstances where it is in the provincial interest. The section is modeled on existing provisions in the Local Government Act to incorporate resource municipalities such as Tumbler Ridge. These provisions also did not provide for regional district or voter approval. The intention is that the legislation would be used to enable the incorporation of alpine areas that have the potential to become world class resorts much like was accomplished through the creation of the Resort Municipality of Whistler in 1975 through special legislation The legislation could not be used to enable the development on the Sunshine Coast. The legislation restricts its use to: -Mountain resort developments on Crown land -Situations where the proponent has entered into an agreement with the province on alpine ski development; and -Undeveloped and unpopulated sites. In addition, as a matter of policy, the site should be remote or not adjacent to an existing municipality, a large size and one where other reasonable governance options are not available. The legislation does not provide the regional district or citizens with a legislated role. However, it is the provinces policy with developments of this kind that there be extensive engagement with local governments and the public.