Whereas the Village of Pemberton, in partnership with the regional district, other local governments, and First Nations in the Sea to Sky area are working collaboratively to develop a regional transit commission to establish a regional transit system to connect Mt. Currie to Metro Vancouver; And whereas the current provincial transit commission model does not allow for representation from First Nations which does not allow for an equal representation or an equitable decision making platform process: Therefore be it resolved that the Province of British Columbia work with First Nations and local governments to amend the legislation respecting the representation on transit commissions to enable inclusion of include First Nations.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure The Province agrees that it is important that First Nations are involved in decisions affecting transportation to and from their communities. In the current letter of expectation to BC Transit, the Ministry has directed BC Transit to work with Indigenous communities to identify transit service needs and opportunities. In addition, Ministry staff are exploring this matter from a policy and legislative perspective. The role of a regional transit commission is to represent the regional transit service area in transit planning and budgeting and to raise revenue to cover its share of the transit costs. One of the reasons that a region may wish to form a regional transit commission is to levy a regional property tax and set the property tax rates specifically to fund transit service. The current regional transit commission model is set out under the British Columbia Transit Act. Members of a regional transit commission are appointed by Cabinet from among persons holding elected office on a municipal council or regional district board. Under current legislation, regional transit commissions can only raise their share of funding, net of transit system revenue, through property taxes, motor fuel taxes or both. Any change to the commission model would have implications for the Victoria Regional Transit Commission and potential future transit commissions. Several First Nations in the BC Transit service area are currently participating in transit decisions and funding through Community Partnership Agreements, such as between Witset First Nation and the Town of Smithers, or Village of Pemberton and Lilwat Nation. There are also a number of First Nations in the Fraser Valley that work with the Regional District.