The Province is seeking feedback on a proposal that could expand food processing activity within British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has released a discussion paper proposing a new “5% rule” that would allow certain food…
Latest News
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UBCM held its quarterly Executive and Committee meetings on July 15-17 in Richmond. The Board met with Minister Christine Boyle and Minister Brittny Anderson, received a report on the UBCM governance review, a mental health program to support local elected leaders, and directed…
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Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has announced amendments to the Authorizations Concerning Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Regulations that will take effect on October 15, 2026. Local governments with public works projects that may require Fisheries Act approvals should review…
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The Union of British Columbia Municipalities has appointed Kim Grout to serve as its Executive Director effective September 8, 2026. Ms. Grout served most recently as the Chief Executive Officer with the Agricultural Land Commission. Prior to that, she was the Chief…
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As part of the Build Communities Strong Fund–Community Stream agreement, Canada, B.C. and UBCM agreed to continue strengthening local governments’ capacity to undertake asset management. This work is integral to building strong cities, communities and regions.
The 10-year…
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SFU’s School of Public Policy is seeking local governments to partner with senior undergraduate student teams between September and December 2026 for a new program designed to take on real-world policy problems faced by B.C. cities and towns. There is no cost and limited…
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Each month, we provide an update on funding programs administered by UBCM along with and information on other programs, events, and resources of interest to local governments and First Nations.
UBCM Awards
Long Service Awards – Each year, UBCM presents Long Service Awards to…
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The Province has issued letters patent to formally incorporate Okanagan Falls as a new municipality, to be known as the District of Okanagan Falls. Incorporation is expected to take effect on November 6, 2026, following the community’s majority vote in favour of incorporation in…
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The Ministry of Finance is clarifying plans for changes to the provincial sales tax (PST) that were announced in Budget 2026. As of effect on October 1, 2026, PST will be applied to certain professional services, but not necessarily at 100%. For architectural, engineering, and…
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The Ministry of Water, Lands and Natural Resources will hold an online engagement session on July 16, 2026, 1-3pm, for local governments about a suite of initiatives underway to update natural resource permitting processes in British Columbia.
The session builds on…