WHEREAS motorcycle gangs involved in criminal activities have established bunkers in various communities in Canada in order to create a secure, impenetrable compound to resist authorized entry by police forces; AND WHEREAS local governments have the land use development authority to pro-actively prohibit such structures; AND WHEREAS member local governments individually crafting anti-bunker bylaws will produce inconsistent bylaws that would be open to individual legal challenges: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the UBCM produce a generic anti-bunker bylaw in accordance with the Local Government Act of British Columbia for local adaptation and application by member local governments.
Ministry of Public Safety Solicitor General The Province of British Columbia Province believes that local governments best know the needs of their community on public safety issues related to building construction. We will support local government if they decide to implement bylaws or zoning restrictions on the prohibition of certain aspects of a building construction andor modification in the overall context of local governments land use development authority. The Province notes that any perceived shortcomings of implementation of such a bylaw by local governments could be overcome by the development of a model anti-bunker bylaw by the UBCM. Such a model bylaw could be used by an individual municipality or adopted by a number of municipalities on a regional basis.