Events & Webinars

Newly elected and returning elected officials will have two ways to train with the Local Government Leadership Academy this winter: in-person regional Elected Officials Seminars and a new suite of online courses.

LGLA’s Elected Officials Seminars (EOS) are held every four years following the local government general election. The seminars are designed to deepen participants’ understanding of the local government system and best practices for civic leadership.

This winter, seminars will take place in:

UBCM staff will host a webinar to provide communities with information about the upcoming Community Emergency Preparedness Fund intake streams on October 6, 2026, 1:30pm. Please register in advance.

Application materials are now available for the winter 2026 / spring 2027 intakes:

Funding streams under the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund have been confirmed for fall 2026 and winter 2027 and intakes open September 1. A webinar will be held on October 6 to explore the intakes.

The following intakes have been scheduled:

Emergency Support Services Equipment and Training: application deadline is October 16, 2026 and the funding maximum is $30,000.

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 Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) research team at UBC has developed a BC Public Lands Map that shows every level of government-owned land across BC, with access to amenity scores, site characteristics, ownership data, and information on infrastructure access. HART’s focus is building data-driven tools to help governments and non-profits build housing. The purpose of this new map is to make it easier to identify publicly owned land that could be used for affordable housing.

The Local Government Leadership Academy’s Elected Officials Seminars (EOS) are held every four years following the local government general election and will be held this winter across the province. They are designed to deepen elected official and senior staff understanding of the local government system, and best practices for civic leadership. 

The Province has provided an update on its implementation of the Coastal Marine Strategy and will be holding a webinar for local government staff and officials on June 23.

Local governments and UBCM First Nations members are invited to join a virtual information session on June 8, 1-2pm, regarding Look West – B.C.’s strategy to deliver major projects, expand skills training and grow key sectors to strengthen the economy. The session is open to local government officials and staff and will include a Q&A period. Please register in advance.

The B.C. Road Safety Strategy Steering Committee is inviting local governments to participate in virtual engagement sessions regarding the upcoming B.C. Road Safety Strategy 2030. Formal invitations have been distributed to all local governments, providing details on session dates, registration and how to submit feedback. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is hosting a BC cannabis sector and policy initiatives webinar for local governments on June 17, 3:30-4:30pm. This webinar will provide updates to help inform local government discussions regarding non-medical cannabis. Registration is open to local government senior staff and elected officials.