2022

Whereas BC Housings Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters program is an important support within the housing continuum for many seniors, and where provincial funding for the program has remained stagnant since 2018; And whereas BC Housings Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters program provides much needed rental subsidies for low-income seniors, yet the programs current rent ceilings and monthly payments do not reflect increasing housing costs for renters in many communities; And whereas local governments are committed to increasing housing choices for all residents and low-income seniors are a key d

Whereas libraries in British Columbia are largely financed by levies paid by local governments, and where provincial library funding has remained stagnant for the past 10 years; And whereas public libraries are central to communities, providing equitable access to vital resources including internet, computers, digital tools and in-person services from expert staff; And whereas public libraries provide British Columbians with low-barrier services that support job seekers and small businesses, that increase literacy in communities, that advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and th

Whereas many local governments have adopted Community Energy and Emissions Plans with policies sufficient to locally achieve the deep GHG reductions needed to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial temperatures, and have amply demonstrated commitment to climate action through advancing low-carbon or zero-carbon initiatives and implementing advanced flood protection, drainage, and diking projects, as applicable; And whereas it is increasingly evident that oil and gas producers are seeking to indefinitely extend the production and consumption of fossil fuels rather than allow a tr

Whereas non-profit community forests currently pay stumpage to the province using the tabular rate system, and the Province is proposing to move community forests to a market-based stumpage system, that will drastically increase the fees paid; And whereas non-profit, community forest boards will no longer have the funds available to support socio-economic projects, innovative forest practices including wildfire risk reduction, old growth management, and ecosystem restoration initiatives for the communities they operate in.

Whereas the Sixties Scoop refers to the forcible removal of thousands of Aboriginal children from their families and communities, a Provincial strategy of assimilation that saw Aboriginal children placed in care and adopted to non-native families beginning in 1951 and continuing until the mid-1980s; And whereas in his 1985 report on Aboriginal child apprehension and the Sixties Scoop, Manitoba Provincial Justice Edwin Kimelman referenced the UN Genocide Convention of 1948 concluding that cultural genocide has taken place in a systematic, routine manner.; And whereas the governments of Man

Whereas the Canada Border Services Agency CBSA has used Provincial prisons to detain tens of thousands of migrants while they await the resolution of their immigration or refugee matters, 94 per cent of whom are held for administrative reasons posing no risk to the public and include children, survivors trauma or persecution, and persons with disabilities including mental health conditions; And whereas in a March 2022 submission to the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, BCs Office of the Human Rights Commissioner stated that in the current immigration detention system people

Whereas 9-1-1 is an essential public safety service and emergency preparedness tool, and the CRTC has mandated the rollout of Next Generation 9-1-1 NG9-1-1 to move to calls to digital or IP-based infrastructure by March 1, 2025, and has communicated the need for a significant additional funding commitment from its local government service partners in 2022 and beyond, yet there is no provincially-governed agency responsible for the planning, operation and coordination of 9-1-1 services in BC; And whereas local governments in BC are constrained in their financial revenue sources and financia

Whereas municipal use of crown land is often essential to the provision of important municipal services; And whereas the lengthy application process for nominal rent tenures and sponsored crown grants impacts municipalities ability to provide these services: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province increase funding to reduce application wait times and improve the application process for sponsored crown grants and nominal rent tenures.

Whereas climate change, food waste, food recovery and food insecurity are key intersecting challenges facing BC communities, with food waste contributing to both greenhouse gas emissions and food insecurity And whereas a better food recovery program could help reduce food insecurity, food waste, and GHG emissions; And whereas CleanBCs Roadmap to 2030, which sets direction for advancing climate action in BC, does not include food waste reduction and food recovery; Therefore be it resolved that UBCM requests the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 be amended to include food waste reduction and recov

Whereas the province of BC is facing a housing crisis; And whereas the Province has jurisdiction and is responsible for housing in BC; And whereas the British Columbia Building Code, the Motor Vehicle Act, and the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act create an unclear regulatory environment for local governments: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM encourage the Province to recognize that Recreational Vehicles RVs are used for year-round living, including the development of guidelines for best practices for ensuring health and safety for the use of RVs for year-round living, and for thei