Whereas winters in many parts of British Columbia are subject to icy road conditions and snowfall accumulation; And whereas most rental vehicles are only equipped with all season tires rather than winter tires: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of BC to make it mandatory that winter rated tires be installed on rental vehicles during the winter months in BC.
Whereas the provincial Motor Vehicle Act prohibits private owners from driving off-road vehicles on municipal streets; And whereas Division 24 of the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations allows RCMP discretion to issue operation permits for non-standard vehicles, including off-road vehicles; And whereas heavy snowfall can render streets and sidewalks impassable, requiring substantial effort to clear them, which residents sometimes wish to perform expeditiously using off-road vehicles: Therefore be it resolved that the provincial government and RCMP work with local governments to develop transpa
Whereas there is increased concern about the state of public roads in rural communities during and after major weather events; And whereas the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructures road classification system defines levels and response times for maintenance standards for each specific service area in order to prioritize service: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to work with local governments to review the existing road classification system to consider reprioritizing the order in which roads are cleared or maintained; And be it further resolved t
Whereas the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure does not install speed mitigation measures on provincial roads, giving the rationale that provincial roads belong to all the citizens of British Columbia as they serve to promote the economy and inter-provincial movement of people and goods; And whereas the criteria provided by the Ministry of Transportation applies to all roads under the Provinces jurisdiction, whether they are numbered highways, rural roads or local subdivision roads: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to deve
Whereas excessive lighting causes light pollution and glare; And whereas light pollution may have a negative impact on quality of life, contribute to adverse health effects and pose potentially harmful consequences to the natural environment by disrupting ecosystems: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Building and Safety Standards Branch amend the BC Building Code to allow, facilitate and empower local governments to exercise control of lighting fixtures, including intensity and directionality, as part of their permitting and inspection process for all new construction an
Whereas local communities currently have no legal avenue for providing input into forest land cutting permits before they are approved and issued by the Province; And whereas communities are often impacted by harvesting and log hauling, with environmental impacts, visual impacts, road safety issues and little economic benefit: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province to give local governments a legislated avenue for providing input before cutting permits for forest licensees and woodlot tenure holders are approved and issued by the Province.
Whereas many small local governments not in close proximity to larger centres do not have publicly provided or privately provided bus service available; And whereas in the event of an emergency evacuation, the provision of one or more busses would be an integral part of the evacuation of individuals particularly those vulnerable, mobility challenged and without their own or supportive transportation; And whereas most small local governments have school bus services provided by the school districts to transport children to and from school but the buses are not stationed in the local govern
Whereas climate change has accelerated the frequency and intensity at which high water events occur in the Province British Columbia; And whereas orphan dikes in British Columbia no longer adequately protect BC communities: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of British Columbia to implement a flood mitigation service, with particular focus on the ongoing provincial maintenance of orphan dikes, in consultation with local governments and Indigenous partners.
Whereas local governments and other local authorities in rural British Columbia are under-resourced to effectively respond to ever-increasing climate related disasters; And whereas the elected officials and staff of local governments and other local authorities are often themselves personally and tragically impacted by these disasters; And whereas the emergency management program provides provincially administered funding for on-the-ground efforts that largely rely on the victims of the disaster to be responsible for disaster response and recovery: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM requ
Whereas the residents of BC are calling for our provincial government to provide better forest management and wildfire prevention by assessing the current policies and guidelines to enhance those that are working and to re-evaluate and change those that are not; And whereas Ontario created an All Hazards Agency that employs people to manage fire, flood, and slides year-round; And whereas the trickle effect of lumber prices and availability along with jobs, mill closures, current and future mudslides, damage to critical habitat, and house insurance will continue to increase and have an ala