2023

Whereas health care is a critical need for all British Columbians; And whereas transparent and open communication between levels of government is required, and citizens should be assured their leaders are working together as they were elected to do: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to improve the communication between the Ministry of Health and local levels of government to ensure the health care system meets the needs of all residents of BC.

Whereas there is a provincial crisis in health care that is even more pronounced in rural BC, and an estimated one in five BC residents do not have a family physician or primary health care provider; And whereas rural BC is at increased risk of Emergency Room closures due to lack of health care providers: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to address the shortage of physicians and primary care providers in rural BC by providing financial support and implementing policy changes to facilitate additional training opportunities for health care professionals, pe

Whereas there is a significant housing shortage in most areas of the province; And whereas BC Housing has been put in place to assist communities with this issue, especially with low incomeemergency housing: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to commit to a timeline to address the ongoing delays with BC Housing that contribute to the lack of progress in providing housing for communities that are experiencing an ongoing housing crisis.

Whereas the provincial government plans to require only zero emission vehicle sales in British Columbia by 2040; And whereas northern and rural communities may not have the necessary infrastructure, capacity building ability, and related upgrades necessary to support the provinces objective for zero emission vehicles: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to recognize the challenges in northern British Columbia and outline their plan for supporting capacity building, improved infrastructure and other upgrades in northern British Columbia to meet zero emission

Whereas the COVID-19 Provincial vaccine mandate for health care workers continues and British Columbias health care system is under severe stress; And whereas the District of Kitimat wrote a letter to BCs Chief Medical Officer in January of 2023 asking that the vaccine mandate for health care workers be removed or, if the mandate continues, the conditions needed to end the mandate be communicated, to which there has been no response as of March 21, 2023: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province to provide the criteria that must be in place in order to remove the vaccine mandate

Whereas local governments face building bylaw enforcement challenges, particularly in low density rural areas; And whereas Technical Safety BC regularly issue electrical, gas and other permits for installations in buildings which are in contravention of local government building bylaws: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to require Technical Safety BC to confirm that necessary building permits have been issued prior to the issuance of installation permits.

Whereas the Province of BC has released the Clean BC Roadmap to 2030 outlining measures to reach its legislated greenhouse gas GHG emission reduction targets; And whereas zero-emission vehicles may not be a suitable alternative for remote rural resource based industries including forestry, oil and gas, and agriculture; And whereas public transit is not available in many rural and remote communities: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to develop a Clean BC Transportation Plan specific to rural and northern communities that addresses the unique challenges a

Whereas British Columbia is one of the last remaining provinces in Canada requiring a vaccine mandate for healthcare professionals; And whereas the shortage of healthcare workers in the Province of British Columbia has been exacerbated considerably by the dismissal of those healthcare workers who chose not to be vaccinated against COVID-19: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call upon the provincial government to lift the COVID-19 vaccination requirement and allow for unvaccinated healthcare workers to return to work to lessen the strain on the healthcare system.

Whereas all commercial truck traffic that passes through the East gate of Jasper National Park also passes through the West gate of the park; And whereas Highways 16 and 5, the Yellowhead Highway, are the primary transportation corridors for commercial, tourism and local traffic and the designated over-size route for industrial traffic movements: Therefore be it resolved that a letter be written to Government of Canada, Parks Canada requesting that the West gate of Jasper National Park be upgraded to be consistent with the East gate improvements that have been recently completed and are

Whereas accessible health care is a cornerstone for providing quality of life for the residents of British Columbia and supports economic prosperity and sustainability of communities; And whereas access to quality health care without financial or other barriers is critical to maintaining and improving the health and well-being of all Canadians under the Canada Health Act: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM petition the provincial government for an independent operational performance review of the Health Authorities to assess: the distribution and level of health care services provided, t