2020

Whereas many regions in British Columbia are experiencing population growth in addition to provincial promotion of industrial and tourist activity in rural or remote areas that do not have the necessary public safety infrastructure; And whereas BC has seen an almost 30 percent increase in Provincial Parks and Recreation Site visitation since 2014, most of which are outside municipal boundaries; And whereas municipalities impacted by industrial or tourism hot spots outside their boundaries have experienced increased criminality and road safety issues with minor or no increases in Provincia

Whereas many local governments have declared climate and ecological emergencies and have set significant targets to reduce emissions, to protect the environment, and to support health, wellness, and quality of life; And whereas existing buildings account for 11 percent of BCs current greenhouse gas emissions, and retrofitting those buildings is critical to BC meetings its climate targets, while bringing money into the economy, adding new jobs to the market, and reducing energy bills for citizens; And whereas Home Emissions and Energy ratings and labelling provide a good system for homeown

Whereas many local governments have declared climate and ecological emergencies and have set significant targets to reduce emissions, to protect the environment, and to support health, wellness, and quality of life; And whereas existing buildings account for 11 percent of BCs current greenhouse gas emissions, and retrofitting those buildings is critical to BC meetings its climate targets, while bringing money into the economy, adding new jobs to the market, and reducing energy bills for citizens; And whereas a Property Assessed Clean Energy PACE program is an effective way to facilitate c

Whereas many local governments have declared climate and ecological emergencies and have set significant targets to reduce emissions, to protect the environment, and to support health, wellness, and quality of life; And whereas many existing and new buildings rely on gas or oil for cooking, air and water heating, and as a consequence have high greenhouse gas emissions footprints even at Step 5 of the BC Energy Step Code, and that currently local governments are restricted in their ability to regulate the sale, rental, and installation of cooking, heating and hot water systems in new and ex

Whereas all 193 member nations of the UN General assembly adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for achievement by 2030 to ensure a better, and more sustainable, equitable, peaceful, survivable, and prosperous future for all; And whereas every level of government has authority over areas critical to progress on most of the Sustainable Development Goals: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM work with the Province to help local governments improve their reporting and accountability over time by developing a standardized reporting approach for the Sustainable Development Goals at a muni

Whereas the Province has adopted recycling regulation of the Environmental Management Act; And whereas BCs Industry-led product stewardship programs require producers of designated products to take extended producer responsibility for the life cycle management of their products; Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province include a regulation for producers of child car seats, mattresses and upholstered furniture ensuring the producers responsibility for the life of the product and reducing local government waste disposal costs, the amount of garbage in landfills and a re

Whereas the Province has adopted the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction; And whereas proposed changes to the BC Emergency Program Act will include disaster mitigation as an additional local government responsibility: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province be similarly required by legislation to undertake disaster mitigation work on all lands and facilities under the care and control of the Province where emergency events could negatively impact adjacent communities under local government jurisdiction.

Whereas equity-based policies around access to menstrual products helps to support inclusion, mobility, reduces stigma, and promotes gender equality; And whereas the Province of British Columbia issued ministerial order M14989 on April 3, 2019, requiring all public schools to have free menstrual products in school restrooms; And whereas numerous jurisdictions across British Columbia and Canada have enacted policies to provide menstrual products in school, park, and civic restrooms to promote the health, mobility, and participation of citizens: Therefore be it resolved that the UBCM call

Whereas diking infrastructure is crucial to flood mitigation for the protection of residents and the general public; And whereas the provincial government will only allocate funding for dike upgrades which meet high-cost seismic standards; And whereas neglecting dike upgrades while trying to facilitate designs that are to seismic standards could leave residents vulnerable to flooding disasters and exposed to massive and inevitable response costs in the interim: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the provincial government consider applications for funding for dike upgrades wh

Whereas the landscape of many rugged outdoor areas of BC face exposure to multiple hazards with potential for natural disaster, such as forest fires, landslides and flooding which impact residents as well as the traveling public; And whereas the majority of provincial funding that is available is for response-related activities after an event has occurred: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province allocate funding to support more pro-active measures for risk management of regional geo-hazards through the establishment of consistent and regular monitoring.