2019

Whereas the intention of the Rural Dividend program is to provide funding to support economic diversification beyond resource development in rural, remote and Indigenous communities that are currently forest dependent; And whereas the Rural Dividend program has been effective at diversifying economies and enabling local governments to deliver important projects; And whereas the recent decision from the Provincial Government of BC has migrated funding from the Rural Dividend program to a reactive support to communities impacted by mill closures and curtailments: Therefore be it resolved t

Whereas British Columbias Passenger Transportation Boards Operational Policy: Introduction of Transportation Network Services, 2019 allows ridehailing companies to unfairly compete against British Columbias taxi companies for passengers, and without having to comply with the same onerous rules, restrictions and requirements that the Board places on taxi companies; And whereas the Passenger Transportation Boards Operational Policy allows individual ridehailing companies to operate unlimited numbers of vehicles, and not operate any accessible vehicles that are capable of accommodating wheel

Whereas there is a responsibility by all to redress the systemic racism and to eliminate the gendered colonial violence perpetrated against Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual 2SLGBTQQIA people within Canada; And whereas the June 3, 2019 final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls the National Inquiry found that Indigenous women are twelve times more likely to be murdered or to go missing than members of any other demographic group in Canada, and included 231 Calls fo

Whereas the Province of BC has created a regulatory framework permitting transportation network services to operate in BC, which provides a passenger transportation option to address the significant public need for vehicles-for-hire and, in turn, reduce impaired driving, improve the ability of seniors and persons with barriers to access needed resources, and stimulate economic development; And whereas the Provinces regulatory framework is so onerous that it effectively prohibits the establishment of transportation network services outside of the Lower Mainland, and particularly in small, r

Whereas the February 2019 Auditor-Generals Report Access to Emergency Health Services recommended that the Ministry of Health work with local governments and British Columbia Emergency Health Services BCEHS to ensure that BCEHS can implement a co-ordinated approach to pre-hospital care that results in: - medical oversight, to the extent appropriate, across agencies to ensure that patient care meets acceptable medical standards - data-sharing between agencies to better understand whether patients are getting the right medical interventions at the right time - signed agreements outlining th

Whereas the Union of BC Municipalities UBCM was founded in 1905 to serve as the voice of local government in British Columbia; And whereas the UBCM must retain public confidence that it is acting in the best interests of the residents of British Columbia; And whereas the UBCM currently accepts financial sponsorship and facilitates a reception for UBCM convention delegates from a foreign government; And whereas this financial sponsorship and reception may create the perception of influence from a foreign government: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM end its practice of accepting fin

Whereas independent fire department, fire brigade and fire cache societies provide an invaluable service for the unincorporated communities in regional districts: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the Province of British Columbia to change either its policy or legislative framework to ensure that independent fire, fire brigade or fire cache societies can apply directly to the Province for provincially administered emergency preparedness funding programs to support their training or capital requirements, similar to existing BC Gaming Grant programs.

Whereas British Columbia highways are handling larger volumes of traffic much of which is travelling at higher than posted speeds, with vehicle crashes more serious and frequent in all parts of BC in all seasons; And whereas many small community volunteer fire departments and societies provide vital highway rescue services for crashes occurring on Provincial highways primarily at their own cost either by fundraising or by local community taxation or both; And whereas while Emergency Management BC reimburses highway rescue service providers for some of their costs, most small local governm

Whereas Royal Canadian Legion Branches around British Columbia have a history of community service, neighbourhood social service partnership, and are active contributors to their host municipalities and residents, including those with and without past or current military service; And whereas most BC municipalities in which a Legion branch exists offer a mechanism to relieve tax payment, but do so in a variety of different ways e.g.

Whereas libraries are a social justice equalizer that provide universal access to information and learning materials irrespective of income level and are now so much more than books, building community and a sense of inclusion; And whereas funding rates have been frozen since 2009 and inflationary costs have increasingly been put on municipal property tax payers which is a regressive approach to funding public libraries. Municipalities face downloading from upper levels of government and have few tools to raise funds.