2019

Whereas the Federal government recently released a scientific report that reveals that Canada is warming at twice the global rate, the Provincial government recently approved a 5.35-billion package of tax incentives for a 40-billion LNG Canada megaproject, supported by 1.275 billion from the Federal government, and, according to a 2015 report by the International Monetary Fund, the annual Federal government subsidy to the fossil fuel industry is 46 billion; And whereas the funding formula for local governments has changed little since 1867 with local governments receiving roughly 8 cents o

Whereas the Ministry of Agriculture has made legislation changes in regards to Bill 15 and Bill 52 that impact the Agricultural Land Commission authority with regards to land use applications; And whereas these changes are impacting local governments and how they review and potentially refer their residents applications that are located in the Agricultural Land Reserve to the Agricultural Land Commission: Therefore be it resolved that the Ministry of Agriculture place a moratorium undertake fulsome consultation with local governments on the development of any new ALC regulations, so that

Whereas the Province of British Columbia has announced introduction of legislation to implement United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People UNDRIP; And whereas the announcement did not specify details in relation to framework and process implementation; And whereas local governments require a clear delineation of their responsibilities where the implementation of Provincial legislation is concerned: Therefore be it resolved that the Province of British Columbia provide clarity to local governments regarding implementation of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of I

Whereas natural disasters pose an increasing risk to the economic, social, and environmental well-being of British Columbians; And whereas the provincial government is taking action to improve resilience by strengthening disaster preparedness and disaster risk governance in the context of climate change; And whereas the sharing of integrated asset data, information, and knowledge across all sectors is key to improving emergency management and resiliency planning in BC; Therefore be it resolved that the Province of British Columbia be urged to take a strong leadership role and provide lon

Whereas Health Canada has stated that they share the concerns of parents, educators, youth and public stakeholders regarding the increase of youth vaping in Canada; And whereas Health Canada is currently undergoing a public consultation process to gather comments on additional regulatory measures that would aim to reduce youth use of vaping products; And whereas the local governments have limited powers and jurisdiction to protect youth from access, sale and appeal of vape products, including no resources for enforcement; Therefore be it resolved that FCM and UBCM be asked to call upon H

Whereas the critical congestion problems on the TransCanada Highway between the Fraser Valley and the Port Mann bridge continue to interrupt a safe, reliable and efficient multi-modal transportation network that supports employment and economic development movement of goods and services, as well as job creation for the Province of BC; And whereas the federal government has already identified the continuation of the next phase of the TransCanada Highway 6-laning improvements from 216th street to the Whatcom Road interchange as a priority to expand markets for key local economic sectors, su

Whereas British Columbia currently has the highest thresholdcharge approval standard in Canada in proceeding with charges and criminal prosecution of gangsters while communities across British Columbias lower mainland have concurrently seen a year over year rise in gang-related homicide and violence; And whereas ongoing court delays favour the rights of the accused over the rights of victims andor the community; And whereas the Government of Canada committed 328-million over 5 years beginning in 2018, and 100-million annually thereafter to tackle the increase in gun related violence and

Whereas financial investments form a critical part of the activities of a municipality, providing a source of revenues for capital expenditures and to offset cash flow fluctuations; And whereas allowable investment parameters as laid out in the Community Charter is considered a prescribed set of legislated guidelines; And whereas the Provinces of Alberta and Ontario have implemented a wider scope for local government investment, which responds to the needs of local governments of all sizes: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to amen

Whereas Part 1, Article 1.4.1.2 of the BC Building Code 2018 provides that the maximum size of a secondary suite is limited to the lesser of 90 m2 970 sf or 40 of the total floor area of the single family residence in which it is located; And whereas for many homeowners, restricting the floor area to a fixed maximum of 90 m2 970 sf presents design challenges and adds cost to the construction of a secondary suite, particularly where the cellar floor area exceeds the fixed maximum; And whereas this restriction also excludes secondary suites as a housing option for larger households and th

Whereas the Local Government Act and the Community Charter require that all Public Notices be published in a newspaper; And whereas printed newspapers are no longer the only or most effective means of giving Public Notice: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the provincial government amend the Local Government Act and the Community Charter to allow statutorily required Public Notices to be published using a variety of media channels, including but not limited to: newspapers, social media, web sites and online advertising, as long as reasonably equivalent or better reach than that