Thursday Session Descriptions

Presenters:
Oliver Grüter-Andrew, President & CEO, E-Comm 9-1-1
Craig Hodge, Councillor, City of Coquitlam
Danyta Welch, Manager, Local Government Program Services, UBCM
Ivan Rincon, Executive Director, Project Management, Ministry of Citizens' Services
Jeffrey Smith , Managing Consultant - Regulatory Affairs, TELUS
Presentation

Details:  Next Generation 9-1-1 improvements are coming to B.C. The Province has provided $150 million to assist local governments with implementation of these federally-mandated improvements. Join representatives from E-Comm 9-1-1, UBCM, the Province and TELUS to learn more about what the project means for your communities, the status of the technology improvements underway, the timeframes and costs, and the funding available to assist local governments with transition and planning costs related to the project.

Discussion topics include: what the new technology will enable; impacts of the new system on future 9-1-1 operating costs for local governments; Local Governing Authority agreements with TELUS to implement the system; and what you as local governments can do to prepare.

Presenters:
Nicole Vukosavljevic, Director, Digital Delivery, Ministry of Housing
Megan Williams, Director, Tactical Solutions, Ministry of Water Land and Resource Stewardship
Presentation

Details:  The Province is working with partners across the housing development sector to speed up housing-related permits and improve the service experience for homeowners, builders and developers. The Ministry of Housing & the Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship will present on initiatives to digitize and automate the building permit process, and the ongoing collaboration and coordination of Natural Resource Ministry permitting for a more streamlined experience. 

Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions, share ideas, and provide feedback . The Ministry of Housing will discuss upcoming pilot opportunities related to digital building permits and digital innovation in the housing construction sector and the Ministry of Water Land and Resource Stewardship will discuss the Single Housing Application Service Launch, the Navigator Service and the Single Window approach for Natural Resource authorizations.

Throughout the tour, guests will have an up-close view of the Port of Vancouver’s major marine terminals operating in the Burrard Inlet, from Stanley Park to the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows crossing. Narration will be provided about key infrastructure and landmarks. You will also learn about the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s land, water, and air protection initiatives along the way. Refreshments and light snacks will be served.

Participants should meet in the VCC East Building Lobby (across from the info desk) at 1:00 PM.  The tour will depart at 1:30 PM.

Please note, there is no fee to attend this tour, however, there is a capacity limit and it was included as an option on the registration form.

Delegates will join Takaya Tours for a two-hour guided tour, split between paddling in ocean-going canoes and walking through Whey-ah-Wichen (Faces the Wind) Park.  

Experience interpretive paddles in replica ocean-going canoes, similar to those used by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation historically and listen to ancient knowledge and wisdom of traditional methods used for identifying and harvesting indigenous flora and fauna while guides from the Coast Salish Nation sing songs, tell legends and point out ancient village sites.  

Delegates will meet at 1:30 PM outside the Sechelt Room of the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel.  The bus will depart promptly at 1:45 PM.  The tour will take place between 2:30 - 4:30 PM, and then delegates will be transported back to the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel.

How to prepare for your tour:

• Sun-block, hat, sunglasses.
• Water, snack.
• Wear comfortable attire, no dress shoes.
• We live on the west-coast so we may get wet, you may need to bring a rain jacket.
• To record your memories, it's a great idea to bring your camera. But it is suggested to either have a wet/dry bag for it or a ziplock bag.

Please note there is a fee to attend this tour, and it was included on the Convention registration form.  

Presenters:
Doug Gilchrist, CAO, City of Kelowna
Jazz Pabla, Director of Information Services, City of Kelowna
Mike Palmer, Chief Information Officer, City of Victoria
John Weigelt, National Technology Officer - AI Ethics, Microsoft
Bryan Sawers, Manager of Business Solutions, Land Title Survey Authority of BC
Sonia Hobbs, Director of Business Solutions, Land Title Survey Authority of BC
Presentation

Details: Join this interactive session on digital transformation to learn how new technologies can be adopted by municipalities to unlock data insights, improve service and expedite approvals.

Hear from the City of Kelowna and City of Victoria on how they are pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) to help expedite housing permit approvals. By leveraging new technologies, Kelowna is automating and digitizing service delivery that improves residents’ experience with the City.

Microsoft will review the ethics behind AI and why it is important.

LTSA will share their vision for an information platform that improves transparency and efficiency of the real property market, by connecting data and workflows across multiple touchpoints of housing development and land use.

Session includes a guided discovery exercise on how you can prepare your organization for the world of technology and how cities can deploy AI solutions, including governance guardrails.

Presenters:
Her Honour, Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of BC
Brian Frenkel, Councillor, City of Vanderhoof
Mehrdad Hairiri, Founder and CEO, The Canadian Science Policy Centre
Francesca Fionda, Lieutenant Governor’s BC Journalism Fellowship, Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Noor Delati, Urban Forestry student, UBC

Details: The Honourable Janet Austin, the Lieutenant Governor of BC, is pleased convene this panel to promote and encourage a dynamic exchange of ideas and scientific findings, to foster conversations between community leaders on the challenges of climate change at the most local level.  Adapting to climate change and protecting our communities from its devastating impacts, requires the utmost coordination and collaboration among our institutions, organizations, all levels of government, and citizenry. The urgent need for climate resiliency to be built into our future infrastructure and community planning, in an equitable and accessible way, is critical to the safety and well-being in communities of all sizes. This panel discussion seeks to explore the concept of collaborative resiliency, through the voices of leaders from research and non-profit organizations together, who share their experiences and knowledge to promote shared and accessible approaches adaptation, mitigation, and resilience strategies.

Presenters:
Vanessa Craig, Chair, Regional District of Nanaimo, and Electoral Area Director for Gabriola, Mudge, and DeCourcy Islands
John Jack, Chair, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, and Chief, Huu-ay-aht First Nation
Don Lidstone, K.C., Managing Partner, Lidstone & Company
Jason Lum, Chair, Fraser Valley Regional District, and Councillor, City of Chilliwack
Presentation

Details: The Local Government Act is a regular topic of discussion at UBCM with at least 232 Resolutions requesting changes to the Act submitted over the last 20 years. The Resolutions address the imbalance between the powers of municipalities and regional districts; the importance of recognizing First Nations’ participation in regional governance; and reflect social, political, economic, and ecological changes in our regions.

This interactive, discussion-based session will foster a province-wide conversation and will:

• Determine interest in a legislative reform initiative;

• Discuss next steps including a potential resolution to create a UBCM working group to shepherd the legislative reform initiative or a project where local governments contribute funding to collaborate;

• Discuss process and timeline for advancing the initiative; and

• Create a list of priorities to be addressed.

Presenters:
Emanuel Machado, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Resilience Officer, Town of Gibsons, BC
Isabel Gordon, Director, Financial Services, District of West Vancouver
Kim Fowler, Manager, Long Range Planning, Sustainability and Energy, Regional District of Nanaimo
Roy Brooke, Executive Director, Natural Assets Initiative
Presentation

Details: What would communities look like if they worked with nature, not against it, to deliver critical services — using asset management processes they are adopting anyway?

Developed in BC, natural asset management (NAM) provides some answers. NAM is allowing more and more local governments to build sustainable, resilient and beautiful communities amidst budget cuts, ageing infrastructure and climate disruptions.

Facilitated by the Town of Gibson’s Emanuel Machado, this workshop brings together a cross-section of BC municipal practitioners to share how they’re: integrating nature into everyday decision-making; navigating barriers to natural asset management and delivering cost-effective and reliable services. National perspectives will also be provided by the Natural Assets Initiative. Find out why & how NAM is growing in BC and how your community can benefit.

Presenters:
Honourable Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines & Low Carbon Innovation
Rebecca Abernethy, Manager, Clean Transportation Action Plan, Ministry of Energy, Mines & Low Carbon Innovation
Kate Berniaz, Director, Climate / Active Transportation, Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure
Presentation

Details: The Province is releasing a Clean Transportation Action Plan in 2023, describing how B.C. is working toward its GHG reduction targets in the transportation sector across five areas: reducing vehicle kilometres travelled; shifting to efficient modes; increasing vehicle efficiency; zero-emission vehicles; and cleaner fuels.

This session will cover what the Province has heard, to date, from local governments and Indigenous communities, funding programs in support of clean transportation, and present example clean transportation actions that communities are taking. It will also be an opportunity to discuss policies and programs in clean transportation, with the ability to provide further input.

This is a joint session from the Ministries of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, and Transportation and Infrastructure, in collaboration with the Ministries of Environment (Climate Action Secretariat) and Housing.