((xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C.)) The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) and its member organizations joined with the Union of BC Municipalities today to call on the Province to withdraw Bill 15 – the…
Last week mayors, chairs, elected chiefs and CAOs joined with Minister Bowinn Ma in a conference call regarding Bill 15, Infrastructure Projects Act. The call provided an opportunity for the Province to provide information about the Bill and respond to questions.
The…
The Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs is seeking local government feedback on possible amendments to closed meeting provisions in the local government legislation. Two webinars in June will provide information about the possible amendments, and an opportunity for local…
With the retirement last year of UBCM’s Marie Crawford, a new appointment to the Board of Examiners has been made. Jared Wright, UBCM’s General Manager of Policy and Advocacy, is now the UBCM representative to the board. Marie was a longstanding member of the BOE, and we thank…
The first intake for the Strategic Priorities Fund under the new 2024-2034 CCBF agreement is now open for applications. This intake will make $125 million in funding available for eligible applicants.
The Strategic Priorities Fund is designed for infrastructure and capacity-…
Earlier this week, Bill 15 (Infrastructure Projects Act) passed second reading. Since UBCM’s initial commentary, Bill 15 continues to generate discussion concerning the powers it provides to the provincial cabinet to override local regulatory processes in order to fast-track…
BC Hydro is revising its Distribution Extension Policy to address challenges raised by local governments and developers about how costs are shared for new or upgraded connections to British Columbia’s electricity grid. These changes, which take effect July 5, 2025, are intended…
Local Government Program Services
Applications are currently being accepted for the following funding programs. A complete and chronological listing (by intake deadline) of currently offered Local Government Program Services grants is also available on the UBCM website.…
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA), supported by the Province of BC, is seeking local government and First Nations representatives to participate on a one-year technical subcommittee (TSC) that will develop modernized Flood Hazard Area Land Use Management Guidelines for BC…
Local Government Awareness Week starts on Sunday, May 11 and runs through to Saturday, May 17, 2025.
Given that infrastructure is such a significant part of local government service delivery but is often underappreciated or overlooked by the public, infrastructure is the…