Whereas UBCM, its members, and the province of BC have advocated for, and implemented programs, projects, and investment to support a just, equitable, safe, and welcoming society; And whereas political extremism that proposes isolation, exclusion, and division is attempting to gain foothold globally, threatening the values we hold dearly: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM and its members reiterate their unwavering commitment to a just, equitable, safe, welcoming society; And be it further resolved that UBCM encourage the Province of BC to do the same.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Ministry of Attorney General BC, like the rest of Canada, has witnessed a worrying rise in police-reported hate crimes and violent extremist events over the last several years. Threats to the electoral process through disinformation continues to be a challenge. Foreign state actors have actively targeted political figures and community leaders in BC, subjecting them to surveillance and harassment. The transnational repression of British Columbians by foreign state actors and targeting of political dissidents, activists and scholars is also an ongoing concern. The Ministry is developing a closer working relationship with the federal government on national security issues and is supportive of cooperating on continued educational efforts for provincial representatives, elected officials, and others to raise awareness of the ongoing threat to British Columbians by transnational repression. Through programs like Shift BC, the Ministry leads BCs response to all forms of extremism through case management, training and capacity building and coordinates with federal and provincial law enforcement partners for training on countering extremism and violence across the province. Government is committed to coordinated actions across ministries to address racism, including racism connected to political extremism, hate, and violence. The Anti-Racism Act, passed in 2024, provides a framework to identify, prevent, and address systemic racism across public bodies and to strengthen accountability for action. As part of this work, government has established province-wide supports such as the Racist Incident Helpline and the AntiHate Community Support Fund to assist individuals and communities affected by racism and hate-motivated incidents. Government is also developing the first Anti-Racism Action Plan, to be released on June 1, 2026. This plan will set out concrete actions across ministries to reduce racial harm, improve community safety, and address the social conditions that allow racism and extremism to take hold. The Provincial Committee on AntiRacism has already begun this work, with community consultations set to begin in 2026. The Province recognizes that building a just, equitable, safe, and welcoming society includes ensuring safety from gender-based violence. In May 2024, the Attorney General appointed Dr. Kim Stanton to conduct an independent review of how victims and survivors of intimate partner IPV and sexual violence SA are treated in the legal system. This report is now a roadmap for the Province to respond to the systemic crisis of IPV and SA. In December 2025, the Province reported that it has advanced work related to 13 of the 21 recommendations and identified three priority actions a policy framework; timely, appropriate and standardized screening, risk assessment and safety planning; and creation of an ongoing internal government accountability mechanism to ensure issues of IPV and SA are addressed. British Columbia has also advocated for changes to federal legislation to address gaps and to better protect and strengthen public safety. BC welcomed recent federal announcements on bail and sentencing reforms as well as proposed changes to the Criminal Code, which include new crimes of femicide and coercive control.