Whereas public wharves and docks are critical transportation links for people, supplies, and emergency services in coastal communities, and there is a lack of coordinated provincial and federal priority setting and funding to support and maintain critical connectivity along BCs 25,000 kilometres of coastline; And whereas the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is responsible for maintaining the roads leading to public ports and continues to approve subdivision applications for water-only access residential developments; And whereas evolving transportation technology and climate change requires a complete reconsideration of the design of small ports to meet future needs: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the provincial government to fund the creation of engineering best practices for building ports to meet future transportation needs and climate resilience and provide financial support for the primary access ports.
Ministry of Transportation and Transit The Ministry of Transportation and Transit recognizes the vital role that public wharves and docks play in supporting connectivity for coastal communities. These facilities provide essential access for residents, emergency services, and goods movement, and are especially important in unincorporated or remote locations. Public marine infrastructure in British Columbia primarily falls under the jurisdiction of federal government or local port authority. Transport Canada issues regulations on the operation of marine infrastructure, particularly for docks used for commercial, industrial, and ferry operations. BCs resilient transportation network incorporates coastal and inland ferries, which leverage terminal and other infrastructure as part of their operation. In coastal areas, terminal infrastructure is owned, designed and managed by BC Ferries to support delivery of the Coastal Ferry Services Contract while in inland areas, the BC Transportation Finance Authority owns and maintains the assets as part of the broader road network. When developing or upgrading marine infrastructure under the ministrys responsibility, we rely on industry best practices and qualified professional engineers to deliver context-sensitive, fit-for-purpose solutions tailored to each site. In response to climate change, the ministry is developing a risk and vulnerability assessment methodology for use across the provincial highway system to identify which roads are most essential to community access, goods movement, and emergency responseincluding those that connect to marine facilities. The ministry supports integrated, resilient transportation systems and recognizes the role marine infrastructure plays alongside road, air, and transit systems. The ministry has launched PlanningTogetherBC to help focus investments across all modes of transportation and to align land use planning and transportation in BC.