Whereas the Province of British Columbia does not have reliable modernized call for service systems or channels for the Ministry of Environment Report All Poacher and Polluters RAPP Line, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Agricultural Land Commission, or the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure; And whereas the lack of a reliable call for service system or channels creates public confusion, frustration, and safety concerns over service level expectations due to a lack of communication regarding queue status, outcome of reporting feedback, or additional follow-up: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the provincial government to modernize call for service systems by implementing a variety of contact channels, including digital interfaces, and establish service level expectations amongst the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural Land Commission, and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to support customer service.
Ministry of Environment and Parks The Province is committed to supporting local governments and citizens in accessing provincial supports and services. The following information from the Ministry of Environment and Parks, the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship outlines existing systems and channels, as well as planned initiatives and improvements. Conservation Officer Service: The Report All Poachers and Polluters RAPP program is a 247 hotline and online reporting service. The public can report, either by phone or via an online form, known or suspected violations of fisheries, wildlife, or environmental protection laws. The RAPP line also receives reports of bear, cougar, coyote, and wolf attacks against people that result in injury or death, and other human-wildlife conflicts where public safety may be at risk and also provides call intake for the Ministry of Forests Natural Resource Officers, who protect BCs land, forests, water and cultural resource values. Averaging approximately 50,000 calls per year, the RAPP line is the main call intake line for the Conservation Officer Service, a law enforcement agency. Calls are handled by dispatchers and triaged with public safety as the highest priority. Not every RAPP report receives a return call from a Conservation Officer, but that does not mean it has not been reviewed and actioned as appropriate. For example, a report of an animal sighting may only be logged, while most violation reports receive callbacks from an officer to explain the next steps, if appropriate. Other reports may trigger different types of responses which may not include direct follow-up with callers. Due to the high volume of calls, individualized follow-up with each call would not be efficient regarding costs and resources. A monthly snapshot of human-wildlife conflict calls received via the RAPP line can be found here: https:tinyurl.com56kx8tej Ministry of Transportation and Transit The Ministry of Transportation and Transit maintains and continues to invest in digital interfaces and call for service systems on behalf of the travelling public and commercial industry. DriveBC.ca, the provincial highway traveler information website, includes an email for general public feedback which is monitored during regular business hours. The public can subscribe to receive updates via emails, tweets or RSS feeds from the main page of the DriveBC link. The DriveBC website also hosts the Report a Highway Problem feature, which is a 247 service portal to help the travelling public identify a highway problem and connect directly with the maintenance contractor responsible for that area. DriveBC also uses X to communicate current highway events and closures directly with the travelling public. Additionally, the ministry operates a Facebook page and an X account to communicate with the public on more general ministry work. These social platforms are monitored during regular business hours, with an option to use direct message for specific concerns requiring response. The ministrys Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement CVSE website includes a Report Commercial Vehicle Safety Violations hotline number, located at the top of the CVSE.ca homepage, to provide a direct line of contact with CVSE regarding commercial vehicle safety concerns province wide. The ministry is also actively investing in modernizing the electronic Development Approvals System which will improve the efficiency and speed of processing development related applications under MOTTs jurisdiction, with anticipated rollout in April 2026. Ministry of Agriculture and Food The Ministry of Agriculture and Food operates a series of service lines and information hubs. Agricultural Land Commission ALC Local 604-660-7000 Long distance through Enquiry BC 1-800-663-7867 ALCBurnabyVictoria1.gov.bc.ca Plant and Animal Health Branch PAHB Local 604-556-3003 Toll-free 1-800-661-9903 PAHBgov.bc.ca Office of the Chief Veterinarian OCV AgriService BC 1-888-221-7141 AgriServiceBCgov.bc.ca Local 604-556-3003 Toll-free 1-800-661-9903 Chief.Veterinariangov.bc.ca Food Safety Inspection Branch FSIB AgriService BC 1-888-221-7141 AgriServiceBCgov.bc.ca AgriService BC website BC Meat Inspection bcmeatinspectiongov.bc.ca Business Risk Management Branch BRM AgriService BC 1-888-221-7141 AgriServiceBCgov.bc.ca AgriService BC website Extension Support Services Branch ESSB: The AgriService BC website completed interim updates for accessibility and useability utilizing a service design approach. Both internal and external clients were consulted. AgriService BC - Province of British Columbia - The updated website now encompasses an online events calendar that informs clients of knowledge transfer events taking place in their regions among other improvements. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food website is currently completing a full redesign utilizing a service blueprint with the goal of providing a stronger self-service client experience. The AgriService BC Facebook page was launched in July 2023 and now has 1,900 followers and continues to grow, sharing information about Ministry programs, resources and regional events. In May 2024, the provincial AgriService BC e-Bulletin shifted its focus to a regional approach. There are now nine regional e-Bulletins providing regionally relevant, monthly information to 2,665 readers and this number continues to grow each month. In May 2023, the AgriService BC video series was launched. Videos provide clients with BC applicable information that are accessible, support adult learning styles, and foster an agriculture producer and food processor community within the province. The above initiatives combined with the existing 1-800 number provide a robust communications strategy for providing relevant information in a timely and accessible way to empower clients to take control of their own learning and improve their operations productivity. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship FrontCounter BC: FrontCounter BC is a single point of contact service to help people learn about and apply for licences, permits, registrations and other authorizations required to utilize the Provinces natural resources. FrontCounter BC sits within the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship WLRS and delivers service on behalf of 8 partner agencies for 160 authorization types. FrontCounter BC delivers services to people across multiple service channels: - Natural Resource Online Services website - Toll-free Contact Centre phone, email, and instant messaging - 30 in-person office locations FrontCounter BC is continually striving to modernize services and improve the client experience. A few current examples are: - Replacing the Natural Resource Online Services website which will improve the client experience by ensuring easier navigation, searchability and accessibility to be launched summer 2025. - Exploring the use of an AI chatbot to assist clients. - Working on adopting the BC Services Card Authentication Service BCSC log in to replace Personal BCeID s which are being retired this summer. BCeID does not require users to verify their identity before accessing a service. The BCSC is recommended for services requiring high identity assurance.