UBCM News

 

The Union of B.C. Municipalities intends to apply to the B.C. Supreme Court for intervenor status in a lawsuit brought against the Province of B.C. by the Harm Reduction Nurses Association challenging the legality of the Province’s Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act.

The act, which received Royal Assent in November 2023 but which has not yet been brought into force, bans the use of illicit drugs in certain public and recreation-focused spaces including:

Infrastructure is a significant part of local government service delivery but is often underappreciated or overlooked by the public. This year’s theme for Local Government Awareness Week—May 12-18, 2024—invites local governments to tell the infrastructure story of their community or region, and the steps that are being taken to ensure sustainable service delivery.

The Act that incorporates UBCM will be updated to better reflect the diversity of our membership and address out-of-date provisions. The Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act (2024) will replace the word “municipalities” in the preamble to the UBCM Act with “local governments”. UBCM’s name will not be changing.

Since its inception in 2005, the Canada Community-Building Fund has delivered over $4.6 billion in federal funding for local infrastructure in British Columbia. With the current administrative agreement set to expire on March 31, UBCM, the Province and the Government of Canada are continuing discussions on the long-term renewal of this program.

A report prepared by BC Stats shows that British Columbia’s population growth rate has surged over the past three years due to higher national immigration targets. Nearly 150,800 migrants came to the province in 2022, roughly 52,000 of whom were permanent immigrants. In 2023 the population of BC experienced an annual growth rate above 3%, marking the highest annual increase since the 1970s.

The newly released 2024 UBCM Calendar has incorrectly noted the date of Local Government Awareness Week as May 19-25. The correct date is May 12-18, 2024; Asset Management Awareness Day is Wednesday, May 15, 2024.

Please mark the correct date on any physical 2024 UBCM calendars in your office, and use May 12-18 as you begin planning for Local Government Awareness Week in your communities.