2023

Whereas the Province has designated municipalities as diking authorities and established a wide range of authoritative powers over them including requirements to fully administer and resource ongoing dike maintenance, flood protection planning, monitoring, inspection, as well as to substantively fund disaster prevention and relief initiatives; And whereas the Province of BC completed a Preliminary Strategic Climate Risk Assessment for BC in 2019 that found that extreme weather events will continue to worsen across the province in coming years including heat waves and severe river flooding

Whereas vulnerable tenants are evicted from low-costs rental homes for redevelopment purposes; And whereas there are insufficient protections within the Residential Tenancy Act for tenants to be re-homed in the redeveloped properties they were evicted from: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Government of British Columbia enable legislative changes to require developers who evict residents from low-cost rental homes to allow tenants right of first refusal to return to the developed property at either their rental rate at time of eviction or a discounted rental rate; And

Whereas local governments across the Province of BC face an unprecedented housing crisis; And whereas local governments have limited revenue and capability to address the crisis; And whereas the Province of BC has made it their priority to provide attainable and affordable housing for all BC communities: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the provincial government of British Columbia to work collaboratively with local governments and establish a model that provides provincial funding equal or greater in value to any donated land a local government contributes for the purpose of att

Whereas the 1.0 hectare policyguideline, which prevents the construction of additional housing on properties of less than one hectare without attaching to a community sewerage system, is nearly twenty years old; And whereas technology and construction standards for septic systems has advanced since the policyguideline was put into place; And whereas there are many rural area small holding properties that lend themselves to densification without harming the delicate agricultural balance, which in time could assist to reduce the critical housing shortage: Therefore be it resolved that UBC

Whereas there is a lack of publicly funded, evidence-based and accredited treatment options and outpatient services, including managed withdrawal detox and aftercare supports, while ensuring a variety of treatment options to support individual and family needs: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the Province of British Columbia to urgently provide a substantial increase and investment into affordable, accessible on demand withdrawal management and substance use treatment programs building on existing community supports with diverse, culturally appropriate, recovery driven transition

Whereas in rural and remote areas ambulances are not able to get to medical calls in a timely manner because of distances travelled and members of community fire departments are able to arrive on scene much more quickly; And whereas when first on scene first responders of community fire departments can assist the ambulance team by accessing the patient, gathering information, taking vitals and packaging the patient prior to the ambulances arrival; And whereas community fire departments are funded through local government taxes while BC Emergency Health Services are funded through provinc

Whereas the Ministry of Health committed in 2020 that supporting local health care is key to improving life in rural British Columbia in response to resolution 2020NR64 Kaslo; And whereas Emergency Departments in communities across BC have had multiple short notice closures due to staff absences since that reply was issued; And whereas a shortage of physicians and nursing staff has led to residents being unable to register for primary healthcare and become reliant on Emergency Departments for both emergencies and also issues that could not be dealt with earlier; And whereas rural andor n

Whereas the Ministry of Health works together with a provincial health authority, five regional health authorities, and a First Nations health authority to provide high quality, appropriate and timely health services to British Columbians; And whereas most British Columbia hospitals are over capacity and demand for hospital care is at an all-time high; And whereas all hospitals care for many types of injuries and emergency conditions ranging from minor to severe, but not all Health Centers are designated as a Trauma Center resulting in patients travelling long distances for minor trauma a

Whereas the investment in primary care is consistent with the strategic direction of the Ministry of Health and supports a team-based primary care model; And whereas new physicians are choosing team based health and provincial incentives are targeting new graduates who want to work with teams of other clinicians; And whereas the approval of new Rural Growth Plans and expansion of their Primary Care Networks includes capital funding to help streamline access to primary care for patients and families: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Ministry of Health to provide additional fund

Whereas additional mental health and substance use programs and associated funding is needed to meet the complex needs of people living with challenges in BC communities that has contributed to an unprecedented level of deaths, poverty, criminal activity, social disorder, stress on first responders and health care professionals contributing to increased pressure on hospitals; And whereas the lack of innovative models to treat patients with severe, complex mental health and substance misuse conditions has contributed to a health care and safety crisis in communities, urban and rural, throu