2025

Whereas British Columbias natural gas sector has taken significant actions to address emissions, including a 47 reduction in methane emissions from 2014 to 2021, while continuing to grow production and economic contributions; And whereas a sectoral emissions cap would restrict upstream natural gas production, discourage investment, and shift development to jurisdictions with weaker environmental regulations, resulting in job losses and no meaningful net reduction in global emissions: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to not implement a sectoral emissions c

Whereas electrification of industrial operations presents an opportunity to help meet British Columbias climate objectives and grow British Columbias resource sectors; And whereas inadequate grid capacity, slow interconnection processes, and high industrial power rates are major barriers to electrification, delaying projects and increasing costs: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to expand grid capacity, streamline interconnection processes, and ensure competitive industrial power rates to support industrial electrification.

Whereas land-use uncertainty, cumulative effects policies, and lengthy permitting timelines delay resource projects, discourage investment, and limit economic opportunities for communities across British Columbia; And whereas an efficient and predictable permitting process is necessary to support responsible resource development while ensuring certainty for communities and industry: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to streamline land-use and permitting processes by ensuring timely decision-making, aligning cumulative effects policies with economic priorit

Whereas the small water systems in rural British Columbia, which are administered by local governments, provide essential services to rural residents and communities, yet they face unsustainable financial burdens due to the high costs of water treatment systems, ongoing maintenance, and replacing aging infrastructure, which can amount to millions of dollars; And whereas it is not possible for rural residents and communities to finance these systems through local taxation alone, threatening the viability of these water systems and the communities they serve, while also posing a significant

Whereas recent legislation supporting watershed governance, and the 2024 NDP-Green Party Accord recognize the importance of local knowledge around water management; And whereas well established multi-interest watershed health organizations are working throughout BC to restore watershed ecosystems from past excessive resource exploitation, and future proof them to adapt to climate impacts: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the provincial government share a portion of natural resource royalty income to provide financial support to local watershed governance organizations.

Whereas community based ecological knowledge, combined with scientific data and understanding is the best way to plan for climate adaptation; And whereas future forest and water management must protect and restore ecosystem services to ensure a resilient and biodiverse landscape: Therefore be it that UBCM request that the provincial government establish and empower collaborative landscape level planning tables with the goal to restore biodiverse climate resilient ecosystems.

Whereas it has been identified that there are inaccuracies in the assessed values of properties which may have a negative effect on the tax revenue generated on the property values, and staff of municipalities and regional districts are potentially in the best position to assist BC Assessment with identifying the need for a review and revision of assessed property values; And whereas BC Assessment is responsible for assessing over 2 million properties in British Columbia as of July 1 each year, with only three offices in Northern BC, which may limit the capacity for thorough and timely ass

Whereas Highway 97 is a very significant provincial highway that is critical to the continued economic prosperity of Northern and Central BC and all British Columbia; And whereas Highway 97 is at a considerable and growing risk level for extended delays due to aged-out highway infrastructure in Quesnel, and unacceptable construction delays in the future based on the current plans by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure: Therefore be it resolved that NCLGA lobby the provincial government to commit capital financing to complete the Quesnel North-South Interconnector project.

Whereas the stresses faced by local elected officials are increasing due to a degradation in the tone of civil discourse; And whereas additional mental health supports for local elected officials would be beneficial beyond what is provided by the Medical Services Plan and extended health plans: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call upon the provincial government to implement initiatives that offer mental health supports tailored to the needs of local elected leaders in British Columbia.

Whereas local government elected officials are required to attend meetings, conventions, and conferences to perform their official duties, often requiring absences from their place of employment to do so; And whereas there are no provisions in provincial or federal employment legislation for local elected officials to allow them to take such absences as required to perform their official duties: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government for amendments to the Employment Standards Act to include unpaid leave of absence provisions to protect the employment of elected