2025

Whereas communities across BC are facing significant increase in calls to respond to emergency medical incidents; And whereas this increase in calls can be directly attributed to the prehospital patient care provided by fire departments in response to the opioid crisis and limited resources of the Provincial BC Ambulance Service; And whereas many first responder agencies have signed agreements to provide this service without any financial funding to support the increased service requests required in their communities: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the provincial government to de

Whereas inflation, rising equipment costs, and increasing officer salaries have made the existing cost sharing formulas and RCMP costs unsustainable for local governments; And whereas local governments have no ability to negotiate or regulate the rising costs: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province to work with local governments to develop a new RCMP funding framework that gradually increases the cost-share rate for local governments.

Whereas communities across British Columbia face increasing flood risks due to climate change, extreme weather events, and aging dike infrastructure currently present an unacceptable level of risk to many communities necessitating proactive flood protection measures; And whereas in 2024 the province put forward From Flood Risk to Resilience: a BC Flood Strategy to 2035 that highlights the need for adaptive and practical flood risk management solutions, yet many local governments face financial constraints that prevent them from fully upgrading dikes to provincial standards which require co

Whereas UBCM, its members, and the province of BC have advocated for, and implemented programs, projects, and investment to support a just, equitable, safe, and welcoming society; And whereas political extremism that proposes isolation, exclusion, and division is attempting to gain foothold globally, threatening the values we hold dearly: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM and its members reiterate their unwavering commitment to a just, equitable, safe, welcoming society; And be it further resolved that UBCM encourage the Province of BC to do the same.

Whereas a sufficient supply of industrial land in all categories i.e. production, distribution, repair, manufacturing, transportation, trade-enabling, warehouse, wholesale, etc.

Whereas public lands are often required to support the delivery of publicly funded affordable and attainable rental housing; And whereas the process of securing or modifying lands controlled or previously granted by the Province to support publicly funded housing projects remains convoluted and extremely lengthy and has not been addressed in the recent provincial efforts to streamline provincial permitting for housing under PermitConnectBC: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province establish a streamlined pathway to expedite the public-owned land grants and related titl

Whereas the Province of BC passed Bill 44 Housing Statues Residential Development Amendment Act in 2023 to reduce zoning barriers for small-scale multi-unit housing and required municipalities to update Official Community Plans and zoning bylaws to allow for increased densification; And whereas private common-law covenants on land titles can be out of alignment with updated Bill 44 zoning and leads to regulatory confusion and barriers to achieving Bill 44 objectives: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province work on a mechanism to override or neutralize outdated common

Whereas more than three years have passed after the November 2021 atmospheric river emergency with an estimated 8.7 - 14.2B in economic losses; And whereas flood security in the Lower Fraser has not been addressed and the Province is not advancing the BC Flood Strategy; And whereas our communities, in the Fraser Valley, are committed to collaborating with First Nations to reduce flood risk in line with the Sendai Framework and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask that the Province supports the BC Flood Strategy by investing in f

Whereas regional districts in British Columbia are responsible for providing only a limited number of mandated services, including emergency management for electoral areas, regional solid waste planning, and governance for electoral areas, as outlined in the Local Government Act; And whereas many small municipalities lack the financial and staff resources necessary to effectively undertake emergency planning and response, including the ability to operationalize an Emergency Operations Centre during a crisis, leaving them vulnerable during major emergencies or disasters: Therefore be it re

Whereas the housing crisis in British Columbia is influenced by both insufficient housing supply and escalating demand pressures, leading to affordability challenges and housing insecurity that forces many individuals and families into unsafe and precarious living conditions, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation and victimization; And whereas preventive strategies, including the provision of adequate supports and access to portable rental subsidies, are essential to maintain housing stability and prevent homelessness: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of Britis