2025

Whereas recognizing housing as a human right fundamentally shifts government motivations by adding critical urgency and responsibility to ensure access to affordable housing meaning housing costs are aligned with income through policies that prevent homelessness, address the escalating housing and homelessness crisis, eliminate discrimination, and prioritize the needs of vulnerable and marginalized populations; And whereas the Government of Canada affirmed the right to housing as a matter of international law and enshrined it domestically through the National Housing Strategy Act 2019, rec

Whereas libraries in BC are primarily more than 90 funded by local governments, and the provincial governments share of library funding has been decreasing from 21 of total revenue collected by libraries in 1986 to 6 in 2022; And whereas the 14 million of core funding from the Province that covers all 71 library systems in BC has not increased since 2010 while the population of BC grew by 29 and overall inflation went up 36; And whereas libraries are doing more to assist provincial objectives for the economic and social health of communities including: providing information and servic

Whereas the Supported Child Development SCD program in British Columbia enables children with developmental and diverse abilities to participate in licensed childcare by providing consultation and funding for extra support staff; And whereas current SCD funding is inadequate to meet demand, resulting in waitlists, limited service delivery, and significant hardship for families: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM advocate to the Ministry of Children and Family Development urging increased funding to the Supported Child Development program to ensure: i.

Whereas the Province of British Columbia has yet to include the Village Model of housing in the Homes for People Action Plan as part of the housing continuum; And whereas the Village Model of housing has been replicated in communities across British Columbia and Canada as a proven, scalable strategy to rapidly meet the immediate shelter needs of the unhoused population including support services: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Province of BC to amend the Homes for People Action Plan to include the Village Model of housing as part of the housing continuum along with a mechanis

Whereas BC local governments over 5,000 in population that receive RCMP policing services are bound by the 20-year Municipal Police Unit Agreement, which expires in 2032; And whereas the process to negotiate new RCMP police services agreements is expected to begin soon, at a time when local governments are struggling to absorb rapidly increasing policing costs, placing significant pressure on local budgets: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province of BC and federal government directly involve UBCM and BC local governments as part of the process to negotiate new RCMP po

Whereas homelessness is a complex and multifaceted challenge that affects communities across BC, rural and urban, and there is a lack of a coordinated regional strategy and insufficient resources worsen this issue, leaving many vulnerable populations without adequate housing, and shelter; And whereas concentration of shelter beds and supportive housing can create unsustainable pressure on local resources and services in some communities while leaving other communities underserviced: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM advocate that the provincial government coordinate a regional approach t

Whereas Vancouver Island food production is both a insecure due to dependence on off-island processing facilities and the requirement to import feed, fertilizer and seed, and b of extreme importance to the well-being and safety of island inhabitants due to the fragility of the food distribution system and high cost of food; And whereas access to mainland markets and processing facilities remains the only economically viable alternative for some livestock and agricultural commodities and they can only be shipped through BC Ferries, and having to wait in ferry queues without access to water

Whereas forested-watershed communities face increasing risks of wildfire-related contamination of their drinking water sources due to the increasing impacts associated with climate change, with wildfires introducing ash, sediment, and other pollutants that can render water supplies unusable for extended periods; And whereas the cost of advanced water treatment infrastructure required to address such contamination far exceeds the financial capacity of small communities, leaving them vulnerable to prolonged water supply disruptions that pose significant public health and community sustainabi

Whereas Emergency Support Services ESS volunteers play a critical role in the provinces emergency response efforts, particularly in rural and remote areas; And whereas the BC Ombudspersons 2023 report on Emergency Support Services identifies gaps in legal protections, including job protection during activations, as well as appropriate compensation and training resources for ESS volunteers, which negatively affect recruitment, retention, and their capacity to respond during Emergency Operations Centre EOC activations: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Province of British Columbia

Whereas local governments in British Columbia are striving to meet the provinces waste diversion targets and comply with restrictions on recyclable materials entering landfills; And whereas the current Recycling Regulation under the Environmental Management Act does not explicitly require producers to design packaging to reduce waste volume or complexity, limiting Recycle BCs ability to enforce improvements in packaging design: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Ministry of Environment and Parks to amend the Recycling Regulation to explicitly require producers of packaging to