2026

Whereas road crashes in British Columbia have increased steadily over the past five years, killing an average of 22 children and seriously injuring 380 more every year, with vulnerable road users - people walking, cycling, rolling, and using personal mobility devices - facing disproportionate risk; And whereas the BC Active Transportation BCAT Infrastructure Grants Program provided approximately 20 million annually in cost-shared funding for sidewalks, crosswalks, protected bike lanes, traffic calming, and safer routes to schools, generating over seven dollars in total project investment

Whereas BCs Motor Vehicle Act and associated regulations currently inhibit the ability of seniors and people with disabilities to be active, independent, and engaged by prohibiting the use of wheelchairs and 3 and 4 wheel mobility scooters on municipal bike and roll lanes and routes; And whereas many groups including the Council of Senior Citizens Organizations of BC and the BC Cycling Coalition are calling for an update to the provincial legislation to clearly allow the use of wheelchairs and 3 and 4 wheel mobility scooters on bike and roll routes: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM advo

Whereas the Provincial Government of British Columbia announced in Budget 2026 its intention to expand the Provincial Sales Tax to a wide range of professional services impacting municipal prosperity; And whereas local governments, businesses, and residents are already struggling with unaffordability and the cost of living in the current economic climate and the proposed expansion will have the effect of increasing costs to local governments and therefore the businesses and residents that they serve: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Provincial Government of British Columbia to e

Whereas the Province of British Columbia has announced an expansion of the Provincial Sales Tax PST program scheduled for implementation on October 1, 2026, which will broaden the application of PST to goods and services commonly procured by local governments; And whereas local governments are significant purchasers of construction, infrastructure, and operational services, and the expanded PST will result in increased project and operating costs; And whereas local governments have limited revenue tools, with property taxation being the primary source of funding, and cannot absorb addit

Whereas the Province of British Columbia has announced the expansion of Provincial Sales Tax PST to include professional services such as engineering, accounting, legal, and consulting services that local governments are required to obtain to meet legislative obligations and deliver infrastructure and services; And whereas local governments cannot recover PST and will incur significant unbudgeted cost increases, particularly to smaller communities that rely more heavily on external professional services, resulting in increased property taxes and additional financial burden on local taxpaye

Whereas the Government of British Columbias 2026 Budget expands the application of the Provincial Sales Tax PST to a broader range of services, including professional services such as engineering, architectural, and related advisory services that are routinely required by local governments to deliver core infrastructure and services; And whereas local governments have limited revenue tools and are already facing significant financial pressures related to infrastructure renewal, climate adaptation, housing delivery, and regulatory compliance, and unmitigated application of the expanded PST

Whereas the lack of safe, adequate, and affordable housing remains a foundational barrier to progress on persistent health, public safety, and social challenges across British Columbia; And whereas siloed approaches across the health, justice, social, and housing sectors have limited the effectiveness of interventions addressing complex, interrelated social issues; And whereas the Province of British Columbia and UBCM renewed a Memorandum of Understanding 2021 committing the Province to communicate with UBCM and local governments on key Indigenous issues as an extension of its unanimous a

Whereas the Aboriginal Housing Management Association AHMA has requested provincial support to create an Indigenousled, crosssector housing alliance to improve collaboration, strengthen service integration, and shape longterm housing strategies rooted in Indigenous knowledge and selfdetermination; And whereas Indigenousserving housing providers across British Columbia are required to address increasingly complex social issuessuch as lifeskills development, tenancy stabilization, and responses to tenancy breachesdespite not receiving adequate, sustained funding to support these services: T

Whereas current mosquito control methods by local governments in British Columbia rely on costly helicopter and ground applications of federally approved larvicides to improve quality of life for its residents; And whereas Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems RPAS offer a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and efficient alternative for aerial larvicide application; And whereas British Columbia currently lacks a provincial certification process for RPAS in pest management, thereby preventing local governments from adopting this technology: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the P

Whereas people and communities in British Columbia live alongside black bears and grizzly bears and require resources for proactive conflict prevention measures to ensure human safety and species conservation; And whereas BCs BearSmart Community Program lacks a provincial coordinator and funding to support community efforts to address the root-causes of human-bear conflicts: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of BC reinstate a provincial coordinator for the BearSmart Community Program and provide financial resources for effective implementation to support community-ba