Advocacy

EB36 Greater Enforcement for Provincial Invasive Mussel Defence Program

Whereas the invasion of zebra and quagga mussels poses a serious threat to watercourses in British Columbia and the primary vector for invasive mussels is watercraft entering the province;

And whereas the provincial Invasive Mussel Defence Program (IMDP) is the first line of defence and remains grossly underfunded with less than 10 watercraft inspection stations throughout the province;

And whereas the Province has yet to introduce ‘pull-the-plug’ legislation, legislation that requires watercraft owners to clean, drain and dry their vessels or mandatory watercraft inspections for vessels entering British Columbia:

Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask that the Province increase funding for the IMDP, introduce legislation that requires watercraft owners to clean, drain and dry their vessels when entering BC and establish mandatory watercraft inspections to ensure the protection of our watercourses.

Provincial Response

Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship

Keeping B.C. waters free of invasive mussels is an ongoing priority for our government. Both the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (the Conservation Officer Service (COS) in particular) remain committed to the shared delivery of the Invasive Mussel Defence Program (IMDP) and its watercraft inspections, enforcement actions, lake monitoring, and education.

The Province will continue to monitor changes in information, knowledge, and threats, as well as collaborate with neighboring jurisdictions in Canada and the United States (U.S.) to ensure our prevention measures are commensurate to the risks posed by invasive mussels.

Regulatory tools to enforce ‘Clean, Drain, Dry’ such as Pull the Plug legislation has been identified for consideration in the current Wildlife Act review. We encourage recommendations to be submitted through the Wildlife Act review process (WildlifeActReview@gov.bc.ca).

IMDP funding relies on funding partners and fluctuates annually. In direct response, the Government of B.C. has either maintained or increased support in recent years, to maintain fundamental program operations. In 2023, financial support has come from B.C. Hydro, the Columbia Basin Trust, Columbia Power, and three B.C. ministries. Having your support in seeking funding increases is critical to our Ministries’ ability to work with funding partners to keep the IMDP a collective priority.

It is mandatory for anyone transporting a boat in B.C. to stop at an open inspection station along their travel route during the boating season, from April to October. Watercraft and related equipment include sailboats, motorboats, car toppers, kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards being transported.

NR41 Riparian Areas Protection Regulation Compliance

Whereas the Riparian Areas Protection Regulation regulates development within a riparian assessment area and a local government cannot approve a development application until an assessment report from a qualified environmental professional (QEP) has been submitted through the Riparian Areas Regulation Notification and approved by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship;

And whereas the Ministry response time to review QEP reports continues to increase, unreasonably delaying local government development and significantly impacting local economies;

And whereas the effectiveness of the Riparian Areas Protection Regulation relies on local government compliance which is compromised by the Ministry’s lack of resources and inability to respond in a timely manner:

Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province to grant local governments the authority to accept and review QEP reports for developments within its own jurisdiction.

Provincial Response

Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and Ministry of Forests

The Ministry has significantly improved the Riparian Area Protection Regulation (RAPR) program in the past year. We have cut ministry review response times from 8 months to 15-30 days. It is expected that these improvements will address many of your concerns.

Alternatively, local governments can use the 'Meet or Beat' approach outlined in RAPR Section 12(4)(b), bypassing provincial review if their bylaws meet or exceed standards. RAPR staff are available to support local governments who want to implement this approach. Please reach out to riparianareas@victoria1.gov.bc.ca for support.

EB65 Trans-Canada Highway Improvements

Whereas the Trans-Canada Highway is BC’s primary southern east-west corridor and is essential for trade and travel;

And whereas the 400-kilometre section of highway between Kamloops and the Alberta border is home of the most challenging terrain in Canada and is used by up to 12,000 vehicles a day;

And whereas in 2021 the Province committed to $837 million over the next three years to allow traffic to move more safely and efficiently within the corridor, however, several projects identified in the Provincial plan are not yet underway, including the deteriorating RW Bruhn Bridge that poses significant public safety concerns:

Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province initiate projects currently identified in the 2021 “Highway 1 - Kamloops to Alberta – Four-Laning” plan to improve the safety, reliability and capacity of the Trans-Canada Highway

Provincial Response

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Improving the safety, reliability and capacity of Highway 1 to the Alberta border is a priority for this government. This commitment was supported by Budget 2021, with $837 million being invested over the next three years on the Highway 1 four-laning program.

Construction is complete on the Illecillewaet Project near Revelstoke, the western segment of the Chase four-laning project near Chase and the western segment of the Salmon Arm West four-laning near Salmon Arm. Construction has begun on the Ford to Tappen project near Tappen.

Construction continues on the eastern segment of the Chase four-laning Project, the Quartz Creek Bridge Project, and the Kicking Horse Canyon Phase 4 project just recently reached substantial completion and opened to 4 lanes.

The province recently approved the Selkirk four-laning and the Jumping Creek to MacDonald project is now moving into the Request for Proposals phase of the contract.

The Bruhn Bridge project is a design bid-build project with a 2-phase procurement process. The project is currently in phase 1, Request for Qualifications, to pre-qualify constructors who will then be eligible to participate in phase 2, the project tender. The RFQ phase will complete in early 2024 with tender to follow.

Endorsed by the Southern Interior Local Government Association.

• 2023 SILGA Resolutions Book
• 2023 UBCM Resolutions Book
• 2023 UBCM Resolutions Disposition
• 2023 Provincial Responses

NR71 Paid Protestors

Whereas the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides that every person in Canada has the right to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly as part of a democratic nation;

And whereas lawful protests provide citizens the opportunity to express views and grievances for government to respond to;

And whereas individuals that are recruited and paid by organizations to protest on their behalf create a false perception of public opinion on matters of community interest:

Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the provincial government to investigate and lobby for the prohibition of organizations paying individuals to protest on their behalf.

Endorsed by the Southern Interior Local Government Association and Union of BC Municipalities.

• 2022 Resolution Decisions 

• 2022 UBCM Resolutions Book 

EB26 Protection of Waterways from Aquatic Invasive Species

Whereas Canada is home to 20 percent of the world’s fresh water, and the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) poses irreparable environmental, social and economic threats that will cost Canadian taxpayers billions of dollars in lost tourism and economic opportunities, and other unknown costs;

And whereas the spread of AIS is largely connected to human activity, including the unsafe transport of watercraft and floatplanes between bodies of water;

And whereas current government efforts through fines for failing to stop at a BC watercraft inspection station, there is a lack of specific provincial or federal regulation and enforcement that is directed at watercraft owners who fail to prevent the spread of AIS by cleaning, draining, and drying their watercraft before transport;

Therefore be it resolved that the provincial and federal governments adopt increased and stricter enforcement measures for watercraft and floatplane owners including the introduction of a significant fine for watercraft and floatplane owners that fail to clean, drain and dry their watercraft or floatplane before transporting it to another body of water and an increase in the fine issued to motorists who fail to stop and a watercraft inspection station.

Endorsed by the Southern Interior Local Government Association and Union of BC Municipalities.

EB27 Invasive Asian Clams

Whereas invasive Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) are known to threaten the natural biodiversity of lakes by competing with native species for sustenance and space, cause biofouling to water treatments systems, alter water chemistry, and potentially reduce the quality of drinking water;

And whereas the spread of Asian clams will have significant environmental, social, and economic consequences for our waterways, wildlife and communities;

And whereas the Controlled Alien Species Regulation exists under the Wildlife Act to enforce controls for species that pose a risk to people, property, wildlife, and wildlife habitat:

Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of British Columbia to designate invasive Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) as a Prohibited Aquatic Invasive Species under the Controlled Alien Species Regulation under the Wildlife Act.

Endorsed by the Southern Interior Local Government Association and Union of BC Municipalities.

NR42 Protection for Established Snowmobile Recreation Sites or Trails

Whereas many local governments and communities rely on the $299 million dollars the snowmobile industry provides to rural communities in British Columbia for economic stability and development;

And whereas, communities and snowmobile clubs care about maintaining existing meaningful Recreation Sites and Trails Partnership Agreements with the Province for respectful stewardship of the lands, and in particular BC Snowmobile Federation member Snowmobile Clubs are the largest partner of established Recreation Sites and Trails in BC;

And whereas, site level objectives under Section 56 of Forest Range Practices Act (FRPA) have not been established for snowmobile trails in B.C., resulting in a lack of communication or need to include consideration in Forest Stewardship Plans (FSP);

And whereas, only a BC government authorized designated decision maker can set Individual Recreation Objectives for an established recreation trail (site);

Therefore, be it resolved that UBCM ask the B.C. government to allocate the necessary resources to establish the following site level objectives on all new and existing established snowmobile sites under Section 56 of FRPA.

Endorsed by the Union of BC Municipalities.

• 2021 UBCM Resolutions 

• UBCM 2021 Resolutions Response Package

• 2021 Provincial Responses Addendum

Southern Interior Local Government Association

The Southern Interior Local Government Association is comprised of elected officials from 37 cities, towns, villages, districts and regional districts in South Central British Columbia. The Annual Convention is held in April each year. In 2023, it will be held April 25-28 in Vernon. 

Union of BC Municipalities

The UBCM was formed to provide a common voice for local government. Convention continues to be the main forum for UBCM policymaking. The Annual UBCM Convention is held in September each year. In 2023, it will be held September 18-22 in Vancouver.

Federation of Canadian Municipalities 

FCM is the national voice of municipal governments. Its membership includes 2,000 municipalities. Each year, municipal leaders from across Canada gather to set FCM policy on key issues. The 2023 Annual Convention and Trade Show will be held May 25-28 in Toronto, Ontario.