UBCM to host province-wide housing summit

Housing policy for all orders of government is evolving in response to the continuing crisis in housing affordability and attainability. To support and accelerate further development, UBCM will host a province-wide housing summit at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre on April 4-5, 2023. The conference will assist in the identification of solutions to address gaps in current policy, strengthen intergovernmental collaboration, and highlight best practices for local government. 

The BC government has been granted an exemption by Health Canada from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to decriminalize the possession of certain illegal drugs. This is one of the approaches by the provincial government to address the ongoing toxic poisoning crisis. The exemption begins on January 31, 2023, and is in effect until January 31, 2026. Local governments are invited to register for a webinar on February 15 to discuss decriminalization with Ministry staff and the BC Center for Disease Control.

2023 Regional District forum registration

Registration for the Regional District CAO and Chair Forum is now open. The event will be held at the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria, BC, on March 28 (afternoon) and March 29 (morning). Please register by March 21, 2023.

UBCM Trade Show Call for Exhibitors

Seize a great opportunity to showcase your organization at the 2023 UBCM Trade Show, September 20-21 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building. We’re excited to see so many exhibitors’ already sign-up to connect and engage with UBCM members and other local government leaders for this year’s Exhibit Hall. Don’t miss out – booth sales have been brisk with over 25% of the Trade Show floor SOLD in just the first week.

Predicting and alerting for coastal flooding

In response to increasing coastal flooding risks, the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), a branch of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), recently launched a five-year initiative entitled the Predicting and Alerting for Coastal Flooding (PACF) project. To help advance this work, ECCC is seeking Geographic Information System (GIS) data from municipalities and regional districts that pertains to near-ocean infrastructure.

UBCM is seeking to appoint local government representatives from RCMP-policed jurisdictions to the Local Government Contract Management Committee (LGCMC). There are six vacancies that are required to be filled by local government elected officials or staff members.