UBCM seeks intervenor status for public consumption case

UBCM seeks intervenor status for injunction application related to public consumption

The Union of B.C. Municipalities intends to apply to the B.C. Supreme Court for intervenor status in a lawsuit brought against the Province of B.C. by the Harm Reduction Nurses Association challenging the legality of the Province’s Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act.

Province Introduces B.C. Flood Strategy

Last week, the Province introduced From Flood Risk to Resilience: a B.C. Flood Strategy to 2035. The Flood Strategy outlines the Province’s direction for flood management, and includes 25 concepts to improve flood resilience. While the UBCM membership has consistently requested that the Province be established as the diking authority in all local governments, the Flood Strategy confirms that the Province will not assume this role.

Canada and RCMP union proceeding to arbitration

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and the National Police Federation, the union representing RCMP reservists and Members below the rank of Inspector will move to third-party binding arbitration, which is anticipated to occur in May 2024. TBS communicated this information to contract partners as part of a recent national Contract Management Committee (CMC) briefing.

Housing Assessment Resource Tools

The UBC Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project is funded by the CMHC to develop no-cost and custom housing need reports to support communities across Canada. HART’s team estimates a two-month turnaround for completion, has experience assisting municipalities of varying sizes, and can offer custom data insights in close collaboration with municipal staff or consultant teams. Interested communities can contact HART for more information.

Workshop will explore building housing on under-utilized land

SFU Renewable Cities in collaboration with BC Housing and VanCity Community Foundation, is hosting an in-person workshop on Tuesday, May 7 in Vancouver to share practical information about redeveloping government- and non-profit-owned land to include housing.