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2007 Minutes B
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ASSOCIATION OF VANCOUVER ISLAND
AND COASTAL COMMUNITIES
MINUTES OF THE
FIFTY EIGTH ANNUAL CONVENTION
QUALICUM BEACH, B.C.
APRIL 13, 14 and 15, 2007
CONVENTION OPENING SESSION
President Bea Holland called the Fifty Eighth Annual Meeting of the Association to
order at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 13th. Ms. Linda Walker led the assembly in singing
“O Canada”. President Bea Holland introduced the AVICC Executive to the delegates in
attendance.
Mayor Teunis Westbroek welcomed the delegates to Qualicum Beach. The Mayor
thanked Ms. Walker and urged the delegates to take advantage of their stay in
Qualicum Beach to get out and enjoy the community.
President Holland reviewed the program for the weekend and highlighted some of the
special sessions that delegates would have the opportunity to take part in throughout
the Convention. Councillor Holland advised that the Premier Gordon Campbell would
be speaking right after the Opening Ceremonies. Councillor Holland introduced
special guests, UBCM President Brenda Binnie and LMLGA President Councillor
Sharon Gaetz.
FIRST REPORT FROM THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE
The Chair of the Nominating Committee, Past President Mayor Jack Peake, presented
the Nominating Committee Report for the positions on the 2007 Executive and advised
that there would be a call for nominations from the floor for the Table Officer positions
at 4:05 p.m. Nominations received in advance were:
President Director Rod Sherrell, Mt. Waddington RD
First Vice-President Mayor Barry Janyk, Town of Gibsons
Second Vice-President No nominations received
Director at Large Mayor Christopher Causton, District of Oak Bay
Councillor Rob Johnson, Town of Ladysmith
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ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE GORDON CAMPBELL
President Holland introduced Premier Campbell. Premier Campbell’s remarks are
annexed to these minutes as Appendix “A”. Mayor Westbroek thanked Premier
Campbell and presented him with a gift.
2008 and 2010 – OPPORTUNITIES AND OLYMPIC GAMES
Director Rod Sherrell introduced Mr. Ken Veldeman of the 2010 Commerce Centre and
Mr. Chris Gudgeon of BC 2008. Mr. Veldeman and Mr. Gudgeon made a presentation
and spoke of the opportunities for BC communities as we move toward the 150th
anniversary of BC and the 2010 Olympic Games. Director Sherrell thanked Mr.
Veldeman and Mr. Gudgeon and presented them with a gift.
KEYNOTE PANEL
President Holland introduced Reverend Al Tysick of the Open Door, Inspector John
Ducker of the Victoria City Police and Ms. Jody Patterson from PEERS. The panel
spoke of the social issues facing our communities. Reverend Tysick spoke of our
inability in the past to address the issue of poverty in our communities and the political
abandonment of social housing and social programs and social vision over the past
twenty-five years. The Reverend stated that politicians and police agree that jailing
offenders has not addressed the poverty issue and its ensuing problems and advised
that solutions are possible but they need to be new and creative solutions. Inspector
Ducker told the delegates that policing in 2007 is very different today and trying to
protect the safety and well being of the general public while policing the problems
created by poverty and drug addiction is very difficult. The Inspector went on to say
that in today’s world the policing is actually done by a number of different
organizations, not just the police. The standard legal framework no longer applies to
the reality of policing in today’s world and the challenge for our lawmakers is to look at
what is actually happening in the real world and give the police the tools to address
those situations. The Inspector went on to say that since many of the issues with
homelessness often lead to petty crime the public continue to look to the police to deal
with these issues but the reality is that the homeless problems particularly related to
drug and mental illness have overwhelmed the police resources and process of arrest
have often become futile. Inspector Ducker went on to say that the issue is that the
lawmakers and government need to give police the ability to deal with these issues in a
coordinated way with other agencies to deal with these problems. Ms. Patterson gave a
brief history of how PEERS came about and advised that their purpose is to assist sex
trade workers deal not to try and get them out of the sex trade but rather deal with the
issue as it is. She went on to say that the sex trade exists because of supply and
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demand. Ms. Patterson spoke of the 15 – 20% of sex trade workers that come from very
disadvantaged lifestyles then the addiction to drugs and the high risk due to current
laws that force them to work in dark and dangerous areas. Ms. Patterson advised
delegates that this social problem becomes your problem if it moves into your
neighborhood and involves noise, traffic, condoms, needles and possible violence.
There is a lack of resources for the girls that would really like to get out of the sex trade.
Ms. Patterson told the delegates that the sex trade is happening in their communities
and they don’t have the services to assist those workers and urged communities to set
up some means of making that initial contact to ensure the workers safety. Councillor
Holland chaired a Q and A session and thanked the presenters. A donation was made
to panelists for a charity of their choice.
ANNUAL MEETING
ADOPTION OF CONFERENCE RULES AND PROCEDURES
On regular motion, duly moved and seconded, the Conference Rules and Procedures as
printed in the Annual Report and Resolutions Book were adopted.
ADOPTION OF MINUTES
On regular motion, duly moved and seconded, the Minutes of the 57th Annual Meeting
of the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities held in Oak Bay,
April 7 – 9, 2006 were adopted.
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS AND ANNUAL REPORT
On regular motion, duly moved and seconded, the President’s report was adopted.
FINANCIAL REPORT
Director Rod Sherrell presented the Audited Financial Statements of the Association of
Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities for the year ending December 31, 2006
(Appendix B). On regular motion, duly moved and seconded, the statements were
adopted.
APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS
On regular motion, duly moved and seconded, that the Executive be authorized to
appoint auditors for the year commencing January 1, 2007 was adopted.
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APPOINTMENT OF SCRUTINEERS
On regular motion, duly moved and seconded, that the Executive be authorized to
appoint the following as Scrutineers:
Mr. Evan Parliament, District of Sooke
Mr. Rob Buchan, District of Langford
was adopted.
APPOINTMENT OF PARLIAMENTARIAN
On regular motion, duly moved and seconded, that Mr. Peter Johnson of Staples,
McDannold Stuart be appointed to act as Parliamentarian was adopted.
SECOND REPORT FROM THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE FOR TABLE
OFFICERS
The Chair of the Nominating Committee, Past President Mayor Jack Peake, called for
nominations from the floor for the positions of Table Officers in addition to those
received by the Committee.
Mayor Christopher Causton was nominated for Second Vice-President.
There were no further nominations for President, First Vice-President or Second Vice-
President and the Chair declared the following elected by acclamation:
President: Director Rod Sherrell
First Vice-President Mayor Barry Janyk
Second Vice-President Mayor Christopher Causton
WELCOME RECEPTION
The Welcome Reception sponsored by TimberWest and the Private Forest Landowners
Association was held at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre followed by a dinner and
casino.
The Convention re-convened at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, at the Qualicum Beach Civic
Centre.
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MUNICIPAL INSURANCE ASSOCIATION
Mayor Jack Peake introduced Mr. Tom Barnes, Executive Director from MIA. Mr.
Barnes made a presentation, which highlighted the financial records at MIA year-end,
and excellent dividends that had been paid out to members. Mayor Peake thanked Mr.
Barnes and Mr. Gibson for attending and making the presentation to the AVICC
members and presented Mr. Barnes with a gift.
RESOLUTIONS
Rules for dealing with resolutions adopted during the Annual Meeting were reviewed
by Mayor Jack Peake.
ADDRESS BY COUNCILLOR BRENDA BINNIE
PRESIDENT, UNION OF B.C. MUNICIPALITIES
Councillor Bea Holland introduced UBCM President Brenda Binnie. President Binnie’s
remarks are annexed to these minutes as Appendix “B”. Director Sherrell thanked
President Binnie for her update on UBCM activities and for joining the AVICC
delegates in Qualicum Beach. Director Sherrell then presented President Binnie with a
gift in appreciation.
The convention then commenced consideration of the resolutions.
RESOLUTIONS
RR1 LOG EXPORT CRISIS IN BC Alberni-Clayoquot RD
WHEREAS logs exported from British Columbia create forest jobs in other countries at
the expense of Canadian jobs;
AND WHEREAS raw log exports increased by 1,000 percent from 1996 to 2005:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that:
1) A moratorium be placed on the closure of any mills in British Columbia until a full
and comprehensive plan for a revitalized manufacturing sector is created;
2) Cabinet cease to issue any permits for log exports and place a moratorium on exports
from all Crown lands;
3) The government reverse its earlier decision to allow Weyerhauser to remove its
private lands from Tree Farm Licence (TFL);
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4) The government ensure full public consultation on any future proposal to remove
land from any TFL;
5) The government increase the export tax on raw logs from private lands to ensure
there is no economic incentive to export, rather than process locally;
6) The provincial government re-introduce measures that will once again make clear the
connection between companies logging British Columbia trees and their commitment to
manufacturing capacity in the province;
7) The federal government retain legislation restricting raw log exports and align
federal and provincial forest policies; and
The federal and provincial governments vigorously oppose the legal challenge to
federal legislation restricting raw log exports, which would further erode rights to
protect Canadian jobs.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
RR2 HOME OWNER GRANT PROGRAM Nanaimo RD
WHEREAS property values continue to increase at a rapid rate in the Province of BC;
AND WHEREAS many long-term property owners continue to suffer a loss of the
Home Owner Grant due to market forces beyond their control;
AND WHEREAS there is a general societal benefit to assisting all property owners to be
able to afford to live on the properties they have chosen:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province be requested to reinstate a Home
Owner Grant for properties in excess of the current limit of $894,000.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R1 GLASS SPONGE REEFS Comox-Strathcona RD
WHEREAS reef forming glass sponges were thought to have gone extinct during the
age of dinosaurs millions of year ago, recent discoveries show that reefs of these living
rare glass sponges exist in nine places along the coast of BC;
AND WHEREAS these are the only known glass sponge reefs in the world, and 50% of
the reefs in Hecate Strait have been destroyed by trawling activities and research
indicates that those sections of the reefs may never regenerate;
AND WHEREAS the federal government has closed the reefs to bottom trawling in
2002 by implementing fishing closures, these closures must be renewed annually and
do not provide permanent legislated protection:
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THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities urge the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to implement
permanent legislated protection to protect the glass sponge reefs along the coast of BC.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R2 DEVELOPMENT COST CHARGES View Royal
WHEREAS the Local Government Act currently restricts the imposition of Development
Cost Charges to areas of sewage, water, drainage, highway facilities and park land;
AND WHEREAS new development creates capital cost burdens on municipalities in
other areas, such as emergency services and transportation (other than highways):
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities lobby the provincial government to
amend the Local Government Act to allow for the imposition of Development Cost
Charges in areas other than sewage, water, drainage, highway facilities and parkland.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R3 ACQUISITION OF EMERGENCY FIRE FIGHTING Lake Cowichan
EQUIPMENT WITHOUT VOTER ASSENT
WHEREAS the Community Charter and the Local Government Act now require a local
government to seek the assent of its electors through a vote of the alternative approval
process where liabilities incurred under agreement or long-term debt exceeds 5 years
since the Community Charter was enacted;
AND WHEREAS the protection of the lives and properties of the citizens of a local
government and the fire service agreement areas are of paramount importance to those
given the responsibility for fire protection:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Community Charter be amended to permit the
purchase of replacement emergency fire fighting equipment that is mandated under the
United Laboratories of Canada (ULC) and the National Fire Protection Standards
without the process of seeking the assent of the voters either through a vote or the
alternative approval process.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
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R4 AMENDMENT TO WILDFIRE ACT Capital RD
WHEREAS municipalities in British Columbia have, for many years, had bylaws in
place that relate to the lighting, fueling or use of open fires in order to reduce nuisance
from smoke and to reduce the risk of fire hazard;
AND WHEREAS within regional districts, fire regulation bylaws do not apply
throughout the entire extent of electoral areas as local volunteer fire departments do not
have the authority to enforce against a breach of such bylaws over extensive areas of
land outside their local jurisdictions;
AND WHEREAS section 4 of the Wildfire Act (British Columbia) and section 3 of the
Wildfire Act Regulation, B.C. Reg. 34/2005, provide that certain key sections of the
Wildfire Act and the Wildfire Act Regulation do not apply inside the boundaries of a
local government that has a bylaw that relates to the lighting, fueling or use of open
fires;
AND WHEREAS the provisions of the Wildfire Act should continue to apply and be
enforceable by the Province even if a local government has its own bylaw that relates to
the lighting, fueling or use of open fires as a local government bylaw may not cover the
same matters as the Wildfire Act and the Wildfire Act Regulation and, in any event,
regional districts do not have the jurisdiction to enact for themselves all provisions of
the Wildfire Act and the Wildfire Act Regulation that would not apply within local
government boundaries:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities be
asked to request that the Province enact an amendment to the Wildfire Act to make it
clear that the Wildfire Act and the Wildfire Act Regulation:
(a) remain in force within the boundaries of a local government jurisdiction even where
the local government may have enacted its own bylaw relating to the lighting,
fueling or use of open fires, and
(b) permit local bylaws relating to the lighting, fueling or use of open fires to be enacted
provided that they are not in conflict with the Wildfire Act and Wildfire Act
Regulation.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
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R5 LIABILITY ARISING FROM NATURAL OCCURRENCES Capital RD
WHEREAS British Columbia has a topography that, in many regions is generally
characterized by significant areas of naturally steep and unstable terrain, including
coastal terrain, that is subject to natural events of rock fall, landslide, erosion and other
geological occurrences;
AND WHEREAS there has developed a body of judicial decisions that make property
owners on whose lands are located natural features that are subject to potentially
hazardous natural events liable to take steps to address the hazards for the benefit of
adjoining owners, where such steps are considered reasonable, even where the property
owner has done nothing to cause the hazard;
AND WHEREAS local governments are owners of large areas of land within their
jurisdictions, including lands dedicated or acquired as community or regional parks,
and these areas are often dedicated or acquired as park precisely because of their
natural features, which may include steep slopes and coastal areas that are subject to
natural events of rock fall, landslide, erosion or other geological occurrences;
AND WHEREAS in the case of local governments, addressing risks to adjoining owners
created by the possibility of the occurrence of natural events may require the
expenditure of significant amounts of public money which must be either diverted from
other services or collected from taxpayers, in order to address risks that may in some
cases be relatively small:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities be asked to request that the Province
enact legislation to relieve local governments from responsibility for addressing risk to
or liability to owners of neighbouring lands arising from natural occurrences of rock
fall, landslide, erosion and other geological events.
ON MOTION, was NOT ENDORSED
R6 MOTOR FUEL TAX Sunshine Coast RD
WHEREAS the Motor Fuel Tax Act provides for a tax to be applied to gasoline and
motive fuel purchased within the Victoria Regional Transit Service Area for the raising
of revenue for the purposes of the British Columbia Transit Act;
AND WHEREAS Transit Service Areas in all parts of the province are in need of
additional revenue:
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THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Provincial Government be urged to amend the
Motor Fuel Tax Act to expand the ability for a tax on gasoline and motor fuel to be
instituted by local governments in all Transit Service Areas in order to raise additional
revenue for the purposes of the British Columbia Transit Act.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R7 HEALTH AUTHORITY GOVERNANCE Nanaimo RD
WHEREAS Regional Hospital Districts provide a major source of funding for capital
equipment and projects for health care services in the Province of BC;
AND WHEREAS the Province has established regional Health Authorities managed by
appointed Boards to determine health care capital priorities and capital budgets;
AND WHEREAS all Regional Hospital Districts are facing significant pressures to meet
their own local costs as well as ever increasing Health Authority capital costs, with a
limited tax base:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities urge the Province to consider the appointment of local government
elected representatives from each Regional Hospital District to the Boards of Health
Authorities to enable direct decision making on capital priorities and budgets.
ON MOTION, was REFERRED TO UBCM HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
COMMITTEE
ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE IDA CHONG
MINISTER OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
Councillor Bea Holland welcomed Minister Chong to the 58th AVICC Convention.
Minister Chong’s remarks are annexed to these Minutes as Appendix “C”. Mayor
Causton thanked Minister Chong for her remarks and presented her with a gift.
The Convention adjourned at 10:30 p.m.
The Convention reconvened at 10:45 p.m.
RESOLUTIONS
The Resolution Session resumed with Mayor Barry Janyk in the Chair.
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R8 APPOINTMENTS TO REGIONAL Parksville
HEALTH AUTHORITIES BOARD
WHEREAS in 2001 the Provincial Government created regional health authorities to
direct the delivery of health care services to the Province;
AND WHEREAS each of the Health Authorities is governed by a government-
appointed Board of Directors who may not be familiar with the local communities’
needs and concerns in the regions they service;
AND WHEREAS elected officials from local government councils are knowledgeable
about their local communities’ needs and concerns;
AND WHEREAS these local communities’ needs and concerns should be considered
when decisions are made by the Health Authorities:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Provincial legislation be changed to require that
the government appointments to the Board of Directors of the Regional Health
Authorities include appointments from a list of nominees provided by the local
government councils within each regional health area.
ON MOTION, was REFERRED TO UBCM HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
COMMITTEE
R9 MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC HIGHWAYS Sayward
WHEREAS the Provincial Government of BC awarded a ten year contract to the private
sector in 2003 for maintenance of public highways throughout the Province of BC;
AND WHEREAS the Council of the Village of Sayward is dissatisfied with the
deterioration of road surfaces and driving conditions on these highways;
AND WHEREAS the number of vehicular accidents and fatalities have increased
significantly over the past five years:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities request the Ministry of
Transportation to revisit the contract to determine if all the terms, conditions,
specifications and standards with regard to Public Safety as contained in the contract
are being met by the contractors.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
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R10 COASTAL FERRIES Comox-Strathcona RD
WHEREAS coastal ferry customers have recently been burdened with a number of
substantial increases to ferry fares, which are being attributed to a number of factors
(including reduced Provincial subsidies to the BC Ferry Corporation, fuel surcharges
and user-pay policies);
AND WHEREAS extra charges to customers on coastal ferry routes are unfair because
ferries are as essential as any other components of our provincial transportation
infrastructure (such as roads, bridge, rapid transit and buses) and all other forms of
transportation continue to be substantially supported by government taxes and
subsidies:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities petition the provincial government to work with local government and
ferry advisory commissions to ensure that coastal ferries remain an affordable and
viable part of British Columbia’s transportation network.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R11 BC FERRIES SERVICE FEE Alert Bay
WHEREAS the Province of British Columbia is entering a process to establish the
service fee which it will contribute to the operation of BC Ferries for the second
performance term (2008 – 2012) of the Coastal Ferry Services Contract;
AND WHEREAS the Province finances the creation of transportation infrastructure,
including roads, bridges, tunnels, fresh water ferries, Skytrains and buses, for other
communities in British Columbia, and pays a higher proportion of the operational costs
of urban public transit than BC Ferries receives:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities requests that the Minister of Transportation recognize the importance of
reliable and affordable ferry service to coastal communities by:
1) Increasing the service fee the Province will pay BC Ferries for the next performance
term sufficiently to ensure that fare increases do not exceed increases in the
Consumer Price Index;
2) Contributing to BC Ferries’ capital costs in a similar proportion to the support given
for highway construction and other public transportation infrastructure;
3) Paying a share of extraordinary expenses, such as higher than predicted fuel costs, at
least equal to the percentage of operating costs covered by the service fee; and
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4) Recognizing the need to regularly assess the impact of the Province’s ferry policies
on coastal communities by establishing ongoing consultation with elected
municipal, regional and Islands Trust representatives and with the Ferry Advisory
Committees whose members are appointed by BC Ferries through local government.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R12 COASTAL FERRY ACT Islands Trust
WHEREAS the provincial government will shortly enter negotiations with BC Ferries to
establish service levels and the government contribution (service fees) that will
determine service and fares for BC Ferries’ Performance Term 2 that commences April
1, 2008;
AND WHEREAS coastal ferries are an essential part of the provincial transportation
network, crucial to the economic and social health of the coastal region and to the
province-wide tourism industry:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities request the provincial government to
undertake a comprehensive and consultative review of the effects of ferry fares and
service levels on coastal communities, prior to signing the contract for Performance
Term 2, and before the commencement of Performance Term 2, to incorporate any
amendments to the Coastal Ferry Act that are necessary to sustain the economic and
social vitality of coastal communities and to preserve this vital element of British
Columbia’s image as a world-class tourism destination.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R13 MOTORIZED SCOOTERS Ladysmith
WHEREAS motorized scooters are becoming a more commonly used mode of
transportation to enable elderly and/or physically disabled persons to continue to be
active members of society;
AND WHEREAS motorized scooters can present a danger to the general public if they
are operated in an unsafe manner or by people who may have limiting disabilities:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Provincial Government be requested to
establish province-wide guidelines for the safe operation of motorized scooters.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
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R14 HIGHWAY 19 LOCATION MARKERS Campbell River
WHEREAS location markers on Highway 19 north of Nanaimo are spaced every five
kilometers;
AND WHEREAS drivers calling for assistance are unable to describe their location:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Ministry of Transportation be requested to
reconsider its policy with a view to spacing highway location markers closer together.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R15 HIGHWAY 19 DESIGN REVIEW Campbell River
WHEREAS Highway 19 north of Nanaimo has a high number of hydroplaning
accidents;
AND WHEREAS the statistics supplied by the RCMP North Island Traffic Services Unit
support the concern:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Ministry of Transportation be requested to
undertake a design review of Highway 19 with a view to initiating repairs to the
Highway as required, particularly in the following areas identified by the RCMP:
1) Northbound lane – McNaughton Creek Bridge to Buckley Bay turnoff
2) Southbound lane – Buckley Bay turnoff to McNaughton Creek Bridge
3) Northbound Lane – Comox Valley Parkway to Mt. Washington/Dove Creek turnoff.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R16 BIKE LANE FUNDING Sunshine Coast RD
WHEREAS the Cycling Infrastructure Partnerships Program administrators have
indicated that projects would not be eligible for funding for 1.5 metre (shoulder) bike
lanes located on only one side of the road;
AND WHEREAS terrain, property ownership or cost may make it impractical or
impossible to provide bike lanes on both sides of a road:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities urge the Provincial Government to amend their grant application criteria
to include consideration of funding for 1.5 metre (shoulder) bike lanes located on only
one side of a road.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
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R17 PARKLAND DEDICATION Parksville
WHEREAS Section 941 of the Local Government Act requires that owners of land being
subdivided must, at their option, provide parkland in an amount and location suitable
to the local government, or pay to the local government an amount equal to the market
value of the land required for parkland purposes;
AND WHEREAS the amount of land that may be required for parkland, or used for
establishing the amount of cash in lieu payable, may not exceed 5% of the land being
proposed for subdivision;
AND WHEREAS the need for public park space is increasing and a local government’s
ability to acquire land for park is impacted by the increase in land values:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Provincial legislation be changed to increase
the amount of land that may be required for parkland dedication to 10%.
The resolution, as amended, then read:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Provincial legislation be changed to increase
the amount of land that may be required for parkland dedication or a minimum of cash
in lieu to 10%.
ON MOTION, as amended, was ENDORSED
THIRD REPORT FROM THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE FOR TABLE
OFFICERS
The Chair of the Nominating Committee, Past President Mayor Jack Peake, presented
the Nominating Committee Report for the position of Director at Large and advised
that there would be a call for nominations from the floor. Nominations received in
advance were:
Director at Large Mayor John Fraser, District of Tofino
Past President Peake called for nominations from the floor for Director at Large.
Nominated for Director at Large:
Councillor Barry Avis
Councillor Rob Johnson
Councillor Michael Tilitzky
Chair Joe Stanhope
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The nominees for Director at Large each gave a brief speech. Past President Peake
announced that voting for the position of Director at Large would be held between 1:00
p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 14, 2007 in the foyer of the Civic Centre and at 8:00
a.m. on Sunday, April 15, 2007.
TERASEN GAS
Mayor Causton introduced Mr. Dwain Bell, Vice President, Distribution for Terasen
Gas, a major supporter of AVICC. Mr. Bell spoke on gas supply and the vital part if
plays in the economy of the Island and emphasized that energy supply if essential to
sustaining our current standard of living. Mr. Bell emphasized the need for consumers
to think about the demand and consequences with the focus being on making the best
use of the supply. Using the right fuel in the right place at the right time will help to
manage the energy resources by maximizing the choice and minimizing the
consequences. Mayor Causton thanked Mr. Bell and extended appreciation to Terasen
for their continued support of AVICC.
The convention adjourned for lunch at 12:05 p.m.
DELEGATE’S LUNCHEON
The Annual Delegate’s Luncheon was held at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre.
The convention re-convened at 1:30 p.m.
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
There were three concurrent workshops held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and repeated
again at 3:15 p.m. The workshops were on the topics of:
• BC Hydro – Operational Update
• Coastal Forest Industry – Opportunities and Change
• Tools for Marine Planning and Protection
These workshops adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
ANNUAL AVICC BANQUET AND DANCE
In the evening, the Annual Banquet for delegates and guests was held in Qualicum
Beach Civic Centre. A Life Membership was awarded to Mayor Jack Peake as Past
President. A dance followed the banquet with music provided by Chevy Ray and the
Fins.
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The Convention re-convened at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 15, 2007.
FOURTH REPORT FROM THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE FOR ELECTORAL
AREA REPRESENTATIVE
The Chair of the Nominating Committee, Past President Mayor Jack Peake, presented
the Nominating Committee Report for the position of Electoral Area Representative and
advised that there would be a call for nominations from the floor. Nominations
received in advance were: Director Barbara Price, Comox-Strathcona RD
Nominating Committee Chair Mayor Peake then called for nominations from the floor
for Electoral Area Representative.
There being no further nominations Director Barbara Price was declared Electoral Area
Representative by acclamation.
FILM INDUCED TOURISM
Mayor Barry Janyk introduced Joan Miller, Vancouver Island North Film Commissioner
and Rod Hardy of the Greater Vancouver Film Commission. Mr. Miller and Mr. Hardy
made a presentation on the economic benefits of film production as it relates to tourism
on the Island. Mayor Janyk thanked Ms. Miller and Mr. Hardy for their presentation.
FIFTH REPORT FROM THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE FOR DIRECTOR AT
LARGE
The Chair of the Nominating Committee, Past President Mayor Jack Peake, presented
the results of the election for Director at Large.
Those elected as Director at Large were:
Councillor Barry Avis, Town of Qualicum Beach
Councillor Rob Johnson, Town of Ladysmith
Chair Joe Stanhope, Nanaimo Regional District
LEADER OF THE OFFICIAL OPPOSITION
Councillor Holland introduced Carole James, Leader of the Official Opposition. Ms.
James Remarks are appended to these minutes as Appendix “D”. Director Sherrell
thanked Ms. James and presented here with a gift.
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF BC
Mayor Causton introduced Mr. Tom McDonald, Executive Director of Local
Government Management Association. Mr. Tom McDonald gave a brief update on the
activities that the LGMA is undertaking to deal with the issues of staff hiring, retention
and training. Mr. McDonald advised the delegates that one of the many services that
LGMA offers is the opportunity to have LGMA work with staff and elected officials to
improve the working relationship if there is a problem. Mayor Causton thanked Mr.
McDonald and presented him with a gift.
RESOLUTIONS
Resolutions resumed with Mayor Peake in the Chair.
R18 WOODLOT PROGRAM EXPANSION Comox-Strathcona RD
WHEREAS the long-planned expansion of the woodlot program has been suspended by
the Ministry of Forests and Range for an indefinite period;
AND WHEREAS Comox-Strathcona Regional District recognizes woodlot licences as
effective tools for community-based forest stewardship:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities encourage the Minister of Forests and
Range to give priority effort to resolving any administrative obstacles that might be
inhibiting expansion of the woodlot program.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R19 NOISE ON PRIVATE MANAGED FOREST LANDS Comox-Strathcona RD
WHEREAS forestry operations may take place on private managed forestlands adjacent
to residential areas;
AND WHEREAS noise resulting from such operations often occurs seven days a week
at early and late hours, creating stressful and upsetting situations for nearby residents;
AND WHEREAS provincial legislation prohibits local government from enforcing
bylaws when they would interfere with forestry operations (Private Managed Forest Land
Act):
19
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government allows local
government noise bylaws to apply and to be enforced on private managed forest lands
adjacent to residential areas.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R20 CROWN LEASES WITHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT JURISDICTION Alert Bay
WHEREAS the Integrated Land Management Bureau administers Crown foreshore
leases that fall within the taxation jurisdictions of coastal communities within British
Columbia;
AND WHEREAS improvements on foreshore leases falling within those taxation
boundaries enjoy municipal services and are subject to municipal taxation, but the local
government has limited collection tools in relation to these taxes;
AND WHEREAS consultation with local governments is not required prior to the
renewal of a Crown foreshore lease;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Costal
Communities urge the Province to require the Integrated Land Management Bureau to
consult with the applicable local government prior to the renewal of a Crown lease and
to provide language in standard tenure agreements to clarify that tenure holders must
pay all taxes, fees and charges levied by any government, including a local government
jurisdiction.
The resolution, as amended, then read:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities urge the Province to require the Integrated Land Management Bureau to
consult with the applicable local government prior to the renewal of a Crown lease and
to provide language in standard tenure agreements to clarify that tenure holders must
pay all taxes, fees and charges levied by any government, including a local government
jurisdiction and, should a Crown lessee default upon their local taxes, that the Province
will compensate the local government for this loss of revenue and, at its earliest
opportunity, cancel the Crown lease.
ON MOTION, as amended, was ENDORSED
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R21 GEODUCK FARMING Sunshine Coast RD
WHEREAS the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture, which was established
to examine, inquire into and make recommendations with respect to Sustainable
Aquaculture in British Columbia, including the economic and environmental impacts of
the aquaculture industry in B.C., has not yet reported back to government with its
findings;
AND WHEREAS the Province has approved commercial geoduck farms without the
benefit of the findings of the Committee;
AND WHEREAS the environmental impact of geoduck farming is still unknown:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province provide local governments with the
scientific information that would provide the rationale for the Provincial Government’s
decision to proceed with commercial geoduck farming.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R22 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS Comox-Strathcona RD
WHEREAS greenhouse gas induced climate change due to global warming is causing
difficulties for local governments in BC in terms of long-range sustainability planning;
AND WHEREAS coal-burning for electrical generation is a significant source of
greenhouse gases worldwide;
AND WHEREAS the provincial government is considering applications for coal-fired
electrical generation operations:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government not give approval to
coal-fired electrical generation operations until technologically advanced methods of
generating electricity have developed that do not result in greenhouse gas productions.
ON MOTION, was WITHDRAWN
R23 PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX REVENUES Courtenay
WHEREAS the BC Real Estate Association (BCREA) has proposed to the provincial
government that the unexpected property transfer tax revenues from increased
Property Transfer Tax revenue due to an unexpected rise in the housing market be
directed toward affordable housing initiatives:
21
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities support the BCREA recommendation to direct excess Property Transfer
Tax revenues to address the affordable housing infrastructure deficit, and further, that
the Union of BC Municipalities be requested to provide a unified supporting voice.
The resolution, as amended, then read:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities support the BCREA recommendation to direct a portion of Property
Transfer Tax revenues to address the affordable housing infrastructure deficit, and
further, that the Union of BC Municipalities be requested to provide a unified
supporting voice.
ON MOTION, as amended, was ENDORSED
R24 CAPITAL FUNDING FOR EMERGENCY PROGRAMMES Lake Cowichan
WHEREAS UBCM provides funding for emergency preparedness planning on a
continual basis to allow local governments to undertake a variety of studies on
emergency planning;
AND WHEREAS no provision has been made to make available capital dollars for
implementing the results of those studies or to enable communities to respond to fire or
disaster situations through construction or purchase of required emergency
infrastructure or equipment:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that funding is made available to local governments so
they may make appropriate infrastructure or capital acquisitions improvements to deal
with forest fires, floods, windstorms, and the breakdown in utility systems and
earthquakes.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R25 STREAMLINING FUNDING APPLICATIONS Gibsons
WHEREAS the length and complexity of provincial and federal grant applications has
become patently onerous and unreasonably time consuming for all local governments;
AND WHEREAS smaller rural communities especially suffer from significant budget,
staff and workload constraints:
22
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the federal and provincial governments
immediately undertake an overhaul of their Infrastructure Grants application forms to
realistically accommodate for the capacities of all communities so all may have
reasonable and equitable opportunity to access these vital funds.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R26 NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND
TOURISM MARKETING CAMPAIGN Alert Bay
WHEREAS the tourism marketing campaign sponsored by the North Island Recovery
program was an effective and successful tourism initiative;
AND WHEREAS the tourism industry in the North Island continues to suffer due to the
loss of the Queen of the North ferry;
AND WHEREAS tourism is an important developing industry in the North Island:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities requests that the 2006 tourism marketing campaign for the communities
of northern Vancouver Island, as administered by Tourism Vancouver Island, be
continued in 2007 and on an on-going basis.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R27 TRADE, INVESTMENT AND LABOUR MOBILITY
AGREEMENT BETWEEN BC AND ALBERTA Courtenay
WHEREAS the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement between BC and
Alberta will have a significant effect on local government:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities be requested to review the Trade,
Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement between BC and Alberta and consult with
the provincial government and local government with the intent of making required
changes, or exempting municipalities from the agreement.
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The resolution, as amended, then read:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities be requested to review the Trade,
Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement between BC and Alberta and consult with
the provincial government and local government with the intent of exempting local
governments from the agreement, or at the least making the required changes;
AND FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that AVICC and UBCM urgently requests that the
Premier of British Columbia negotiate with the government of Alberta, a suspension of
the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement until full consultations can be
completed with all local governments and other affected bodies.
ON MOTION, as amended, was ENDORSED
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R28 UBCM PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING RESOLUTIONS Powell River RD
WHEREAS Rule 26 of UBCM’s Procedures for Handling Resolutions is clearly intended
to provide for the greatest possible discussion of resolutions by grouping those covering
matters not considered as greatly controversial into a block;
AND WHEREAS Rule 27(i) allows the sponsor of a resolution included for
consideration as a block to request that it be removed and entered for discussion, thus
defeating the intended purpose of Rule 26:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities request the Union of BC Municipalities to amend Rule 27(i) to provide
that only those who would speak in opposition to a resolution may request that it be
removed and entered for discussion.
ON MOTION, was WITHDRAWN
R29 PARTICIPATION OF FIRST NATIONS AT UBCM Powell River City
WHEREAS all municipalities and regional districts in British Columbia are situated
within the traditional territories of First Nations, and First Nations are an integral part
of society; economically, culturally and socially;
AND WHEREAS in order to achieve a sustainable future for British Columbia it is
imperative that the three governing bodies, Regional Districts, Municipalities and First
Nations move forward together;
AND WHEREAS the Union of BC Municipalities is constantly having discussions,
forming committees and passing resolutions regarding First Nations issues without
meaningful participation of First Nations:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities enables full
participation of First Nations in meaningful discussions and the opportunity to have
full membership on all standing and select committees of the Union of BC
Municipalities.
ON MOTION, was referred, to AVICC Executive and the UBCM First Nations
Relations Committee
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R30 PARTICIPATION OF FIRST NATIONS AT AVICC Powell River City
WHEREAS all municipalities and regional districts in British Columbia are situated
within the traditional territories of First Nations, and First Nations are an integral part
of society; economically, culturally and socially;
AND WHEREAS in order to achieve a sustainable future for British Columbia it is
imperative that the three governing bodies, Regional Districts, Municipalities and First
Nations move forward together;
AND WHEREAS the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities is
constantly having discussions, forming committees and passing resolutions regarding
First Nations issues without meaningful participation of First Nations:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities enables full participation of First Nations in meaningful discussions and
the opportunity to have full membership on all standing and select committees of the
Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Committees.
ON MOTION, was referred, to AVICC Executive and the UBCM First Nations
Relations Committee
R31 PLACEMENT OF NEW POWER UTILITY LINES Lake Cowichan
WHEREAS wind, rain, ice and snow have caused power outages in parts of the
Province with residents being subjected to unreasonable deprivation of what they are
normally accustomed to for extended periods;
AND WHEREAS a major cause of power outages is the damage to surface power lines
and poles caused by extreme weather conditions:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Provincial Government and BC Hydro take
remedial measures to ensure that future power outages are minimized, if not eliminated
by taking immediate measures to protect transformers, hydro poles and power lines
and to place power lines underground in areas where they are especially susceptible to
damage by weather.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
26
R32 TERASEN GAS LOCATE POLICYNanaimo City
WHEREAS pursuant to the Gas Safety Regulation, BC Reg. 103/2004, under the Safety
Standards Act, SBC 2003 c.39, a gas utility company has the option of indicating the
location of buried gas lines by way of a plan provided to the local government rather
than marking out the location on site;
AND WHEREAS the installation methods for buried natural gas lines in many instances
result in deflection from the intended alignment, with the result that plans provided by
the major natural gas utility in the Province are not conducive to accurate location of
gas lines in the field;
AND WHEREAS the consequences of a gas line rupture can be extremely serious for
residents, businesses and local government employees:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province be asked to amend the Gas Safety
Regulation to require the gas utility company to attend on site to mark out buried gas
line locations in connection with excavation work.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
R33 WATER DECLARATION Tofino
WHEREAS one in six people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water;
AND WHEREAS the United Nations Conference on Water in 1977 affirmed the right of
all persons to clean drinking water in order to satisfy their fundamental needs;
AND WHEREAS there is a global campaign to have all nations recognize water as a
common good and access to drinking water as a basic human right:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities recognizes and affirms
• that water supports and connects all life;
• that access to clean water is essential to the health and sustainability of all life on this
planet;
• that the value of Earth’s fresh water to the common good takes priority over any
possible commercial value; and
• that fresh water is a legacy, a public trust, and a collective responsibility;
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AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and
Coastal Communities work with all levels of government to develop water policies that
protect and conserve natural sources of water, and ensure that the delivery,
management and regulation of water and wastewater services is a public responsibility,
affordable and accountable to BC citizens.
The resolution, as amended, then read:
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and
Coastal Communities work with all levels of government to develop water policies that
protect and conserve natural sources of water, and ensure that the delivery,
management and regulation of water and services is a public responsibility, affordable
and accountable to BC citizens.
ON MOTION, as amended, was ENDORSED
SPECIAL RESOLUTION
SR1 ULTIMATE LIMITATION PERIOD AVICC Executive
WHEREAS the Ministry of the Attorney General is undertaking a review of limitation
periods;
AND WHEREAS the UBCM convention and two law reform commissions have
recommended a reduction in the ultimate limitation period:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities support a reduction in the ultimate limitation period from 30 years to 10
years.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
On motion, duly moved and seconded by a 3/5 majority that LR1 be considered was
endorsed.
LR1 COMMUNITY SOCIAL PLANNING Cowichan Valley RD
Comox-Strathcona RD
Sooke
WHEREAS it has been demonstrated that collaborative, cooperative planning processes
increase the efficiency and maximize the impacts of the investments that all levels of
government are making in assisting communities to respond to the increasingly
complex and inter-connected social issues they face;
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AND WHEREAS the Community Charter requires municipal governments to report
annually on community social issues, and an integrated, collaborative planning process
is a requirement for financial support by many funding sources including provincial
and federal governments;
AND WHEREAS municipal governments need support to ensure the existence of
appropriate community driven social planning processes in their communities:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities ask the provincial government to commit to providing sustained financial
support for local community social planning processes that serve to support and
integrate responses to social issues throughout BC.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
On motion, duly moved and seconded by a 3/5 majority that LR2 to LR8 be considered
was endorsed.
LR2 PROVINCIAL FUNDING FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL COSTS
BORNE BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT North Saanich
WHEREAS local governments within British Columbia are required to undertake major
construction projects to provide services such as roads, community sewer systems and
community water systems to service properties within their jurisdictions;
AND WHEREAS these works involve the excavation of lands, which may include First
Nations lands, during the construction phase of such projects;
AND WHEREAS the provincial Heritage Conversation Act requires that all archaeological
sites and findings be recorded and documented in accordance with the legislation;
AND WHEREAS the costs incurred by local governments to comply with the legislation
are prohibitive:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of BC consider providing funding
equal to 100% of the total expenditures borne by local governments to record and
document archaeological findings in accordance with the provincial Heritage
Conservation Act.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
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LR3 REVITALIZATION PROGRAMS
FOR RESOURCE COMMUNITIES Port Alberni
WHEREAS resource communities are being impacted by extensive financial challenges
to both business and local government, which is resulting in an increase in poorly
maintained and run down commercial buildings that diminish the positive image and
ability for a community to revitalize and improve its financial state;
AND WHEREAS the province has provided modest programs to local governments
such as the revitalization tax exemption that are ineffective in fiscally challenged
resource communities, that do not have a large enough tax base to assume the
reallocation of the tax burden;
AND WHEREAS there needs to be a second look at ways for the province to partner
with local governments to create incentives for property owners to work with
government to revitalize resource communities:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities request that the province meet to
develop effective revitalization programs for the province’s resource communities,
including an investigation into tax restructuring to eliminate disincentives to upgrade
buildings and reintroduction of the Downtown Revitalization Program.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
LR4 TRADE AND INVESTMENT Sooke
LABOUR MOBILITY AGREEMENT (TILMA) Metchosin
WHEREAS the Trade and Investment Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) signed by
the BC and Alberta Governments and due to come in force April, 2007 and which is
binding on municipalities in April 2009:
(a) makes it possible for outside investors to impose substantial legal expenses on
municipalities and potentially to overturn local government contracts, bylaws and
regulations (including land use, zoning and environmental bylaws) decided by local
governments to meet the wishes of their residents within the powers granted under
existing BC legislation;
(b) any rezoning approved by a BC municipality will have the effect of establishing
statutory precedent such that similar zoning cannot be denied to other applicants. If
requested zoning similar to that granted in other cases is denied by the municipality
it will be liable to a maximum of $5 m per case.
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(c) provides no protection for the Agricultural Land Reserve despite a section of the
agreement where each province has the opportunity to insert exceptions, exposing
the ALR to laws governing agricultural land in Alberta where a reserve does not
exist:
THEREFORE the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities requests
the Union of BC Municipalities to urgently convene a meeting of concerned
municipalities to form a working group that will:
(a) be sufficiently resourced to undertake an immediate review of the impact of this
agreement on municipalities, and
(b) immediately upon conclusion of this review undertake negotiations with the
Province Government to have TILMA amended so that it is in alignment with
current municipal legislation and protects municipalities from the consequences of
this agreement.
ON MOTION, was WITHDRAWN
LR5 BLOOD SAMPLES ACT View Royal
WHEREAS the number of contacts of blood-borne pathogens through dirty needles is
increasing and local government workers, emergency workers (police, fire and
ambulance) and good Samaritans are exposed to these hazards, which could negatively
affect their lives and their families’ lives;
AND WHEREAS there is a need to determine, in a short period of time, by way of a
blood sample, whether or not there is a risk of infection from contact with a dirty
needle:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the AVICC request that the UBCM, through its
Executive, direct its staff to pursue and research this issue and work with the provincial
government to draft a form of Blood Samples Act, similar to other jurisdictions, such as
Ontario and Alberta.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
LR6 CONSERVATION INVESTMENTS
AND INCENTIVES INITIATIVE FUND Central Coast RD
WHEREAS the governments of British Columbia and Canada have introduced the
Conservation Investments and Incentives Initiative (CHII) Fund to mitigate the impact
of land use planning on Coastal BC First Nations;
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AND WHEREAS the Central Coast Land and Resource Management Plan’s (CCLRMP)
General Management Direction, Sec. 4.2.6 Communities defined goals, objectives and
strategies include:
(a) create a positive economic, social and cultural climate for local communities,
(b) realize the socio-economic potential of the plan area for First Nations, local
communities, residents and other provincial interests, and
(c) distribution of resources – there is a fair distribution of resources, benefits, costs
and risks across all parts of BC and Canada, including Coastal Communities,
aboriginal and non-aboriginal people;
AND WHEREAS the CCLRMP’s Ecosystem-Based Management Plan’s goals and
principles include:
(a) consider all community and other interests affected, and
(b) fairness
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities lobby the governments of BC and Canada to ensure “ALL” residents of
the BC Central Coast are deemed eligible recipients and beneficiaries.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
LR7 BC FERRIES ROUTE 40 Central Coast RD
WHEREAS the Central Coast Regional District (CCRD) board of directors has deemed
BC Ferries Route 40, Discovery Coast Passage, as critical economic and transportation
infrastructure;
AND WHEREAS Central Coast residents desire to be actively involved in the decision-
making process regarding the delivery of Route 40 services:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal
Communities and the Union of BC Municipalities to lobby BC Ferries and the BC
Ministry of Transportation to ensure the delivery of service on Route 40.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
LR8 COASTAL IMPACT OF THE PINE BEETLE Central Coast RD
WHEREAS numerous forestry-dependent BC coastal communities are in dire economic
environments;
32
AND WHEREAS it is firmly believed the BC Interior pine beetle infestation has
contributed to the coast’s economic predicament:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the Central Coast Regional District requests the
Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities assistance to petition the BC
Ministry of Forests and Range to review and if required, mitigate the coastal impact of
the pine beetle.
ON MOTION, was ENDORSED
INSTALLATION OF NEW EXECUTIVE
Councillor Holland introduced the 2007 Executive and extended congratulations to
them:
President Director Rod Sherrell, Mt. Waddington RD
First Vice President Mayor Barry Janyk, Town of Gibsons
Second Vice President Mayor Christopher Causton, District of Oak Bay
Electoral Area Representative Director Barbara Price, Comox-Strathcona RD
Directors at Large Councillor Barry Avis, Town of Qualicum Beach
Councillor Robert Johnson, Town of Ladysmith
Chair Joe Stanhope, Nanaimo RD
Past President Councillor Bea Holland, City of Victoria
PRESIDENT’S REMARKS
Incoming President Rod Sherrell expressed his appreciation to Mayor Teunis Westbroek
and the town of Qualicum Beach for the wonderful hosts they had been and in
particular thanked the staff at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre. President Sherrell
outlined some of the issues that AVICC would be working on over the coming year on
behalf of the members and thanked everyone for their attendance and participation.
CONVENTION CLOSING
The Convention adjourned at 12:05 p.m.
Certified Correct
Eydie Fraser
Executive Coordinator
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APPENDIX A
ADDRESS BY HONOURABLE GORDON CAMPBELL
PREMIER OF BC
Thank you very much. It’s great to be here. I was just thinking as Bea was making that
introduction that the very first time I got up to make a speech to an Area Association
was at what was then the Association of Vancouver Island Municipalities in Port
Hardy. That was just a couple of years ago now. I had colour in my hair; there was a
whole bunch of stuff that was different then. But it’s great to be here.
Its great to be here in the traditional territory of the Qualicum First Nation. I want to
start by saying thank you to your Executive and particularly thank Bea for the work she
has done and her leadership. It is the leadership at these regional meetings that really
makes a difference to the UBCM. There is no question that UBCM is one of the most
effective, thoughtful and creative organizations that we have in the province and is
making public life better in the province. So I want to say thank you very much to you
Bea, you’ve done a great job.
Its great also to be here with Teunis again in his great town and with Brenda as the
President of UBCM because some of the things I’m going to talk about, Brenda you’re
probably going to get tired of hearing this as I have four other area associations to speak
to. But I also want to pay tribute today to Jack Peake for the work he is doing as the
Chair of the Coastal Economic Trust and his board of directors. Again I think its
because of their thoughtfulness in building their objectives and directions from the
ground up that we’re going to watch and see the Island Coastal Economic Trust as a
huge difference in the quality of life and the opportunities that are created across the
Island. It’s a critical part of our objectives. I hope that that $50 million dollars is
helpful. If its not go talk to Bea about it.
It’s also good to be here with my colleagues from the legislature. I’m pleased to be here
with Ida Chong, the Minister of Community Services, Murray Coell, the Minister of
Advanced Education, Stan Hagen, the Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, Ron
Cantelon, the MLA for Nanaimo Parksville and I saw Scott Fraser, MLA for Alberni-
Qualicum. Thanks for coming.
I want to talk to you today about some of the objectives we have for the province.
We’ve done a number of things over the past five years, which are aimed at trying to
help your communities be healthier communities where people have a sense of
confidence about the stability of their future. We’ve had to do that in wake of pretty
significant changes that have taken place and those changes have been felt here I think
in a positive way on Vancouver Island. We have the lowest level of unemployment
we’ve ever had in terms of reporting unemployment in the province. Vancouver Island
is watching as their unemployment numbers have gone down significantly. Young
people are coming back to the Island and are thinking about building their future here.
People are getting older here on the Island as they are in the rest of the province. The
Island has some significant demographics shifts. We’re attracting older people to come
and be part of the Island. As we look to the future we have to be sure we encourage a
34
mix in population so there are young people to help old people, as we get older here on
the Island. We’re watching the economic change that is taking place on the Island and
35
really what I want to try and focus our attention on is how as we build partnerships we
can create the opportunity to build positive change. Change is going to happen to us
whether we want it to happen or not. I can tell you Gerry Furney and I have both got a
lot older since he took me on my first tour of Port McNeill. Not that much older Gerry,
ten or twelve years. But we’re getting older; we’re all getting older. On Vancouver
Island we’re watching as the people over 65 is going to be greater than the number of
people under 25 by 2020. That’s just 13 years away.
I can talk to you about thirteen years back. When I first went to Port Hardy and spoke
to Association of Vancouver Island Municipalities but it’s like yesterday to me. That’s
part of my life that I remember clearly. Thirteen years out you’ll be able to look back
from this meeting here in Qualicum and say yeah, I remember that. Whatever happens
in this meeting, you’re going to be able to say I remember someone did this and this
and that and the next thing happened and it made a difference. It will be part of your
life and of your memory. It’s just literally around the corner. So as we look at the
world we’re living in today I think one of the challenges that we face is how do we
make sure we marshal the creativity, thoughtfulness, the commitment that you have at
the local level – how do we match that with the objectives we’ve set provincially and
how do we help take those provincial initiatives and drive them to a national agenda
that actually helps Canada? Move in the future, shape the future and manage the
future in a way that we can say we live in a country that’s better in 2020 than it is in
2007. What are the things we have to do to manage those changes, which are frankly
irrevocable? They are not surprises. It was about four years ago, I think you were in
Duncan and there was a meeting of the Association and I talked to you about our aging
society. The province has set aside some resources that you can tap into to think about
how you would re-design your community and re-design the public services we have in
a way that meets the needs of an older community. The needs of an older community
are different than the needs of a younger community. The needs of today’s families are
significantly changed from what we may have identified as the needs of the families of
British Columbia fifty years ago. When I was a kid growing up there was 3 point
something odd kids per family. I remember there was one family out of all the kids in
my grade that had a car. One family, sorry a second car. Today virtually everyone has
two cars. In fact the population growth of automobiles has been greater than the
population growth of people in British Columbia over the last fifteen years. The world
has changed. Both parents typically work today. That was not the case fifty years ago.
How we deal with issues and how we meet the needs of people has also got to change if
that world is changing.
As I look across this room how many people here are twenty or younger? How many
people are under 30? Well I’m glad we’ve got some people who are under thirty. The
world that we live in is going to be attracting people that are under thirty. They’re
going to be thinking about their future and how they build it. So we have a
responsibility when we are fortunate enough to be elected whether it’s provincially or
locally to think about how we meet the needs of those people who are forming and
shaping our communities. We all want to have young families in our communities. We
all want our communities to be places where older people feel comfortable and
confident. Those are things that are shared regardless of what region of the province
you live in. What we have to try and decide is how do we make sure we build a
36
partnership that allows us to meet those needs, different needs in different communities
even on Vancouver Island with about 750,000 people living here. There are only five
communities on Vancouver Island that are over 25,000 people. They have a particular
role they play, a regional role in the Island and they have a leadership role to play and
many of them do that. We’re asking those communities, Ida and I will be meeting with
the Executive of UBCM but we also will be asking those communities directly to
develop plans that show where they are going to have supportive housing. Where in
their community are they going to be taking care of people with mental illnesses or
people who need addiction services? One of the challenges we have is we often have
resources but they can’t find a home in local communities and I understand that. I was
a Mayor myself. I know how difficult it is to have those decisions made. But I also
know how critical it is that we make them with out eyes open so that we focus our
resources and we benefit societally and communally from the activities that we make.
So at UBCM last year as in the last five years of providing additional resources to local
government shared down from the provincial government, passed right through from
the federal government to the local government so you make your own choices, your
own decisions in your communities that work for you. We’ve also established a
number of programs, which are meant specifically to encourage, to build and to create
the partnerships that are necessary for us to be successful on behalf of the people that
we serve.
I want to talk briefly about some of those today because they’re critical and they’re
really stepping stones I hope to building a partnership that will allow us to do some
other significant things societally where we’re going to have to work in partnership
between the province, the community and local government. We’re going to have to
work between our government institutions and people and corporations and
institutions to be truly successful and truly protect the values and the assets that we’ve
inherited from the generations that have come before us.
So you will recall last year at the UBCM I announced that we would be launching a
LocoMotion program. That was a program to encourage a partnership between local
government and the provincial government. It’s a 50/50 sharing program. We’ve gone
through the first round of awards to date. Ida has announced a number; about $17.3
million has been announced already in the LocoMotion Program for the first launch.
What we really need to do there though is use that program and those resources to
encourage some new thinking. New thinking about the shape of our communities. We
set a goal for ourselves in the province or reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by
30% by 2020. We’re going to have interim goals at 2012 and 2016. But we’re going to
accomplish our goals because we think we have an obligation and responsibility to our
kids and our grandkids. We believe there are substantial challenges in front of us in
meeting those goals. That is why we’re going to have to have the partnership between
you and us to raise everyone up. And government in some cases is going to have to
lead. We’re going to have to lead provincially where we’ve set a goal of being carbon
neutral by 2010 and we’ll have to ask local governments to join us in doing that. We
want to provide the tools, we want to provide the opportunities and you’re going to
think of different ways of dealing with that in different parts of the province. We’re
going to focus our attention on trying to do that. The LocoMotion fund is really one
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way of asking if you can think of ways to design your communities to encourage more
physical activity that encourages more people to get out of their cars to go from where
they live to where they work. Create the opportunity for compact communities and in
some case those compact communities will not just be sounder environmentally but
they will create social opportunities for more cohesive infrastructure.
In Qualicum here I know one of the concerns they have is affordable housing. We all
know what it costs to build a house. It doesn’t change. Its land, its building and its
time and taxes. Those four things actually create the cost of housing. So what do we do
about that? In some communities the cost of the land, the increase of cost of land that is
needed for housing that adds cost. So we’re going to be working with the local levels of
government to find out how we can have smaller lots, smaller subdivisions so we can
create more units on less land and create that in a way that is designed in so that people
can actually live in a place and walk to where they work. We’re seniors in fact, we may
not need as much space we used to need. We can actually have smaller homes in the
communities where they live. And they can be close the services that seniors are
demanding. So LocoMotion is going to be asking you to think about those things. And
in the second launch of projects I can tell you LocoMotion is looking for new ideas, new
responses, new ways that we can use your programs to share them with other local
governments in the province so they can learn and benefit from your expertise.
We’ve also established a Town for Tomorrow program. I’m going to get to that in a
minute. But I’m going to tell you that the LocoMotion program and one example of
this that I think has been very good is what I’d like to talk to you about today. The
province and the CRD and CVRD are already partnering in connecting the Valley Trail
system to Victoria’s Galloping Goose trail. We had a proposal that was brought
forward to us by the Cowichan Valley Regional District to replace the historic Kinsell
Trestle. Now this is a trestle that has real history, its real island history. It was first
built in 1911. When it was completed it was the longest wooden trestle in the
Commonwealth. At a height of 125 feet it reaches 650 feet across the Kosilah River near
Shawnigan Lake. It helped connect communities like Shawnigan Lake and Lake
Cowichan to Victoria and its supported by the local forest industry. It has a real place
to play. Here’s the place it plays. Its historic, it talks about the economy of Vancouver
Island and it reminds us if we do things properly today we can benefit everyone in the
long term. So as part of the LocoMotion program I’m pleased to say that the province
will be providing $1.6 million dollars to the Cowichan Valley Regional District to
replace that trestle. There is another thing that is important. We will be encouraging
people, cyclists, hikers, people that want to go for a walk, we’re going to be
encouraging them to carry out that physical activity. We all remember about physical
activity don’t we? Does anyone in this room forget about physical activity? We all
need to have about 30 minutes a day of physical activity. If we can create communities
that encourage that, that make it easier to take place we’re all going to benefit. We
know that thirty minutes a day of physical activity reduces the potential diagnosis of
cancer by 15%. In fact it reduces the incidence of Type 2 diabetes by 90%. So if we can
design our communities in a way that encourages that physical activity let’s do it in a
way that says to people you know if you can just get out and walk to work for fifteen
minutes and walk home you’ve taken care of that particular challenge. So that’s really
part of what we’re trying to do with LocoMotion as well as reduce the impact of
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greenhouse gas emissions. This is one way of doing that. I want to congratulate the
Cowichan Valley Regional District for their leadership and their vision in that and I’m
looking forward to having that trestle built in time for 2008 when you are going to be
hosting all of the North American aboriginal and indigenous games. That will be $30
million dollars of opportunity right here on Vancouver Island because of your
leadership and I want to congratulate you on that.
As well as the LocoMotion fund we announced a Towns for Tomorrow program. The
Towns for Tomorrow program is for the sixteen communities on Vancouver Island right
now. From the North to the South, from Port Hardy to Port McNeil all the way down
to Metchosin. Any community under 5,000 people and its really to say we understand
that often those small towns sort of feel like they get left out and pushed over to the
side. We want to bring them right into the centre. It was a $7 million program. We
expect to announce the successful applicants for the first round, which was $7 million
some time in June. The $21 million dollars that the province has already agreed to put
into this program covers 89% of the project costs so I would encourage you in the
smaller communities as well to think of how your Towns for Tomorrow projects can
encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and encourage us to create more
compact communities as you look to the opportunities that creates.
And on top of that we announced the BC Spirit Squares program. It’s a $20 million
dollar program and what we’re trying to do is make sure that these Spirit Squares are
really reflecting the spirit of your community and the spirit of your province. It’s really
critical for you to know that we’re actually very sincere about this. You know your
communities way better than we do in Victoria or someone else somewhere else. You
know your communities, you know the place you can create as a gathering place for the
people who live in your communities. And we’re hoping that the Spirit Square
program, like Towns for Tomorrow and like LocoMotion will help us think a little bit
differently about the communities we live in and what we would like them to be like in
five and ten years and about how we can ensure they are better. I believe that working
together we’re going to be successful with that. In fact if you feel that these programs
have made a difference and have worked for you I’m encouraging to make sure that
you let Ida know that they make a difference. We have lots of applications for these
dollars. Think about the investment of those dollars, did they really work for you? Did
they make a difference for you? Did they get you one step closer to the goal of where
you want to go or was it just more of the same? Its easier to do more of the same but
you and I both know that we’ve got to do things differently if we’re going to be
successful and get different results in your communities to create healthier
communities.
We’re investing literally millions of dollars in creating new opportunities to ensure
seniors can find a comfortable and safe place for them to live in. In Ucluelet $3.5 million
for Assisted Living projects and that opens this year. In Sooke, ground was broken in
March for a $16 million lodge, 67 residence assisted living and care units. In Campbell
River an $11 million for 54 units and in Qualicum Beach $4.7 for operations at the
Gardens at Qualicum Beach. We’ve made a number of commitments like that which
again we hope are reinforcing our senior communities and building a sense of
community place and plan that is going to be ongoing. So today I want to mention a
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couple of last things as I close. We actually count on the partnership between the
province and local government. That does not mean we will always agree and I’m sure
there will be times when we disagree. What is really critical is your association and
UBCM has always been willing to come to the table with an idea of what they want to
accomplish and how we might get there. So I want to come to you today and ask you to
help us as we strive to do something that is important to British Columbians. We want
to be sure that we are a leader in terms of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions in this
country. I have now met with the Governor of Alaska, the Governor of Washington, the
Governor of Oregon and the Governor of California. We’ve talked about how we work
as coastal communities to meet the challenges and they’re unique to us as coastal
communities. You will feel it here on Vancouver Island and you’ll notice it. We feel it
in the province already. But if we can find ways that we can build that partnership
where we are working step by step, year in and year out to achieve our goal of a 30%
reduction by 2020 I believe we not create just opportunity here but we will be able to
create a better world, a place where communities are healthier for our kids to live in. I
want to remind you that sometimes when we set goals for ourselves like that, not
sometimes but always when we set goals like that you will hear people say it can’t be
done. It won’t work. There are a lot of people that are far more comfortable doing
things the way we’ve always done them than to look for new ways of approaching
them. Five years ago in the province of British Columbia I can recall going to Campbell
River, meeting with a friend of mine who had been trying to sell their home for
eighteen months. It was the most important asset that they had and they couldn’t sell
their home. They had another job in another community and they couldn’t sell their
home. That is not the case in Campbell River today. It’s not the case on the Island.
Homes are selling, homes are building, and young people are coming. Older people are
coming, the economy is booming. There is opportunity and there is going to be change.
What I ask you to do is help us assure that that change is positive and to have the
vision, the strength and the tenacity that we saw in the Cowichan Valley Regional
District to have a vision and say lets bring partners together to succeed in doing that. I
hope that you will see the province as being one of your partners. I think that together
we can encourage the federal government to join us in the initiatives that we take and I
believe that British Columbia will be able to continue leading the country in a number
of areas. Particularly in the area of building healthy and secure communities. So let me
close with one last comment. It’s one of my favorite quotes by a German philosopher
who once said, “whatever you can do or dream you can do begin it.” Boldness has
genius, power and magic in it. Dream your dream. Act, be bold and you’ll create
magic for the people and the communities you serve.
Thank you very much.
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APPENDIX B
ADDRESS BY UBCM PRESIDENT BRENDA BIINNIE
I want to begin by thanking Bea Holland for her gracious introduction. Bea is a great
member of our UBCM Executive. She serves on the Community Safety and First
Nations Committees, and she serves with using tact and effective interventions that
contribute to informed and reasoned decisions at the Executive Board.
I also want to recognize two UBCM Past Presidents Mayor Frank Leonard and Director
Jim Abram.
I also want to thank you, the AVICC Members for your 100% support in renewing your
memberships in UBCM. Full membership brings huge weight to our collective voice.
And I, the Executive, the staff and Bea Holland are going to do everything we can to
win that support again this year. Lets start with one very concrete example of the
AVICC/UBCM partnership.
We have been talking about a new Municipal House and Premier Campbell announced
at the Convention in 2005 that in recognition of the UBCM Centenary, the Province
would provide a site near the parliament building at 525 Government Street. That site
signals the important value of close local to provincial government relations
I am pleased to confirm that on March 23, 2007 the City of Victoria approved our
rezoning and Development Permit application. This cleared the way for the
government to transfer the site to UBCM. A formal transfer ceremony will take place
later this month with Minister Chong officiating.
The bottom line is after 100 years, UBCM will have its own building. It will become the
permanent home in Victoria for UBCM and because of our close Association with
AVICC; it becomes your permanent home too!
You know as well as I do the importance of having a UBCM presence in Victoria. So, I
spent a week there in February meeting Ministers and others.
But I set an objective for my term as President to see the full Executive meeting in
Victoria and that is scheduled for later in April. It is an important opportunity for us to
meet MLA’s and Ministers to advocate on your behalf.
The agendas for our Committees, the Executive and Ministers I trust reflect your issues
and concerns:
• we will be talking to Minister Hanson about TILMA
• we will be talking to Minister Falcon about BC Transit
• we will be meeting with Minister Chong on a variety of issues including
• the Environment Committee will be dealing with on site sewerage regulation
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I also have made a priority to reinvigorate our federal linkages. I met last month with
senior federal Minister Chuck Strahl. That led to a meeting yesterday in Kamloops
between UBCM and the BC Conservative Caucus.
I want to tell you that I have taken a different line from the FCM on reaction to the
federal budget. The federal budget holds out for us in BC the prospect of the $1 billion
for the extension of the Gas Tax Agreement. Think of it, one billion dollars. This is the
largest federal cash infusion in the history of this province. The FCM said this was a
“hold the line” budget – what is hold the line about a four-year extension worth a billion
dollars?
I feel we need to say “this is good” lets get the extension “inked” into the Gas Tax
Agreement. So that is why I put on a media release in support of the extension and the
billion dollar infusion, that’s why I wrote to the Minister and that’s why we were at BC
Conservative Caucus yesterday.
As you may know, there is some turmoil at FCM these days. I didn’t mean our position
to be seen as “breaking ranks” with their position, but I think it was not pragmatic and
how could we pass by the opportunity to land a billion dollars?
As the FCM convention is ahead of us, we need to send a strong team to the National
Board of Directors to get that organization on track and to get it working for all our
interests.
I want to take a moment to talk about the Local Government Leadership Academy and
its Inaugural BC Leadership Forum. Another exciting new opportunity is the creation
of the Local Government Leadership Academy.
Again we had an idea and the Premier shared our vision. We had a vision of an
ongoing commitment to training of local elected officials. UBCM does a good job I think
with its introductory seminars for newly elected officials. But we don’t have the time or
resources for much follow up. This is going to change. We presented the need for good
governance education to the Premier and he announced a $1 million endowment at our
2005 convention. And its is happening – the new board has been formed – nearly
$200,000 in additional donations from partners like MFA, BC Assessment, MIA, LGMA
and form municipalities and regional districts have been received and we have an
exciting Inaugural program lined up on June 13 to 15th. Our theme is leadership and
the Premier will be one of our keynote speakers. Copies of the program and registration
are at our table in the lobby. This will be the first of many programs to be offered by the
Local Government Leadership Academy in its mission to enhance the effectiveness of
councils and boards we need to lead to the corporations that govern our communities.
SPRING CONFERENCES
UBCM Executive has adopted an ambitious series of spring conferences that I would
urge you to consider attending. These include:
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• Treaty Conference
• The Effective Electoral Area Director
• Environment Conference
We have registration information at our information desk.
This has been a wide-ranging review of UBCM activities. I want to thank the organizers
for inviting me. I have learnt so much about your issues and concerns that will inform
our work at UBCM. I hope to see all of you at the UBCM annual convention will be
September 24 to 28 in Vancouver.
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APPENDIX C
Address By Honourable Ida Chong
Minister Of Community Services
Thank you very much. I appreciate your very kind words and the warm introduction.
I did ask not to go through these bio’s that are printed on our website because they can
be pretty dry but the most important aspect is that issue Bea mentioned and I take
particular pride in is that I did start my public life as a municipal councillor. I know I
made the right choice at that time and I was very much encouraged by some people not
the least of which was former UBCM President and a colleague of mine Mayor Frank
Leonard. He’s been a mentor to me and has always been a good friend to me. Thank
you Frank for that.
I wanted to begin my remarks this morning by referencing something that the UBCM
President Brenda mentioned in her presentation. It has to be with the importance of
UBCM and the importance of AVICC in particular as being part of an association and
then part of a larger organization. I know when I was on Saanich council when it came
up for us to approve the payment for the fees for AVICC and the fees for UBCM I asked
my good friend Murray Coell who was Mayor at the time, why do we pay these fees
and do we really get anything out of it? Murray was very good about explaining that
individually as a municipality it’s sometimes hard to hear your voice and have your
voice heard and to bring about changes that we want at the local level. But if we all
band together, if we put our resources together which I know you do we can a bigger,
stronger and more positive effect. AVICC advances things that then go to UBCM and
then UBCM works in collaboration with the provincial government and goes to FCM
and so on and so forth.
So what is important is the fact that the gas tax transfer that Brenda spoke about, the
$635 million dollars for five years which is transferred to you as local government and
now a billion dollars that is being contemplated. This is a result of that organization
that started at something like your area association, then through UBCM and then
working with the provincial government. I can tell you that you are the only provincial
organization through UBCM that actually sees those dollars flow through UBCM to you
to access. Other municipal organizations whether its Ontario or Alberta do not have the
same setup as we have here in B.C. I cannot overstate that too much depending on how
you want to look at it because other municipal organizations in other provinces receive
those dollars through the provincial government. We said very clearly in 2004 and
again in 2005 when we were in negotiations with the federal government and at that
time it was Murray and I’ll give him credit for working hard along side the UBCM
President, I think it was Frank at the time and then Aaron and now Brenda that we
believe we can flow this right to your organization to reduce and streamline the process
so you can access those dollars. For some of you who have been coming to AVICC for
years and I see lot of familiar faces, you need to know how important your involvement
is to AVICC and then to UBCM. For those of you who have been coming for many
years, thank you for your support and commitment.
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This morning as I look out I see a lot of familiar faces and I saw a couple of colleagues of
mine from the legislature and I wanted to acknowledge them. I don’t know if they’re
still in the room. I know Scott Fraser was here last night and I saw Nicholas Simons
here earlier. I’m sure you will have other MLA’s coming in and out. I saw Leonard
Krog last night.
Last year you were in Oak Bay, my hometown from the perspective of being the MLA.
I know that Victoria is always a drawing card because for some it’s considered a city
although it’s still a very small city. Thank you for coming to the Greater Victoria area
and being in Oak Bay because it was a special year last year where Oak Bay and Saanich
celebrated their Centenary. They were very happy to share with you the pride in their
communities and what they had accomplished. I know that the Town of Qualicum
Beach is also going to be celebrating its 65th birthday as well. They were incorporated in
1942. Gerry Furney passed along a little brochure to me recently that in three days the
town of Port McNeil would be celebrating its 25th anniversary. They were incorporated
in 1966 as a village and now they are a town. So they will be having their Silver
anniversary in about three days. So why do I talk about that – because it is important to
go back sometime to our roots. A few months ago I was in Pitt Meadow when they
changed their name from the District of Pitt Meadow to the City of Pitt Meadow. Again
I asked the Mayor, Mayor Don McLean why did you feel you needed to change? He
said, “Too many people were thinking we were an Improvement District, a business
area district or even a water district so we thought if we called ourselves a city that
would allow us as we want to market ourselves and partner with others and whether
it’s a corporation or not in other jurisdictions they would acknowledge us a city. As the
Minister of Community Services know that I am here to facilitate what changes you
might want to make to enhance your profile, enhance your opportunities that you think
exist out there for you.
I was really pleased to see when driving up here to Qualicum Beach that while things
have generally changed, certain things have stayed much the way they are because here
in Qualicum Beach we see that they have been able to preserve so much of their
heritage and so much of what they began 65 years ago. The one thing that has really
stayed quite constant is the fact that they started out as a community that catered to an
older population and now they are a community with a median age of 58.1 years. That
is the highest in all of Canada. I used to think from Oak Bay that we had the highest
aging population and found out that it was Qualicum Beach. But you know it’s going
to be happening to more and more of our communities, which is why it is important
that as we move forward and as the Premier has said change is coming. Especially with
a very, very huge shift in terms of age demographics is one that all of us are going to
have to consider each and every day and month and year as we look out a decade from
now. As the Premier said, we’re all aging and I certainly feel it at times as I’m sure
many of you do but even though we are again I sometimes look back on when I started
in public life in 1993 and I say to a lot of people, “I still remember the first day of my
municipal campaign and I started out and said what do I do today and I walked out
and I remember the first door I knocked on and it seems like it was just yesterday.” I
hope each and everyone still feel that same way years from now when you’re sitting in
room and you’ve done two decades of public service or whatever it is you decide
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because that feeling you have about serving the public should never ever wane. If it
does then you know its time to move over and let someone else take your place. It is
also encouraging to see so many young people. As the Premier asked yesterday and the
hands were going up there are some young people entering public life and that too is
encouraging. They are the ones we’re going to be looking at to put these changes in
that we all need as we age.
I wanted to again just share with you one of the visions and commitments we made as
government. It really connects with the theme that we had at UBCM last year that we
had vibrant, connected communities. That still is very much the theme that the
provincial government wants these communities to be vibrant. We want these
communities to be sustainable and we want you to be able to meet the needs of your
citizens, no matter what their age and ability. We want to be able to work with you as
well to have our environments to be cleaner, Again we made it very clear that we had to
set a target in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We’re all in this together.
Again if we go back to the start of what I said, individually we may be able to do things
and we do want to do those things but collectively we can have a stronger, more
positive force. At the end of the day whether we see those changes in our own back
yards and our neighbourhoods in communities across the province, across the country
we know that if we work together we will able to tackle and deal with the climate
change and we’ll know that we started at the local government level. So whether
you’re going to be looking at things like enhancing your bicycle lanes or looking at
alternative transportation, reviewing land use planning we know and you know local
governments are key to helping us reduce greenhouse gases. You are the ones who
going to be key to providing physical opportunities in terms of your residents being
able to have healthier lifestyles that benefit them. Its really not about looking at the
past and the old way of doing things as the Premier has often indicated. It means that
we have to be engaged. It means that we have to take some pride in what we’re already
doing and build on that. It means we have to be exited by the future and we have to
take a look at new directions and new ways of improving our communities as even
better places to live and to work and invest. We do know that people move to British
Columbia. We have migration coming back to British Columbia. Young and old,
families coming to neighbourhoods we never expected before and they do so because
you in local government have built vibrant sustainable communities.
But there still is more to do. We say this at the provincial level all the time. While we
know the economy has turned around now is not the time to sit on our hands, now is
actually the time to be even bold and move ahead. You also can do that at the local
government level. I know it means you aren’t able to do some of the things you would
like to do in isolation you cannot do this alone. So that’s one of the reasons why we
have worked very hard to have a great relationship with UBCM, working with you to
ensure your communities do support healthy environments, healthy lifestyles, healthy
lifestyles for all British Columbians and we’ve been able to so that. Again because of
our strong economy we’ve been able to find the resources to be able to work in
partnership with you. We also know and I know you’ve heard this before from other
ministries and in particularly from the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Carole
Taylor, with a strong economy come challenges but there are also many opportunities.
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So what does that mean for you as an individual municipality or a regional district?
Well it means that we’re asking you to help us build those vibrant, connected
communities. It means that to be socially responsible and environmentally sustainable
we do have to connect to each other more and more. It means working together to
achieve those goals. So that’s one of the reasons why we continually look at ways to
work together and we do look to you for your input on how we can make that happen.
I know that since 2001 there has been more than $600 million dollars in direct grants
that have gone to local governments and sometimes its hard to fathom. Even when I
ask my staff to gather some data for me it was difficult to see but when I started seeing
things like the BC Community Water Improvement Program and I saw the MRIFF
dollars, the Community Tourism dollars that have gone through and the money gave to
communities for seniors and just a host of things that I know you can access through the
UBCM website. I just know that these were the start of some initiatives and discussions
that took place years ago and we’ve been able to build and diversify to allow those to be
implemented and then build on them. At the end of the day these grants have been
able to do things such as improve air and water quality, reduce energy consumption,
improve safety, the traffic fine revenue sharing has been an important part of that.
Encourage British Columbians to exercise, which is part of our Act Now initiative. As I
said working in partnership with the Federal government there has been an additional
billion dollars come through to communities for enhancing infrastructure and public
transit which I know is going to be the next challenge that many of you face in your
communities with an aging population, with people turning 80. I see this all the time,
people who may soon have to limit their driving abilities throughout the day and
therefore rely on some form of public transportation. Those are the next issues that we
are going to fundamentally face together. So the funds that we’ve been able to provide
to you through direct grants, the transfer of monies through to UBCM, I know they’re
making a real difference in BC communities. I know they’re making a real difference to
you and provided I’m still involved in this particular portfolio I will continue to be at
the table as we look at innovative opportunities to provide local governments with the
resources that they need to have their communities be vibrant and connected.
The Premier already spoke about the Towns for Tomorrow and there are sixteen
communities who would fit in that category on Vancouver Island who are under the
5,000 population and I haven’t seen all the applications. I know they closed on
February 16th so we’re going to be looking at what innovative ideas you have put
forward in terms of infrastructure. The Premier already spoke about Spirit Squares and
again those applications are in and we’re hoping to process those and have them
available to you in June. And the one that is still out there for you to make application
it is the Green City Awards and as the Premier mentioned these are real cash dollars
that your community is able to be provided with if in fact you have an innovative idea
to make your community greener with initiatives and projects that take place in your
communities. The one other area that I know that has been important to you and I want
to share with you is the Small Community Grants and the Regional District Grants. As
you recall the Premier made an announcement in 2005 where he said we’re going to be
doubling that program and he asked that I take that to Treasury Board to find out to
implement the doubling. So we had about $27 million dollars in that program which
had not been changed for almost a decade and I could have said let’s bring in it in 2009
as he gave me four years to bring it in. When I sat down with staff and said we’re going
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to have to make a pitch to Treasury Board and either bring in half of it in 2007 and then
the last half in 2009 and what would be the best. We thought the easiest transition
would be let’s do the four years and lets start with having an impact now and phasing it
in with a quarter of that each year. So last year you saw the first increase towards that
doubling, about $6 – $7 million dollars. This year you’ll see the extra $6 – $7 million so
we will have seen an increase in that program by 50% in this second year. I’m pleased
to announce that we have in fact done some calculations based on the formula that we
worked out with UBCM that approximately $36.9 million dollars is going to be going
out to local governments and another $3 million dollars to the regional districts and we
hope to have those in your accounts by the end of the month.
I do want to say and again give thanks to UBCM because they were very, very critical in
helping us design a program that was fair. As I said this program had not been looked
for a dozen years simply because there had been no increases for a dozen years. So
populations had changed, property assessment values had changed so UBCM sat down
with our staff and said lets find something that was innovative yet at the same time met
the needs of the communities and allowed for some flexibility. For that reasons it’s a
doubling of the program but it doesn’t necessarily mean every community will see a
doubling of your grant because your population in fact has changed. For some of the
smaller communities it does mean there will be a doubling. I just want to share with
you a couple of towns. For example Alert Bay who used to receive $160,000 already by
2007 will see $279,000 so they have already seen a more double amount. Highlands I
know in 2005 received $123,000 and this year they’ll be seeing $239,000. They’re already
almost at a doubling. Those are just examples of how we have managed to meet the
needs of your communities and we’re really happy to see those extra dollars go to your
smaller communities and ensure that its good news for you.
Three days ago as the Premier had indicated I had announced the first projects around
the province in the LocoMotion program. $17.3 million dollars in 26 communities
around the province. Yesterday he announced an additional $1.3 million dollars to the
Cowichan Valley Regional District for the Kinsoll Trestle and we are now working to
put together the package for the second launch of that $40 million dollar program and
many of you I know will be putting an applications for those. I think they’ll be out
sometime at the end of the summer so we can assess those over the summer and into
the fall and be able to make announcements hopefully early next spring. But again as
the Premier indicated we’re challenging you to take a look at new innovative ideas that
connect their communities. I was really happy to be here yesterday speaking with
Teunis and he showed me how the amount that he received for his trail connection
allowed this community to put in a trail system that you can actually walk if you
wanted to right from Qualicum into Parksville. But if you don’t want to walk you can
cycle. Some of the things that you’ll be looking at as I hope you will as you ask for help
to open those particular trails and bike lanes and walkways to consider persons with
disabilities consider your seniors. Are your pathways going to be wide enough and I
know you don’t want to see a lot of pavement but at the same time are they going to be
wide enough for two walkers or scooters to pass each other. Those are the things I
know you are going to have to deal with and think about as well. But it does mean as I
say a $40 million dollar program over the next four years connecting within our
communities, connecting between our communities. I hope you’ll give some
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consideration to that. At the end of the day we know it is about reducing traffic
congestion and encouraging everyone to have healthy active lifestyles. I know in
particular in my community of Oak Bay and Gordon Head and Saanich I’m particularly
interested where there is a good transit system and good alternatives that biking has
become really important and not only for people to bike to shop and to work but
because we have a university for students to be able to bike to university. Universities
are important. Now in Nanaimo there is Malaspina University College and up Island
there is North Island College and I hope there will be some interest in that regard. At
the end of the day as well you know that you will be helping us reach our target of
reducing greenhouse gas omissions, improving air quality and certainly energy
conservation. I had a lot of examples of areas, things that are happening on the Island
but I think I’ll just pass on that because as I say you know more about what is needed in
your community. I look forward to seeing and hearing more about that. I also wanted
to just acknowledge that there are some really innovative green projects that are taking
place. As I said the Green City Awards that we are going to putting out in cash awards
range from the amount of $25,000 to a maximum of $250,000 and its about half a million
dollar program over the next five years. So if you’re a leading edge local government
that is making a difference providing a greener, healthier environment for your
residents we want to know about it and we want to celebrate it. You might get that
award and everyone at UBCM will know about it and we’ll be able to post it on the
website so that others can take note and follow through on some of the things that
you’re doing. Perhaps if they were to build on it they would apply the following year
and see if they were able to win an award. We’re really excited about the categories we
set up. There are about eight categories and we wanted to make sure that a community
of 100,000 people was not competing with a community of about 1,500 people. That’s
why we broke it down into various categories so that you could feel that you actually
had the ability to compete for those dollars. It’s about sharing ideas and that’s what
we’re hoping to do by having that.
Another priority that I know we’ve all been talking about and certainly at UBCM was a
very important issue was housing. Housing is important in terms of helping those that
are most vulnerable in our community. It will take all of us working together and
particularly we are looking at local governments to help us deal with the homelessness
issue and the opportunity to treat those that have mental health addictions and
substance abuse problems. You may recall just eleven days ago there was an
announcement made by the Minister of Housing and the Premier; the largest single
investment ever was made in terms of housing. $80 million dollars was invested in
housing and services for people that want to make a better future for themselves. $80
million dollars was put in place to acquire a number of SRO’s, that’s single room
occupancy hotels to make sure that those will stay for those who might be at risk of
losing housing and for those who need housing. I can tell you that our housing budget
has tripled since 2001. It’s now about $328 million dollars a year. It was about $112 in
2001. We know it’s making a difference. We need to help us ensure that that difference
can be felt in your community. As I said as local governments you have a role to play
here in our housing, in our physical activity and our transportation. The decisions that
you make at the local government level and the decisions you make in terms of zoning
are very important in reaching those targets. That is one of the reasons as well why we
ask communities with more than 25,000 persons to identify and zone sites for
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supportive housing, for treatment facilities and for those with mental illnesses. We are
asking you to put those in your official community plan by 2008. On Vancouver Island,
for AVICC that’s only five communities. Those five communities are going to have a
big impact. We’ll also be looking at developing changes at existing funding and
transfer payments to ensure integrated regional transportation and housing plans and
that’s to help you make a difference. We’ll be encouraging local government to exempt
small unit supportive housing projects from development cost charges and levies.
Again that’s to help you make a difference. We’re going to be working on the
devolvement of a new assessment plan and new tax exemptions for small units for
supportive housing over the next year. Those again are areas where you have a direct
role. Its not only that we need to add to our housing stock but it is about finding steps
to help reduce housing costs as well so that home ownership is within reach for all
British Columbians. It means to also reduce the effect of sprawling communities to
reduce the impact of environmental changes and damages to help reduce costs. It
means looking at implementing higher density. That’s one thing that we know
municipalities can do. While we are going to ask you to take a look at the opportunities
there and I do call them opportunities and if there are issues that arise because of that
you can and you should contact our Ministry, the Minister of Housing as well or any
member of your Executive if you need to put forward an idea. Compact communities
mean more of a sense of community as well. It means more affordable housing which
we all know and it means healthier citizens which benefits all of us as a whole. I an
looking forward to continuing the great relationship which we have with UBCM and as
well working with the private sector to see how we’re going to develop new incentives
that encourage smaller, more energy efficient homes that use less land, less energy, less
water and that are less expensive to own.
And in the area of water, one of the very most basic needs that we all have we do have
to take a look at water conservation. We know that makes sense. So why not monitor
Individual usage at the individual resident or property. How much water do you use?
Do you really know? Does it make sense to let the property owner know? I hear from
people individually that they want to know how to make a difference. They do want to
be part of the solution and not a part of the problem. So doesn’t it make sense to match
fees with usage based on metered water system? But if people don’t know how can
they possibly deal with the conservation? So local governments need to work with us
on that because I know local governments need to ensure the costs are recovered and
that they can maintain the property taxes at the lowest level possible but its important
that individual owners also know how much water they are conserving or how water
they are actually using.
Another initiative on the go and I know you have already heard about that and that’s
business harmonization. A healthy competitive business sector is integral to your
sustainable communities and last year at the UBCM the Premier challenged British
Columbians to become the first province to enact a single business license framework
for local government to reduce cost for businesses. I know my colleague the
Honourable Rick Thorpe who is the Minister of Small Business and Revenue is leading
this initiative. He’s working in close partnership with UBCM, with our Ministry and
also with the One Stop Business Registry toward the single business license for British
Columbia by 2008. Those of you who know Minister Thorpe know that he will ensure
50
that we have a great system in place by 2008. Once it is determined how that is and
again I encourage you and urge you to provide input on how business harmonization
can work for you and your community. I think it’s going to be another great
opportunity for you to be involved in. As I say the Ministers model, his framework
will be designed based on input from you. If he doesn’t hear from you he will just have
to rely on the consultations he received from UBCM or the others from private sector.
Don’t hesitate to let him know what you’re thinking on the issue.
Looking to the future I want to say that I was really pleased last month to bring in a
piece of legislation that allowed us to see the first signing of the first resort revenue
sharing agreement with Whistler. I met with the Mayor of Whistler and his council at
the end of March to sign an agreement whereby they will now receive a portion of the
hotel room tax and that’s for them to deal with the infrastructure and demand that take
place as the result of a huge visitor population as opposed to the residents who live
there who cannot handle those requirements. We want to see our vibrant, sustainable
resort based communities continue to have tourism and economic opportunities across
British Columbia whether they are ski hills or on lake or river fronts or overlooking the
ocean. These are about resorts, all year round resorts that are looking at tourism and
the potential to grow. The Revenue Sharing program means participating
municipalities whether they are small or large can invest in their local tourism
economies as we the province will be transferring a portion of that hotel room tax back.
As many of you know there is 8 points of hotel tax currently collected and 1.65 of that
goes directly to Tourism BC and eventually I believe that’s going to increase which
doesn’t leave a lot left for coming back to the provincial treasury. We have said we’re
prepared to give up 1 – 4 of those 8 points and depending on the units and population.
We know that those dollars are going to be invested in things like walking trails,
information centres, festivals, beach enhancements because those are what is coming
forward already. So I am really looking forward to being able to sign some of those
agreements with participating municipalities. Currently we know there are thirteen
resort orientated municipalities or communities around the province. Here on
Vancouver Island you all know that two of those Tofino and Ucluelet and I’ve already
ran into the Mayor of Tofino and said how soon are you ready to sign that agreement to
put that in place because we would like to be able to start transferring those dollars.
Otherwise the Minister of Finance is very happy to keep those dollars and I’m looking
to get them out to the communities. We also that this will help us reach our goal of
doubling tourism by 2015. So many of you have taken advantage of the Community
Tourism Program that has been highlighted earlier, the $25 million dollars of which half
was already funneled out to you. Thank you for taking up that initiative. Thank you
for those wonderful ideas. We’re going to be watching and see how that has
encouraged tourism and if there is information there that I can take back to the Premier,
my Cabinet colleague that can enhance that program I certainly will.
Finally I want to talk to you about another key priority for us. That is the Asia-Pacific
Initiative. Some of you might think well what’s that got to do with you? Well you
know that it is a key part in building our economy, in building bridges with
communities throughout Asia and in China in particular. As a local government you
do have a role to play and it’s an important one. We want to work with you to make
sure there are some relationships that can be fostered and established with
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communities. So we’re going to be helping you in the next while about specific action,
about twinning opportuniti9es, sister city twinning opportunities in the next few
months. There are some of you who already have those in place. Some of you who
have them but have not been able to build on those opportunities and we think there is
an opportunity that we as a province has come and make that a bigger visionary reality
for you. At the end of the day if it means adding to your potential and ensuring that
you stay competitive we want to be able to help you with that. We all live here on the
Coast and we know that we’re acutely aware of the things that affect us differently such
as our environment and our economies are integrated in different ways but we all face
similar challenges. We are all affected by whether small, large, urban or rural we’re
affected by changing demographics and increasing globalization and new technology
but I want to say despite those challenges each and every one of us knows how much
potential we have in our local government and I can tell you from my travels around
the province I have continually in awe and inspired by those of you in local
government. You have a very optimistic outlook and I appreciate that. You’re looking
for solutions and I appreciate that. This is our time to shine. This is our time to work
together to inspire others who might need our help. This is our time to be innovative
and to be leaders. This is our time to ensure that here in British Columbia and that your
communities continue to be the best place on earth now and for future generations.
Thank you very much.
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APPENDIX “D”
ADDRESS BY THE LEADER OF THE OFFICIAL OPPOSITION
CAROLE JAMES, MLA
Thank you for the kind introduction. Today I am joined by a number of my colleagues
from my caucus, Nicholas Simons, MLA from Powell River Sunshine Coast. Scott
Fraser, MLA for Alberni-Qualicum, Doug Routley our MLA for Cowichan-Ladysmith,
John Horrigan our MLA for Malahat-Juan de Fuca and Maureen Kariaganis for
Esquimalt-Metchosin. I know that Claire Treveena our MLA from North Island and
Leonard Krog our MLA from Nanaimo have been around over the weekend. As you
know the Island and the Coast sends the largest contingent of NDP MLA’s to Victoria.
Certainly the Island and the Coastal MLA Caucus which is chaired by Maureen
Kariaganis is a tenacious and very effective team. They represent all parts of this
region. They represent a cross section of Island and Coastal life and they’re working
very hard both inside and outside the Legislature to represent you and your
communities.
Now I understand and I want to thank you for your patience because I understand I’m
the third provincial politician to talk to you over this last few days. I know you’ve
already heard from the Premier and the Minister of Community Services. I understand
this is not a partisan event but none of you will be surprised to hear that my take on
things is a little bit different than their take on things and I want to share a little bit of
that with you this morning. Its not because I think the cup is half empty while the
Premier thinks the cup is half full. It’s not just because the Premier says one thing so
therefore I disagree with what the Premier says. In fact on some issues the Premier and
I have similar views. On many others we’re miles and miles apart.
What fundamentally separates a Gordon Campbell government from a Carole James
government are the principles and values that guide us in our decision-making. As I
said I want to take a minute to talk about that difference and to talk about the
implications on your world. As you know I grew up on the Island. Island life and
culture is in my bones. I know personally what a ferry fare increase does to a family
budget. Before I entered provincial politics as you heard I spent some time working up
North and I loved it there. I learned to do a number of things that I never had the
experience to do in Victoria like ice fishing and winter camping and driving logging
roads. And I did have the good fortune to bring back a wonderful husband. So living
in the North and working in the North certainly gave me an enormous appreciation for
the diversity of British Columbia and I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for my
work up north. But the Island has always been home and the values that I learned here,
working at the grassroots doing community work as preparation as you do are values
that I bring to provincial politics.
Now some people say that my approach is a little less flashy when you measure it
against the flamboyant traditions of BC politics. I can tell you I am happy to take that
criticism because I learned long ago that a lot more is achieved by being practical, be
setting achievable targets and by listening carefully to what other people have to say. It
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may take more effort but decisions arrived at through consultation, open dialogue,
respectful give and take are much better than decisions made for quick political reasons
without explanation and behind closed doors. But far too often that is the approach
that current government takes. Along the Island and the Coast people have a
tremendous attachment to their communities and they want a say in shaping their
future. I said earlier that my Island and Coastal Caucus is tenacious and outspoken.
Well there is a reason for that. Their communities are tenacious and outspoken. Over
the last number of years on some fundamental issues the Island and Coastal
communities are being sidelined and out future is being shaped by others making the
decisions.
We’re in the midst right now of one of the most profound and social transformations
since the 1940’s. For generations forestry has been the backbone of our Island economy.
We know that that’s changing. The forest industry is still important but the future looks
a lot different than the past. The trouble is government doesn’t seem interested in
asking anyone what that future should be. I can’t count the number of reports that this
government has issued or commissioned on the coastal forest industry. They all have
the same thing wrong. Communities were not part of that dialogue. Except for the rare
instance where this government is forced to take some notice when communities protest
you haven’t been listened too. Public lands have become private with little or no
consultation. Raw logs are shipped off that land by the truckload. Destructive practices
on those lands is destroying watersheds, it’s polluting our rivers and streams. Forest
Act changes have resulted in consolidation and mill closures. Again without
consultation. As forest workers lose their jobs proud communities lose their
population. Now I’m not saying that change is bad, There is no question that the BC
forest industry needs to change. It needs to modernize, it needs to attract new
investment and it needs to develop new products and it needs to find new markets. We
cannot make the world stand still. What political leaders should do though is
everything in our power to make that transition work for communities. That is not
happening right now in British Columbia and its certainly not happening on the Island.
The Coastal Forest Industry, one of the most significant sources of wealth anywhere in
the world is in crisis yet there is no plan for communities in transition. There is no
vision for the future. There is nothing other than what consolidation and deregulation
is going to bring about. For over a year we’ve been waiting for the Forest Minister to
visit Port Alberni, more than just landing and flying out again. To actually see first
hand the results of his government’s direction in the coastal forest industry. Now a
year later government is delaying its response to its own report that recommends
curbing raw log exports. It’s incredibly frustrating. I know it’s frustrating for you and
your communities as well. There is something basically wrong when hundreds of
millions of dollars are being poured into massive Olympic cost over runs and
communities like Port Alberni have to plead for help.
After six years in power I have to say that I think this government is falling victim to the
kind of entitlement of power that overtakes so many after longer times in office. We
heard the Premier call fall sessions busy work. We saw that a critical agreement like
TILMA that has serious implications for municipalities was signed without any
opportunity for debate and discussion. Ferry fares are skyrocketing and the
Commissioner who approves them is forbidden by legislation to consider their impact
54
on your family budgets or in fact the tourism industry. Municipal powers on water
resources are over ruled by the stroke of a pen. Provincial budgets and the Throne
speeches in fact have become public relations exercises to deal with the governments
vulnerabilities instead of actually putting together real action plans to address the
challenges in your communities.
Now I don’t mind that the Premier is actually trying to change his image. No doubt in
fact a strong opposition has had something to do with that. But I do mind at time when
our economy is doing well, when revenues are high that the government is doing so
little to help communities prepare for the future, is downloading responsibilities onto
you and over riding municipal powers. I do mind that after six years after promising
health care where and when you need it that all we get is a conversation. And I do
mind that this government has broke a promise to build 5,000 long term care beds and
their cuts to acute care mean that emergency rooms in hospitals across the Island are
gridlocked. I do mind that truckload after truckload of raw logs is leaving your
communities and in return all you get is a pep talk from the government. And I do
mind that the focus is on 2010 and very little attention being paid to what happens after
the world goes home.
Over the next two years I’m going to continue to put a positive agenda for change and
show the province that I will take. Just this week you may have heard that I proposed a
tax cut for small businesses to improve our business climate. And I proposed raising
the minimum wage to help hard working British Columbians make ends meet. Under
my leadership the NDP has put forward a sensible climate change plan that actually
caps emissions now not in 2020 and sets achievable targets to reduce green house gases.
We’ve actually proposed to actually return to you a significant return of the surpluses
we’re seeing in the budget to actually help resource-based communities plan for
investments in the future. I proposed a fully costed housing plan that in partnership
with you would actually build affordable housing in your communities. We will
continue to fight to restrict raw log exports and the jobs and the wealth that go with
them. We promise to return accountability and transparency to BC Ferries. And under
my leadership we are committed to balanced budgets and a competitive tax
environment for British Columbia. But I have to tell you that as proud as I am of the
work that we have accomplished as an Opposition my goal wasn’t to run to be Leader
of an effective Opposition Party. My goal is to be leader of an effective and responsive
government for British Columbia. Thos of you who worked with me know that I care
about results. I don’t care whether you’re an NDP, whether you’re a Liberal, whether
you’re a Conservative, whether you don’t come from a political party I care about
bringing people together to tackle the problems and challenges we face in British
Columbia. I am practical, focused on strong results and determined to achieve a better
future for all of us in British Columbia. I did learn those values from the grass roots
work that I did in communities. Like you I know what it’s like to be closest to the
voters. To be closest to your community, to spend time every single day whether it’s
grocery shopping or whether it’s the work you do in the Council chambers meeting and
connecting with communities and the people in your community every single day.
Those values I’ve carried with me in all of my work whether it was my work at the BC
School Trustees Association, my work as director of Child Care or now my work as a
provincial politician. I know and believe in connecting with communities and
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supporting the work you do and ensuring that people are heard before decisions are
made. I look forward and our team looks forward to working with you over the next
couple of years and beyond to ensure that the work you do in standing up for your
communities is also reflected at the provincial level. Thank you so much for the
opportunity to be here this morning. I very much appreciated it. Thank you.
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