Final Program

Program for 64th Annual AGM & Convention

April 12-14, 2013       Sooke, BC

Downloadable documents associated with the business of the AGM & Convention:

•  2013 Supplementary Materials Package [PDF]
• 2013 Final Convention Program [PDF]
• 2013 AVICC Annual Report and Resolutions Book [PDF]
• 2013 Resolutions Summary [PDF]
• AVICC Conference Rules and Procedures
• 2013 AGM & Convention Program Brochure [PDF]

2013 Program in Brief

The Program Format

Based on a successful tradition, the 2013 program will integrate the regular business of the annual general meeting, debate on resolutions and holding of elections with a variety of presentations and workshops on topical issues, addresses by key political speakers and opportunities for networking.

Opening Keynote Speaker

Palmer on Politics

Mixing wit and humour with insight his talk is an up-to-the-minute update on the current state of affairs in our political scene.

Vaughn Palmer’s hard-hitting columns have seen him cover the feats and follies of British Columbia’s premiers for more than 25 years.

An award winning journalist, Palmer is the Vancouver Sun’s provincial political columnist, a legislative correspondent for Global Television and host of the weekly program Voice of BC on Shaw TV and a regular commentator on a radio station CKNW in Vancouver and on station KUOW in Seattle.

Palmer is a recipient of the Hyman Solomon Award for excellence in public policy journalism and a co-recipient of the Jack Webster award for reporting.

Political Speakers

Delegates will be pleased to hear from UBCM President, Mayor Mary Sjostrom and the Honourable Ida Chong, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation.  Premier Christy Clark has been invited.  Regrettably Mr. Adrian Dix, Leader of the Official Opposition and Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Bill Bennett have advised that they will not be available to speak this year.

UBCM President, Quesnel Mayor Mary Sjostrom

Mary Sjostrom became the 2012 – 2013 UBCM President at the Annual Convention in Victoria, BC on Friday, September 28, 2012. Mayor Sjostrom is in her second term as Mayor of the City of Quesnel, following three terms as City Councillor, and has served eight years on the UBCM Executive.

During her service on the UBCM Executive, Mayor Sjostrom has been involved in the following groups: Presidents Committee; Chair, Community Economic Development Committee; Chair, Convention Committee; Chair, Local Government Leadership Academy; and UBCM Liaison on Off-Road Vehicles Advisory Group.

Mayor Sjostrom has also gained much experience through her responsibilities as a member of council and more recently Mayor of the City of Quesnel: First Nations Relations; Cariboo Regional District Board Director; Vice-Chair, Cariboo-Chilcotin Regional Hospital District/CRD; Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition Board Member; Cariboo-Chilcotin/Lillooet Regional Advisory Committee member; Quesnel Community & Economic Development member, Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities and Director, BC Transit Board.

Mayor Sjostrom’s love for her community, the region and the province ensures that she cares about her work, her colleagues and the people she represents and works with. She embraces challenges while remaining positive and upbeat throughout even the most difficult circumstances. She offers her experience, knowledge and dedication to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities Executive as President.

The Honourable Ida Chong, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation

Ida Chong was appointed Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation on September 5, 2012. Her previous cabinet portfolios include Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, Minister of Science and Universities, Minister of Regional, Economic and Skills Development, Healthy Living and Sport, Small Business, Technology and Economic Development, Minister Responsible for the Asia-Pacific Initiative, Minister of Community Services, Minister of Advanced Education and Minister of State for Women’s and Seniors’ Services. In addition to her role as Minister, she also served on the Cabinet Committee for Climate Action and B.C.’s Treasury Board.

A native of greater Victoria, Ida has represented her constituency of Oak Bay-Gordon Head since she first entered provincial politics in 1996. During her first term at the legislature she was the Official Opposition critic in a number of areas, including critic for Small Business and Deputy Critic of Finance. She was re-elected to represent the riding of Oak Bay-Gordon Head in 2009.

Ida has been involved in her community for years, volunteering for a number of not-for-profit groups and serving as municipal councilor for the District of Saanich, from 1993-1996. For nearly 20 years, she was senior partner in an accounting practice based in Saanich, catering to small and medium sized enterprises. While no longer in active practice, she proudly retains her credentials as a Certified General Accountant, having won a number of awards for her work in this field, including being named in 2006 a Fellow of the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, a national designation for exemplary service.

John Horgan, MLA for Juan de Fuca, House Leader, Critic for Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources

John Horgan was elected on May 17, 2005. He was re-elected on May 12, 2009.  He is the House Leader and Critic for Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

John was born and raised in Victoria. He attended Trent University in Ontario and received a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then moved to Australia and completed a Master of Arts degree at Sydney University. A former long time public servant, John began his career working in the House of Commons. He returned to British Columbia in the 1990’s to work for the Harcourt government.

In 2001, John, with his partners, started a management and research consulting company.  John and his wife Ellie have two sons who are both recent graduates of the University of Victoria.

Working Breakfasts

The Community Carbon Marketplace:  An Initiative for Achieving Carbon Neutral Local Government (Saturday Morning)

The session will address how local governments can meet their carbon neutral commitments under the Climate Action Charter by directing their carbon offsetting dollars towards growing community green initiatives and the local low carbon economy.  The recent successful pilot of the Community Carbon Marketplace in the City of Duncan is examined as a model for meeting carbon neutral objectives in communities throughout BC’s Islands and Coastal communities.

After a unanimous decision by Council on September 4, 2012, the City of Duncan has partnered with CEA as the first municipality to participate in a pilot to become carbon neutral by purchasing all of its carbon credits needs through the Community Carbon Marketplace from local organizations.

The Community Carbon Marketplace (CCM) is a community-based carbon exchange initiative to enable local governments, businesses and individuals to meet carbon-neutral objectives by purchasing carbon offsets from community-based projects that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and build community resilience.  By directing offsetting dollars back to the communities where they originate and monetizing locally-generated carbon credits, the CCM will create additional value for greenhouse gas reducing initiatives and create a multiplier effect that supports ongoing growth of the local low-carbon economy into the future.

Presenters:  Brian Roberts, Executive Dirrector, CEA; Phil Kent, Mayor, City of Duncan; Peter de Verteuil, Director of Finance, City of Duncan

The Natural City – A Sustainable Future for Cities and Towns (Sunday Morning)
The Natural City is a comprehensive, highly integrated, visionary approach to planning future development for cities and towns. It begins with an examination of problems that have developed from sprawl and poorly managed growth and goes on to present a visionary approach to sustainable development and re-development for future communities.

This approach is tightly woven around a hierarchical structure of priorities and principles. Central to the vision presented are three key priorities: Global Sustainability, Local Sustainability and Quality of Life and Place. Eleven principles essential to accomplishing these priorities are examined in detail as are planning processes necessary to implement the vision at both a regional and neighbourhood scale. The presentation also examines: methods to insure plans don’t become “shelf ware” as well as the role of local politicians and senior levels of government. The presentation concludes by providing a sample of an area ripe for re-development and a summary of the “need to act”.

Presenter: Vic Derman, Saanich Councillor and CRD Director

Other Presentations and Concurrent Sessions

Let’s Talk Finance

Representatives from UBCM’s Select Committee on Local Government Finance, will lead a discussion aimed at informing the Committee’s thinking about the financial issues facing your communities.  We need your input about what you’re facing, where you think the Committee’s efforts could best be directed, and how it could be helpful to you and your community.  With a tight timeframe to make recommendations, we want you to help us focus on the things that matter most to local governments across BC.

Presenters:  Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard and Dale Wall, Consultant

More Than Just a Pretty Beach

The presentation is an introduction to the beach spawning habitats of important species of fish called “forage fish” as well as backshore habitats such as marine riparian vegetation which line many a beautiful shoreline property.  Critical shoreline fish habitats, such as these spawning beaches and the vegetative zone, are under increasing threat of development by seawalls, marinas, ports, and sea level rise.  Due the crucial role that these fish play in local marine food webs, the issue of protecting these shoreline habitats and conflicts with human activities is gaining more attention by local planners and marine conservationists.

The presentation will include the issues of shoreline hardening (seawalls, riprap) along shoreline properties and the impacts on these habitats critical to nearshore ocean productivity.  Also, information about what communities are doing in their Official Community Plans in implementing 30 m buffer zones along the shoreline will also be discussed.  A brief introduction to shoreline erosion alternatives, such as “soft shores” initiatives, will be presented.

Presenters:  Ramona C. de Graaf, Marine Biologist and Executive Director, Coastal Conservation Institute of BC and Ann Kjerulf, Planner with the Cowichan Valley Regional District

World-Leading Spill Response – Are We Ready?

Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) is the spill response organization certified by Transport Canada to be the responders to a marine oil spill anywhere along the 27,000 km of coastline of BC.  In the midst of the calls for a world-leading spill response, few people know that this organization exists and how we are prepared to meet the challenge of protecting our waters and shorelines. This presentation will introduce participants to WCMRC, describe our current state of preparedness and what we are doing to prepare in the event of an expansion of industry activities.  Discussion will centre on how best to work with local governments to further enhance our spill response capability.

Presenters:   Scott Wright & Toni Frisby

Fibre Supply and the Future of the BC Coastal Forest Industry and Benefits of Community Forests

This session will discuss the impact of the Mountain Pine Beetle in the Interior and the effects on coastal fibre supply and markets; the forecast for the coastal lumber industry given improving demand for the US, reduction of supply from the Interior and emerging demand from China and the Orient; the forecast for the pulp and paper industry on the coast given the shift to electronic media and competition in pulp markets from the southern Hemisphere; the forecast for coast logging given overseas demand for logs and regional demand for sawmills, veneer mills and pulp mills; and will talk about the path foreword for the big coastal companies in the forest industry.

Presenters:  Murray Hall, Murray Hall Consulting Ltd.; Kevin Davie, President and Jack McLeman, Director, Alberni Valley Community Forest

BC Hydro Operations and Planning

From large-scale generation facilities to transmission and distribution lines, BC Hydro has operations in every coastal community. Senior leaders from BC Hydro’s South Coast operations will be providing a brief system overview and facilitate a discussion on how coastal communities and BC Hydro can work more closely to better to serve the residents and meet the growth in the region.

Presenters:  Ted Olynyk, Mgr. Community Relations, Vancouver Island and Sunshine Coast; Klaus Kreye, Engineering Team Lead, Vancouver Island; and Don Fulcher, Line Mgr. South Island

Sea Level Rise (SLR)

The session will provide an introduction to a number of topics including: climate changes, projections for SLR, Guidelines on Sea Dikes and Coastal Flood Hazard Land Use, the SLR Primer and costing for sea dikes and alternatives.  It will also introduce the new adaptation guide which provides practical on-the-ground adaptation solutions for local government elected officials and staff covering a wide range of topics including: OCP policies, zoning, liability, infrastructure, asset management, emergency planning, etc.

Presenters:  Cathy Leblanc, Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development and Tina Neale, A/Adaptation Specialist, Ministry of Environment

Electronic Council and Board Agendas

Karla Graham will talk about Electronic Council and Board Agendas and how to go about the process of implementing the paperless agenda.  She will also share with you some of the processes and challenges that she and her municipality encountered along the way, and hopefully dispel some myths and provide you with the information you’re looking for to assist you in making your decision if you are contemplating going this route.

Topics to be covered include making the decision to go to the paperless agenda; logistics of accessing the agenda through the Internet; navigating through the agenda on the iPad; webcasting; cost savings – time and money; training; privacy and ability to expand the use of the electronic agenda on the iPad for other meetings.

Presenter:  Karla Graham, Deputy City Clerk, City of North Vancouver

The Place of Genetic Engineering in Agriculture

The District of Metchosin will be sponsoring the following resolution titled “Genetically Engineered (GE)”

Whereas some Genetically Engineered (GE) crops, through pollination, can disperse their pollen and genes indiscriminately and potentially contaminate non-GE crops, resulting in lawsuits, loss of organic certification, and marketability and;

Whereas there is particular concern with the transfer of DNA between species and the potential unintended consequences, especially with animal species and; Whereas Vancouver Island and associated Coastal Communities are isolated from other agricultural areas in British Columbia, which can provide practical approaches to avoiding contamination by GE organisms and these locations suggest that there is an opportunity for local farmers to provide organic production, to help maintain long-term sustainability, to foster a living seed bank, and to be a refuge from genetically engineered contamination;

Therefore be it resolved that AVICC ask the British Columbia government to legislate the prohibition of importing, exporting and growing plants and seeds containing genetically engineered DNA, and raising GE animals, on Vancouver Island and associated Coastal Communities and in the marine waters nearby, and to declare, through legislation, that the area encompassed by AVICC is a GE Free area in respect to all plant and animal species.

Robert Wager and Dr. Thierry Vrain will each provide their perspectives on the topic followed by an opportunity to ask questions.  The following are the bios for the two speakers to provide some background:

Robert Wager has a B.Sc in Microbiology and a M.Sc. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.  He has been teaching laboratory exercises in biochemistry and molecular biology at Vancouver Island University (formally Malaspina University College) for 17 years.  Robert got involved with GMO research in 2000 when it was clear the internet contained a great deal of misleading or false information.  He has written dozens of articles on GMO’s for the general public  and given dozens of public seminars to help explain this complex science.

Dr. Thierry Vrain grew up and did his undergraduate studies in Plant Physiology in France before coming to Canada in 1971.  He graduated in 1977 with a PhD from North Carolina State University in Plant Pathology.  Dr. Vrain was a soil biologist and a genetic engineer for Agriculture Canada for 30 years.   He was the Head of the Biotechnology Department at the Summerland Research Centre, managing the research programs of 40 professional and technical employees from 1996 until 2002.   His responsibilities were varied:  providing leadership for national and international scientific committees and organizations to evaluate research proposals and scientists, educate and advise on scientific, organizational, and political issues;  providing national and international scientific journals with reviews and editorial evaluations of scientific manuscripts;  providing technical expertise to national and foreign governments to educate, evaluate, and advise on diagnostics and exclusion policies, and to Universities in Canada and abroad to educate students and staff, and supervise graduate research projects.  He has published the results of my collaborative work with 57 researchers from 14 countries and US states, in 84 refereed publications, 7 book chapters, and 132 Abstracts and technical summaries.

Other topics and sessions that will be included as time allows are:

• BC Ferries
• Benefits of Community Forestry
• Update on the Gas Operating Agreement Renewal Process
• Proposed Strait of Georgia Marine Conservation Area