'A state of overlapping crises': B.C. municipalities have much on their agenda for annual convention

While some industry conventions are filled with frivolity, expect the mood from B.C. mayors and councillors meeting in Vancouver next week to be decidedly mixed.

"It's a challenging time for many people for many different reasons," said Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) President Jen Ford, in advance of the annual UBCM convention, which begins on Sept. 18.

The convention serves as an opportunity for municipal and regional politicians to meet and trade best practices, and also a chance to lobby the B.C. government through policy sessions, formal resolutions and scheduled one-on-one meetings. 

While around half of the delegates were newly elected in last year's elections, the themes of this convention are much the same as 2022, with a significant focus on the challenges surrounding mental health and drug policy, housing affordability, health-care supports and climate disasters. 

"We're in a state of overlapping crises, and we're trying to respond in a way that is responsive and sensitive to what communities are going through right now," said Ford. 

"This is the highest registration we've ever seen … so I think there's going to be a huge amount of interest."

Focus on wildfire impacts

The provincial government, perhaps unsurprisingly, painted a somewhat rosier picture of the conversations that will take place at the Vancouver Convention Centre over the five-day conference. 

"We come to challenging situations such as housing or health care and child care … to have that valuable conversation and work toward solutions," said Municipal Affairs Minister Anne Kang. 

"So what we're working toward is a strong collaborative relationship and to build a stronger relationship moving forward."

Ford credited the province for giving municipalities money for a variety of programs, and its work with cities on new housing policies. 

At the same time, issues like health-care shortages and mental health supports have seen more conflict between the province and municipalities, and are reflected in the tone of resolutions that will be debated by delegates. The plenary session at the conference will explore the health impacts of this year's wildfire season, along with "strategies to help protect our communities".

"[There's] exhaustion of local government staff who have been working endlessly to respond to community members who've lost their homes or their properties," said Ford.

"We need to come together and talk about how we can support these people not only during the event but after the event … because we're also facing unprecedented flooding potential based on how dry it's been."

First convention address by Eby

The conference will end next Friday with an address from David Eby, his first to the UBCM as B.C. premier.

Under former premier John Horgan, the province's new announcements during the convention were minimal, but Kang hinted that might be different this year. 

"I actually don't want to let the cat out of the bag," she said, "but it is always exciting for communities to find out what is in store in terms of any funding at UBCM."

Due to the pandemic, it's the first in-person UBCM convention in Vancouver since 2019, where delegates voted to stop allowing the Chinese government to sponsor an annual reception at the event. 

In the years since, some have criticized fossil fuel companies being included as sponsors of the convention, or the need for local governments to spend thousands of dollars to send delegates to the event. 

But Ford argued the UBCM continued to be a valuable opportunity for all municipalities.     

"We don't live in silos," she said.

"When one community finds a great way to approach a policy situation, they want to share it with other communities … so I'm really excited to see everyone, and to hear those ideas and to see how these conversations unfold."