Latest news with #UBCM
Hamilton Spectator
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Port Moody to call on province to reform school planning in face of housing supply push
Port Moody council is calling on the province to overhaul how it plans and funds schools, warning that communities facing mandated housing growth are being left without the infrastructure to support new families. On June 10, council unanimously approved a motion to be submitted to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention this September, urging the province align school construction timelines with population growth targets imposed under the Housing Supply Act and transit-oriented development legislation. 'This is not the first time I've brought up the challenges . . . not just for cities with SkyTrain stations, but even ones with small transit hubs,' said Coun. Callan Morrison, who authored the motion. 'The province rolled bills 44 and 47 out with really no consultation with local municipalities.' Morrison warned that cities like Port Moody, designated under the Housing Supply Act to meet ambitious housing targets, are being forced to grow without corresponding plans for essential services like schools, hospitals, and supportive housing. 'If they're going to force and mandate housing numbers upon our cities, they need to make sure they're providing all the provisions: health care as well as schools, by the time those are due,' he said. 'This motion is written to highlight just one of the challenges.' The motion, which will now head to UBCM for consideration, calls on the province to move away from its reactive, enrollment-based approach to school planning and instead fund new schools based on projected growth and legislated population targets. The current approach, council argued, creates long delays in school construction that leave students and families in overcrowded facilities or with long commutes to neighbouring communities. Coun. Kyla Knowles said council has raised these concerns repeatedly, including in meetings with two separate provincial education ministers. 'We are meeting regularly with our school district board – I can tell you, they are just as frustrated as we are,' she said. 'If we have to keep beating this drum every year, then so be it, because our students and our kids deserve the best.' Knowles also questioned provincial spending priorities, referencing recent reports about the growth of public sector employees, and noting the strain on local services. 'It's really hard when communities like ours are struggling to provide affordable housing, sufficient doctors, health care and schools.' Coun. Samantha Agtarap called for planning innovation, stating the old ways were 'no longer good enough.' She pointed out that delays often mean schools are full the day they open. 'There is an opportunity to move forward in such a way that we're not behind the eight ball always,' she said. Port Moody's resolution will be circulated to the ministries of education and municipal affairs, and joins what Morrison hopes will be a chorus of similar calls from other municipalities at this year's UBCM. 'I certainly hope that this is not the only version of this motion being put forward,' he said. 'It does affect so many.' Anticipating similar resolutions will be brought to UBCM by other B.C. municipalities, Agtarap suggested council find joint sponsors to add weight to the request. The motion reflects a growing frustration among Port Moody councillors regarding the province's long-term planning around school capacity. Many of the concerns were recently raised after the Coquitlam School District submitted its school site proposal for approval. After attempting to reject the proposal, council had to reverse course after the district warned of potential provincial intervention. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Port Moody council urges province to recognize housing as a human right
Port Moody is joining a growing chorus of local governments calling on the B.C. government to enshrine housing as a human right in provincial law. On June 10, city council unanimously endorsed a motion from Couns. Amy Lubik and Diana Dilworth to send a resolution to the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention this fall, asking the province to follow the federal government's lead and formally recognize housing as a human right in legislation and future housing strategies. 'We are joining a number of municipalities across the province in this advocacy, as well as the Poverty Reduction Coalition,' Lubik said. 'We know that housing is more than just four walls and a roof. It's a place to live in security, peace and dignity, and essential to physical and mental health, community and sustainability.' The motion argues that while Canada enshrined housing as a right in the National Housing Strategy Act in 2019, B.C. has not yet adopted similar measures. Lubik said a human rights-based approach ensures that housing policies prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable, adding that without provincial legislation, 'the federal right to housing remains a promise without a pathway.' 'Having an affordable, suitable and safe place to live helps people and their families succeed and thrive,' she said. 'Everyone should have access to housing that meets their needs without discrimination or harassment.' Lubik pointed to Manitoba as an example, stating the province's move to enshrine housing-first policies added clarity, focused policies, and removed red tape. Coun. Diana Dilworth said she first heard the phrase 'housing as a human right' 10 years ago, while working with non-profit and co-op housing providers. Now local governments and the federal government are taking progressive steps, and the provincial government needs to 'come on board,' she said. 'I want to say this is a long time coming. . . . We're finally seeing some action,' she said. 'That just speaks to a louder collection of voices agreeing that this is the right thing to do.' Dilworth added that momentum is building among municipalities, and 'there's no doubt in my mind' that a number of municipalities will be submitting similar motions at UBCM. Coun. Samantha Agtarap also spoke in favour of the motion, and agreed on the direction governments need to be going. 'I do believe that homelessness can be eliminated through the coordination of all levels of government . . . through aligned policy,' she said. Coun. Haven Lurbiecki offered strong support for the motion but reminded her colleagues that cities still have considerable power to shape housing outcomes locally. 'While I appreciate us going and advocating for this, the first thing that pops into my mind is yes, we control so much,' she said. 'We can make sure that we only approve housing developments that truly meet our housing needs, and not ones, for example, that have zero affordable housing.' The UBCM are scheduled to vote on the resolution at its annual convention in September. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
17-06-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Port Moody to push province to tackle affordable space crisis for family doctors
Port Moody council is calling on the province to address one of the roadblocks in the ongoing family doctor shortage: the lack of affordable clinic space. In a unanimous vote on June 10, council approved a resolution to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention that urges the provincial government to work with municipalities, developers, and Divisions of Family Practice to ensure health infrastructure is incorporated into new developments. The motion, co-authored by Mayor Meghan Lahti and Coun. Amy Lubik, also calls for provincial funding and leasing models to make space for clinics more affordable, and for health facilities to be included in the scope of amenities eligible for Amenity Cost Charges (ACCs). While Lahti said the province has done good work on restructured payment, fee and funding models for family physicians, the expense of healthcare workspaces remains a major issue. 'What we're talking about really is a space bottleneck,' she said. A lack of affordable space for family physicians in the Tri-Cities has been an issue for years, with many clinics either being pushed or priced out by new development. The background memo notes that more than 700,000 British Columbians currently lack access to a family physician, and with the provincial population growing at 1.7 percent annually, the need is increasing. It adds the lack of clinical space – due to high rental costs and a shortage of properly configured sites – is making it harder for new doctors to establish practices or expand existing offices. Even as the province shifts toward more team-based care, the necessary square footage for integrated care models remains out of reach in many communities 'This puts it on the radar for us to consider when we are talking to developers that come forward,' Lahti added. 'It really elevates it to a point where we're taking a stand publicly.' Coun. Amy Lubik said that finding clinic space has come up in discussions with the BC Division of Family Practice and other healthcare stakeholders. 'We are facing a primary care crisis,' she said. 'Without a regular family doctor, patients turn to walk-in clinics, emergency departments, or virtual providers, and none of that continues the continuum of care. It doesn't provide preventative care, it doesn't provide chronic disease management, and this can lead to delayed diagnosis and unmanaged conditions.' Lubik emphasized the shared challenges between municipalities and healthcare providers. 'We are living in a world with complex problems and no simple solutions. But we can start somewhere, and we can understand where some of the bottlenecks are.' As municipalities like Port Moody brace for population increases under provincial housing mandates, Lubik said it's vital infrastructure planning includes health services. 'We hear from our residents that we have a lack of health infrastructure,' she said. 'We've been directing our economic development staff to work with developers on trying to find healthcare-related anchor tenants. But again, it's that funding piece and the space piece that we keep coming up against when we talk to doctors.' The motion now heads to the UBCM convention in September, where it will be debated by local governments across the province. If endorsed, it would become part of the formal advocacy platform directed at the provincial government. Dr. Darren Joneson, president elect of BC Family Doctors, which is the main advocacy organization for family doctors in the province, called in to support the motion. He described the provincial health care systems as 'in crisis,' noting that patients are struggling to get access to health care resources. 'It's important that we remove barriers for access,' Joneson said. 'To be able to dedicate space in new builds for primary care clinics, I think is genius.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CBC
16-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
B.C. municipality pushes for European-style elevators to cut costs, boost accessibility
A Vancouver Island municipality is pushing the province to make changes to its elevator rules in a bid to make homes more accessible and affordable. The District of Saanich recently voted unanimously to send a resolution to the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM), calling on the province to "legalize" smaller and less expensive European-style elevators in low- and mid-rise buildings in which an elevator would otherwise not be installed. Coun. Teale Phelps Bondaroff, who brought the motion forward, says the idea stemmed from a chance conversation over coffee. "I was talking to some residents…and one of them just casually brought up European elevator standards," he said. "It's one of at a coffee shop, leading to potentially a policy that might make housing a little more affordable and a little more accessible." A 2024 report from the Center for Building in North America, which Phelps Bondaroff's motion cites, found elevator prices in Canada and the U.S. are three times higher than in comparable buildings in Europe. According to the report, Canada has just four elevators per 1,000 people, compared to 15 in South Korea and more than 20 in countries like Spain and Greece. Currently, B.C. abides by the Canadian Standards Association's B44 guide which requires large elevator cabins that can accommodate a stretcher. In practice, they are costly, says Phelps Bondaroff, and that means most builders avoid including elevators in walk-up townhouses or small apartment buildings. According to the motion, the 2024 B.C. Building Code requires elevators in all residential buildings, although large one- and two-storey buildings and small buildings with three storeys or fewer are exempt. "In [these] low- and mid-rise buildings, it isn't a choice between oversized, overbuilt American elevators versus smaller, cost-effective ones," Phelps Bondaroff said. "It's a choice between European elevators or no elevator at all." "If we want seniors, parents with strollers, and people with accessibility needs to access homes in walk-ups and smaller apartments, we need more options." WATCH | How smaller elevators could increase accessibility: Saanich calls for building code changes in B.C. to allow smaller, cheaper elevators 1 day ago Duration 2:27 A B.C. municipality is calling for changes to the province's building code to allow smaller and more affordable elevators. The District of Saanich says it's a key step toward improving accessibility for those dealing with mobility challenges. As Sohrab Sandhu reports, the move is being welcomed by industry experts and accessibility advocates. The lack of affordable elevator options has real-world consequences for people with mobility challenges, says accessibility advocate Susan Bains. "When I used to live in a condo with 24 units, there was only one elevator," Bains said. "If it was down for maintenance, you'd be waiting…you're really just relying on one elevator." Bains hopes that allowing more compact and affordable elevators will encourage developers to include them even in buildings where they aren't currently required by code. CBC News has reported on the impacts of broken elevators across Canada over the past decade, and heard stories from seniors and people with disabilities who've been largely stuck in their apartments for weeks or months while their building's sole elevator was down. Some told of how they had to wait for others to carry them up the stairs or take 10-minute breaks between each flight. One advocate described that some residents were left to crawl down the stairs of their multi-storey building, while staff at a care home feared getting burned while hauling hot food upstairs to residents. Cheaper maintenance Sam Holland, a director of the housing advocacy group Homes for Living, said maintaining European-style elevators costs less. "European elevators aren't just cheaper to install, they are also more affordable to maintain over time," he said in a statement. "That's because they use globally standardized parts that are easier to source and service, unlike the expensive and often delayed components we rely on in North America." Mark Bernhardt, former president of the Canadian Home Builders Association of B.C., supports the idea of smaller elevators. He says in one recent low-rise rental project, installing a single elevator cost $135,000. "That's one of the biggest line items in the whole building," he said. "So if there is anything we can do to shave that down, that is something that home builders absolutely support." Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says the province is open to the idea. "We in B.C. have been open…when it comes to changes to building code…to allow for more affordability as well as more convenience," he said. "[This proposal] may actually address cost pressures that we are seeing…and [it] may also help us diversify away from the U.S., which I think is needed given the challenges we have now," he said, referring to President Donald Trump's trade war. If adopted at the UBCM convention, the resolution would become part of the organization's formal lobbying effort to the province. Kahlon says the province would then consider public consultation on the matter and could bring the discussion to a national level. "But when something makes sense in B.C, we're also prepared to go forward alone," he said.
Vancouver Sun
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
On Bill 15, B.C. premier seems convinced he can bring Indigenous leaders on board
VICTORIA — Premier David Eby heads into the final week of the spring legislative session on Monday, determined to ride out the backlash over a bill giving the cabinet extraordinary powers to fast-track public and private infrastructure projects. Indigenous leaders say the government broke its word to consult them in advance on this type of legislation. Municipal leaders say they were left in the dark, too. Both oppose how Bill 15, the Infrastructure Project Act, empowers the cabinet to override regulatory and other authorities on any project the New Democrats designate 'provincially significant.' Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Indigenous and municipal leaders combined forces this week in a final pitch to delay passage of Bill 15, at least until the fall legislature session convenes in October. 'Our chiefs are frustrated,' said Robert Phillips of the First Nations Leadership Council. 'They're upset and they feel betrayed. But at one swipe of a pen, the premier can put all of this off to the fall and that's what we're calling for.' Echoing the call was Trish Mandewo, president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities. 'In rushing the legislation through quickly and by standing behind it so aggressively, the province has failed to generate support and trust from local governments and from First Nations.' That was midday Thursday. A few hours later the premier made it clear to both groups that the government was determined to proceed. 'I understand the history of the provincial government and why the words fast-track would cause so much concern among Indigenous leaders,' Eby told reporters. 'But I also had a very positive meeting with the modern treaty nations. We're engaging with Indigenous leadership on major projects across the province, and I think and hope we'll be able to get to a point of demonstrating that this bill not only benefits the province as a whole; it benefits Indigenous communities as well.' The premier was less respectful of the concerns raised by local government. He noted the juxtaposition between the UBCM news conference and this week's release of the Deloitte report on the troubled internal dynamics of Metro Vancouver. 'I have to confess some surprise that in the same week we got a Deloitte report about the urgent need for additional support for municipalities on complex and challenging projects to deliver them effectively, efficiently and promptly, that I would be getting a critique from UBCM about our bill that is about moving these projects along faster,' said Eby. 'It is actually the mayors themselves who have been pressing government and saying, 'we have to amend our official community plan, but can you just go ahead and build this school in our community?' 'That's what this bill is about. It is about delivering for the mayors … for the Indigenous rights and titleholders who come to our government and have projects that they own and that they want us to deliver efficiently, effectively and promptly. That's what we're going to do.' In short: Indigenous and local government leaders alike should trust the New Democrats to do the right thing with this legislation. On that score, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs made a telling comment recently about Bill 15 and Bill 14, the companion legislation for expediting energy projects. 'There's something that most people would never consider, and that's if the Conservatives were to take power and these bills were on the book,' said Phillip during an interview earlier this month with the CBC's Stephen Quinn. 'They (the Conservatives) would just run rampant on developments that could greatly harm and impair the environment, and certainly the rights of Indigenous people and British Columbians,' Phillip continued. 'We made a heroic effort to reach that understanding, but the premier made it clear that these bills are moving forward.' The government has already passed closure motions, allowing it to terminate debate and use its legislative majority to pass Bill 14 and 15 before Thursday's scheduled adjournment of the spring session. There is no need to go that route, particularly with Bill 15, the more contentious of the two. The New Democrats could simply put Bill 15 on hold, conduct the consultations they neglected, and bring it back with amendments in the fall. But the premier has already been forced to water down Bill 7, the legislation giving the New Democrats broad powers to meet the threat of the Trump tariffs. He's determined not to blink a second time — even for the summer — on another major piece of legislation. 'We have to show we can get things done,' say the New Democrats. And never mind the fallout with First Nations? Near as I can tell, Eby does not believe that he will have to pay a high price for his rebuff of Indigenous leaders over Bill 15. Rather, he expects they will be placated with consultations later this year on the regulations that will bring specifics to Bill 15 and clear the way for Indigenous involvement in individual projects. 'We're going to have to prove it,' says the ever-confident premier. He still thinks there is time enough to make Indigenous leaders see things his way. vpalmer@
