If you need to speak with your local mayor on Monday, they will likely be unreachable.
That’s because the 116th Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Convention begins Monday at Vancouver Convention Centre East and runs from Sept. 23–27. Approximately 2,000 delegates are expected to attend the week-long conventionwhich includes nearly 50 workshops, clinics, forums and plenary sessions.
Here’s what mayors and councillors will be taking part in on the first day.
Financing Reconciliation: Supporting Inclusive Governance in BC - “That We May Be Good People Together”
Representatives from First Nations, local government and academia will consider new approaches for provincial and federal governments to better finance local government and First Nation service delivery in ways that support the implementation of Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Disrupting Money Laundering
This session will explore investigative, prosecutorial and regulatory changes needed at all levels of government to build a more effective anti-money laundering regime, with a focus on disrupting the illegal activity of money laundering in BC real estate. Finance Minister Carole James, Attorney General David Eby, Professor Maureen Maloney of SFU’s School of Public Policy and RCMP Superintendent Paul Dadwal from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit-British Columbia will provide comments during this session.
Prioritizing Emergency Management
With an unprecedented rise in the magnitude of provincial disasters, especially floods and wildfires, this session will examine how local governments are working with other orders of government to seek improvements in disaster management. Initiatives currently underway include an ongoing review of BC’s 911 framework, and collaborative efforts between local governments and the province. Featured presenter: George Abbott, co-chair of the independent Flood and Wildfire Review.
Towards Parity: Breaking Down Barriers, Building Momentum
In most provinces, women represent less than 30 per cent of local elected officials. With 36.7 per cent women elected in 2018, BC’s local governments are leaders, but there is still work to do to reach parity. This session will highlight the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) national action to remove barriers and support more women to run, win and stay in local elected office. Delegates will also hear from locally elected women across BC and the provincial government will highlight its Gender Based Analysis+ initiative.
BC Mayors’ Caucus – PANEL on BC’s Opioid Addiction Crisis
Following an opening address by Honourable Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Mayor Lyn Hall (City of Prince George) will chair a special panel reviewing the impacts of the opioid crisis on large and small BC communities, and initiatives to help address the crisis. Panellists: Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer; Mayor Kennedy Stewart, City of Vancouver; Mayor Carol Leclerc, City of Terrace; and the Honourable Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
