The Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention was held in Vancouver from Sept. 18 to 22.
Mayor and councillors of Burns Lake attended the meeting to push their agendas for economic and sustainable infrastructure development.
“The convention was busy and informative. We had discussions around housing issues, high infrastructure costs that are making it difficult for smaller communities to provide housing,” said Mayor Henry Wiebe.
“We always hope that our requests are received, and that Burns Lake will benefit from these discussions,” said Mayor Wiebe.
“There was more progress made on the RBA [Resource Benefits Alliance]. We are excited by the possibilities that RBA will bring to the Northwest,” said Mayor Wiebe.
The RBA is an association of all 21 local governments in the northwest, from Masset to Vanderhoof.
One of Mayor Wiebe’s concerns that he was hoping to address at the convention is to improve the road condition of Gilgan Road which meets at the intersection of Francois Lake Drive. He is looking forward to work with the Minister of Transportation on this matter in the future.
“Unfortunately, we did not get the minister meetings that we had requested, but we will continue to push for answers,” said Mayor Wiebe.
According to the recent press release on Sept. 21 from Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the province and the RBA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and established a joint staff-level working group to develop a shared understanding of the financial challenges of local governments in the RBA region in September 2022.
Industrial development, local government infrastructure, and livability in the RBA Regions were the key agendas of this MOU.
“We know that northwestern B.C. has unique needs,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “Our government is listening to rural and northern voices and is committed to continue working collaboratively with local governments to meet the needs of people in this region.”
Since 2019, the B.C. government has provided $150 million in grants through the Northern Capital and Planning Grant to help local governments with planning and infrastructure improvements.
So far, the RBA region received approximately $116 million of the funding. As part of the $25 million Northern Healthy Communities Fund, the province has invested more than $15 million in 90 projects that strengthen services in northern B.C. communities experiencing rapid economic growth.