West Kelowna Continues Advocacy at 2020 UBCM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2020

City of West Kelowna Council participated in the 2020 Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) virtual conference and provincial Minister and staff meetings from Sep. 14 to 25, 2020. Virtual meetings were conducted to adhere to social distancing requirements during COVID-19.

As part of West Kelowna’s 2022 – 2022 Strategic Priorities, Council continued its advocacy to help support the growing community needs across the Greater Westside. All levels of government rely on municipal advocacy to provide insight and direction to help meet the local needs important to building and maintaining sustainable and vibrant communities.

West Kelowna’s Council-to-Minister meetings included:

Ministry of Health – submission from Council to express West Kelowna’s sincere gratitude to receive the first Urgent and Primary Care Centre slated to open in November;
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing – meeting to advocate for BC Housing to establish social housing in the City of West Kelowna, including the City’s first supportive and transition housing buildings and operators, a winter shelter in a suitable location with minimal impact to the public (and not in the downtown Westbank Centre), and continued advocacy for subsidized housing for low income seniors and families;
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General – meeting to advocate for additional rural police officers and discuss traffic safety enforcement priorities;
Ministry of Children and Family Development – advocacy to enhance local funding opportunities that increase new child care spaces, and increase the wage of Early Childhood Educators that support the recommendations in the Central Okanagan Community Childcare Planning report;
Ministry of Finance – advocacy for West Kelowna to opt-out of the Speculation and Vacancy Tax (SVT) now having met the vacancy rates greater than the provincial average, and allow an opt-in option for those municipalities who have requested the SVT. Money collected from the SVT has not been reinvested in the City of West Kelowna for housing, so Council will continue to strongly advocate that the SVT be eliminated in West Kelowna;
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources – advocacy to ensure the previous power resiliency option is abandoned by the Ministry and BC Hydro and that a redundant (second) power transmission solution remains in their 10-year capital program;
Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness – advocacy for procurement limits to be reviewed and aligned with the Canadian Free Trade Agreement that provides more economic opportunities to local and regional businesses, particularly due to COVID-19.

Several Council members also participated in online Diversity by Design-themed UBCM sessions including public transit, confronting systemic racism, environment and climate change, political speeches and a panel discussion on leadership including Dr. Bonnie Henry.

“Participating in UBCM’s virtual conference sessions was so important so we can continue to have open dialogue, learn from each other and work together to address the many challenges facing us today, including economic recovery from COVID-19, climate change, homelessness, systemic racism and others,” says Mayor Gord Milsom. “West Kelowna continues to bring significant awareness to the challenges and opportunities across the Greater Westside and we look forward to working with the incoming provincial government to continue that advocacy.”

“I am also grateful to UBCM staff for all their hard work on making this convention happen,” says Milsom. “Although our Council prefers attending UBCM conventions in person to connect with local government colleagues and provincial government leaders, the virtual format may be beneficial for those who traditionally would not attend in person.”

Find more information online at ubcm.ca/EN/main/convention/2020-convention.