Three of City of Powell River’s six resolutions were adopted by the delegates at the recent Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention in Vancouver.
The annual convention draws municipal and regional district elected officials from around the province and was attended by councillors from the city and directors from qathet Regional District, plus staff.
City of Powell River councillor CaroleAnn Leishman said the three resolutions that made it to the floor for debate and voting by the delegates were: Single-use disposable products (sustainability committee recommendation with help from the Let's Talk Trash Team), which called for an environmental fee on products; Standards for microplastic filtration, liquid waste management (sustainability committee recommendation); and Canada Post delivering community power, which is an initiative that was brought to city council by Canadian Union of Postal Workers members in Powell River to youth council and city council for support. The resolution calls for Canada Post replacing fossil fuel-powered vehicles with electric vehicles by 2025.
Leishman said the resolution sessions ran out of time before the next three resolutions came to the floor. The fourth resolution was brought forward for the ministry of mental health and addictions to become the ministry of brain injury, mental health and addictions. There were two resolutions put forward by youth council, which will be referred to the UBCM executive for consideration.
The youth council resolutions were: environmental education curriculum and free post-secondary education in BC.
Leishman said a great feature of the convention was that City of Powell River Council was granted several meetings with ministers and senior staff, which were “all really great discussions and our ideas were really well received.”
Highlights for Leishman in these meetings included meeting with the deputy minister of environment and climate change strategy on establishing standards for microplastic filtration for liquid waste treatment facilities. Another highlight was a meeting with minister of finance Carole James, where Powell River representatives asked the province to approve property-assessed clean energy financing programs (PACE), which would assist homeowners and business owners to make their buildings more energy efficient and reduce their utility bills in an affordable way.
A third highlight was the meeting with minister of advanced education, skills and training Melanie Mark, where Powell River representatives brought forward the youth council recommendation that the province make post-secondary education free for BC students in BC institutions.
“She was very impressed by the youth council’s request and we thanked the minister for already making post-secondary education free for children who have been in care,” said Leishman. “It was an amazing and emotional meeting.”
Leishman said from her experience, this UBCM was the most effective conference for being heard.
“The province seemed very responsive to our suggestions as they have been in the past but they really seem to have great momentum now in the work they are doing in each of the ministerial departments,” said Leishman. “There were also many more environmental and climate-related resolutions and sessions than ever before, thanks in great part to the youth uprising.
“I see some great work being done by municipalities and regional districts across the province and our provincial government is really responding in ways that I have never seen before. It is amazing to see the direct cause and effect of all our lobbying and advocacy, including that of the youth voice. The youth are making a huge difference in our society. I see their voices only getting stronger.”
