The Union of BC Municipalities, better known as UBCM, is the umbrella organization for local governments in B.C. Its main purpose is to provide a collective voice to affect positive change for our communities and advocate for the many social, environmental and economic issues that inform our daily lives.
UBCM is really like any other industry convention; the conference agenda is filled with workshops, learning opportunities, networking events, peer-to-peer conversations, lobbyist pandering and the prerequisite trade show. UBCM is also an opportunity to interface directly with provincial government cabinet ministers and MLAs of all stripes both formally during scheduled meetings and at one of the many sessions and networking events during the week.
I attended 13 UBCM conventions during my days in local government, and I was also for a time on the UBCM board of directors. I am admittedly a UBCM junkie who regularly made 7:30 a.m. workshops and avidly sat in the front row during resolution sessions diligently following and participating in the interesting topics presented from all over B.C. I love the resolutions sessions. They are a fascinating snapshot of what makes our diverse province tick. Our current Mayor Karen Elliot is an acknowledged resolutions geek as well so I’m sure she will be attentively sitting in the front row hopefully with her equally eager fellow council members.
Of the 277 resolutions at UBCM this year, it’s likely very few of them will be acted on. The provincial government simply does not have the will nor the capacity to react to them all. But a handful of resolutions will get some traction and slowly bring about change, and other resolutions will be back next year and maybe the next for another kick at the can. Squamish has four such resolutions heading to UBCM for debate on the topics of climate change emergency, electric bike tax exemption, BC Rail Properties mandate change to benefit communities, and sustainable search and rescue funding. All are consistent with our community’s MO over the past few years and worthy of provincial consideration.
This year’s UBCM is in Vancouver Sept 23 to 27. It’s the first convention after an election so it will be attended by about 40 per cent fresh-eyed newly electeds including five of our very own rookie councillors.
My UBCM advice to the uninitiated: get at least seven hours sleep (particularly the first few nights), eat your fruits and vegetables and hydrate often. Pace yourself, it’s a long, exhausting and exhilarating week and you are there to do the work of the people so show up and be a sponge. As someone wise once told me at one of my first conferences: if you bring back just one great idea from the conference and act on it effectively, it will have been time and money well spent.
