Cariboo RD tables two motions at 2021 UBCM Convention

Courtesy of the Cariboo Regional District:

Editor's Note: A resolution in support of the independent fire departments in the Cariboo Regional District as well as support for high speed Internet/cell services in rural areas of the Province are both going before the Union of BC Municipalities or UBCM Convention this coming week, starting Wednesday morning. Both of these resolutions were endorsed by the membership of the North Central Local Government Association or NCLGA back in May of this year. Under UBCM Resolution session rules — the resolution concerning support for high-speed Internet/cell services in Rural BC will not be up for debate, unless the UBCM resolution(s) has been requested for individual consideration and will be deemed referred to the UBCM Executive (I don’t expect this will be the case). The resolution in consideration of support for independent/non-aligned fire departments is up for debate and is expected to be debated either Wednesday or Thursday of this week. Given a similar resolution easily passed in 2019, I do expect this resolution of the Cariboo Regional District will pass before the end of the week.

The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) annual meeting begins on September 14. Representatives of nearly 200 local government and First Nation member organizations from around the province will meet to discuss their issues and priorities. Two motions from the Cariboo Regional District will be on the 2021 agenda -- highlighting the need for improved broadband access and regulatory changes to assist independent fire halls in the region.

Resolution EB47 (Ensuring Access to Broadband and Cellular Services in BC) asks the UBCM to “lobby the federal and provincial governments to directly invest in the ownership and development of the needed capital infrastructure to facilitate effective, efficient, and cost-effective broadband services in rural and remote communities where a private sector business case does not exist.”

Resolution NR9 (Funding for Independent Fire Services), if passed, would have the UBCM “lobby the provincial government for specific legal and statutory measures designed to remove any and all legal or financial risk from local government for providing financial or other supports to independent fire services.”

“The CRD’s recently-completed broadband report, and this year’s wildfire season highlight the need for both issues to be at the top of the priority list for our provincial and federal government partners,” says Cariboo Regional District Chair Margo Wagner. “We believe our local issues here in the Cariboo are also reflected in communities across the country. I am hopeful these resolutions will be supported at the convention and our concerns will be heard and acted upon by decision-makers in Victoria and Ottawa.”