FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. - The mayor of Fort St. John, several city councillors and senior staff are in Vancouver this week for the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention, despite a municipal election looming next month.
Mayor Lilia Hansen and some members of council will spend four days attending meetings and networking with municipal leaders from across British Columbia at the annual gathering.
According to city officials, Fort St. John still sees value in meeting face-to-face with provincial decision-makers, even as government ministers and senior officials have increasingly travelled north to meet with city council in recent months.
Fort St. John has already hosted several high-profile provincial visits, including meetings with Premier David Eby and Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth.
As a result, the city has fewer ministerial meetings scheduled at this year’s convention than in previous years.
Indigenous Rights Expected to Dominate Discussions
The UBCM convention opened Monday and is expected to draw nearly 2,000 delegates from local governments across the province.
The future of British Columbia’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, commonly known as DRIPA, is expected to be one of the most discussed topics.
UBCM president Cori Ramsey, a Prince George city councillor, says municipalities remain committed to reconciliation and have spent years building relationships with First Nations communities.
However, legal uncertainty has emerged following recent court rulings, including a successful challenge to the province’s mineral tenure system.
The B.C. Court of Appeal has ruled that DRIPA should be interpreted as incorporating the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into provincial laws with immediate effect.
Premier Eby abandoned a plan earlier this year to suspend or amend the legislation following opposition from Indigenous leaders, while members of the provincial Conservatives have called for the law to be repealed.
Local Governments Raising Housing and Safety Concerns
Municipal leaders are also expected to press the provincial government on several other issues during the convention.
Those include reversing clawbacks to community housing funding, addressing mental health and addiction challenges, and renewing support for the FireSmart program, which helps communities prepare for increasing wildfire threats.
The convention runs through Friday in Vancouver, with both Premier Eby and B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay scheduled to attend later in the week.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.