Indigenous legislation among top issues at Union of B.C. Municipalities convention

A gathering of municipal leaders from across British Columbia kicked off in Vancouver today, with the province's Indigenous rights legislation taking center stage alongside housing and public safety concerns. The Union of B.C. Municipalities convention continues until Friday, with President Cori Ramsay emphasizing the importance of the province's Indigenous rights legislation, known as the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), for the nearly 2,000 expected delegates.

Municipal leaders are committed to reconciliation and have been working to build relationships with First Nations for years. However, uncertainty has arisen due to recent court rulings, including a successful challenge to B.C.'s mineral tenure system by First Nations. Premier David Eby backed down from a plan to suspend or amend DRIPA in April, following strong opposition from many Indigenous leaders. Conservative members of the provincial government have called for the law to be scrapped.

During the conference, delegates will urge Eby's government to reverse clawbacks in funding for community housing, address the mental health and addiction crisis in B.C. communities, and renew support for the FireSmart program, designed to enhance resilience against increasingly severe wildfires. Both Premier Eby and B.C. Conservative Party Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay are scheduled to attend the conference.