Tools, Resources & Funding for Local Governments Directory

Welcome to Tools, Resources & Funding for Local Governments

As there is no panel or presentation at this session, please come into the room and start meeting with representatives of the organizations joining us today.

Economic Trust of Southern Interior Table: 1

The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) helps communities to realize their economic development aspirations through grant funding, resources and knowledge. They support economic development projects, with a focus on smaller, rural, First Nations and disaster-affected communities, encouraging regional collaboration. ETSI-BC works with the region’s local governments, First Nations, non-profit business support organizations, industry groups, accelerators, and post-secondary institutions to help strengthen and diversify local economies. ETSI-BC offers Funding Intakes twice per year, in spring and fall.

Eligible funding types include:

• Economic Development Capacity Building, Innovating & Advancing Key Sectors Funding Streams

• Supporting Business Resilience & Growth Funding Stream

• Regional Transportation Enhancement (RTE) Program Funding

ETSI-BC provides a regional data tool that offers economic development data for each of the 9 Regional Districts in the Southern Interior of BC. They offer training for the region’s economic development practitioners, including how to use data to your community’s advantage.

For more information visit: www.etsi-bc.ca

Contact

Laurel Douglas, CEO

Email: laurel@etsi-bc.ca

Phone: 250-212-5180

National Institute of Disability Management and Research Table: 2

National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), founded in 1994 as an employer and labour supported organization, is an internationally recognized organization committed to reducing the human, social and economic cost of disability to employers, workers and society through education, research, policy development, and implementation resources to promote disability management and return to work programs. Under the auspices of the International Disability Management Standards Council, NIDMAR administers across Canada professional and program standards in Disability Management.

Since 1994, NIDMAR has developed and delivered educational programs for the field of Disability Management, completed research in the field, and developed practical program implementation guides.

Currently, there is funding available through the Canada–British Columbia Workforce Development Agreement that provides the following opportunities for employers in BC:

• Free program assessments of an employer’s Disability Management program which provides a report that identifies gaps and areas for improvement.

• An additional subsidy of up to $7,500 as a program improvement subsidy

• Free educational opportunities for workplace staff responsible for Disability Management and Return to Work.

• Free opportunities for workplace staff responsible for Disability Management and Return to Work to obtain professional designations in the field.

Detailed information will be available regarding the above-mentioned opportunities for free program assessments, the program improvement subsidy, free educational opportunities, and professional designations.

For more information visit: www.nidmar.ca

Contact

Steve Inouye, Director, Program Assessments

Email: steve.inouye@nidmar.ca or nidmar@nidmar.ca

BC Housing Table: 3

BC Housing is the Provincially mandated body to work with the housing sector to create the new supply of affordable and social housing from British Columbians across the Province. BC Housing works with local governments in various ways, such as supporting housing development, providing feedback, expertise and comments on municipal policies as it relates to housing, providing collaboration tools and funding to projects for social and affordable housing, supporting the growth mandate from municipalities.

BC Housing provides support to local governments through research data, equity funding, subject matter experts, financing, land acquisitions, land transfers, and MOUs.

For more information visit: www.bchousing.org

Contact

Raymond Kwong, Provincial Director, HousingHub, Development Services

Email: rkwong@bchousing.org

John McEown, Associate VP, Development Strategies, Regional Development

Email: jmceown@bchousing.org

BC Non-Profit Housing Association

VCR

Table: 4

Formed 30 years ago, BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA) is the provincial umbrella organization for the non-profit housing sector comprised of over 500 members, including non-profit housing societies, local governments, businesses, individuals, partners and stakeholders. Together, non-profit housing societies manage more than 70,000 units of long-term, affordable housing in over 3,500 buildings across the province. Our role is strengthening the ability of non-profit housing providers to deliver the full spectrum of affordable housing options to meet the needs of BC residents. BCNPHA does this through:

• high-quality professional development opportunities;

• member programs that help housing providers operate more efficiently;

• industry-leading events that foster collaboration across the community housing sector, and

• working with all levels of government to create a policy environment that enables the delivery of non-profit housing in communities across BC.

BCNPHA works closely with municipal governments across the province on policy development, data resources, advising, event partnerships, speaking engagements, and various tools that have been developed for municipal elected officials and staff.

BCNPHA provides support to local governments through:

• Housing Needs Assessments Database: (https://makehousingcentral.ca/housingdata/). A oneof-a-kind central database of all the housing needs assessments for local governments across the province.

• Canadian Rental Housing Index: (https://rentalhousingindex.ca/en/#intro). The Index is a comprehensive database that compiles rental housing statistics for cities, regions, and provinces across Canada. See how much rent Canadians are paying in different parts of the country, compare affordability measures and find out where residents are overcrowded and severely overspending on housing.

• Municipal Toolkit: A comprehensive database of municipal policy tools (with real life case studies) that help to enable the development of non-profit housing for municipalities.

• Presentations and Facilitation: BCNPHA staff are experts in the housing sector and are often invited to speak to councils, municipal advisory committees, and municipal staff on various aspects of the sector. BCNPHA staff are also highly experienced facilitators and have supported a number of municipal dialogues on housing in partnership with local governments.

• Welcome to the Housing Sector (https://bcnpha.ca/events-learning/welcome-to-the-housingsector/) A self-directed, online course that provides an overview of the housing sector

For more information visit: www.bcnpha.ca

Contact

Marika Albert, Policy Director

Email: marika@bcnpha.ca

Phone: 778-945-2164

Rental Protection Fund Table: 5

The Rental Protection Fund exists to facilitate the preservation of existing affordable rental housing across British Columbia. Established with a $500 Million investment from the Province of BC, the Fund provides capital contributions to community housing providers (non-profits, housing cooperatives, Indigenous-led housing providers etc.) to purchase existing, occupied, purpose-built rental buildings to retain that affordability and housing stability for tenants over time. This funding is an important tool for Municipalities to protect their affordable housing supply, grow the capacity of their community housing sector and enable the community housing sector to leverage the valuable assets acquired to expand affordable housing opportunities in their communities.

The Rental Protection Fund provides support to local governments through:

• Expansive data & research on the affordable housing at risk in their community, affordability and cost of acquisition metrics and more.

• Resources on how they can support their Community Housing sector and encourage investment from the Fund in their community

• Access for their affordable housing providers to $500 Million of capital funding

• A tangible, accessible and readily available program through which they can ensure access to safe, secure affordable housing across the housing continuum

For more information visit: www.rentalprotectionfund.ca

Contact

Katie Maslechko, Chief

Executive Officer

Email: katie@rentalprotectionfund.ca

Phone: 672-974-9444

T’Brenn Kelly-McKinnon, Fund Manager

Email: tbrenn@rentalprotectionfund.ca

Asset Management BC (AMBC)

Table: 6

Asset Management BC’s (AMBC) mandate is to strengthen BC communities through leadership in asset management. AMBC provides resource materials, training, and on-site professional development through the annual AMBC Conference in November. AMBC also offers mentorship opportunities via the “Community of Practice” leadership group of 30 subject matter experts, who meet virtually several times a year, relaying up to date information about asset management in their respective sphere of influence. AMBC has strong ties to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Asset Management programs, and is endorsed & supported by a strong group of the following ten partner organizations: Union of BC Municipalities, Local Government Management Association of BC, BC Water and Waste Association, Municipal Insurance Association of BC, Government Finance Officers Association of BC, Planning Institute of BC, Public Works Association of BC, CivicInfo BC, Municipal Finance Authority of BC, and the BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs.

Managed through UBCM’s funding programs, AMBC is able to provide up to 50% financial assistance to individuals undertaking training in asset management. These opportunities are approved on a caseby-case basis. Asset Management BC also publishes a quarterly newsletter, accessible on line through the AMBC website.

For more information visit: www.assetmanagementbc.ca

Contact

Gabi Vindisch, AMBC Coordinator

Email: gvindisch@ubcm.ca

Phone: 250-514-9237

BC Communities in Bloom

Table: 7

BC Communities in Bloom (BC CiB) is a province-wide recognition and award program that provides a framework for Municipal participants to enhance and celebrate their community’s livability. Using the

collaborative power of local government, business, institutions, service clubs and residents, it is this ‘Growing Together’ that stimulates civic pride while celebrating the uniqueness of their community. It can inspire a ‘transformation’ process that may have lasting social, environmental, and economic benefits. BC Communities in Bloom is a one-of-a-kind program for developing commUnity pride!

Whether a community’s objective is to enhance tourism experiences or improve livability for their residents, the CiB program is a tool to achieve these goals. Evaluation components of the program are adjusted according to the community’s population size and resources, while also appreciating local geographical challenges. Evaluated participants receive recognition through the BC CiB website, social media, GardensBC website, newsletters, in addition to receiving a detailed Report with a Bloom Rating Certificate at the fall Provincial Awards. Non-evaluated participants also receive recognition at the awards and through ongoing promotions.

Throughout the province the ‘in Bloom’ program involves thousands of volunteers; on average these CiB action groups contribute thousands of dollars’ worth of time and in-kind donations to many meaningful projects within their hometowns. Annually, over 1 million BC residents benefit from the impact of these volunteer driven initiatives.

For more information visit: www.bccib.ca

Contact

Catherine Kennedy, BC CiB Executive Director

Email: c.kennedy@telus.net

Phone: 604-576-6506

Shirley Fowler, BC CiB Director, Armstrong City Councillor

Email: sfowler@cityofarmstrong.bc.ca

Phone: 250-546-3732

Edward Stanford, BC CiB Director, Urban Systems, Fort St. John

Email: estanford@urbansystems.ca

Phone: 250-785-9697

CivicInfo BC

Table: 8

CivicInfo BC is a non-profit local government information agency that provides a wide variety of resources, tools, and services for local elected officials and staff. Many local government staff and elected officials also know us for our job boards, our local government directories, our news services, and our province-wide local election results reporting system.

CivicInfo BC provides support to local governments through:

• Online grants database (Searchable database of grants available to BC local governments.)

• Annual calendar of all key deadlines found in provincial legislation and regulations.

• Access to various local government surveys and local government statistics

• Access to the Canoe Procurement Group of Canada. Canoe is a national, non-profit, joint purchasing group that’s a partnership between 11 Canadian municipal associations & agencies, including CivicInfo BC. Through the joint purchasing power of about 5,000 local government organizations, our members can receive discounts on a wide variety of goods and services. (The program has been in place in BC since late 2021. There are no fees, and no obligations to buy.)

For more information visit: www.civicinfo.bc.ca

Contact Todd Pugh, Executive Director

Email: tpugh@civicinfo.bc.ca

Phone: 250-383-4898 ext. 101

Kim Thiessen, BC Client Relations Manager, Canoe Procurement

Email: kim@civicinfo.bc.ca

Municipal Insurance Association of B.C. Table: 9

The Municipal Insurance Association of B.C. (MIABC) was formed in 1987 by 144 local governments who could not find reasonable insurance coverage. The Union of B.C. Municipalities created a task force that returned with the recommendation to establish a self-insurance pooling program, resulting in the creation of the MIABC in 1987. MIABC’s mission is to provide dependable support that helps keep communities vibrant and alive, through stable liability and property insurance, outreach programs and expert advice.

They provide members with a wide variety of value-added services including risk management grants, scholarships, education, and tools to help reduce liability and property risks, policy development templates and cyber security training. Some other examples of the many services MIABC offers to local governments include:

• Casual Legal Advice services.

• Loss control inspections to help members identify potential liability or property risks.

• Policy development and implementation toolkits.

• In-house brokerage services

• Ask Us Anything, an accessible and responsive communication service.

• Claims data analysis to identify trends.

• Templates, checklists, and brochures.

• Online business continuity hub.

• Closed claim file reviews to prevent future claims.

• Associate Member insurance.

• Online platform to help facility users’ insurance purchase insurance.

• Excellence in Local Government: Organizations Supporting Vibrant Communities in British Columbia

• An online series called “MIABC University”

For more information visit: www.miabc.org

Contact Marina Sen-Partridge, Manager of Member Engagement

Email: msen@miabc.org

Phone: 604-449-6364

Community Energy Association Table: 10

The Community Energy Association (CEA) accelerates bold action by local governments and Indigenous communities related to climate and energy. CEA grew from a committee established by the Government of BC and the Union of BC Municipalities in the 1990s and was incorporated as a nonprofit in 2003. Today, CEA’s members and staff live in communities large and small and bring their collective expertise, experiences, and passion to lower local emissions and build healthy, resilient communities. CEA operates as a non-profit consultant and delivers wide-ranging services that align with the current and future needs of local governments and Indigenous communities. This includes planning, research, communications, engagement, capacity building, policy development, and program design and implementation.

The Community Energy Association’s work includes creating community projects and plans, implementing infrastructure projects, hosting events and webinars, facilitating peer networks for local government staff and elected officials, connecting communities to Provincial and Federal funding programs, and developing public information campaigns. CEA is the only non-profit consultant in BC that is specifically focused on supporting local governments and Indigenous Communities to meet their community priorities through climate action.

For more information visit: www.communityenergy.ca

Contact

CaroleAnn Leishman, Climate Leaders Program Manager

Email: cleishman@communityenergy.ca

Phone: 604-628-7076 ext. 743

Megan Lohmann, Deputy Executive Director

Email: mlohmann@communityenergy.ca

Carly Johansson, Climate Leadership Specialist

Email: cjohansson@communityenergy.ca

The BC FireSmart Committee (BCFSC) was initiated in 2017 by the BC Wildfire Service to facilitate greater direction and integration of the seven FireSmart® disciplines across the province of BC based on the FireSmart® Canada model. Committee members consist of the BC Wildfire Service, Office of the Fire Commissioner, UBCM, Fire Chiefs’ Association of BC, Emergency Management BC, Forest Enhancement Society of BC and First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of BC.

The BCFSC collaboratively maintains and improves the delivery of the BC FireSmart program by ensuring alignment with the seven FireSmart disciplines to better support wildfire preparedness, prevention and mitigation in BC. In meeting their purpose, the BCFSC will commit to aligning with FireSmart Canada, developing an annual work plan and budget and providing stakeholders and interested parties with one governing agency for FireSmart in BC.

The BC FireSmart Committee provides the following resources:

• Local FireSmart Representative workshops

• Supports the FireSmart Canada Community Recognition Program.

• Collaborates with FireSmart Canada on new initiatives and research

• Promotes FireSmart activities and provides educational materials and resources for local governments and First Nations

• Provides strategic direction and expertise to the Community Resiliency Investment Program.

For more information visit: www.firesmartbc.ca

Contact Rachel Woodhurst, Program Lead

Email: Rachel.Woodhurst@gov.bc.ca

BC FireSmart Committee Table: 11

UBCM | Community Resiliency Initiative

Table: 12

The Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) program was announced by the provincial government in 2018 and is intended to reduce the risk and impact of wildfire to communities in BC through community funding, supports and priority fuel management activities on provincial Crown land.

The UBCM, First Nations’ Emergency Services Society and the Forest Enhancement Society of BC are working with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development, represented by the BC Wildfire Service, to administer the FireSmart Community Funding & Supports portion of the program for local government and First Nation applicants. As part of the 2024 FireSmart Community Funding and Supports program, funding for eligible recipients in higher risk areas of the province will transition to an allocation-based model.

The CRI program offers the following funding opportunities:

• The 2023 FireSmart Community Funding & Supports application-based program is accepting applications until September 30, 2023.

• The 2024 FireSmart Community Funding & Supports application-based programs will be accepting application starting October 1, 2023.

• Under the new 2024 allocation-based model, recipients will be required to submit a brief allocation-based funding request form in order to confirm that the eligibility criteria have been met. If approved, recipients would receive an approval agreement which includes the terms and conditions of the grant.

For more information visit: www.ubcm.ca/cri/firesmart-community-funding-supports

Contact

Jonas Woodrow, Program Officer

Email: jwoodrow@ubcm.ca or cri@ubcm.ca

Phone: 604-270-8226 ext. 220

UBCM | Community Emergency Preparedness Fund Table: 13

The Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) is a suite of funding streams intended to enhance the resiliency of local governments, First Nations, and communities in responding to emergencies. Funding is provided by the Province of BC and is administered by UBCM.

The Community Emergency Preparedness Fund is accepting applications for the following program intakes:

• Disaster Risk Reduction - Climate Adaptation. Deadline: October 6, 2023

• Volunteer and Composite Fire Departments Equipment and Training. Deadline: October 20, 2023

• Indigenous Cultural Safety and Cultural Humility Training. Deadline: November 3, 2023

• Emergency Support Services Equipment and Training. Deadline: January 26, 2024

• Emergency Operations Centres Equipment and Training. Deadline: February 23, 2024

For more information visit: www.ubcm.ca/cepf

Contact

Rebecca Bishop, Program Officer

Email: rbishop@ubcm.ca or cepf@ubcm.ca

Phone: 604-270-8226 ext. 220

UBCM | Community Development Programs Table: 14

Local Government Program Services (LGPS) provides administration for Provincially funded grant programs. Since 1999, LGPS has provided funding to local governments, First Nations and other eligible applicants through a diverse range of funding programs and services. Programs include:

Active Transportation Planning

The Active Transportation Planning Grant provides support for eligible applicants to incorporate active transportation into their community planning processes.

The next intake is expected in early 2024.

Community to Community Program (C2C)

Since 1999, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Indigenous Services Canada have provided funding for the C2C program. At this time, more than 700 C2C Forums have been held in communities across the province. Starting in 2023, the C2C program will continue to support C2C forums, now with funding up to $10,000 for events. In addition, the program is expanding to support the advancement of First Nation-local government reconciliation and relationship building through i.e., the development of agreements.

Funding permitting, the application deadline for C2C is December 1, 2023

Complete Communities

The Complete Communities program supports local governments and modern treaty First Nations in advancing identified community goals through the creation of more complete communities. The program supports communities in undertaking assessments to inform land use decision-making, considering housing need, supply, and location; providing transportation options including increased walkability; and making connections to infrastructure investment and servicing decisions.

The application deadline for the Complete Communities intake is January 12, 2024.

For more information visit: www.ubcm.ca/lgps

Contact

Sasha Prynn, Program Officer – Complete Communities

Email: sprynn@ubcm.ca or lgps@ubcm.ca

Phone: 604-270-8226 ext. 220

Lynsay Pacey, Program Officer – Community to Community

Email: lpacey@ubcm.ca or lgps@ubcm.ca

Phone: 604-270-8226 ext. 220

UBCM | Canada Community-Building Fund - Programs Table: 15

The Canada Community-Building Fund provides predictable, long-term and stable funding to local governments in British Columbia for investment in infrastructure and capacity building projects. Over the 10 years of the Agreement, British Columbia is expected to receive a transfer of $3.052 billion in funding from Canada.

The Canada Community-Building Fund is guided by three national program objectives, which include productivity and economic growth, a clean environment and strong cities and communities. In British Columbia, the Canada Community-Building Fund is delivered through three program streams: Community Works Fund (CWF); Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF); and Greater Vancouver Regional Fund (GVRF).

Community Works Fund:

The CWF allocates funding to all local governments in BC based on a per capita formula that includes a funding floor. Local governments may direct the funding towards eligible costs of eligible projects as set out in the CWF agreement and report annually on these projects and their outcomes.

Strategic Priorities Fund:

The Strategic Priorities Fund is an application-based program available to local governments and other recipients outside of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. The funding is intended to support infrastructure and capacity-building projects that are either large in scale, regional in impact, or innovative, and that align with the program's objectives of supporting productivity and economic growth, a clean environment, and strong cities and communities.

Greater Vancouver Regional Fund:

The Greater Vancouver Regional Fund (GVRF) provides funding for regional transportation investments within the Metro Vancouver Regional District and its member municipalities. Projects funded with the GVRF allocation must be regional transportation projects proposed for funding by the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink) and approved by the Metro Vancouver Regional District Board.

For more information visit: www.ubcm.ca/funding-programs/canada-community-building-fund

Contact

Toby Simpson, CWF Program Officer

Email: tsimpson@ubcm.ca

Phone: 250-355-0876

Bryan Steer, SPF Program Officer

Email: bsteer@ubcm.ca

Phone: 250-356-0930

UBCM | Canada Community-Building Fund - General Info Table: 16

The Canada Community-Building Fund provides predictable, long-term and stable funding to local governments in British Columbia for investment in infrastructure and capacity building projects. Over the 10 years of the Agreement, British Columbia is expected to receive a transfer of $3.052 billion in funding from Canada.

The Administrative Agreement on the Federal Gas Tax Fund in British Columbia (Agreement) took effect on April 1, 2014. The tripartite Agreement between Canada-British Columbia-UBCM replaced the 2005-2014 Agreement and provides the administrative framework for the delivery of the Canada Community-Building Fund (formerly the federal Gas Tax fund) to local governments and other recipients in British Columbia over ten years (2014-2024).

Since the programs creation in 2005, UBCM has transferred over $4.5B to local governments in British Columbia, in turn local governments have:

• Expended over $3.0B on more than 7300 capital and capacity building projects

• Completed over 5800 projects

• Invested $621M into 1711 local roads infrastructure projects, $153M into 1261 recreation and sport infrastructure projects and over $1.9B into 271 public transit infrastructure projects

The current agreement expires in 2024. Over the coming months, UBCM, the Government of Canada, and the Province of BC will renegotiating a renewed long-term Agreement for April 1, 2024.

For more information visit: www.ubcm.ca/funding-programs/canada-community-building-fund

Contact

Brenden Hartridge, CCBF Program Administrator

Email: ccbf@ubcm.ca

Phone: 250-356-5134

Brant Felker, Program and Policy Manager

Email: bfelker@ubcm.ca

Phone: 250-356-0893

Green Municipal Fund | Federation of Canadian Municipalities Table: 17

Since 2000, Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Green Municipal Fund (GMF) supports local sustainability projects that help municipalities adopt climate solutions faster in five priority sectors: energy, waste, transportation, land use and water. Their funding can cover between 50 and 80 percent of eligible project costs. GMF invested around $237M in grants and loans for BC municipal projects, which represents 18.6% of all the funding allocated across Canada. GMF offers training and resources tailored to the sustainability needs of Canadian municipalities and provide grants for municipal environmental projects. Loans are also available to municipalities at competitive rates and municipal partners may also apply for competitive, long-term financing.

GMF offers funding in the energy, waste, transportation, land use and water, as well as for three targeted initiatives:

• Community Efficiency Financing (CEF)

• Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH)

• Community Buildings Retrofit (CBR)

In addition, GMF offers capacity-building through webinars, training sessions, and peer-to-peer learning and further support municipalities’ work with case studies, roadmaps, and guidebooks. GMF has developed numerous guides, toolkits and factsheets designed with the intent that municipalities will be able to apply the information in their local contexts. GMF also offers online courses, including a free introductory energy modelling course.

For more information visit: www.greenmunicipalfund.ca

Contact

Noémie De Vuyst, Advisor, Programs Outreach

Email: ndevuyst@fcm.ca

Phone: 613-907-6259

Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure Table: 18

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) provides transportation facilities to local governments (highways, clean transportation, transit, active transportation).

For active transportation MOTI provides grants (BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants, Active Transportation Planning Grant), design guidance (Active Transportation Design Guide) and partnership on roads through local communities.

See links to the above-mentioned resources below:

• Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program

• Active Transportation Design Guide

For more information visit: www.gov.bc.ca

Contact Kate Berniaz, Director, Climate/Active Transportation

Email: kate.berniaz@gov.bc.ca

Phone: 250-213-6578

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy |

The Climate Action Secretariat

Table: 19

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy’s Climate Action Secretariat (CAS) supports local governments by:

• Administering the Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) that provides local governments and Modern Treaty Nations with predictable and stable funding to support local climate action. LGCAP disburses $25 million annually to local governments and Modern Treaty Nations to advance climate action in communities.

• Producing community-level energy and emissions data through the Community Energy and Emissions Inventory (CEEI). CEEI is a flexible data collection, analysis and reporting system used by B.C. local governments and partners.

• Supporting knowledge sharing, and technical support to local governments and the Province on climate-related issues.

• Supports local capacity that advances the Province’s commitments in the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 and Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy.

• CAS is working with the BC Community Energy Association (CEA) to complement their provincial network of regional hubs and peer to peer learning networks on various climate topics. Work is underway to expand the regional hubs to ensure full provincial coverage. The peer-to-peer learning networks are a series of groups working to provide information and learnings on topics such as Electric Vehicle networks, the BC Energy Step Code and in the future Climate Risk Assessments.

Resources provided by Climate Action Secretariat include:

• BC Community Climate Funding Guide.

• LGCAP: General program resources: program guide, survey templates, FAQs and webinars.

• GHG quantification resources: corporate emissions inventory reporting resources, climate lens for infrastructure projects, project profiles and calculators.

• CEEI: Technical methods guidance, buildings inventory and waste inventory.

For more information visit: www.gov.bc.ca

Contact Kenneth Porter, Manager, Communities | Climate Partnerships and Engagement

Email: Kenneth.porter@gov.bc.ca or LGCAP@gov.bc.ca

Chelsea Patrick, Manager, Climate Infrastructure | Climate Partnerships and Engagement

Email: Chelsea.Patrick@gov.bc.ca or LGCAP@gov.bc.ca

Invasive Species Council of BC Table: 20

The Invasive Species Council of BC (ISCBC) is a dynamic action-oriented organization, helping concerned stakeholders work together to stop the spread of invasive species in BC. ISCBC leads efforts encouraging people, businesses, governments and industry to adopt simple practices that can make a huge impact in preventing the introduction and spread of invasive species. The majority of invasive species are intentionally introduced by people into parks, lands, ponds and water- in both urban and rural communities. As the second biggest threat to biodiversity, invasive species threaten community green spaces, natural areas, infrastructure and even health. Invasive species increase impacts of climatic events such as scotch broom or cheat grass increasing risk of fire while species such as knotweeds can increase the impacts of flood events. Whether it is Giant Hogweed, Japanese Beetle, European fire ants, or even feral pigs - there is a clear need to protect communities and their landscapes from increasing risks from invasive species.

Local governments have an important role and are a critical partner in BC for invasive species management. To support this role, ISCBC coordinates the Local Government Invasive Species Network (LGISN), which facilitates the sharing of resources, information and networking across local governments to become increasingly successful in protecting their communities from invasive species. ISCBC has worked with the LGISN to develop high priority resources such as tool kits, white papers, training, forums, etc. to support local governments in being responsible leaders to address their local invasive species. Local government, along with other governments, business and community, all are the foundation of the ISCBC Board of Directors to help create a strong coordinated voice and action on invasive species. The Invasive Species Council of BC provides support to local governments through:

• Invasive Species Toolkit for Local Government, Real Estate Professionals and Land Managers

• Local Governments: Call to Action Against Invasive Species

• Best Management Practices

• Invasive Species Fact Sheets and Information

For more information visit: www.bcinvasives.ca

Contact

Craig Stephani, Senior Lead, Special Projects

Email: cstephani@bcinvasives.ca

Phone: 250-919-6120

Lindsay Barnet, Manager, Planning

Email: lbarnett@bcinvasives.ca

Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC Table:

21

The Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC is a legal entity and has its roots in government – local and provincial. The Partnership leads the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative (IREI).

The Partnership carries out its intergenerational mission in collaboration with partner local governments to develop tools and resources and deliver peer-based learning. These build local government capacity to implement enhanced water sustainability and green infrastructure practices. Partnership programs align with the mandates of four ministries: 1) Water, Land and Resource Stewardship; 2) Municipal Affairs; 3) Agriculture; 4) Environment & Climate Change. The Partnership is the steward for “water tools” that the Province uses to deliver the Provincial Water Management Program (i.e., Agriculture Water Demand Model, Agriculture Water Calculator, Irrigation Water Use Calculator).

Resources provided by the Partnership include:

• Waterbucket News e-newsletter – stories showcase and celebrate local government champions.

• BC Landscape Water Calculator – online tool helps homeowners meet water budgets established in Water Conservation Plans.

• Ecological Accounting Process (EAP) – methodology and metrics enable local governments to establish asset management budgets to reduce the Riparian Deficit in stream corridors.

• Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative (IREI) – this unique mechanism for intergovernmental collaboration across regional district boundaries helps everyone go farther, more efficiently and effectively

For more information visit: www.waterbucket.ca

Contact

Kim Stephens, Executive Director

Email: kstephens@watersustainabilitybc.ca

Phone: 604-817-4657

The Social Planning and Research Council of B.C.

Table: 22

The Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia (SPARC BC) was established in 1966 and is a leader in applied social research, social policy analysis and community development approaches to social justice. Their mission is to work with communities in building a just and healthy society for all. They are a non-partisan, registered non-profit society and a federally registered charity. SPARC BC

is a provincial organization with over 16,000 members, governed by a Board of Directors that is representative of all regions of British Columbia.

Through their Local Community Accessibility Grant initiative SPARC BC provides one-time funding for local governments of up to $25,000, to remove barriers for persons with disabilities within their local communities, identified and approved by their accessibility committee. For stream 2 of this initiative, they can help local governments identify the needs of their communities through their community data program which will show the statistics of the local communities with Health and Activity Limitations.

For more information visit: www.sparc.bc.ca

Contact Louise O’Shea, Chief Operating Officer

Email: loshea@sparc.bc.ca

Phone: 604-718-8509

Pacific Economic Development Canada Table: 23

Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) is the federal agency that promotes economic development in British Columbia. The agency has offices around British Columbia and administers a variety of grants and contributions programs that enable businesses, local governments, and other not-for-profit organizations to pursue initiatives that contribute strongly to the productivity and competitiveness in British Columbia.

PacifiCan has a variety of funding programs that provide financial support for businesses, not-forprofit organizations, and communities with projects that advance economic development and diversity in BC. In addition to being investors, they also help connect economic development actors to spur collaboration and help clients navigate federal economic programs and services.

For more information visit: www.canada.ca/en/pacific-economic-development

Contact Tammy Schulz, Director General, Economic Development & Investment Strategies Division

Email: tammy.schulz@pacifican.gc.ca

Helen Glavinic, Manager, Networks & Entrepreneurship

Email: helen.glavinic@pacifican.gc.ca

Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund and Fund for Railway Accidents Involving Designated Goods

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Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund and Fund for Railway Accidents Involving Designated Goods are two federally regulated Funds that compensate Canadians, including all levels of government, affected by incidents involving oil.

The Ship Fund compensates those who have suffered damages or incurred costs resulting from pollution from ships or boats involving any kind of oil. Compensation can be paid from the Ship Fund regardless of the size of a spill or threatened spill. The Rail Fund can pay compensation in the event of a major incident involving crude oil carried by rail. Where communities are affected by oil incidents, they are encouraged to reach out to the Funds directly before submitting a claim.

Both Funds are committed to engage with local governments across the country on all levels. They have published a dedicated claims handbook for local governments to complement their comprehensive claims manuals, and they make regular appearances at relevant conferences and other events. They are happy to be approached directly by community leaders, and are willing to facilitate targeted webinars.

For more information visit: www.fraidg.gc.ca

Contact Ryan Gauvin, Legal Counsel

Email: ryan.gauvin@sopf-cidphn.gc.ca

Phone: 343-644-5938

Jannie Bédard Guillemette, Communications Manager

Email: jannie.guillemette@sopf-cidphn.gc.ca

Phone: 343-644-5865

The Centre for Rural Economic Development at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

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The Centre for Rural Economic Development at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada works with other federal departments and agencies to help ensure that the needs and realities of rural Canadians are taken into account early on in the development of Government of Canada policies and programs. They provide rural stakeholders with information, tools, and advice about federal supports that may be available to them and they engage with rural Canadians,

academia, industry and community associations, and other rural stakeholders to gather ideas on how the Government of Canada can improve program delivery and to better meet the needs of rural Canadians.

The role of the Rural Advisors is to work with regional partners incl. local governments to:

• Raise awareness of current federal programming and support available to rural Canadians.

• Facilitate access to the respective federal departments and agencies offering programming and support.

• Engage with rural communities, industries, academia, thought leaders and rural partners.

• Identify emerging and critical issues that are directly and indirectly affecting economic growth within rural Canada; and

• Ensure that information is shared with the right people at the right time and works to coordinate a Government of Canada–wide approach.

Resources provided by the Centre include:

• Supports and resources for rural communities (canada.ca)

• Canada.ca - Business Benefits Finder

• Rural Canada statistics (statcan.gc.ca)

• Canada's Rural Economic Development Strategy: Progress Report August 2021

For further information visit: The Centre for Rural Economic Development

Contact

Melissa Weavers

Rural Advisor for British Columbia and Yukon

Email: Melissa.Weavers@ised-isde.gc.ca

Phone: 236-255-3511

Outdoor Recreation Council of BC Table: 26

The Outdoor Recreation Council of BC (ORCBC) is a charitable society with more than 70 organizational members spanning the entire spectrum of outdoor recreation user groups including local and regional governments. ORCBC speaks up for the broad interests and concerns of the organized recreation sector to government and industry, advocate for access and funding, and build capacity within the sector. They indirectly represent more than 100,000 British Columbians.

With a $10M contribution from the provincial government, ORCBC is setting up a new endowment fund and granting program to support community-based volunteer groups, local governments and

First Nations with improving access to outdoor recreation. They expect to open up for applications in spring 2024.

ORCBC coordinates and promotes the annual BC Trails Day, which is part of the international celebration of Trails Day worldwide on the first Saturday of June. BC Trails Day celebrates and cares for our province’s stunning trail system, educates about responsible recreation and environmental stewardship, and helps all British Columbians enjoy trails and outdoor spaces. Outdoor groups and communities are encouraged to host local events, ranging from recreational opportunities, trail stewardship projects or virtual events. A limited number of grants, up to $500, are given to support BC Trails Day events.

ORCBC also produce best practices guides, reports, studies and polls to support local governments and recreation groups with advocacy and capacity building.

ORCBC can provide the following resources:

• Trail Development Guidelines to Minimize Disturbance to and Conflict With Large Carnivores

• Best Practices for Developing Public Trails on Private Land

• Working in a Good Way

• The Impacts of Outdoor Recreation in Rural B.C. Communities

• Wild Places and Green Spaces: A Citizen’s Guide to Proving Public Access

• Spreadsheet of funding opportunities

For further information visit: www.orcbc.ca

Contact

Louise Pedersen, Executive Director

Email: louisepedersen@orcbc.ca

Phone: 604-8735546

Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation Table: 27

The Province’s Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation (JEDI) is providing coordinated and comprehensive supports for workers, communities and First Nations and businesses to offset any economic impacts that may follow from new restrictions on harvesting old growth forests and other changes in the forest sector.

JEDI’s suite of programs is designed to provide wrap around supports with different programs offering tools, funding and resources for: skills training, economic development planning, economic infrastructure, retirement supports for impacted workers and on-the-ground services.

For more information visit: www.gov.bc.ca

Contact

Jocelyn Bussieres, Senior Policy Analyst, Regional and Rural Development

Email: Jocelyn.Bussieres@gov.bc.ca

Phone: 236-468-3142

Wendy Koh, Regional Manager, Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley, Regional Rural Development Unit

Email: Wendy.Koh@gov.bc.ca

Phone: 778-572-3015

Aboriginal Housing Management Association

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Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) is BC’s urban Indigenous housing expert. Their members deliver all Indigenous housing for those not living on reserve in BC. They share their knowledge with municipalities and value partnering with municipal leadership on Indigenous housing solutions.

AHMA’s strategy is recognized as the local and national baseline for urban Indigenous housing. It is also being celebrated internationally as an example of excellence in Indigenous housing leadership, research and planning. AHMA offers a “what municipalities can do” information sheet and their annual report has just come out.

For more information visit: www.ahma-bc.org

Contact

Nizar Laarif, Director of Public Affairs

Email: business@ahma-bc.org

Cliff Grant, Director of Strategic Relations

Email: cgrant@ahma-bc.org