UBCM continues to advocate for a working group on HCA changes

UBCM President Cori Ramsay has continued to advocate for the Province to bring First Nations, local governments, industry representatives together to test the impact of its proposed changes to the Heritage Conservation Act before introducing legislation. She spoke with Rob Shaw about the process the Province has been following as it has sought to develop guidelines for legislative updates to the current Act. Councillor Ramsay also interviewed with Global News (segment begins at 9:27) to discuss the unanswered questions that remain in the Province's current policy document. Vaughn Palmer also highlighted comments from UBCM and a variety of business organizations from their submissions to the Province.

UBCM April 2026 Executive Meeting Highlights

UBCM held its quarterly Executive and Committee meetings on April 22-24, 2026 in Victoria. In addition to these meetings, UBCM hosted a reception with Members of the Legislature, Ministers and the Premier on April 21, 2026. Executive members also attended meetings with Ministers during Advocacy Days to advance UBCM policy priorities. Read more.

UBCM Convention session proposals

UBCM will be accepting session proposals for clinics and workshops at the 2026 Annual Convention until Friday, June 5th. Interested parties are asked to review the criteria in the Session Proposal Process and make a submission through the online form by 4:30 pm on June 5, 2026.

UBCM invites proposals for mobile event app

UBCM is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to design, develop, and implement a mobile application (app) for the organization. The primary purpose of the app will be to serve as the official event app for UBCM’s Convention in September. The app must deliver a seamless and engaging experience for Convention attendees. Both turnkey event platforms and fully custom-designed applications will be considered. For full details and submission requirements, please refer to the Request for Proposal (RFP).

Applications are accepted until June 3, 2026. For enquiries contact Claudia de Haan-Hewett.

Local Government Awareness Week: Financial Resiliency

May 10-16 is Local Government Awareness Week and this year’s suggested theme is Financial Resiliency. The goal is to generate awareness about the roles and responsibilities of local government, and to encourage public participation in local democracy. Read more.

New courses to support asset management

To highlight this year’s Asset Management day on May 13, Asset Management BC (AMBC) is providing free online courses to help local governments make confident decisions on infrastructure, budgets, and service levels. Staff and elected officials are invited to build their Asset Management Bench Strength by completing one—or all three— courses to be entered to win one of three AMBC prize packs (including the coveted AMBC shirt!). It’s a simple way to gain a shared understanding of service levels, risk, and long-term costs. Winners announced June 1.

Long Service Awards open for nominations

UBCM presents Long Service Awards to eligible local government elected officials and eligible member First Nation elected officials at the annual UBCM Convention. Elected officials can be recognized for 20, 25 or 35 years of service. Read more.

Canada Community-Building Fund annual expenditure report webinar

Local government staff who work on Annual Expenditure Reports are invited to an informational webinar on Wednesday, May 13, 10:30 am. UBCM staff will provide a demonstration of the 2025 reporting, highlight changes to this year’s report, and answer any questions. Registration is now open.

Funding and resources update: May 2026

Each month, we provide an update on funding programs administered by UBCM along with information on other programs, events, and resources of interest to local governments and First Nations. Read more.

ICYMI

Governance Review Member Survey: Respond by May 20
UBCM Community Excellence Awards 2026: Apply by May 29
CCBF Annual Expenditure Reports: Due June 1