Representatives from Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM) attended the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) annual convention from Sept. 18 to 22, to join in policy discussions with local governments throughout the province and connect with ministers on matters affecting the community.
UBCM is a forum for municipalities to present a united front and advocate their positions on issues facing individual and collective municipalities. Mayor Al Raine and chief administrative officer Deanna Campbell attended the conference together.
The team from Sun Peaks met with 14 other communities that receive resort municipality funding from the province, reviewing the economic impact of tourism throughout resort communities.
Raine and the other 14 resort communities supported advocating for more provincial funding for tourism-dependent communities.
“We asked the province to come up with the options but basically looking at a funding model that would help cover tourism services and infrastructure costs that isn’t coming from property tax,” Raine said.
As of 2021, Sun Peaks’ population is around 1400, and Raine said the community sees three-quarters of a million visitors each year. Maintaining services for the influx of people is a challenge.
In a meeting with the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Raine highlighted the infrastructure deficit in Sun Peaks and that multiple grant applications for the village have yet to be successful. He pushed for funding for SPMRM’s grant application for the water line reservoir project, which is needed to help service water and wastewater during peak visits.
“That is a $6.25 million project, which would be 73 per cent funded by senior levels of government, and they did tell us that it was more than the programs that were high on their agenda for meetings in Ottawa.”
SPMRM also touched on community-based wildfire planning, specifically regarding creating a fire break outside the municipal boundaries between Whitecroft and Sun Peaks.
One of the 161 endorsed resolutions to come out of the conference included improved funding for wildfire mitigation before the 2024 wildfire season.
Resolutions are ideas put forward before the conference that are voted on by attendees. These can inform provincial policies, and Raine said the province may implement them.
“They are not obligated to accept anything that passes,” he said. “It’s a suggestion. If things are supported, and it’s in line with the government of the day’s philosophy, yes, [they will implement it], probably.”
Other resolutions included resources for the toxic drug crisis and support around drug decriminalization.
At all meetings with ministers and deputy ministers, Raine stressed the need for revenue-sharing agreements between Sun Peaks Resort LLP (SPR) and First Nations Bands so the Master Development Agreement (MDA) between SPR and the province can move forward.
Without First Nations approval on their traditional, unceded land, projects don’t move forward. The Official Community Plan for Sun Peaks is also tied to the MDA, and Raine said it will “stall” until the MDA moves forward.
The conference was also an opportunity to thank Grace Lore, minister of state for Childcare of British Columbia, for the newly built daycare and discussed reducing the cost for families whose children get a spot.
“We talked to her about our application to reduce the costs for the parents to get down to $10 a day, and then we also talked about training personnel for daycare care.”
For a complete list of resolutions endorsed by UBCM, visit their website.
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