Read the Mayor Denise O'Connor's highlights from the 2025 UBCM Convention:
I attended the Annual Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Convention in Victoria from September 22 to 26, along with Councillors Melissa Michell, Nonie McCann, and Jessoa Lightfoot and Chief Administrative Officer Diane Mombourquette. We had a full week of attending meetings and workshops, listening to keynote speakers, and networking with elected officials from all over B.C.
The Village submits requests for meetings with various provincial ministries during the Convention. This year, we were successful in securing meetings with the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Christine Boyle, Minister of Forests (Archaeology Branch) Ravi Parmar, Assistant Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Bobbi Plecas, and Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities Brittny Anderson.
During the 15-minute meetings, we were able to advocate for Lytton’s rebuild and recovery and make requests for assistance with housing opportunities, changes to the Village’s Heritage Permit to allow for an easier archaeology process, and a commitment to rebuilding the medical centre in the Village. The meetings were short, and we did not come away with any commitments, except that the Ministers would explore our requests and get back to us.
We also attended a variety of workshops and presentations such as the Small Talk Forum (a session for small communities), Cabinet Town Hall: Strong Communities (a panel of Cabinet members sharing information on what it means to be a strong community), and the revised Heritage Conservation Act that the provincial government plans to bring forward to the Legislature in the spring.
Just as important as the ministerial meetings and workshops was the opportunity to network with other elected officials to share challenges and successes and learn from each other.
It was a productive week and provided an opportunity for our Council to refocus as we enter the final year of our four-year term.