Photo: Glacier Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley Burnaby’s mayor says municipalities are not at the table for vital discussions about the province’s housing crisis, even as Victoria prepares to devolve responsibilities to local government. Speaking on the first day of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention in Whistler, Mike Hurley said the provincial government plans to devolve responsibility for housing to local government later this year. He lamented, however, that local government does not have sufficient say in the process. “If you’re not at the table, you’re part of the meal,” Hurley said. The issue of housing is one of the main problems in areas throughout BC. for years now. It’s not just the issue of homelessness that continues to grow in communities large and small. It also adapts to the growing population of BC. and the need to provide affordable housing for people moving to the countryside. It was in June that then-Housing Minister David Eby said the province could force municipalities to increase housing stock. Eby said Victoria had two paths it could take: allow construction on land owned by the provincial government and ignore local bylaws, or allow the municipal affairs minister to override locally approved building projects if deemed inappropriate or if insufficient density was used. How that will play out with Eby, who is expected to win the NDP leadership and replace outgoing Premier John Horgan, remains to be seen. Hurley said the offer must come with an affordable price tag. He rejected the idea that the offer alone would solve the problem. “If the answer is just supply, Metrotown would have the cheapest supply in Canada,” he said. The area around the Burnaby shopping center complex has seen growth in recent years as older buildings have given way to high-rises, changing Metro Vancouver’s skyline. But, Hurley said, the upper levels of government have stuck to the refrain that anything wrong with housing is local government’s fault. read more Do you have an opinion? Send it to [email protected] September 10, 2022 – 14165 votes Should Canada remain a constitutional monarchy or become a democracy? Constitutional Monarchy: 6295 Democracy: 6385 Uncertain: 1485 September 8, 2022 – 12261 votes Should Canada mark the Queen’s death with a national holiday? Yes: 6045 No: 5638 Uncertain: 578 Sep 7, 2022 – 7886 votes Think you’ll benefit from BC’s anti-inflation supports? Yes: 1013 No: 5975 Uncertain: 898 Sep 6, 2022 – 7849 votes Should drug education be mandatory in BC secondary schools? Yes: 5519 No: 1857 Uncertain: 473 September 4, 2022 – 11615 votes Should alcohol containers have warning labels? Yes: 5558 No: 5551 Uncertain: 506
