Getting a handle on the new NDP government鈥檚 stance on everything from homelessness to the drug overdose crisis is top of mind for mayors and councillors streaming into Vancouver for this week鈥檚 UBCM convention.
麻豆精选 council is alive to these hot button issues, having long struggled with the high cost of living and the high rate of drug overdose deaths. But equally pressing said Mayor Colin Basran is finding out where the new government stands on 麻豆精选-specific projects that had the support of the NDP鈥檚 predecessors.
鈥淭his UBCM may be more important than others in the past,鈥� said Basran, who will be meeting with Premier John Horgan and other ministers to discuss areas of 鈥渕utual interest.鈥�
Basran readily admits this city has long benefitted from having provincial power players, such as former premier and 麻豆精选 West MLA Christy Clark, firmly rooted in the valley. Provincial money has been made available for a number of city projects that are, in some cases, only just getting underway.
Among them, said Basran, is the the water integration plan and strategy. It aims to bring together five area water purveyors and is reliant on provincial grants and has been regularly identified as a top priority.
Basran is also hoping to speak with about the city鈥檚 Journey Home strategy, which aims to provide a systems-based approach to dealing with homelessness.
Homelessness is an area the current government seems to have turned some attention toward.
The program for the week-long convention indicates there are multiple sessions on housing, homelessness, the problem of short-term vacation rentals and their impact on local rentals.
The UBCM convention is a forum for provincial politicians to connect with politicians from the province鈥檚 161 cities, towns and villages.
