Another reference work in progress ...
Spring Legislative Session Overview
* Press Release
* Archive of New Legislation (Spring 2018 to Spring 2025)
* Parliamentary Calendar 2025
- Next session - Oct. 6 to Nov. 27
Housing Legislation
* Local Government Housing Initiatives - one stop overview
* Inclusive Zoning and Density Bonusing Comprehensive Guidance
(updated June 13)
* New Local Government Tools
* Housing and Municipal Affairs guide for local governments - Proactive Planning Guide
* From the blog: Bill 44 Update + BC's New Housing Regulations
+ Housing 101 + X Homes + Y People + Z Cars = ?
Province of BC Responses to UBCM 2024 Resolutions (July 2)
* Resolutions Reply Book (includes original resolutions adopted in Sept. 2024 and Provincial response)
Development Cost Charge Amendments (July 2)
* Housing and Municipal Affairs Press Release
* About Development Cost Charges
* DCC Best Practices Guide (April 2025)
* DCC Guide for Elected Officials (April 2025)
* Amenity Cost Charges: Best Practices Guide (March, 2025)
* Amenity Cost Charge Guide for Elected Officials (April, 2025)
Times Colonist - "The British Columbia government is loosening the rules for payment of development fees in a bid to jump start home construction that has been hampered by upfront costs.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says among the biggest changes will be more flexible and extended payment timelines for homebuilders, so instead of paying development fees up front, they will pay 25 per cent at permit approval and 75 per cent when the building is occupied.
Developers will also have four years, rather than two, to pay the charges, in rule changes that Kahlon says are needed because the current market conditions have stalled projects in the province.
While some municipalities want letters of credit from a bank as a promise the work will be done, that can restrict a developer's access to credit, so the government will also change the regulations provincewide to allow for the financial guarantee of on-demand surety bonds."
Declaration On The Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (June 25)
* Sixth Annual Declaration Report (June 25, 2025)
BC Coroners' Service (June 24)
* 2025 summary to date as of April 30 (with 10-year trend charts)
* Ministry press release
Municipal Liabilities Regulation Amendment (June 24)
* Housing and Municipal Affairs Press Release
* Municipal Liabilities Regulation (amended)
* BC Municipalities Allowed To Take On More Debt For More Projects (CBC News)
<clip> "On Tuesday, the province announced changes that will:
"This is something local governments have been asking for for more than 30 years and we believe it is time for them to be able to catch up," he said."
Innovative Clean Energy Fund 2025 Performance Report (June 24)
* June 2025 Update + Report .... "Since 2008, the ICE Fund has committed over $124 million to support pre-commercial clean energy technology projects, clean energy vehicles, research and development, and energy efficiency programs."
Ease of Doing Business Review (June 5)
* Jobs, Economic Development & Innovation Press Release + Backgrounder
“We are listening to B.C. businesses as we work to ensure our province is an easy place to do business,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “This review will help us to continue to modernize our regulatory and permitting systems, as we secure B.C.’s position as the economic engine of Canada’s new economy.”
New Funding for Building BC: Community Housing Fund (May 30)
* Press Release
* Community Housing Fund backgrounder
* Homes For BC - Completed Projects Map
Cooperation & Responsible Government Accord (CARGA)
* Quarterly report (Jan. 1 - April 30) on NDP and Green Party accord
* Full CARGA agreement signed March 12, 2025
CleanBC Accountability Report
* 2024 accountability report
* CleanBC 2025 Review announced (May 7)
* CleanBC review - survey/deadline Aug. 1
Provincial Forest Advisory Council (May 22)
* Ministry press release
"Members of the newly formed Provincial Forest Advisory Council are tasked with providing recommendations to government on advancing forest stewardship, while supporting communities and workers that rely on forests."
* Terms of Reference
* A New Future For Old Forests: Strategic Review (2020)
Clean Power Overview (May 5)
* Energy and Climate Change Press Release
* BC's Clean Energy Action Plan 2025
* Frequent Calls for Power to Be Expected (Bennett Jones Law Firm)
Infrastructure Projects Act - Bill 15 (May 1)
* Office of the Premier Press Release
* Legislation (assent on May 29)
* Technical Briefing (slide deck)
* UBCM Perspective ~ "UBCM notes that the process leading to the drafting of the legislation has been rushed, and did not include meaningful consultation with UBCM or member local governments. As has been proven in the past, a fast-tracked approach that skips over consultation is more likely to lead to unintended consequences." + May 21 update + UBCM and First Nations Leadership Council Call For Withdrawal
* Kill The Bill: BC First Nations Leadership Council
* Legislation Narrowly Passes (CBC News, May 28)
* Legal perspective (Beale&Co, Toronto) + Clark Wilson Law, Vancouver
Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act - Bill 14 (April 30)
* Legislation in full
* Press release
* BC Energy Regulator
Mental Health Act Review Announced (April 30)
* BC premier announces review of mental health legislation (CBC News)
* Mental Health Act home page
Carbon Tax Eliminated (March 31)
* BC Ministry Press Release
* Federal government removes carbon tax (March 22)
"Cancelling the tax and the credit will have an estimated impact of $1.99 billion in the coming fiscal year. The Province will restructure programs funded by carbon tax revenue to minimize the impact on B.C.’s budget, while supporting people in British Columbia in achieving climate goals. The Province will continue to ensure big polluters pay through the B.C. output-based carbon pricing system. The system supports decarbonization efforts, incentivizing industry to lower their emissions to avoid paying the tax."
* BC Output-Based Pricing System (Province of BC guidelines)
* BC Officially Kills Tax (CBC News)
* Statement from Fortis BC
* Clean Energy Canada response at federal level
* Carbon Pricing and Consumer Myopia: Why Carbon Taxes Fell Short and What We Should Do Next (University of British Columbia) <clip> "Carbon pricing was poorly understood and poorly communicated. Although most of the revenue was returned to households—through rebates or tax cuts in places like B.C.—many people only noticed higher fuel prices and ignored the money coming back. The policy felt like a tax, and that made it unpopular. Ironically, now that it’s gone, many lower-income households will be worse off ... Yet the reality is, the consumer carbon tax wasn’t strong enough to meet our climate goals. So, scrapping it isn’t quite as damaging as it might seem. It opens the door to rethink climate policy in a way that’s both more effective and politically durable."
BC Budget 2025 (March 4)
* Ministry of Finance Home Page + slide deck
* BC Budget Pushes Deficit to $10.9 Billion (CBC News)
* Budget Highlights (KPMG)
* What Do You Need to Know About the BC Budget (The Tyee)
Speech From The Throne (Feb. 18)
* Text of Lt. Governor Wendy Cocchia's speech
* Release from Office of the Premier
Ministerial Mandate Letters (January 17)
* Cabinet and Parliamentary Secretary mandate letters in full
* BC mandate letters focus on affordability, public safety, economic growth (CBC News)
* Letters summarized (Capital Hill Group consultants)
* Pembina Institute response - linking climate action and community economic development
* Mandate Letters: Post-Secondary Institutions (June 2025)
Conservative Party of BC
* 2025 news and commentary portal
BC Green Party
* Media releases
Federal Government
The One Canadian Economy Act - Bill C-5
* Royal assent granted (June 26)
* Intergovernmental Affairs backgrounder
* Bill C-5 as adopted
Perspective
* First Nations Opposition Draws Comparisons to Idle No More Movement (CBC News, July 1)
* The Public Interest Need to Reconsider C-5 (Canadian Environmental Law Association, June 11)
* What The One Canadian Economy Act Is All About (Globe & Mail, June 6)
Federal Government Mandate Letter - Office of the PM (May 21)
Spring Legislative Session Overview
* Press Release
* Archive of New Legislation (Spring 2018 to Spring 2025)
* Parliamentary Calendar 2025
- Next session - Oct. 6 to Nov. 27
Housing Legislation
* Local Government Housing Initiatives - one stop overview
* Inclusive Zoning and Density Bonusing Comprehensive Guidance
(updated June 13)
* New Local Government Tools
* Housing and Municipal Affairs guide for local governments - Proactive Planning Guide
* From the blog: Bill 44 Update + BC's New Housing Regulations
+ Housing 101 + X Homes + Y People + Z Cars = ?
Province of BC Responses to UBCM 2024 Resolutions (July 2)
* Resolutions Reply Book (includes original resolutions adopted in Sept. 2024 and Provincial response)
Development Cost Charge Amendments (July 2)
* Housing and Municipal Affairs Press Release
* About Development Cost Charges
* DCC Best Practices Guide (April 2025)
* DCC Guide for Elected Officials (April 2025)
* Amenity Cost Charges: Best Practices Guide (March, 2025)
* Amenity Cost Charge Guide for Elected Officials (April, 2025)
Times Colonist - "The British Columbia government is loosening the rules for payment of development fees in a bid to jump start home construction that has been hampered by upfront costs.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says among the biggest changes will be more flexible and extended payment timelines for homebuilders, so instead of paying development fees up front, they will pay 25 per cent at permit approval and 75 per cent when the building is occupied.
Developers will also have four years, rather than two, to pay the charges, in rule changes that Kahlon says are needed because the current market conditions have stalled projects in the province.
While some municipalities want letters of credit from a bank as a promise the work will be done, that can restrict a developer's access to credit, so the government will also change the regulations provincewide to allow for the financial guarantee of on-demand surety bonds."
Declaration On The Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (June 25)
* Sixth Annual Declaration Report (June 25, 2025)
BC Coroners' Service (June 24)
* 2025 summary to date as of April 30 (with 10-year trend charts)
* Ministry press release
Municipal Liabilities Regulation Amendment (June 24)
* Housing and Municipal Affairs Press Release
* Municipal Liabilities Regulation (amended)
* BC Municipalities Allowed To Take On More Debt For More Projects (CBC News)
<clip> "On Tuesday, the province announced changes that will:
- Allow municipalities to borrow up to $150 per person without a referendum or AAP if the term of the borrowing is less than five years, up from $50.
- Raise the borrowing limit without a referendum or AAP from five per cent of annual general revenue to 10 per cent for projects with a longer repayment schedule.
"This is something local governments have been asking for for more than 30 years and we believe it is time for them to be able to catch up," he said."
Innovative Clean Energy Fund 2025 Performance Report (June 24)
* June 2025 Update + Report .... "Since 2008, the ICE Fund has committed over $124 million to support pre-commercial clean energy technology projects, clean energy vehicles, research and development, and energy efficiency programs."
Ease of Doing Business Review (June 5)
* Jobs, Economic Development & Innovation Press Release + Backgrounder
“We are listening to B.C. businesses as we work to ensure our province is an easy place to do business,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “This review will help us to continue to modernize our regulatory and permitting systems, as we secure B.C.’s position as the economic engine of Canada’s new economy.”
New Funding for Building BC: Community Housing Fund (May 30)
* Press Release
* Community Housing Fund backgrounder
* Homes For BC - Completed Projects Map
Cooperation & Responsible Government Accord (CARGA)
* Quarterly report (Jan. 1 - April 30) on NDP and Green Party accord
* Full CARGA agreement signed March 12, 2025
CleanBC Accountability Report
* 2024 accountability report
* CleanBC 2025 Review announced (May 7)
* CleanBC review - survey/deadline Aug. 1
Provincial Forest Advisory Council (May 22)
* Ministry press release
"Members of the newly formed Provincial Forest Advisory Council are tasked with providing recommendations to government on advancing forest stewardship, while supporting communities and workers that rely on forests."
* Terms of Reference
* A New Future For Old Forests: Strategic Review (2020)
Clean Power Overview (May 5)
* Energy and Climate Change Press Release
* BC's Clean Energy Action Plan 2025
* Frequent Calls for Power to Be Expected (Bennett Jones Law Firm)
Infrastructure Projects Act - Bill 15 (May 1)
* Office of the Premier Press Release
* Legislation (assent on May 29)
* Technical Briefing (slide deck)
* UBCM Perspective ~ "UBCM notes that the process leading to the drafting of the legislation has been rushed, and did not include meaningful consultation with UBCM or member local governments. As has been proven in the past, a fast-tracked approach that skips over consultation is more likely to lead to unintended consequences." + May 21 update + UBCM and First Nations Leadership Council Call For Withdrawal
* Kill The Bill: BC First Nations Leadership Council
* Legislation Narrowly Passes (CBC News, May 28)
* Legal perspective (Beale&Co, Toronto) + Clark Wilson Law, Vancouver
Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act - Bill 14 (April 30)
* Legislation in full
* Press release
* BC Energy Regulator
Mental Health Act Review Announced (April 30)
* BC premier announces review of mental health legislation (CBC News)
* Mental Health Act home page
Carbon Tax Eliminated (March 31)
* BC Ministry Press Release
* Federal government removes carbon tax (March 22)
"Cancelling the tax and the credit will have an estimated impact of $1.99 billion in the coming fiscal year. The Province will restructure programs funded by carbon tax revenue to minimize the impact on B.C.’s budget, while supporting people in British Columbia in achieving climate goals. The Province will continue to ensure big polluters pay through the B.C. output-based carbon pricing system. The system supports decarbonization efforts, incentivizing industry to lower their emissions to avoid paying the tax."
* BC Output-Based Pricing System (Province of BC guidelines)
* BC Officially Kills Tax (CBC News)
* Statement from Fortis BC
* Clean Energy Canada response at federal level
* Carbon Pricing and Consumer Myopia: Why Carbon Taxes Fell Short and What We Should Do Next (University of British Columbia) <clip> "Carbon pricing was poorly understood and poorly communicated. Although most of the revenue was returned to households—through rebates or tax cuts in places like B.C.—many people only noticed higher fuel prices and ignored the money coming back. The policy felt like a tax, and that made it unpopular. Ironically, now that it’s gone, many lower-income households will be worse off ... Yet the reality is, the consumer carbon tax wasn’t strong enough to meet our climate goals. So, scrapping it isn’t quite as damaging as it might seem. It opens the door to rethink climate policy in a way that’s both more effective and politically durable."
BC Budget 2025 (March 4)
* Ministry of Finance Home Page + slide deck
* BC Budget Pushes Deficit to $10.9 Billion (CBC News)
* Budget Highlights (KPMG)
* What Do You Need to Know About the BC Budget (The Tyee)
Speech From The Throne (Feb. 18)
* Text of Lt. Governor Wendy Cocchia's speech
* Release from Office of the Premier
Ministerial Mandate Letters (January 17)
* Cabinet and Parliamentary Secretary mandate letters in full
* BC mandate letters focus on affordability, public safety, economic growth (CBC News)
* Letters summarized (Capital Hill Group consultants)
* Pembina Institute response - linking climate action and community economic development
* Mandate Letters: Post-Secondary Institutions (June 2025)
Conservative Party of BC
* 2025 news and commentary portal
BC Green Party
* Media releases
Federal Government
The One Canadian Economy Act - Bill C-5
* Royal assent granted (June 26)
* Intergovernmental Affairs backgrounder
* Bill C-5 as adopted
Perspective
* First Nations Opposition Draws Comparisons to Idle No More Movement (CBC News, July 1)
* The Public Interest Need to Reconsider C-5 (Canadian Environmental Law Association, June 11)
* What The One Canadian Economy Act Is All About (Globe & Mail, June 6)
Federal Government Mandate Letter - Office of the PM (May 21)
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