Mayors and councillors from across the province, including those from the City of Cranbrook, joined together to meet with the B.C. government at last week’s Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention in Victoria.

A major theme was requesting the government take more action on the overlapping crises of worsening street disorder in their communities under provincial jurisdiction, saying that homeless encampments, drug addictions, increasing crime and mental health challenges have escalated impacting communities all over B.C.

Cranbrook was represented by Mayor Wayne Price, Councillors Ron Popoff, Lynnette Wray, Wes Graham and Wayne Stetski, and CAO Mark Fercho for meetings with provincial ministries about their services delivered in Cranbrook.

Over the course of the week, members of council had meetings on critical issues facing Cranbrook including:

• Honourable Terry Yung, Minister of State, Community Safety and Integrated Services; Tim Renneberg, Chief of Staff, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

This meeting was to get support for undertaking a review of legislation to create some disruption in the ability of repeat offenders to continue to negatively impact residents and businesses without consequences.

City representatives also advocated for a sustainable funding model for RCMP community policing and explore options for future services and requested for meaningful consultations with Cranbrook around effective and sustainable financial and human resources provision of municipal policing.

• Erin Oscienny, Executive Director, Engagement and Encampment Response Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs.

This meeting was about homelessness, drugs, mental health, and the lack of coordination between provincial agencies and contracted organizations providing health and social services in these areas being the number one problem resulting in poor outcomes. In Cranbrook, there were some successes in coordinating the services under the Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness to share.

Cranbrook delegates advocated for funding and any possible city-province partnerships or pilot projects to further the work of inter-organization collaboration on Homelessness, Community Safety and Wellbeing to improve these outcomes in Cranbrook.

• Diane Shendruk; Vice-President, Clinical Operations (Interior Health).

This meeting focused on some of the health care issues in Cranbrook such as too many patients from all over the Kootenays and not enough staff seeking services in Cranbrook, the too small size of the Interior Health Medical Lab facility at the Tamarack Mall and advocating for it to be increased in both size and staffing.

City representatives also discussed a residential detox and treatment centre for youth be established in Cranbrook or vicinity.

The city also requested a reconsideration of Cranbrook to be an eligible community in the recent expansion of the Provincial Rural Retention Initiative (PRRI) – a government funded program offering financial incentives to regular (non-casual) health science professionals who work in a designated rural or remote community to improve retention in these areas.

• Marijke Edmondson; Executive Director – Land Use, Planning, Regional Impacts & Public Libraries Ministry of Municipal Affairs (Local Government Division).

This meeting was about the provincial funding model for libraries across B.C., which hasn’t increased in 17 years and highlighted the City of Cranbrook’s support of the BC Library Partners’ call for the province to increase annual public library funding to $30 million in 2026, with future increases indexed at least to inflation.

“Each of these important meetings reflect a proactive approach by Council to try to address serious issues Cranbrook is facing and gain the necessary improvements in provincial support,” said Mayor Wayne Price.

“On behalf of council, I want to thank each of these ministers and ministry staff for the time made available for us to meet with them. The goal for these meetings is for improved provincial services for Cranbrook.”

The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) serves as an important platform for local government, helping to develop shared policies and positions that are communicated to provincial and federal governments, as well as other organizations involved in local matters.

The annual UBCM convention is an opportunity for members to come together, identify key policy issues, and engage in meaningful discussions with other levels of government.

For more information about UBCM, visit their website at www.ubcm.ca.

Lead image: Council With Diane Shedruk (Interior Health). (Left to right): Councillor Lynnette Wray; Diane Shendruk, VP Clinical Operations, Interior Health; Interior Health support staff; Councillor Wayne Stetski; Councillor Ron Popoff; Councillor Wes Graham; Mayor Wayne Price. City of Cranbrook photos

Article Share