Hundreds of delegates are in Nanaimo for the annual Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities convention taking place Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

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NANAIMO — Coastal mayors and councillors have converged on the Vancouver Island Conference Centre with the hope of unified messaging eventually leading to B.C. government policy adjustments.

Reps from over fifty municipalities and regional districts on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast and Haida Gwaii are in Nanaimo this weekend discussing and voting on proposed policy resolutions.

Speaking candidly, Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said he can’t help but feel cynical whether recommendations endorsed at the the annual Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities convention (AVICC) will be acted on.

“The AVICC and the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) pass numerous resolutions every year, and sometimes similar resolutions year after year, and don’t always get positive responses from the provincial government,” Krog told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Endorsed AVICC resolutions are scrutinized a second time at the UBCM gathering held annually in the fall, before approved recommendations are submitted to the province for consideration.

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This year’s AVICC, which also heavily focusses on networking sessions, workshops and presentations, takes place from Friday, April 11 to Sunday, April 13.

Among locally submitted policy recommendations up for debate, the City of Nanaimo is lobbying for the province to expand the scope of infrastructure capital projects that should not require electoral approval to borrow funds.

The recommendation relates to the City of Nanaimo’s failure to obtain consent to replace its outdated public works yard on Labieux Rd., with the much-discussed project currently in limbo.

“I think it’s pretty clear given what’s happened in other municipalities recently as well that everybody on the municipal side want some clarity from the provincial government,” Krog said.

Networking and supporting like-minded communities with similar challenges are clear benefits of the AVICC, according to Krog.

Referencing the ongoing federal election campaign, Krog said banding together is helpful to highlight severe challenges, such as funding capital projects required to serve growing populations.

“We do not have the tax base, other than property taxes which is a pretty narrow base, to raise the monies that are necessary to provide the infrastructure that cities need,” he said.

While skeptical of the impact their resolutions will have, Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog finds the annual AVICC event to be an important gathering. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Another City of Nanaimo policy recommendation up for discussion this weekend relates to a push for local governments to receive payment in lieu of developer-provided works and services.

Having the province adjust the Local Government Act would create the ability for municipalities to pool money to make more impactful active transportation improvements, as opposed to one-off investments.

The issue was illuminated in a late January NanaimoNewsNOW article detailing restrictions the City faces in establishing developer-funded active transportation enhancements, as referenced by a member of Nanaimo City Council.

Tyler Brown questioned the benefits of a short strip of new isolated sidewalk/bike lanes added late last year to Nanaimo’s Hammond Bay Rd. at Renee Pl.

The piecemeal project near Harry Wipper Park is the result of the City having only one opportunity at the property development stage for the works to be privately funded.

“It creates this kind of almost absurd scenario where you get little chunks of frontage that don’t add up and they stand out to drivers, and they also don’t work for pedestrians and cyclists. It’s almost an impossible scenario,” Brown told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Several Regional District of Nanaimo AVICC policy recommendations are scheduled to be debated, including legislation to prevent non-compliant items from being landfilled and banning the breeding of dogs with hybrid wolf dogs.

Comprehensive information on this year’s AVICC, including a full breakdown of projected resolution topics, can be found here.

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