Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

WILL KAMLOOPS CITY COUNCIL be able to cajole builders to build more than they currently are?

 


Yesterday (May 31st), the provincial government announced housing target expectations, which they say will deliver more homes faster, and announced the first communities they have selected for this honour(?) – Kamloops was on that list

The act enables compliance options as a last resort,
should municipalities struggle to create the conditions
that are necessary to ensure housing gets built.

 

As of May 30th, Kamloops City Council is already on record regarding provincial government interference in local government land use.

A motion from Kamloops City Councillor Nancy Bepple called on the provincial government to “... not interfere with local government land use decision-making authority in regard to increasing housing supply through the Home for People action plan ...”

It also stated that the City of Kamloops wishes to retain its jurisdiction over land use for housing.

That motion passed.

When I asked Nancy if there was anything else important to her on this issue she remarked:

“Kamloops needs more housing. The City of Kamloops and the Province agree on this.

There are many good parts to the provincial Housing for People plan to help meet this goal. My concern about the plan, backed up by my resolution passed by council, is that local decision making for land use is important. I don’t want the province imposing zoning across the City of Kamloops.”

Meantime BC United Shadow Minister for Housing Karin Kirkpatrick said yesterday, “It’s clear that B.C. needs vastly more housing, but it’s incredibly disingenuous for this NDP government to pretend that they are not part of the problem. Number one on this housing naughty list should be David Eby and his NDP government.”

Today I spoke with the BC United Shadow Minister for Finance and MLA for Kamloops North Thompson, and asked what he thought about Kamloops being included on the list of cities targeted by the provincial government, with expectation that they should build more housing.

Peter Milobar, who is also a former three term Mayor of Kamloops, had this to say:

“There are many unanswered questions on how this will work and how, in a tight labour market, Kamloops City Council will be able to cajole builders to build more than they currently are.

More importantly the current NDP government has a lot of the blame for delays in housing with their own stalling of Provincial permits, and increased costs, given the multiple provincial taxes on new home construction.

This seems like a way for the NDP government of David Eby to move attention away from the fact that six years into their ten-year housing plan, they have only delivered twelve percent of that plan.

This has become typical of this government; make an announcement, without any details, and point the finger of blame elsewhere.”.

From all accounts, it seems that Kamloops is doing just fine, thank you very much.

With that in mind, perhaps it’s time that the provincial government got its’ own house in order when it comes to housing that IT has committed itself to, rather than coming down with a heavy hammer on other levels of government.

What thoughts do you have on this matter?

In Kamloops, I’m Alan Forseth. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interfor Moves Headquarters Out of BC as Forestry Crisis Continues

NDP policies are driving businesses out of B.C., and the forestry industry just suffered yet another calamity. Interfor, a BC company founded more than 60 years ago and now one of the world's largest lumber producers, is moving its headquarters from Burnaby, BC to Atlanta, Georgia. As BC’s forestry sector faces mill closures and mounting uncertainty, this move is another warning sign that the crisis is deepening and conditions are fatal. “This is the NDP’s record: endless job losses with no hope in sight for the forestry sector,” said Ward Stamer, Shadow Minister for Forestry. “Interfor still has three mills in BC which are now in serious jeopardy, and it is likely we will see even more companies pull out of BC. The NDP government is suffocating the forestry industry with high taxes, excessive regulations, and permitting delays, while DRIPA has made it impossible to plan for the future.” “Decisions like this are sadly not surprising given the NDP’s indifference if not hostility tow...
Post a Comment
Read more

Okanagan Farmers Face NDP-Created Water Crisis ~~ BC Conservatives

Okanagan farmers are facing a water crisis as government-imposed restrictions threaten to kill their crops and destroy one of B.C.’s most important agricultural industries. In perhaps the most water-rich province in the country, our farmers have been left high and dry by the NDP government. For nine weeks, Okanagan and Shuswap farmers have proposed solutions, only to be met with NDP foot-dragging. Now forest fires have come to these regions as they are simultaneously reckoning with a water crisis that has been made worse through years of government inaction. Vernon-area farms have lost 70 percent of their water, while Kelowna and Summerland growers face severe restrictions. This situation is unacceptable and cannot continue. Ian Paton, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, said the NDP is once again forcing farmers to pay for its own failure to plan. "Farmers and ranchers must be listened to when decisions affecting their livelihoods are made, and under the NDP, they aren’t," said...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Hypocritically Admits Natural Gas Power Was Needed All Along ~~ BC Conservatives

The NDP just got caught buying back the exact kind of power plant it spent years telling British Columbians they didn't need. The NDP government announced today that BC Hydro is purchasing the Island Generation natural gas facility in Campbell River, an admission that its electrification-only energy policy was never realistic. The 275-megawatt plant was originally privately owned yet kept to a minimal backup role under the NDP, operating just 15 days a year on average. Now, with demand outpacing what the NDP's plan can support, the government is spending taxpayer funds on the very gas capacity it once treated as obsolete. "You cannot electrify everything and pretend natural gas doesn't matter," said Larry Neufeld, Shadow Minister for Energy.  "Buying back a gas plant they once wrote off is proof their own plan couldn't keep the lights on. It's a step towards more energy reality, but the government needs to go further and scrap the impending province-w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more