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

FORSETH: Without a strong local presence, there is NO reason for anyone to tune in to local(?) radio

LOCAL HOMETOWN RADIO IS DYING … and without serious measures put in place, it will likely never see the light of day again. For well over four decades, the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) has presided over its’ demise, and for that I say, “Shame”. Without out a word to say enough was enough, the CRTC has allowed corporate Canada to buy up one radio station after the other, and then allowed them to slash staff to the point where some so-called local radio stations do nothing more than air programming that originates from communities well outside the region in which they are located. Case in point?   On CHNL* 610 in Kamloops, the morning show hosted by Vinnie and Randi, DOES NOT originate from Kamloops -- it doesn’t even originate here in BC. It’s a program that Stingray airs across multiple radio stations in Western Canada. It doesn’t end there. Not only are Vinnie and Rando doing mornings on CHNL, but they also show up on sister station Country 103 … and of course o...
5 comments
Read more

Conservative Economic Team Responds to Urgent Industry Concerns

 " For far too long, the BC NDP has ignored the economic challenges facing British Columbians. Manufacturing jobs are vanishing, forestry is in decline, and private sector employment growth has stagnated. Meanwhile, affordability has worsened for both families and businesses. British Columbians deserve better, and we’re here to deliver real solutions to rebuild our economy and create jobs that support everyday working people and their families ." – Gavin Dew, MLA and Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economy, Development, and Innovation.   December 3, 2024, Vancouver, BC – The Conservative economic team met today with business leaders and stakeholders to tackle critical issues impacting British Columbia’s economy. Attended by 9 critics from the Conservative Caucus, this meeting was convened by MLA Gavin Dew – Shadow Minister for Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation - as a direct response to an October 30th open letter from seven of the province’s largest industry associations. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- We need certainly in our markets, and certainly in our fibre supply, before we no longer have a forest industry in this province

Image Government of BC I think we all realize that the threat of Trump’s 25% tariff is like other provocative statements he’s made in the past. That said, we should have reason to be concerned. Tariffs don’t benefit anyone. A tariff of that magnitude – included on our own softwood lumber exports, will make things more expensive for Americans, and cause friction in the supply chain. If imposed, a twenty-five percent tariff will be equally detrimental to the citizens and economy of the United States, as well as the people of BC. There are two things, however, of equal concern to the threat of punitive tariffs by incoming U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. One is our antiquated stumpage fees. It is a legacy from decades ago, and one incapable of responding to changing market conditions. We need to revamp our stumpage system to better reflect market conditions, and our economic costs. Instead, a value-added tax system will be instantly responsive to current market conditions and will encou...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more