“The Province has been and will continue to be there for the City of Merritt, and will work with local government and the federal government towards a solution.” — BC Premier John Horgan
A delegation from the City of Merritt went to the Union of BC Municipalities’ (UBCM) 2022 Convention September 12 – 16, 2022 to lobby for provincial assistance and learn best practices from other communities as part of an effort to improve the quality of life for all residents.
This annual convention is the main forum for local BC governments to come together, connect with the other levels of government, and discuss economic and social policies. One aspect of this conference is to provide local municipalities with the opportunity to bid for an audience with leaders of various Province of BC Ministries, including BC’s Premier, the Honorable John Horgan.
The City of Merritt has been fortunate in being able to secure 6 meetings on topics that matter to our community. Gaining audience with these governmental leaders is already a huge win as many BC municipalities do not get this opportunity.
The convention explored topics such as housing, homelessness and addiction, public safety, preventing disasters, fire and flood, climate change, emergency preparedness, truth and reconciliation, and mental health, among others. The conference also featured a presentation by the City of Merritt’s Mayor Linda Brown on Merritt’s flood response.
The City of Merritt’s agenda during the community-focused meetings with BC Ministers included:
- Municipal Affairs: Water infrastructure, flood defense and finance grants.
- Attorney General, Housing: Homelessness and housing crisis exacerbated by flooding.
- Jobs, Economic Recovery, Innovation: Light industrial park and economic recovery from flooding
- Energy, Mines, Low Carbon Innovation: Benefit-sharing, and regulation around impacts to the community (ie: dust, noise, vibration).
- Premier John Horgan: Flooding, cleanup, and Exit 286 Development.
- Solicitor General, EMBC: EMBC & Emergency Response notifications, ESS registration and distribution of assistance, infrastructure needs and disaster adaptation following flooding.
The City of Merritt is grateful that the Province of BC is interested in working with us to improve the quality of life for our residents. The fact that the Honorable John Horgan has agreed to meet with Merritt’s delegation for the third straight year is a demonstration of the province’s commitment to strengthen BC’s small communities.
MAYOR LINDA BROWN ISSUES A STATEMENT:
“UBCM provides a critical opportunity for the City of Merritt to seek support for issues that are bigger than what the City has authority or capacity to tackle alone. In total, City Council met with 6 different Ministers, as well as the Premier, advocating for our citizens regarding challenges that will need a collaborative approach to solve.
We requested support for our $165M Flood Mitigation Plan, because we know that until a rigorous plan for diking and mitigation is implemented, many residents in the floodplain will continue to live with fear and uncertainty. This will continue to be our most pressing priority until we arrive at a solution. We lobbied for housing supports through BC Housing, because we recognize that the cost of housing is squeezing so many of our residents, and homelessness levels continue to rise. We advocated regarding the serious negative impacts that operations at the Collettville Quarry had on residents and made requests that other sites be developed and used instead. We advocated for further direct supports to Merritt businesses that have experienced shutdowns, evacuations, and supply constraints.
We recognize that conversation alone won’t solve these problems, though these problems certainly won’t be solved without conversation with the Province. We look forward to their promised support.”
THE OFFICE OF THE HONOURABLE JOHN HORGAN reiterates their on-going support for the City of Merritt.
“The City of Merritt met with Premier John Horgan to request support for its $167 million flood mitigation plan, which would drastically increase the City’s level of protection against future flood events. The Premier and the City of Merritt agreed on the importance of enhanced flood mitigation, given the flooding event which occurred on November 15, 2022 and the potential impact on households should another event occur. The City of Merritt also thanked the Premier and the Government of B.C. for it’s support during the flooding event, including a $24 million flood recovery package to help rebuild critical infrastructure and new housing. The Premier acknowledged the unprecedented circumstance that the City of Merritt is in, given the fire and flood season in 2021. He said the Province has been and will continue to be there for the City of Merritt, and will work with local government and the federal government towards a solution.”
