Spotlight on renovating the public hearing: When should the public hearing not be held?

BCLI is running a public consultation (closing date: 15 March 2024) for its Renovate the Public Hearing Project. The consultation is asking for your views on options for reforming public engagement on local-land-use bylaws. For more information about how to participate in the public consultation, please visit the Renovate the Public Hearing Project webpage. This post throws a spotlight on one of the issues discussed in the consultation paper. Brief statement of the issue The Read more…

Public engagement on phase two of Family Law Act modernization now open

BC government seeking the public’s views on family-law topics The Ministry of Attorney General for BC has just announced a public-engagement program for phase two of its project to modernize the Family Law Act. This program gives the public an opportunity to share its thoughts on ministry proposals for reform concerning the following topics: To support the public-engagement program, the ministry has published a discussion paper (PDF), an executive summary (PDF), and four online surveys: Read more…

Have your say on reforming public engagement on land-use bylaws

The British Columbia Law Institute has launched a public consultation on improving BC’s legislation that governs public engagement when a local government is enacting a land-use bylaw. The centrepiece of this consultation is the Consultation Paper on Renovating the Public Hearing, which gives readers information on the current law, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and a range of options for reform. We note that the province has just adopted Bill Read more…

New BC Housing Legislation Brings Changes to the Public Hearings Process

The BC government has made significant changes to residential development in the province following the Royal Assent of three new housing statutes in late November. One of these statutes, the Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 (Bill 44), introduces a suite of amendments to both the Local Government Act and the Vancouver Charter which will require local governments to adopt official community plans and reform zoning bylaws to allow for increased density on single-family Read more…

BCLI attends BC Cabinet & First Nations Leaders’ Gathering 2023

The British Columbia Law Institute was delighted to host a table at the 2023 BC Cabinet & First Nations Leaders’ Gathering, which took place earlier this month on November 2nd and 3rd. The event was held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, located on the territories of the Xʷməθkʷəýəm (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. The Gathering is a partnership between the provincial government and the First Nations Leadership Council, which is comprised of Read more…