7 communities denied extensions to comply with B.C. housing laws
CBC
The provincial government says it is giving 21 municipalities in B.C. more time to sort out zoning bylaws and infrastructure so that they can comply with provincial requirements that will make way for more housing.
But requests for additional time for seven others were denied.
Earlier this year, the province told municipalities they had to change their zoning bylaws by June 30, 2024, to increase small-scale, multi-unit housing mandated in recently created housing legislation — Bill 44.
It's part of an ongoing attempt by the NDP government to ease the housing affordability crisis in B.C. With a provincial election set to be called any day now, housing and affordability are likely to be top of mind for many British Columbians.
Several communities applied for extensions to allow for infrastructure upgrades or to be able to finalize zoning changes.
Some of the 21 communities have been given up to the end of 2030 — more than six years — to amend bylaws and upgrade infrastructure for some neighbourhoods.
While many communities have been given the gift of time, seven were told that no extension would be granted. Most of them will have to figure out new bylaws by Dec. 16.
The Mount Waddington Regional District and the Township of Langley have about five weeks.
Though he learned his community would not qualify for an extension earlier this summer, Township of Langley Mayor Eric Woodward said he feels that the extension being denied was "entirely political."
"In the Township of Langley, these reforms and regulations and requirements as per Bill 44 have been approved in principle by my council," he told CBC Monday afternoon. "I have no concerns that the Township of Langley will be following through."
He said council and staff will now have to find more time to figure out infrastructure needs.
In its announcement, the province didn't explain why some communities were not given more time.
In a statement to CBC News in May, B.C.'s Housing Ministry said new developments under Bill 44 would "likely occur gradually over the years," giving local governments more time to upgrade infrastructure.
Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie said that while his community was granted an extension to complete a sewer project in Steveston, Bill 44 is "the biggest intrusion into local planning that has ever taken place."
A North York community paid tribute on Tuesday night to a boy who lost his life to a rare disorder last year, known as a sweet and brave child who loved the holiday season.
Islanders who heat their homes with oil are double checking their insurance policies after learning about the massive bill dealt to one family when their tank leaked.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) offices in downtown Calgary as the second round of public hearings regarding the contentious Grassy Mountain coal mine kicked off Tuesday morning.
Police in York Region say tips from the public are "invaluable" amid increasingly violent crimes, especially those involving multiple suspects.
They weren't there last year, but they will be this year.
With a federal election potentially just months away, the future of two of the Liberal government's landmark social programs — dental and pharmacare — is unclear.
The lawyer for a man accused of drugging and raping seven women wants a Calgary judge to call off the trial due to his client's inability to speak, the result of a stroke last spring.
Local politicians and waterfront users say the province's sewage plan for the redevelopment of Ontario Place could make a popular part of the waterfront a health risk for beachgoers, rowers and swimmers.
The P.E.I. government has halted plans to purchase more electric school buses due to the financial uncertainty surrounding Lion Electric, the company that manufactures most of the vehicles for the province.
A city councillor is suggesting the City of Calgary do an external review of how its operations and council decisions are being impacted by false information spread online and through other channels. Coun. Courtney Walcott said he plans to bring forward a motion to council, calling for its support for a review. He said he's not looking for real time fact checking but rather, a review that looks back at the role misinformation played on key issues. Walcott cited two instances in 2024 where factually incorrect information was circulated both online and at in-person meetings regarding major city projects: council's decision to upzone much of the city, and the failed redevelopment proposal for Glenmore Landing. "Looking back on previous years, looking back on major events and finding out how pervasive misinformation and bad information is out there and it's influence on all levels of the public discourse is really important," said Walcott.
Quebec's public security minister said Tuesday the province was sending more officers to the U.S. to help fight organized crime near the border.
Ontario officials estimate that U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on Canadian goods could cost up to half a million jobs, Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday, as he called for stronger and more visible action from the federal government.
A 37-year-old man from York, P.E.I., who was reported missing in New Brunswick yesterday has been found dead, the New Brunswick RCMP said in a news release.
The number of Londoners seeking community housing is on the rise, according to the city's latest homelessness data.
The union representing mechanics and labourers at Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. says 99 per cent of its members have voted in favour of strike action.
Last spring, Caio De Naday Hornhardt believed his former landlord had done him wrong, with a same-day eviction.
Blair Davis says he was in the paddock of his West Lawrencetown, N.S., farm several years ago when he first heard a buzzing noise and looked up to see a drone hovering overhead.