Prince George city councillor Garth Frizzell is going to be the next president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), an organization that represents municipal interests at the federal level.
Frizzell was introduced as the incoming president of the FCM during an address at the Union of British Columbian Municipalities' (UBCM) virtual convention today (Sept. 22).
“You know Garth as a councillor for the City of Prince George. However, in just a couple of short weeks, Garth will begin his term as FCM president and I know he will do a heck of a job,” said outgoing FCM president Bill Karsten.
Frizzell has been elected to FCM’s board of directors 10 times, was voted as third vice-president in 2017 and, in 2019, became the first vice-president.
“In a couple of weeks, I will have the honour of serving as FCM’s next president and I want to pledge to you today that I plan to be a president for all B.C. cities and communities whether you are representing a rural town, a mid-sized community or an urban centre or regional district, all of you bring vital perspectives to the table and that is going to be really important on the road ahead,” said Frizzell during his address.
“The fact is recovering from this pandemic is going to need a bold and creative plan driven by governance closest to daily life. That is us, we are the ones who understand people’s needs and challenges and our frontline expertise will be crucial in turning nationwide recovery efforts into concrete results for Canadians.”
At #UBCM2020, thanks to Pres @MajaTait and 1VP @briancondor13 for your leadership and vision this pandemic year. Great work, and a very effective start to this virtual conference. Bravo! #cdnmuni #bcpoli #cndpoli pic.twitter.com/rm8wXegYIX
— Garth Frizzell (@garthfrizzell) September 22, 2020
Frizzell said the nation's recovery is going to need unprecedented collaboration from all orders of government, with municipalities and local governments directly at the table.
FCM has already begun laying out a vision or Canada’s recovery with the federal government.
One of the actions Frizzell highlighted is FCM’s recent proposal for a federal initiative and partnership to rapidly repurpose on-sale private buildings as permanent, non-profit housing for vulnerable Canadians.
“We know this pandemic has compounded Canada’s housing crisis. We’ve seen vulnerable people leaving crowded shelters where social distancing is impossible,” said Frizzell, adding “we urgently need more sustainable solutions before winter, before flu seasons, before that possible second wave."
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) forecasts that a range of suitable buildings will be coming up for sale at reduced prices.
The FCM’s plan would retrofit buildings converted to affordable and supportive housing and existing moderate-rent residential buildings so community providers can protect those rent levels for tenants.
“It’s a lot faster and cheaper than building new affordable housing but we need to act quickly. This is the kind of bold and ambitious solution that FCM and local leaders can help drive.”
Frizzell says this is just a first step in one of many of FCM’s broader housing recommendations to come.
“To bring these kinds of solutions to life, to build stronger communities out of this pandemic we are going to need to work together,” said Frizzell.
“Together we need to continue showcasing that empowering local government is key not just to emerging from this pandemic but to building a better Canada.”
