Prince George has joined a growing list of B.C. municipalities pushing back against the provincial NDP government for infringing on local decision making.
In September, housing minister Ravi Kahlon scolded the City of Prince George for clearing out the Millennium Park homeless encampment on First Avenue.
Prince George city council might not be done challenging the province on the housing file. At its Dec. 4 meeting, city council will vote on directing city staff to prepare a report that could form the basis for Prince George opting out of the provincial Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act.
Last month, the B.C. government introduced legislation to limit short-term rentals to within a host's own home, or a basement suite or laneway home on their property. Short-term rental hosts will also have to join a provincial registry, and the government will launch a compliance and enforcement unit to make sure the rules are being followed, all under the guise of addressing the housing crisis.
At the very least, Prince George city council should direct city staff to prepare that report on whether these changes will actually improve housing availability and affordability in Prince George. North-central B.C. communities weren’t in the equation at all when this legislation was passed. The target was Lower Mainland municipalities.
Local governments on Vancouver Island are also annoyed.
“Why would we gut all the powers of democratic accountability of local governments when we're trying to address a housing crisis?” Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch asked about doing away with public hearings if a zoning application corresponds with an official community plan.
Eby’s disdain for local government isn’t new, as a Glacier Media story Tuesday made clear.
While Eby was the attorney general in the John Horgan government, B.C. filed a motion to the Supreme Court of Canada in support of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s move to unilaterally reduce the number of wards in the City of Toronto before the 2018 civic election.
“Subject to Section 93 of the Constitution Act, 1867, (municipal) institutions have no independent autonomy and the province has ‘absolute and unfettered legal power to do with them as it will,'” the B.C. filing stated.
If that’s how the Eby regime wants to do business with local government, the City of Prince George has every right, by every possible means, to stand up to the bullying from Victoria, whether it’s about housing or anything else.
Neil Godbout is The Citizen's editor.
