Affordable housing, local governments spurring international trade, climate change and alternative revenue sources for municipalities were just a few hot topics that were discussed at this year’s Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference, held last week near Niagara Falls.
Burnaby Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, who sits on the FCM’s B.C. board of directors, said the annual conference is a great way for municipalities across the country to express the biggest challenges that they face, such as the growing infrastructure gap in Canada.
“One of the major issues is the infrastructure that’s now in disarray in all parts throughout Canada,” said Dhaliwal, who attended the conference with fellow councillors Pietro Calendino, Paul McDonell and Nick Volkow. “It hasn't been maintained because of lack of funding available to local governments.”
According to the FCM, estimates for the cost to close the infrastructure gap hover around $100 billion. Dhaliwal noted that financial support from other levels of government has decreased in recent years, leaving municipalities to fend for themselves when funding infrastructure.
“There used to be a fair amount of spread federally and provincially for municipalities, but over the last 20 years, the funding has been reduced significantly for infrastructure,” he said. “The money raised from property taxes just isn't enough to keep up with the additional facilities and maintenance.
“Municipalities have been urging federal governments over the last couple of decades to take a leadership role in ensuring that a partnership is maintained, but that has not been an easy task.”
Other prominent workshops included presentations on disaster readiness and recovery stemming from the flooding in southern Alberta in 2013, as well as rail safety and the transportation of dangerous goods following the Lac-Mégantic derailment that killed 47 people.
Keynote speakers included federal NDP Canada leader Thomas Mulcair, Liberal Party of Canada leader Justin Trudeau, federal Transport Minister Lisa Raitt and Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May. Comedian Rick Mercer also made a speech at the conference.
