Âé¶čAVâs efforts to tackle the housing crisis drew praise from Premier David Eby during his speech at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Convention in Vancouver.
âIâve heard from a number of you about how thatâs taking the pressure off around public hearing and lengthy processes,â Eby told convention delegates. âSpecifically Iâd like to recognize Âé¶čAV in this regard and Mayor Tom (Dyas) and his team in that city.â
The premier noted Âé¶čAV was the first city to implement development zoning changes that the province is working on with all municipalities.
âThey have had record housing starts in their community, rents are coming down, and they also identified public properties that they could use to address homelessness. It is remarkable work that is happening in Âé¶čAV.â
Ebyâs comments received applause from the crowd as he added that 90 per cent of B.C. communities have made the zoning changes to make this housing a reality.
âI know itâs been challenging, he said. âWeâve provided some support to help get you there. I know itâs been a lot of heavy lifting and want to recognize that and thank you for getting this work done.â
The mayor was appreciative of the recognition and applauded city staff, pointing out the work it began on zoning changes two years ago.
"The planning was already there to look at advancing some of those zoning changes, which allowed them to accelerate and be the first in the province to get it completed," Dyas said.
The mayor is attending the UBCM with several councillors and city staff.