Premier Eby commits to Fort St. John visit during UBCM convention

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Fort St. John city officials at the Legislative Assembly of B.C. during the 2025 UBCM convention. (Sarah MacDougall, submitted)

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The 2025 Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention wrapped up Friday in Victoria, with Fort St. John city councillors highlighting the week’s “productive” meetings.

Premier David Eby closed the convention with several key commitments, including support for Prince George to host a future UBCM and the opening of a new involuntary care facility in Prince George to provide urgent wraparound addiction and mental health assistance.

Fort St. John city councillor Byron Stewart added that the Premier also committed to bringing cabinet ministers to Fort St. John and the Peace region.

“Mission accomplished!” he wrote in a Facebook post. “As a council and staff, we are very pleased with how this week has unfolded.”

The premier’s commitment follows a meeting between the City of Fort St. John council and the premier at the B.C. Legislature on Thursday, September 25th, where the mayor and councillors discussed the region’s role in powering the province’s economy through natural resources such as liquid natural gas (LNG), Site C, wind-farm electrification, agriculture, mining and forestry.

“We expressed to Premier Eby that there would be no better time than now to come visit the Peace region with more of his ministers and meet the people who are ‘boots on the ground’ involved with the industries we value,” Stewart said in a September 25th Facebook post.

Councillor Sarah MacDougall, who also attended the week-long convention, said Fort St. John’s delegation met with multiple ministries, including Public Safety and Solicitor General, Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, Housing and Municipal Affairs and Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

“Our week at UBCM has been a positive and productive week,” MacDougall told Energeticcity.ca.

“Ministers were open to our advocacy requests for our community, and a highlight was Premier Eby accepting our offer for him to visit our community.”

The UBCM brings together local government leaders from across the province each year to meet with provincial officials, exchange ideas and advocate for their communities.

More information on the UBCM can be found on its website.