City council approves six topics for 2026 UBCM convention

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The city’s council has approved six topics it would like to raise at the upcoming 2026 Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention. 

During the June 8th Fort St. John committee of the whole meeting, city staff presented a report for council to decide which topics it would like to raise with provincial government ministries and provincial agencies at the convention. 

This year, the convention has been scheduled from September 14th to 18th in Vancouver. 

During the convention, the premier, cabinet ministers, ministry agencies, commissions and corporations’ staff will be available to meet with municipalities to discuss issues and initiatives important to those communities. 

According to the report, the convention will help develop partnerships with agencies that provide education, health and public safety services. The council will have the opportunity to engage with local, regional, provincial, and federal governments, as well as industry, to ensure the sustainability of resource communities. 

In addition, it will further intergovernmental relations and provide local insight and input to provincial initiatives and issues.

During the 2025 UBCM, the mayor and councillors addressed topics such as the natural gas and LNG strategy, RCMP invoice transparency, sustainable funding for co-op housing programs, expansion of industrial electrification, efficient resource permitting, and streamlining licensing for out-of-province and internationally trained healthcare professionals. 

At the June 8th meeting, the council decided on six topics and will send a letter to Premier Eby regarding his visit to the region, which he committed to during the 2025 UBCM convention. 

In addition, the council will send a letter to the Ministry of Finance requesting the city’s Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) report be adjusted to reflect inflation. 

According to the report, the topics and meeting requests decided by the council are as follows: 

• Ministry of Transportation and Transit – Taylor Bridge, BC Transit and improving highway rights of way. 
• Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs – B.C. housing data transparency
• Ministry of Health (in partnership with Northern Health) – Mental health, addictions and vulnerable populations. 
• Ministry of State for Local Government and Rural Communities – Local government capacity to respond to housing and social pressures.
• Ministry of Post-secondary Education and Future Skills – Immigration challenges, reduction in foreign students affecting the college and workplace. 
• Ministry of Environment and Parks – Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy. 

Through Vacant No More, the city hopes to bring brownfield properties back into productive use to create business opportunities, increase economic activity, manage environmental risks, improve public health, and revitalize the surrounding neighbourhood and downtown.  

Councillor Trevor Bolin said he would like to discuss with the Ministry of Health, in partnership with Northern Health, the possibility of expanding the existing hospital. 

“On the second floor…in the hospital at any given time, [there] were 18 bodies over capacity with at least 21 bodies waiting for beds to open up,” Bolin said.

“We need the hospital expanded, we need patients to be able to recover in there, and I think they need to start to earmark some funds into an expansion of [the] hospital.” 

Councillor Sarah MacDougall expressed her support in a meeting with the Ministry of Post-secondary Education and Future Skills.  

“The immigration challenges are an issue [for] our college, but I also think we need to take a more comprehensive approach to getting local students into colleges,” she said.

To read the full report, see below.