Hello neighbours,

This update is coming to you a bit later than usual - we had the Lower Mainland Local Government Association (LMLGA) annual conference, April 29 to May 1 in Whistler, followed by a busy Friday to Saturday for me, then I came down with a cold. I am also preparing to head to Tunisia as part of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ program Inclusive Climate Action in Tunisian Municipalities (funded by Global Affairs Canada).

On to the recap (and thanks for your patience!).

April Council Update

Key highlights:

• PCI Public Hearing (April 1): Council gave the OCP and zoning bylaw amendments third reading. It also approved a $489,300 Community Amenity Contribution fee waiver to support the inclusion of 44 below-market residential units. Furthermore, the Council directed the city and the proponent to continue to work together to find ways to increase the affordable housing component.

• Walkability Index Update, Metro Vancouver delegation (April 8): see below.

• Tree Protection Bylaw (April 15): The long-awaited update came to the City Initiatives and Planning Committee and was the subject of a lengthy discussion. Council directed staff to report back on a few things before bringing the bylaw to a regular council meeting. This included: options for enhanced protections for larger trees, minimum tree canopy requirements, clarification on the municipality’s ability to implement tree planting, retention and minimum canopy coverage requirements for properties under the zoning provisions of Bill 44 and 47.

• Community Communications Tools - budget allocation (April 15): With the decline and loss of local media outlets, Council discussed alternative ways the city can engage and disseminate information to residents. Currently, the website isn’t the most search-friendly, and updates are underway, but a more cohesive strategy and approach are required in the digital age.

• Financial Plan and Annual Property Rates Bylaws (April 22): Council gave the first three readings on these bylaws. The property tax increase for 2025 is 5.68%, down from the proposed 8.52% that went out for consultation.

Walkability Index Update

On April 8, Metro staff presented a brief update on the walkability index. Metro 2050, the district's Regional Growth Strategy, outlines the region's "collective vision for how growth will be managed to support the creation of complete, connected, and resilient communities, while protecting important lands and supporting the efficient provision of urban infrastructure like transit and utilities."

The walkability index is a key metric for measuring progress toward Goal 1: Create a Compact Urban Area. Increasing an area's walkability has health and social benefits. Between 2016 and 2021, Port Moody's City Centre had one of the most improved levels of walkability.

Why does walkability matter? It measures complete communities, where people can choose to walk, roll, or drive to their daily needs. Increased walkability is associated with fewer vehicle trips, meaning fewer cars on the road. It is also associated with more transit and bike trips. And there are health benefits - decreases in diabetes are associated with more walkable neighbourhoods, and residents have a greater sense of community. Watch the presentation here.

TOA rules and commercial properties

At the OCP town hall on April 16, someone asked how Transit-Oriented Area (TOA) zoning rules apply to properties currently zoned as commercial. There was some confusion, as the questioner believed commercial properties were exempt from TOA legislation. This is only true if the commercial zoning does not include any residential uses. In our case, most commercial zones do include residential uses—except for properties zoned as Service Station Commercial (C4), Automobile Sale and Service (C5), and Commercial Marina (C7 and C8), though the latter two are not present in the TOA. Most commercial properties within the TOA are zoned Neighbourhood Commercial (C2) and General Commercial (C3), both of which allow residential uses, including apartments.

You can read the Zoning bylaw here and explore the interactive map on Viewport.

Lower Mainland LGA Conference Recap

This year’s conference theme was “Building Stronger Communities: Leadership, Integrity, and Collaboration.” Four members of Council attended: myself, Councillor Dilworth, Councillor Knowles, and Councillor Morrison.

To kick off the event, I joined the FireSmart walking tour hosted by Whistler staff, which showcased local initiatives to improve wildfire resilience.

The conference featured sessions on a range of timely issues, including the impacts of the trade war on local governments, leadership in times of crisis, effective communication, procurement, and, of course, the resolutions session.

Port Moody submitted three resolutions this year:

• R10- Tackling Energy Poverty and Increasing Workforce Capacity by working with Youth Climate Corps

• R20- Strengthening the BC Poverty Reduction Strategy

• R33- Equitable Distribution of Non-Casino Gaming Revenue

The first two were endorsed by the membership. The third, R33, was not endorsed despite a spirited discussion. I’ll write more on this topic in the future, but the debate helped bring attention to the broader issue of municipalities’ limited revenue sources. I’ll continue working to build alliances and advocate for a fairer distribution of gaming revenue, along with other sustainable revenue tools for local governments.

Links to April Agendas

• Public Hearing - April 1, 2025 (PCI Moody Centre Application) - Public Hearing and Special Meeting

• Regular Council Meeting - April 8

• Council Standing Committees - April 15

• Regular Council Meeting - April 22

Important Upcoming Dates

• Mayor’s Townhall on Parkland Expansion in Moody Centre, May 12, 2025, Inlet Theatre. Learn more here.

• Bike to School Week, HUB Cycling, June 2-6. Register before May 21 for a free bike to school week package.

Do you live in a strata building?

The Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC) offers the Strata Energy Advisor program. This program “supports strata-owned multi-unit residential buildings (condos) across BC to reduce carbon emissions and improve efficiency through energy upgrades timed with necessary replacement projects.”

This program can help strata owners navigate programs and funding initiatives. If you are trying to get a heat pump (for both heating and cooling), this program may be helpful.

Learn more about the program here: https://zeic.ca/programs/bc-retrofit-accelerator/strata-energy-advisor/

What I’m reading this month (and thinking about)

I’m also re-reading the book 1984, as that feels particularly relevant at this time. What are you reading this month?