Greetings from Burns Lake and acknowledging that the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako conducts its work on the traditional territories of the Dakelh, Nedut’en, and Wet’suwet’en peoples. The 2023 Annual Report summarizes LGMA’s efforts over the past year against key strategic metrics. I strongly believe that the Association’s longstanding history as a peer-led, peer-driven organization stewarded by the very people it serves is its greatest success. As you review the successes highlighted in this report, I know you will join me in thanking the 318 local government volunteers who contributed a collective 2,370 hours to the success of LGMA’s programs and resources last year.
In 2023, local governments worked hard to interpret and anticipate the implications of legislative changes while also navigating ongoing labour market challenges. The province’s 2023 housing plan and related legislative changes and local governments have been working to adapt at a rapid pace. While local governments around the province continue to work to enact the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), opportunities surfaced for strengthening relations amidst emergency management responses. Changes to the Emergency and Disaster Management Act came into force not long after many communities battled the most devastating wildfire season on record in B.C. We acknowledge the exhausting work of frontline local and First Nation emergency services who worked tirelessly to keep communities across B.C. safe last year. As a result of the devastating 2023 wildfires, LGMA staff gathered mental health resources for local and First Nation government staff to create a mental health resource webpage.
As local governments navigated a busy year with challenges and successes, the staff, Board, and volunteers of the LGMA worked hard to ensure local government leaders had the training, peer learning, and member services needed to remain adaptive and resilient. In 2023, the LGMA had its busiest year yet, delivering 39 in-person, online, and self-paced professional development programs and peer learning opportunities. For the first year since the pandemic, the LGMA delivered all seven Municipal Administration Training Institute® (MATI®) programs, five of which are delivered in partnership with our friends at Capilano University.
The LGMA also achieved a number of new and exciting initiatives. The LGMA staff gathered video testimony from several LGMA members to create a video celebrating “Why Work in Local Government.” It was empowering to hear the passion several LGMA members shared for the profession, and I am proud the Association was able to capture such important testimony. Additionally, the Association launched the Responsible Conduct Resource Administration Fund to support responsible conduct training and consultation needs of small local governments. The fund was made possible due to funding from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Local governments continue to show a solid commitment to ethical leadership with continued engagement with the LGMA’s Ethics On Demand course and adherence to the LGMA Code of Ethics.
I acknowledge the incredible work of LGMA staff and the 318 local government volunteers who worked tirelessly to make 2023 such a successful year. Thank you to my fellow Board members, all of the volunteers, and each of the staff: Candace, Ana, Teressa, Sunny, Randee, Shannon, Adrian, and Paulina for their work to support the local government sector. Thank you as well to all of the contractors who support the LGMA with their specialized expertise. Thank you to our sponsors who have helped keep LGMA programs affordable and accessible. I am honoured to have served as the Association’s President over the past year. On behalf of the LGMA Board of Directors, LGMA staff, the 188 local and First Nations government organizations and 1,253 individuals who held LGMA memberships in 2023, it is my pleasure to present the 2023 Annual Report to the membership.
