THE Union of British Columbia Municipalities presented its 2023 Community Excellence Awards Tuesday during the UBCM convention. UBCM has offered these awards since 2004.
The Community Excellence Awards recognize and celebrate UBCM member First Nations, regional districts and municipalities that have implemented projects or programs that go above and beyond in meeting the purposes of local government in B.C. The awards are intended to showcase outstanding initiatives and share them with other members to implement in their own communities.
The Community Charter and the Local Government Act set out the purpose of local government: provide good governance; deliver services for community benefit; ensure responsible stewardship of public assets; and maintain a sustainable framework. Recognizing these goals, the award categories are:
· Service Delivery – by providing effective and beneficial services to the community in a proactive manner and drawing on performance measures, benchmarks and standards to ensure that service delivery is sustainable.
· Asset Management – by developing comprehensive, integrated, innovative and effective approaches to the management of existing and new infrastructure in order to maximize benefits, reduce risk and provide satisfactory levels of service to the community in a sustainable manner.
· Sustainability – through commitment to the premise of meeting current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, and incorporating the four pillars of sustainability (cultural, social, economic and environmental) into local government planning, policy and practice,
· Governance – by utilizing decision-making processes and policies that are outcomes-based and consensus oriented, support and encourage citizen participation, are efficient, equitable, inclusive and transparent, and exemplify best practices in accountability, effectiveness, and long-term thinking
A new category added initially in 2021 – the Presidents Committee Choice award – recognizes a community the UBCM Presidents Committee believed deserved special recognition for exemplary demonstration of excellence and outstanding achievement in relation to a current issue faced by local governments (e.g., COVID-19 response and recovery).
Excellence in Service Delivery
Winner: City of Surrey – Surrey Anti-Gang Family Empowerment Program (“SAFE”)
Honourable Mention: Thompson-Nicola Regional District – Ashcroft Library Service Extender
Excellence in Asset Management
Winner: District of Summerland – Water and Road Infrastructure Integrated Asset Management Plans
Excellence in Sustainability
Winner: Metro Vancouver – Lulu Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Renewable Natural Gas Facility
Excellence in Governance
Winner: District of Oak Bay – Bridging the Gap Between Council’s Aspirations and Project Delivery
Honourable Mention: District of Sparwood – Organizational Excellence Initiative
Presidents Committee Choice
Winner: City of Kamloops/Tk’emlúps te SecweÌ“pemc – Building Relationships Towards Reconciliation
