Local Government Law 2014


Course Date: October 17, 2014

Welcome and Introduction

William A. Buholzer — Young Anderson, Vancouver
Olga Rivkin — Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP, Vancouver

Open Meetings

  • open meeting rule and statutory exceptions
  • consequences of breaching open meeting rule
  • BC Ombudsperson's investigations into complaints about breaches
  • Ontario’s OMLET: what do we have here?

Kim Carter — Ombudsperson for the Province of British Columbia, Victoria
Kathleen T. Higgins — Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP, Vancouver

Medical Marijuana

  • new licensing regime in a nutshell
  • Charter rights issues
  • property tax implications: ‘medicinal plant culture’
  • business licenses and regulations
  • ALR issues
  • enforcement re: licenses issued under the old regime
  • privacy and security

Lynda M. Stokes — Murdy & McAllister, Vancouver

Networking Break

Federal Water Related Laws

  • Navigation Protection Act: implications for local governments
  • Fisheries Act: does RAR work if HADD is gone?
  • aquaculture regime: how federal jurisdiction under Morton affects local government authority

Francesca V. Marzari — Young Anderson, Vancouver 

Waste Management

  • landfills, recycling, scrap metal, and more
  • what’s up with MMBC?

Olga Rivkin — Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP, Vancouver

Lunch with Featured Speaker: "The Office of the Ombudsperson and Local Governments in BC"

Kim Carter — Ombudsperson for the Province of British Columbia, Victoria

Powers of the Mayor

  • mayor/chair as first among equals
  • special mayoral/board chair powers
  • Rob Ford: could it happen here?

Kathryn Stuart — Stewart McDannold Stuart, Victoria

Networking Break

FOI and Privacy

  • local governments as local public bodies
  • relevant Commissioner decisions affecting local governments
  • the use of FOI in litigation against local governments
  • common breach of privacy issues for local governments

Pamela J. Jefcoat — Valkyrie Law Group LLP, Vancouver

Recent Developments and Hot Topics

  • community amenity contributions
  • approval of regional district official plans
  • termination of land use contracts (Bill 17)
  • recent cases and decisions

Alyssa D. Bradley — Young Anderson, Vancouver
William A. Buholzer — Young Anderson, Vancouver

Closing Questions and Comments

William A. Buholzer — Young Anderson, Vancouver
Olga Rivkin — Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP, Vancouver