Strategic Context
The Ministry of Community Services plays a central role in supporting the health, safety and liveability of British Columbia’s communities. It works with a wide range of partners in government, the private sector, and the not-for-profit sector to enhance the social and economic well-being of communities — recognizing their diversity in terms of size, capacity, needs, and complexity. British Columbia’s 157 municipalities and 27 regional districts serve populations ranging in size from 230 to over two million.1
In addition to supporting communities, the ministry has a specific mandate to influence policy development and coordinate government responses in areas related to women’s and seniors’ issues. Women and seniors make up 51 per cent and 13.32 per cent of the province’s population respectively.
The following section identifies the key opportunities and challenges that will affect the ministry’s planning for the next three years.
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| 1 | BC Stats, BC Regional Districts and Municipal Population Estimates, 1996–2005, Dec. 2005. |
| 2 | Statistics Canada, Population by Age and Sex, CANSIM Retrieval Table from 051-0001, 2005. |
Key Challenges
Growth Pressures Urbanization is increasing as the population continues to shift from rural to urban areas. Eighty-seven per cent of British Columbia’s population lives in a municipality, while thirteen per cent of the population lives in non-municipal territory.3 Most of British Columbia’s urban population lives in an area covering less than 3 per cent of the entire province. This creates pressure for more and better quality infrastructure, such as systems to provide clean drinking water, and affordable and appropriate waste water treatment. Infrastructure renewal can, in turn, create financial pressures for local governments which traditionally rely on the relatively narrow financial base of property taxes and user fees. The ministry will continue to work with local governments, the federal government and other ministries to address these challenges.
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| 3 | BC Stats, BC Municipal Population Estimates, 1996–2005, Dec. 2005. |
Communities in Transition Many rural communities that have traditionally depended on natural resource industries are working to strengthen and diversify their economies, and to plan for sustainable futures in the face of issues such as the ongoing softwood lumber dispute, the mountain pine beetle infestation, and the challenges of resource renewal. In situations where the industry has closed in a community, the ministry will continue to work with local governments and provincial agencies to provide expertise and other supports, where appropriate, during the economic transition.
Inner-Cities Inner-cities have higher rates of unemployment, crime, drug use, prostitution, and homelessness than cities overall. For example, violent crimes in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver were three times the level of the City of Vancouver, on average, over the period from 1996 to 2002.4 The issues of inner-cities can be particularly challenging as, in most cases, they have taken decades to become established. Responses must be coordinated across a variety of agencies and governments, and inner-city residents must be supported to participate effectively in solutions for their neighbourhoods. The ministry supports communities interested in Urban Development Agreements as one way of addressing these challenges.
An Aging Population By 2031, the proportion of seniors in British Columbia’s population is expected to rise from the current 13.3 per cent to nearly 25 per cent,5 highlighting the need for appropriate health, housing, transportation, and other community services. As the lead provincial agency responsible for seniors’ issues, the ministry will be challenged to coordinate responses that meet the needs of an aging population, and to ensure that provincially-based services and information are accessible in communities.
Domestic Violence Against Women Many women who experience domestic violence need support to leave abusive situations and re-build their lives, with timely connections to emergency shelter, counselling, housing, and employment opportunities. As the lead provincial agency responsible for women’s issues, the ministry will continue to fund key services, such as transition houses, counselling and outreach programs as well as prevention initiatives. The economic costs of violence against women are difficult to gauge. However, two Canadian studies have placed the figure in the range of $1.5 billion to $4.2 billion per year in Canada,6 and the human costs are incalculable.
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| 4 | Vancouver Agreement, A Profile of Health and Well-being in the Downtown Eastside (1996–2001), 2004. |
| 5 | BC Stats, Population Aged 65 and Over by Health Service Delivery Areas, Seniors Scan, 2005. |
| 6 | Day, T., Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children, The Health-Related Costs of Violence Against Women in Canada, p. 34, 1995; Greaves, L. et. al., Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children, Selected Estimates of the Costs of Violence Against Women and Children, p. 7, 1995. |
Key Opportunities
Innovative Approaches to Addressing Community Issues The ministry has significant experience establishing cooperative relationships with local and federal governments, ministries, First Nations, and communities. This experience will be a key asset in facilitating cooperative approaches to the complex issues facing communities. Intergovernmental forums (such as the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors, and Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women) and partnerships with local and federal governments, First Nations, as well as the Union of BC Municipalities, will provide new opportunities to achieve common goals.
New Deal for Cities and Communities In April 2005, British Columbia became the first province to sign an agreement with the federal government to transfer gas tax revenues to cities and communities. The New Deal for Cities and Communities gives British Columbia $635 million over five years to support environmentally sustainable local infrastructure. The ministry will work in partnership with the Union of BC Municipalities to direct the new resources to support environmental objectives through improved transit, cleaner drinking water, improved waste water infrastructure, and improved air quality.
Strong and Flexible Local Governments The legislative framework, financial organization, and tradition of local decision-making for local governments in British Columbia create a solid basis for addressing challenges posed by growth, infrastructure renewal, and other changing local and regional conditions. The flexibility of local government structures, and the strength of partners such as the Union of BC Municipalities and the Municipal Finance Authority, are key assets.
New Urban Development Agreements Urban Development Agreements are intended to address inner-city issues and contribute to healthy and safe inner-cities by coordinating the work of local, provincial, and federal governments, and community agencies, to address social, health, and economic issues. An example is the Vancouver Agreement, which is a tri-partite agreement among the governments of Canada, British Columbia and the City of Vancouver. It was first signed in 2000 and then renewed for another five-year term in 2005. A number of other communities have indicated an interest in pursuing Urban Development Agreements, opening up new opportunities for sustainable development and improved well-being for residents of their inner-cities.
Premier’s Council on Aging and Seniors’ Issues The mandate of the council is framed by the emergence, for the first time in our society, of the vast numbers of healthy, capable older people who have largely retired from the paid workforce, yet continue to be healthy and independent. The council will examine the implications of the demographic change that is emerging, since 25 years from now, approximately one in four British Columbians will be 65 and older. The Council will review the demographic and socio-economic changes, projecting an outlook to 2020, and identify pressing needs and opportunities to improve seniors’ independence and quality of living, including: healthy lifestyles and nutrition, housing options and community programs, seniors’ services, and mandatory retirement. The Council is scheduled to make recommendations to the Premier by November 30, 2006. The ministry is the lead agency responsible for supporting the work of the Premier’s Council and coordinating government’s response to its recommendations.
Women’s Participation in the Economy Women comprise 51 per cent of British Columbia’s population, 56 per cent of current university enrollment7 and 47 per cent of the paid workforce8. However, despite recent gains, women’s weekly wage rate is still on average only 81 per cent of men’s weekly wage rate (full-time employees).9 The ministry is developing a number of mentoring initiatives to foster new opportunities for women to participate in the province’s paid workforce.
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| 7 | Ministry of Advanced Education, Post-Secondary Central Data Warehouse Standards Reports, November 2004. |
| 8 | Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey Extract from File Cd3T01an.ivt, 2004. |
| 9 | Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, extract from file Cd3T01an.ivt, 2004. |
World Urban Forum Vancouver will host the United Nations World Urban Forum on urban sustainability in June 2006, with up to 10,000 participants from around the world expected. This international event will provide an opportunity to learn from other jurisdictions and to showcase British Columbia’s leadership in sustainability.
Capacity to Manage Risks
The ministry can draw on many strengths to manage risks. These include:
- expert staff with a broad range of skills and experience;
- the ability to manage and adapt to change, and the flexibility to meet new challenges;
- experience using innovative approaches to leverage resources;
- strong client and stakeholder relationships; and
- experience in building partnerships and cooperative relationships with local and federal governments, First Nations, and with communities.
