Strategic Context

In Canada, responsibility for local matters is assigned to the provinces under the Constitution Act. All provinces discharge this responsibility by providing a legislative framework within which local governments operate. In British Columbia, local governments consist of 157 municipalities and 27 regional districts, which collectively serve diverse communities whose populations range from under 250 in the Village of Silverton to over two million in the Greater Vancouver Regional District.¹ Local governments provide a wide range of services to their citizens, including fire protection, policing, land-use planning, parks, recreation, local streets, water, sewer as well as garbage collection and disposal. Local governments also support important objectives such as literacy, health and wellness, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity for British Columbians.

Challenges and opportunities facing B.C. communities, and their local governments, include:

• 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. Most of British Columbia's urban population lives in an area covering less than three per cent of the entire province, putting increased demand on infrastructure and resources.²
• British Columbia's metropolitan regions are experiencing high growth. Continuing population growth (an additional 1.3 million people expected by 2031) increases pressure on housing prices and puts an additional strain on the existing urban infrastructure.³
• The problems facing British Columbia's 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 effective participation in solutions is often hindered by capacity among inner-city residents.
• Many rural communities that have traditionally depended on natural resource industries have been dramatically impacted in recent years by issues such as the softwood lumber dispute, the mountain pine beetle infestation, and the challenges of resource renewal.
• Rural communities face challenges in meeting the infrastructure needs of their communities. The Ministry explores opportunities to cost-share the development or improvement of infrastructure for urban and rural communities with federal and local governments.
• Tourism provides an opportunity to British Columbian communities to diversify, and local governments have a key role in realizing these opportunities through their decision-making.

Women in British Columbia represent 47 per cent of the paid labour force⁴ and just under 36 per cent of the self-employed.⁵ Despite the gains achieved in recent decades, many women still face socio-economic challenges. Women's hourly wage rate is on average 84.5 per cent of men's hourly wage rate (full-time).⁶ Women's labour force activity and incomes are more likely than men's to be affected by family and care-giving responsibilities, resulting in working part-time, taking time off, and/or retiring early.⁷ Women rely more heavily on government transfer payments, programs and services than do men.⁸ Women are still more likely to be victims of a sexual or physical crime committed by someone they know. For example, in 2004, 76 per cent of spousal assault incidents reported to police in B.C. involved a male offender.⁹

Seniors in British Columbia comprise 13.8 per cent of the population.¹⁰ That proportion is expected to rise to nearly 25 per cent by 2031.¹¹ In many respects, the majority of British Columbia's seniors are enjoying a high quality of life with two-thirds rating their health as either good or very good, and 69.7 per cent reporting that they have a high level of social support.¹² Given opportunities, seniors can continue to fully participate and contribute to society. The fastest growing segment of the seniors' population in Canada is those over 80 years of age.¹³ As the proportion of seniors in the provincial population goes up, and there is a disproportionate rise in seniors over 80, demands on health and community services will increase dramatically.

The Ministry of Community Services is well positioned to address its challenges and take advantage of its opportunities. The Ministry's staff are skilled and experienced. The Ministry has excellent client relationships and experience working cooperatively with federal and local governments and communities to develop innovative strategies to address issues of mutual interest. These strengths are complemented by a proactive Ministry Human Resource Management Plan aimed at addressing workforce and workplace issues to ensure that the Ministry has the capacity to meet its human resource needs in the future and that it continues to be an employer of choice.