Pouce Coupe joins Taylor in objecting to Vernon’s push to ban fossil fuel industry support for UBCM
The Village of Pouce Coupe has joined the District of Taylor in voicing its objections to the City of Vernon’s UBCM resolution asking to eliminate fossil fuel funding of the Union of BC Municipalities’ meetings and annual conference.
Back in July, Vernon city council sent a letter to various resource municipalities, including Taylor, Fort St. John and Pouce Coupe, outlining its February 26, 2024, resolution to ask that both UBCM and the Southern Interior Local Government Association stop accepting funding from the fossil-fuel industry to support conventions and meetings.
While the resolution, listed as in the UBCM’s resolution book as NR97, didn’t make it to the floor at the convention, it has gone to the UBCM’s executive for consideration.
Vernon’s resolution reads:
“Burning carbon-based fuel causes climate warming with harmful socio-economic and environmental consequences; and in response Canada and BC have developed legislation, targets and incentive programs to rapidly decarbonize the economy; and local governments must assist in achieving these goals and have developed Climate Action Plans and decarbonization programs to do so.
And whereas the fossil-fuel industry funds conventions and meetings of local government associations, which benefits the industry while the rising costs of delay are borne by governments and society:
Therefore, be it resolved that UBCM will no longer accept funding from the fossil-fuel industry and its lobby groups in support of conventions and meetings.”
In August, Pouce Coupe registered its objections to Vernon’s resolution in a letter to Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming and council, copies of which have been sent to municipalities, including Fort St. John.
In Pouce Coupe’s letter, Mayor Danielle Veach said that without the funding UBCM receives from the fossil-fuel industry, the cost of such conferences would add a great burden to taxpayers.
Citing a Global News report by Catherine Urquhart in 2023, Pouce Coupe’s letter noted that a networking event hosted by Metro Vancouver during the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Toronto, cost the taxpayers $64,000.
“Vilifying the very economic drivers of the economy in many parts of the province, brings forth the very issues that our industry leaders in Northern BC are facing from those further south,” the letter states.
Veach pointed out that the fossil-fuel industry is not only relied upon by many small rural communities in the North for community growth and support, and to function in the extreme climate that is the norm in northern parts of the province, but without investment from this industry, much of the technology used by solar, wind would be many years behind its current levels.
“Not to mention that without the use of fossil-fuels, transition energy supplies would be unavailable, such as solar panels, wind turbines and blades and much more.”
By investing millions of dollars into rural and urban communities, the oil and gas industry supports community enhancements such as public safety and recreation, as well as non-profits like foodbanks and women’s shelters.
Prior to September’s UBCM convention, Fort St. John council held a resolution review workshop and decided against supporting Vernon’s resolution.
With Taylor council’s decision to write a letter to the UBCM executive last month, also expressing its objections to this anti-petroleum industry resolution, there are at least three resource-based communities in the North which find Vernon’s campaign against the industry objectionable.
Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen summed up the region’s stance in reply to questions about Vernon’s letter following the resolution review workshop: "While we concur that the industry’s pursuit of cleaner energy alternatives is crucial, demonizing the fossil fuel sector does not serve this objective.”