Elected officials warn that new provincial legislation will disempower and destabilize local governments and First Nations, even as their titles promise the opposite.
BC’s Bill 15, the Infrastructure Projects Streamlining Act, passed May 28, and Bill 7, the Economic Stabilization (Tariff Response) Act, is expected to be reintroduced after revision, with Premier David Eby conceding that the original bill overstepped Provincial authority by granting sweeping powers without proper democratic safeguards and oversight.
“History proves that strong local governments lead to thriving communities,” notes View Royal councillor Damian Kowalewich. “But year after year, we’ve watched authority shrink while financial pressures grow, downloading responsibilities without the resources to handle them.”
“The erosion of democratic norms does not come all at once – it comes through measures like these.”
Bill 15 grants the provincial cabinet unilateral power to designate infrastructure projects as “provincially significant,” allowing them to bypass municipal planning, override local bylaws, and fast-track approvals without consultation.
Bill 7 provides retroactive legal cover for provincial actions that override municipal authority, including Bill 44, the province-wide residential upzoning that trumps local zoning laws and Official Community Plans, passed in 2023.
Meanwhile, Bill 14, the Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act, adopted in May, accelerates development while dropping requirements for meaningful Indigenous consultation, in spite of the Province’s stated commitment to First Nations’ free, prior, and informed consent. A Lil’wat Nation news release states that Bills 14 and 15 “remove First Nations participation from key decision- making around project development.”
A pattern of centralized overreach
“This government has adopted a disturbing trend: declare a crisis, bypass consultation, and impose a top-down solution,” said View Royal Mayor Sid Tobias.
The Province chose to introduce and enact these new laws without consulting local governments or First Nations. Blindsiding municipalities with such impactful legislation reflects a broader breakdown in provincial respect for local governance, according to a press release from the City of View Royal.
This tactic contradicts Section 2 of BC’s Community Charter
Especially troubling is the government’s growing use of non-disclosure agreements with municipalities while drafting new laws. “This is not how a democratic society operates,” Tobias said. “When governments consult the public behind closed doors and forbid them from speaking, they are not practising democracy – they are managing perception.”
This tactic contradicts Section 2 of BC’s Community Charter, which recognizes municipalities as a level of government and calls for meaningful consultation on matters of mutual interest.
“I suspect many municipal councils are reluctant to speak out for two reasons,” said Tobias. “One, they did not know about the legislation or its implications and two, they are fearful of being denied funding for critical projects that affect our safety and quality of life such as water, sewer, roads, sidewalks, and transportation.” He notes that local governments will be left to fund and support projects they were excluded from planning. The result is higher costs, greater strain on services, and frustrated communities.
“The erosion of democratic norms does not come all at once – it comes through measures like these,” warned Mayor Tobias. “What we are seeing is the centralization of power, suppression of dissent, and erosion of process that mirrors some of the most troubling trends we’ve seen elsewhere, including under the Trump administration in the United States.”
“These are not theoretical risks. They are present, unfolding, and profoundly dangerous to the integrity of public governance in British Columbia.”
Read the full press release from the City of View Royal.
