On this edition of Journal, we examine two public policy initiatives that are turning the governing of our province upside down.

Mayor Mike Hurley is directly affected in his 2 roles: first as Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board and second as mayor of Burnaby.

First, an independent report looking at the governance of Metro Vancouver was needed as a result of the tremendous overrun on the wastewater treatment plant – a budget that went from $700 million to $3.6 billion! How could that happen?

Well, the Deloitte report that was just released paints a grim picture:

The Board is too big: 41 directors representing 21 municipalities, Tsawwassen First Nations and electoral area A – too many people around the table.

The politically elected chair should be replaced by a non-elected professional governance expert.

Expenses for the directors should be reevaluated and trimmed.

Basically, the report says that this regional government has outgrown its governance structure and must be changed.

And as if problems at Metro Van weren’t enough of a distraction, the province recently pushed through legislation that, in effect, overrides the municipal jurisdiction of zoning and permitting – Bill 15 – all in the name of fast-tracking favoured projects.

And who gets to decide these lucky winners? The premier and cabinet. Not the Legislature, not First Nations, not municipalities – certainly not you or me.

The government is saying, “trust me.” Already, at least one lawsuit is being threatened.

So for Mayor Hurley, the challenges and changes are coming at him from all directions.

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On this edition of Journal, a look at our food industry and how it is affected by the US President’s on-again, off-again, and maybe on-again tariff threats.

Prime Minister Carney has said our relationship with the United States will never be the same again as a result of this major politically driven trade dispute. Canadians must now rethink our defense policies: our supply chain vulnerabilities, our jobs, and our food security. Do we even have food security if over half of our agrifood imports come from the United States?

Does this need to be the case? What can we do to change that around? Can we grow or process more of our own food? Are we using our land and resources to the best advantage? Are there innovations that we should embrace with an open mind?

Dr. Lenore Newman is one of Canada’s top experts on food security. Currently, she is director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley, where she holds a Canada Research Chair in food security.

As early as 2019, Lenore was part of BC’s Food Security Taskforce that presented to premier John Horgan and his government their recommendations on how we could improve our situation. Did anything come of that report?

Recently, she contributed to a Canada Research Council document called “The Next Course,” which enthusiastically makes the case for Canada to become a “living lab where the world’s food future is born.”

Dr. Lenore Newman joins us to explore the opportunities Canada has to enhance our own food security.

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On this edition of Journal, we examine economic reconciliation in action – and not just in theory. Derek Epp is Chief of the Ch’íyáqtel First Nations, one of 9 First Nations in the Chilliwack area. What they have managed to achieve is remarkable.

The Conference Board of Canada has done reports identifying the factors that lead to successful economic development for First Nations communities. In brief they are: strong leadership and vision, an economic development plan, access to capital, good governance and management, accountability, and strong relationships and partnerships.

The Chee-act-in have ticked all of these boxes under Chief Epp’s leadership. Derek adds one more essential value: ownership. He is an active investor, developer, and partner. And as he says, they have flipped the script and gone from being 90% government-supported to 90% own source funding.

As well, as a result of their emphasis on healthcare and mental health support, they now have no children in the Ministry’s care. Derek Epp is a visionary as he tries novel solutions to the issues a small urban reserve faces.

While his first degree was in social work with a specialization in First Nations studies, he has gone on to study aboriginal management at the University of British Columbia. He is comfortable talking about zoning, infrastructure, financial partnerships, taxes, and deal making – all part of the Chee-act-in success story.

Chief Derek Epp joins us to discuss why his model works and what others can learn from their experience.

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