Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) began their convention on Tuesday, April 24th. This is an opportunity for neighboring politicians to be under one roof to discuss matters of relevancy for all the communities these mayors and Councillors represents.
With the legalization of cannabis on the horizon, this is a growing concern for not just the City of Revelstoke but for all communities in the Southern Interior that do not have a grasp on how to handle it in their own municipalities. Revelstoke will be invoking a prohibition clause for now, while the City figures out how best to implement a new plan that works best for our community.
Raymond Kwong, the Director of BC Housing and Director of Housing Policy, Virginia Holden will be presenting Unlocking Housing Affordability Together; an issue that is relevant across the province. There will also be a session on Short Term Housing In Your Community to compliment the earlier presentation about a topic that can be a sore spot in Revelstoke in the winter (or all year for that matter).
Tackling Affordable Housing– Best Practices for Communities and Local
Governments of All Sizes will be presented by Matt Thomson, Community Lead with Urban Matters which may also draw more ideas to the table for our congested housing concerns.
On Friday, Mayor Mark McKee and Revelstoke’s favourite retired Mayor/Doctor, Geoff Battersby will be presenting Revelstoke’s Boom, Bust & Boom Economy; Diving a little deeper into the rapid changes Revelstoke has seen over the 10+ years as well as where this postcard community we love is headed in the future.
One key note speakers will be in taking the stage; David Allison who will be shedding some new ideas and light with Next-Generation Real Estate Development and
City-Building. His ground-breaking research on motivation, and his real-world
experience in this industry, never fails to spark new ideas and strategies for urban planners, condo developers, home builders and resort operators. His insight gives leaders from all sub-sectors in the building industry practical and actionable ideas that create a significant competitive advantage.
With a four day event in stretch, the event list of presenters and topic is quite extensive. What may come of this is new ideas and concepts that other communities/municipalities are succeeding at could become an option for us in the future.
