Employer Health Tax Impact on Local Governments Survey Results and Analysis Union of BC Municipalities May 2018

http://www.ubcm.ca/assets/Resolutions~and~Policy/Policy/Finance/Employer%20Health%20Tax%20Impact%20on%20Local%20Govt%20-%20Final.pdf

Vernon's numbers will show an increase of $448,500 in 2019 and with the elimination of the MSP premium charge in 2020 will show a $220,000 decrease in taxes.  Assuming tht a 1% increase is approx. $360,000 then we will have a 1.25% increase in 2019 and then a .61%  tax reduction in 2020.
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This does not calculate the effect if the RCMP stationed in B.C. are also subject to the 2019 Payroll tax of 1.95% . Vernons approx. cost of $5,000,000 for the RCMP payroll will add about $97,500 (.27%) to our tax requirement in 2019.
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The effect on school taxes and Hospital taxes is unknown as of yet as to amount but this will be another increase to your property tax bill. Also the Transit additional costs as well as the Regional District additional costs will also be added to property tax bill.

Third Reading of Cannabis Legislation B.C. May 2018

BILL 30 – 2018

CANNABIS CONTROL AND LICENSING ACT

https://www.leg.bc.ca/Pages/BCLASS-Legacy.aspx#%2Fcontent%2Fdata%2520-%2520ldp%2Fpages%2F41st3rd%2F1st_read%2Fgov30-1.htm
Certified correct as passed Third Reading on the 17th day of May, 2018
Craig James, Clerk of the House

BILL 31 – 2018

CANNABIS DISTRIBUTION ACT

https://www.leg.bc.ca/Pages/BCLASS-Legacy.aspx#%2Fcontent%2Fdata%2520-%2520ldp%2Fpages%2F41st3rd%2F1st_read%2Fgov31-1.htm
Certified correct as passed Third Reading on the 15th day of May, 2018
Craig James, Clerk of the House

B.C. Cannabis private retail licensing guide

• https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/employment-business-and-economic-development/business-management/liquor-regulation-licensing/documents/5847_cannabis_privateretailguide_v03.pdf

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Progress of Bills:

https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/legislation-debates-proceedings/41st-parliament/3rd-session/bills/progress-of-bills

No municipal break for B.C. health care payroll tax - Non-profits, school districts, universities still being considered, Carole James says

TOM FLETCHERMay. 7, 2018 1:29 p.m.NEWS Vernon Morning Star
Municipal governments will have to cover the costs of the B.C. government’s health care payroll tax, because they can raise property taxes to do it, Finance Minister Carole James says. The tax is being phased in starting January 2019, as Medical Services Plan premiums are phased out with a 50 per cent reduction taking place at the same time. For municipalities that already pay MSP premiums on behalf of their employees, extra costs for 2019 will have to be covered. “They aren’t going to get any relief,” James said Monday when asked about municipalities who are looking at raising property taxes. “We’re still in discussions with charities, not-for-profits, school boards and universities, the groups that don’t have the ability to be able to bring in revenue.”

The Union of B.C. Municipalities surveyed members as they prepared their 2018-19 budgets and they reported their costs are expected to double between 2017 and 2020 as a result of the payroll tax. The City of Victoria is considering a two per cent increase to cover the extra costs. The “employers health tax” takes effect in 2019 at 1.95 per cent of payroll for businesses and organizations with payrolls of more than $1.5 million. A lower rate applies for payrolls between $500,000 and $1.5 million, and those below $500,000 are exempt. The payroll tax applies whether employers pay their employees’ MSP premiums or not. James emphasized that while property taxes may go up, individuals stand to save $800 a year or more if they have been paying their own MSP premiums.

Stickle Road excavation work proceeds --Excavation of old visitor centre part of Stickle Road developments: RDNO

MORNING STAR STAFF May. 2, 2018 11:00 a.m. LOCAL NEWS
The old visitor centre near Swan Lake is soon to be no more. Crews are working to excavate the old visitor centre on Highway 97. “I have not had a specific update from MOTI (Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure) but part of the plan involves a deceleration lane from the north to the entrance to the Silver Star RV park and therefore the area being excavated is associated with that,” said Bob Fleming, Regional District of North Okanagan area B director. Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund said the property has never belonged to the city.“The old visitor Center was part of a contract the City had with MOTI and the land could only be used as a tourist rest area and nothing else,” Mund said.

Stickle Road work starting soon - Contentious Vernon intersection being improved for safety and traffic flow

Apr. 18, 2018 9:15 a.m.NEWS Morning Star

Work will soon begin on the restructuring of a notorious North Okanagan intersection. The intersection of Stickle Road and Highway 97 – scene of a number of traffic accidents and near-record submissions to The Morning Star’s Letters to the Editor page – is being upgraded to improve safety and traffic flow through the region. “Highway 97 is an essential connector for people in the area, and for too long there have been safety concerns and mounting congestion issues at this busy intersection,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “The work we are doing should relieve some of those problems. We’re also determined to respect and maintain the habitat of the nearby creek and wetlands.”

Work to improve the safety of the intersection, which is expected to be completed in fall 2018, will include:
* Converting Stickle Road at Highway 97 to a left-in, right-in and right-out intersection;
* Lengthening the northbound and southbound left-turn lanes on the highway; and
* Providing right-turn acceleration and deceleration lanes at the east and west approaches.

Okanagan Aggregates Ltd., from Armstrong, was awarded the contract to reconstruct the intersection, which has seen a significant number of crashes in the past 10 years. The $15-million project will also include an extension of 20th Street, connecting it to the south end of the existing Stickle Frontage Road. While pre-load work on this section has already begun, it will not be completed until later in 2019, depending on soil settlement. Significant environmental work was completed along the 20th Street extension ahead of construction, including relocation of fish and amphibian habitats in BX Creek. The ministry is also working with Ducks Unlimited to develop a new wetland habitat that is three times the size of the one that will be affected by the project. During construction, two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction during the day. However, motorists can expect some delays, and are reminded to obey construction speed zones and follow traffic control at all times. No official start date was announced for the project.
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Major safety improvements coming to Stickle Road intersection For Immediate Release 2018TRAN0052-000653 April 18, 2018
https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2017-2021/2018TRAN0052-000653.pdf

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Also see Beach Radio Article  at http://www.beachradiovernon.ca/2018/04/19/79665/

Stickle/20th Street Road Work To Resume

Vernon, BC, Canada / 1075 Beach Radio Vernon Pete McIntyre April 03, 2018 06:11 am

Stickle Road upgrade concept design,
 looking east (Ministry of Transportation)

We haven’t heard much about the Stickle Road upgrade lately — but work on that project is ready to resume. The Transportation Ministry is spending 9.5 million dollars to extend 20th Street behind Rona, to the south end of Stickle Road.The project has been under discussion since 2015, and took three plans by the ministry after the first two were rejected by the public and local politicians.The extension is going through BX Delta Creek Park, despite opposition from environmentalists, such as Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver. Starting this week, ministry crews will be hauling and compacting preload material to add another metre to the elevation of the extension road. There’s no firm estimate when the project may be completed, as the preloading can take up to two years, before the actual road is built. Click here for more on the project.

BC Conservatives pumped by poll results Surge in popularity has BC party picturing elected representatives in Victoria

MORNING STAR STAFF Mar. 21, 2018 7:30 a.m.NEWS

A surge in the polls has the BC Conservative party picturing representatives elected to Victoria. Mainstreet Media released a poll Monday showing the BC Conservative Party has 8.9 per cent support provincewide, and 15.9 per cent in the province when Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island are removed from the equation. The polling firm surveyed 1,511 British Columbians aged 18 and over March 5 and 6. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.52 per cent and is accurate 19 times out of 20. “Thanks to the hard work of the board and my advisory team, as well as individual members of the party, we are well on our way to sending Conservative MLAs to Victoria,” said Vernon city councillor Scott Anderson, interim leader of the BC Conservatives. “We haven’t seen this kind of surge in the polls for several years, and now that the BC Liberals have elected a Trudeau Liberal as leader, the BC Conservatives are the only credible voice for conservatism in British Columbia.” Anderson believes the surge is due to the emergence of his party as a credible, responsible alternative to the tax-and-spend BC Liberal party at a time of impending economic crisis in British Columbia. “The BC NDP, with the active collusion of the Green Party, has raised taxes on individuals, put heavier burdens on businesses, municipalities, and public organizations like school districts, and have even managed to start a trade war with a neighbouring province over a pipeline crucial to Canada’s economic interests,” said Anderson. “And in April they will raise the BC Liberal Carbon tax to the highest level ever, which means that the price of virtually everything will go up too.” By way of contrast to the three other parties, the BC Conservatives have proposed forward thinking economic ideas, including support for Kinder Morgan, Site C and the Ajax Mine, and a broad endorsement of responsibly regulated resource development, said Anderson. In addition, the party will abolish the hated Carbon Tax, reform ICBC and expose it to the private sector, and introduce legislation for new innovations like ride sharing and autonomous vehicles. “We want to encourage technological advances in clean energy, resource development, and consumer products, and we think B.C. can be a leader in Canadian innovation,” said Anderson. “But none of that is going to happen if the other three parties keep throwing stumbling blocks in front of economic development.” The BC Conservatives, he said, are a “big-tent conservative party dedicated to lower taxation, efficient service delivery, and smaller, more effective government.”
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https://www.mainstreetresearch.ca/horgan-ndp-five-point-lead-liberals/

Payroll Tax B.C. vs Ontario

B.C. Payroll Tax effective Jan 1, 2019

Ontario Payroll Tax 

BC Cons slam NDP tax

Darren Handschuh - Mar 14, 2018 / 5:40 pm CASTANET
The BC Conservative Party is taking the NDP to task over its proposed payroll tax. The Conservatives propose a progressive health premium instead, claiming the NDP is simply downloading the cost of MSP onto municipalities, businesses and public sector organizations, and ultimately the public, while creating a new drag on the economy. According to the Conservatives, the payroll tax, which the NDP is disguising as a "health tax," is being implemented in 2019 even though Medical Service Plan premiums won't be eliminated until 2020. This means employers will have to pay twice in 2019. "Not only is the NDP government taxing businesses in B.C. twice for the same thing in 2019, while giving nothing back to the citizens of B.C., they are also downloading the cost of healthcare onto the workers of B.C. through the back door,” said Scott Anderson, Interim Leader of the BC Conservative Party. 2Anderson said many British Columbian employers – including those in both the private and public sector – are being faced with millions of dollars in new payroll taxes. “These new expenses will force employers to increase prices that they charge consumers, cut back on services, reduce employee compensation, cut back on staffing levels, reduce growth and stall innovation,” said Anderson. “Further, this new tax will be downloaded onto municipal property taxes in the case of municipalities and other public sector organizations, like schools and libraries.” Anderson said under the new payroll tax, Vancouver will have to pay an additional $9 million in payroll tax, while the University of British Columbia alone will be forced to pay $23 million in new taxes. “In the case of the health authorities, the NDP has created a ludicrous situation in which the province is taxing itself to the tune of a billion dollars. To protect consumers, property owners, renters and workers from being penalized by the NDP’s new payroll tax, we call on all MLAs to amend the budget,” said Anderson. The BC Conservatives propose a graduated, progressive health premium with a higher cap of $100. Employers, both public and private, will retain the ability to choose whether to cover the health premium, thereby avoiding municipal downloading, double taxation, and the creation of a new economic drag.
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Vancouver Sofi 2016: P.70 & P.46
UBC Sofi 2916: P.148

B.C. Budget 2018: New payroll tax offsets loss from cancelling medical premiums

Van. Sun Published on: February 20, 2018 | Last Updated: February 20, 2018 5:50 PM PST
Employers who thought they were off the hook for Medical Services Plan premiums as employee benefits when the NDP government announced the phase-out of premiums last year got a surprise on Tuesday.

The NDP’s budget unveiled a new payroll tax to take effect on Jan. 1, 2019, to offset the loss in revenue from premiums. But the payroll tax will be a new expense for many companies with payrolls over $500,000 who did not pay premiums for their employees; those with payrolls under $500,000 are exempt from the tax.

The “employer health” tax, as it is dubbed by government, requires companies with payrolls over $500,000 a year to pay a 0.98 per cent tax on annual payroll. The tax goes up in increments up for every $250,000 in payroll. Big companies will be hardest hit as they will pay a 1.95 per cent of tax on payrolls over $1.5 million.
Since the government is one of the biggest employers in B.C., the public sector will account for about 20 per cent (ultimately $400 million a year) of the revenue that new tax brings in when fully implemented, Finance Minister Carole James said.

The tax is projected to bring in $463 million in 2018-19 (it applies for only the last three months of that fiscal year), $1.85 billion in 2019-20, and $1.92 billion in 2020-21. MSP premiums brought in $2.6 billion annually in revenue so there will still be a revenue gap to make up.

NSP premims reduced and eliminated and NEW PAYROLL TAX of 1,95%

http://bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2018/backgrounders/2018_Backgrounder_2_MSP.pdf
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Highlights of British Columbia's 2018-19 budget presented Tuesday:

Effective Wednesday, a tax on foreign homebuyers increases by $5,000 to $20,000 and expands from Metro Vancouver to include homes in the Victoria-area, the Fraser Valley, the central Okanagan district in the province's Interior, and the Nanaimo Regional District.
A new speculation tax will be introduced in the fall aimed at foreign and domestic homeowners who don't pay taxes in B.C., affecting properties in Metro Vancouver, the Victoria area, Fraser Valley, Nanaimo Regional District, Kelowna and West Kelowna.
The property transfer tax on homes with a fair market value of more than $3 million increases to five per cent from three per cent.
More than $6 billion will be spent over the next 10 years to create 114,000 housing units for families, seniors, students and women and children escaping domestic violence.
Medical service plan premiums will be eliminated on Jan. 1, 2020, saving an individual up to $900 a year and families up to $1,800 annually.
Starting Jan. 1, 2019, employers with payrolls of more than $500,000 will pay a new employer health tax, which is forecast to raise $1.9 billion in revenue in 2019-20.
Beginning April 1, funding will be provided to licensed care providers to provide a $350 a month cut in the cost of a child care space.
A new affordable child care benefit will start in September providing up to $1,250 a month per child.
An additional $1 billion will be spent over the next three years to expand access to licensed child care, which the province says is part of its plan to create more than 22,000 new spaces.
Fares will be frozen on BC Ferries' three major routes and fares will be cut by 15 per cent on small routes.
A forecast surplus of $219 million, with projections for surpluses to continue through the 2020-21 fiscal year.
The government estimates it will spend $53.6 billion in the next fiscal year, up from an updated forecast of $51.8 billion for 2017-18.
Economic growth for 2018 is forecast at 2.3 per cent, down from 3.4 per cent in 2017.

Kelowna West By election Results

https://electionsbcenr.blob.core.windows.net/electionsbcenr/BY-KLW-2018-02-14_Party.html

Cannabis retail, driving laws amongst new firm-on-safety policy decisions

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PSSG0006-000151
Cannabis retail, driving laws amongst new firm-on-safety policy decisions NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release 2018PSSG0006-000151 Feb. 5, 2018 VICTORIA – As British Columbia works towards the federal timeline for legalization of nonmedical cannabis in July 2018, the Province continues to set policy direction to meet the needs and expectations of British Columbians. “As a result of months of engagement, additional research and analysis, we continue to build the Province’s regulatory framework and have set policy direction on other key aspects of how non-medical cannabis will be regulated in B.C.,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “These decisions include safeguards for the retail sales of non-medical cannabis and are driven by our priorities of protecting youth, promoting health and safety, keeping the criminal element out of cannabis and keeping our roads safe.” The following decisions will inform the development of legislation in preparation for federal legalization of non-medical cannabis in July.

Retail framework
As was announced in December 2017, government is releasing details on the Province’s proposed retail framework. British Columbians of legal age will be able to purchase nonmedical cannabis through privately run retail stores or government-operated retail stores and government online sales. B.C.’s Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) will operate a new standalone network of public retail stores and the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB) will be responsible for licensing private stores and monitoring the retail sector. The operating rules governing public and private retail stores will be similar to those currently in place for liquor. However, to promote responsible use, licensed retailers will not be able to sell cannabis in the same stores as liquor or tobacco. In urban areas, licensed retailers will only be allowed to sell cannabis and cannabis accessories, and will be prohibited from selling other products, such as food, gas, clothing and lottery. The B.C. government recognizes that retail access for people in rural areas will require a different approach than those used in urban communities and will establish exceptions for rural non-medical cannabis retail stores, similar to those of rural liquor stores. The criteria for determining these rural areas are currently under development. This spring, the Province will launch an early registration process for individuals and businesses who are interested in applying for a cannabis retail licence. Although B.C. will not cap the number of retail licences available, licences will not be issued without the support of local governments, which will have the authority to make local decisions, based on the needs of their communities. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Additional details on the retail framework, including frequently asked questions for potential applicants, are available at: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Cannabis_Private_Retail_Licensing_Guide.pdf

Personal public possession limits
Adults aged 19 years and older will be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of non-medical cannabis in a public place, which aligns with the federal government's proposed possession limit for adults. Those under the legal age of 19 years will be prohibited from possessing any amount of nonmedical cannabis. Additionally, cannabis transported in a motor vehicle will need to be in a sealed package, or inaccessible to vehicle occupants.

Places of use
B.C. will generally allow adults to use non-medical cannabis in public spaces where tobacco smoking and vaping are permitted. However, to minimize child and youth exposure, smoking and vaping of non-medical cannabis will be banned in areas frequented by children, including community beaches, parks and playgrounds. Use of cannabis in any form will also be banned for all occupants in vehicles. Local governments will be able to set additional restrictions, as they do now for tobacco use. In addition, landlords and strata councils will be able to restrict or prohibit non-medical cannabis smoking and vaping at tenanted and strata properties.

Personal cultivation
B.C. will align with the proposed federal legislation and allow adults to grow up to four cannabis plants per household, but the plants must not be visible from public spaces off the property. Home cultivation of non-medical cannabis will be banned in dwellings used as day cares. In addition, landlords and strata councils will be able restrict or prohibit home cultivation.

Drug-impaired driving
Drug-impaired driving will continue to be illegal and B.C. will increase training for law enforcement in this area. B.C. will also toughen provincial regulations to give police more tools to remove drug-impaired drivers from the road and deter drug-affected driving, including: • B.C. will create a new 90-day administrative driving prohibition (ADP) for drug-affected driving; and • The current zero-tolerance restrictions for the presence of alcohol for drivers in the Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) will be expanded to include zero tolerance for the presence of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. “National legalization of non-medical cannabis represents an historic shift in public policy. This provincial regulatory framework provides a sound foundation to support the provincial goals that prioritize public health and safety,” Farnworth said. “That said, July 2018 is only the beginning of our journey, and these changes will not happen overnight. We fully anticipate all levels of government will need to continue to assess and refine cannabis policy and regulation Connect with the Province of B.C. at: news.gov.bc.ca/connect Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Media Relations 250 213-3602 Contact: in the months and years to come.” In December 2017, the Province announced that British Columbia’s minimum age to possess, purchase and consume non-medical cannabis will be 19 years old, and that the LDB will be the wholesale distributor of non-medical cannabis in B.C. Government plans to introduce legislation in the spring legislative session to affect these policy decisions. It will also launch a public education campaign to ensure broad public awareness of the provincial rules before they come into force. For more detailed information, please visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/public-safety/cannabis Learn More: The draft federal Cannabis Act (Bill C-45) can be found here: http://www.parl.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetails.aspx?billId=8886269 To learn more about B.C.’s cannabis public engagement, visit:
==============
https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/218135/Legal-pot-things-to-know
Here's a list of proposed regulations:

Pot will be sold in public and private stores, not where liquor or tobacco are sold.
Personal possession of non-medicinal marijuana for people who are at least 19 will be limited to 30 grams.
Marijuana smoking will be allowed in public places where tobacco smoking or vaping is permitted, but not in parks or beaches where children would go.
Adults will be permitted to grow up to four plants per household, but landlords are allowed to prohibit cultivation.
A 90-day driving ban will apply to anyone caught driving while drug-impaired, and the province will increase training for law enforcement officers to recognize impairment.
A registration process will be launched for people applying for a cannabis retail licence, but licences will not be issued without the support of local governments.
The changes are expected to be introduced in the spring legislative session.

PST Phase out for Electricity (non residential customers)

PST Phase out for Electricity
Effective January 1, 2018, taxable purchases of electricity (e.g. electricity for business use)
are subject to a lower PST rate of 3.5%. Electricity will be fully exempt from PST effective April 1, 2019.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/taxes/sales-taxes/publications/pst-203-energy-conservation-ice-fund-tax.pdf (p.5)
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https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2017fin0035-001987   *excerpts below)
Eliminating the PST on electricity will translate into savings of more than $150 million annually for B.C. businesses. This will help them create more jobs for British Columbians, expand into new markets, and reinvest in new technologies.
Estimated annual PST paid for electricity use, by industrial sector is as follows:

Manufacturing, including pulp and paper: $46 million
Other services (repair and maintenance, personal care services, etc.): $27 million
Wholesale and retail trade: $21 million
Primary industry (forestry, mining, etc.): $21 million
Accommodation and food services: $11 million
Transportation and warehousing: $11 million
Arts, entertainment and recreation: $5 million
Construction: $2 million
Other industry sectors: $17 million
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Email reply from Minister of Finance's office:
Thank you for your inquiry.
Prior to January 1, 2018, the only general exemption from PST on electricity was if it was delivered to a residential dwelling. As of January 1, 2018, the rate of PST on electricity is reduced from 7% to 3.5% for all other customers who are non-residential customers. This includes municipalities.
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Don Quixote Note:
For City of Vernon the estimated savings for 2018 is $81,000. ($33,000 for sewer ratepayers , $19,000 for Recreational electricity, and $29,000 for street lights , civic buildings etc. )

Shoppers inks pot deal

The Canadian Press - Jan 19, 2018 / 6:51 am CASTANET
Licensed marijuana producer Tilray Canada Ltd. has signed a deal to become a medical cannabis supplier to Shoppers Drug Mart. Subject to Health Canada's approval of Shoppers Drug Mart's application to dispense medical marijuana, Tilray will supply the retailer with Tilray branded medical cannabis products. The B.C.-based company expects the products will be sold online because regulations restrict the sale of medical cannabis in retail pharmacies. Tilray says its products are sold in pharmacies in seven countries around the world. Shoppers Drug Mart's deal with Tilray follows similar agreements that the retailer signed last year with MedReleaf and Aphria. The pharmacy chain's parent company Loblaw Companies Ltd. applied for a license to dispense medical marijuana in October 2016.

Vernon Ice Rinks Meet Upgraded Safety Regs

Vernon, BC, Canada / 1075 Beach Radio Vernon Tom Mark January 17, 2018 08:45 am

New safety regulations come into effect Friday for facilities that use ammonia in refrigerants, such as ice rinks and curling rinks. Among the requirements is a stipulation that the facilities have to be staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with an ” appropriately qualified” person. Rob Singer, Vernon’s Arena’s Operations Coordinator says Vernon is exempt from that ruling because it meets a special risk assessment. “We’re visited by Technical Safety BC yearly, and that’s not just Kal Tire, that’s Kal Tire Place3, Civic Arena and Priest Valley Arena.” Vernon has a 24/7 monitored system. Whenever the public is in the facilities, a certified staff member is on hand. During off hours, an alarm system automatically notifies staff. “Annually we go through a maintenance procedure. What we call planned maintenance or P-M program. We use a certified contractor for all of our work and our plants are always maintained to the highest degree of safety.” The new rules are aimed at preventing a tragedy similar to that which occurred in Fernie where three men died after an ammonia leak.

Council Debates City Pot Ban

Vernon, BC, Canada / 1075 Beach Radio Vernon Pete McIntyre January 08, 2018 07:26 pm
Vernon council has had another debate on the legalization of marijuana — this time about whether municipalities should have the right to ban the sale of the drug, if they want, once it becomes legal across Canada. Councillor Scott Anderson made a motion to ask the province for that type of community ban, even though he says, he’s not against pot dispensaries.“I think that municipalities should have that jurisdiction. We’re the ones most affected, we’re the ones who have to pay the price and reap the benefits. I think we should have that jurisdiction,” Anderson told Beach Radio News. Anderson says it’s a matter of principal. “I am not trying to close down marijuana dispensaries. What I want is for the city to retain the jurisdiction — the ability — in the future; that they should be the ones to say if marijuana is sold here or not.” Anderson’s motion failed to get enough support, falling in a 4-2 vote.
Councillor Dalvir Nahal supported Anderson’s motion to write the province on the issue. “I feel that municipalities should have that jurisdiction to close some down. As I’ve stated before, I’m not against them, but I feel like we have way too many in this small community, so it would have been nice to have that option,” says Nahal.

However, four other council members like Juliette Cunningham opposed the motion. Cunningham says a majority of Canadians support legalizing cannabis, and it doesn’t make sense to allow 4 members of council to decide if it’s allowed in the city or not. Councilor Bob Spiers says the city can control where the operations are located through zoning, and through business licenses. “We could say that we will not allow a marijuana retail operation using our zoning laws. Whether that would pass within the city, who knows? But we’ve got adequate control, as far as I’m concerned,” Spiers tells Beach Radio.

 Meantime, council has passed a motion, to seek 50% of the tax revenues from pot, that the BC government gets.
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Don Quixote Comment:
https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/meetings/agendas/140714.pdf

The amendment to zoning bylaw for the zoning restrictions for a Canadian Licensed Marijuana Production business was passed Aug. 11 2014.

ASHLEY WADHWAN IDec. 20, 2017 10:00 a.m. Morning Star 
The B.C. government is making overdose-reversing naloxone kits more readily available for residents across the province, free of charge. About 1,900 kits have been distributed to 220 pharmacies for the first time this month, addictions minister Judy Darcy announced Wednesday. “Our most urgent priority is to keep people alive, so we’re dramatically expanding easy access to naloxone,” she said. The expansion program will allow pharmacists to also train those interested on how to use the kit, as well as detect an overdose. BC Coroners stats show that 1,400 lives are expected to be lost to opioid-related fatalities by the end of 2017.

The no-cost kits are now available at pharmacies located within London Drugs and Save-on-Foods, as well as others, for people who use opioids or are likely to witness and respond to an overdose. To ensure privacy, identifying information about the person receiving the kit is not tracked.Access to harm-reduction tools is one of the key pillars in the province’s response to combating the overdose crisis – and pharmacies can play a big role in ridding the barrier to accessing the life-saving kits, said Geraldine Vance, BC Pharmacy Association chief executive officer.“Pharmacists are trained, experienced and knowledgeable, not only in medication but in providing an essential health-care service to our patients and to our community,” Vance said.

Election sign 'free for all'

https://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/213750/Election-sign-free-for-all
There should be plenty of election signs up during Vernon's municipal election next year.In a 4-2 decision Monday, city council approved a motion put forward by Coun. Brian Quiring to allow signs on public property as well as on private land, if the owner has given permission. In the past, a bylaw that disallowed election signs on public property was ignored by many candidates. “The signs are going to end up everywhere anyway,” Quiring pointed out during the council session. “It's a free-for-all.” The only exceptions would be if the signs were a safety issue, such as in a driver's sightline. “It benefits newcomers to council more than incumbents because that's a name recognition issue,” said Coun. Scott Anderson. Coun. Catherine Lord and Mayor Akbal Mund opposed the motion. “I want to warn the public there will be a lot of littering around town,” said Lord. “Last time, we had a lot of complaints.”“I didn't display any signs on public property,” said Mund of his election run. “There could be 30 or 40 signs in a row.”
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https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/bylaws/4489_signbylaw_0.pdf
The following signs shall be permitted within all zones and shall be exempt from the requirement to obtain a permit, provided however that all other provisions of this bylaw
are met:
) Political Signs provided that such signs:
i) are not installed before a Provincial or Federal election is officially called or before the end of the nomination period of the City of Vernon and Vernon School Board election;
ii) are removed within seven (7) days after the election; and
iii) are not placed on any dedicated road allowance or lands owned by any government.

http://elections.bc.ca/

Feds agree to give provinces 75 per cent of pot tax revenues Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced the agreement today

THE CANADIAN PRESS Dec. 11, 2017 1:10 p.m.NEWS

The federal government has agreed to give the provinces and territories a 75 per cent share of the tax revenues from the sale of legalized marijuana, a portion of which will be meted out to cities and towns to help them defray the cost of making pot legal across Canada. Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced the two-year agreement today after a day-long meeting with his provincial and territorial counterparts. Morneau says Ottawa will retain the remaining 25 per cent share to a maximum of $100 million a year, with any balance over and above that limit going to the provinces and territories. The larger share, he added, will allow the provinces to “fairly deal with their costs and so they can work with municipalities,” which had been asking for at least a one-third portion of the revenue to help ease the burden of costs like law enforcement.

Morneau said that over the first two years, the federal government expects legalized pot to generate only about $400 million in tax revenues, adding that the ministers are scheduled to gather again a year from now to assess how the framework is working. “Our expectation is that by keeping prices low, we will be able to get rid of the black market. However, that will happen over time,” Morneau said during a closing news conference, his counterparts lined up behind him. “Our estimates suggest that the size of the taxation revenue is roughly … about up to $400 million for the first couple of years. What we’ve agreed at our table today is that we need to come back together; we’re going to come back together in December 2018 to look at how the market’s working, and how the federal government, provinces and municipalities are dealing with this change. “Of course, we’ll stay very much on top of this, but after two years it’s time to rethink the approach to make sure we’re getting it right.” All 14 jurisdictions at the table agreed to the key principles reached at the meeting, Morneau said, calling it a “very good outcome.”

The original model put forward by the federal government proposed an even 50-50 split, a plan that was immediately shot down by the provinces, many of which wondered aloud what sort of costs Ottawa would be incurring to deserve such a share. Earlier today, Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa said the federal Liberal government had successfully made the case that it, too, would have costs, but was showing flexibility on related revenue and cost-sharing questions. After a meeting with his Atlantic counterparts in Halifax, Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil let slip that a two-year deal had been reached, and that provinces would have the ability to include a markup above and beyond existing taxation levels. Ottawa’s initial estimates suggested the total pot of tax revenue from marijuana sales could eventually reach $1 billion per year. “If there is a markup that a respective province wants to do it would be outside of that taxation model, so that was the flexibility that we as a province were looking for and I would say indeed it was what we were hearing across the country,” McNeil said. “The two-year window will give each of us the time to go back to the table and say this is actually what policing is costing and this is what the education component is.”

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has said it wants a third of the revenues earmarked to help municipal governments handle administrative and policing costs, but how that share of the pot is divvied up will be up to the municipalities and their provincial or territorial counterparts. The federal government has already committed more than $1 billion over five years towards pot legalization in areas like policing and border security. When asked about the federal push to ensure enough money goes to cities and towns, Quebec Finance Minister Carlos Leitao said each province will do it their own way. “Of course, the provinces will work with their municipalities, but it’s for us to decide what that percentage will be,” he said. “And every province is different, every city is different, so there is no preconceived amount for the provinces.”
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Don Quixote Note:
It remains to see whether  GST (or PST or HST) is applied to the $10 per gram excise tax  ???  (another tax on a tax  !!)