Government of British Columbia introduces Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act 2025; legislation updates Wildfire Act, Local Government Act and Housing Supply Act

April 29, 2025 (press release) – INFORMATION BULLETIN For Immediate Release
2025AG0020-000342
April 29, 2025 Ministry of Attorney General Introduction of miscellaneous statutes amendment act, 2025

VICTORIA – Government introduced the miscellaneous statutes amendment act, 2025, to the legislative assembly on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

If passed by the legislature, the amendments will affect the following provincial statutes:

Wildfire Act:

Amendments to the Wildfire Act are proposed to change the limitation period for orders the minister can make against parties who started or contributed to the spread of a wildfire or who contravened the act or wildfire regulation. The amendments will provide more time for an alleged party to understand the evidence against them and a meaningful opportunity to respond. They will also provide additional time for investigations and calculating costs and damages, and for decision-makers to assess the facts before making a determination order (e.g., for parties to pay government’s fire-control costs, the value of damaged or destroyed Crown resources or an administrative penalty).

The amendments will align the limitation period with those in other natural resource statutes, such as the Forest and Range Practices Act.

Local Government Act and An Act to Incorporate the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District:

Amendments are proposed to temporarily extend instream protections for development charges from 12 to 24 months for Metro Vancouver Regional District and its Greater Boards (Greater Vancouver Water District and Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District) for developers that have submitted completed applications prior to March 22, 2024. This is applied retroactively so that the homebuilders who have met the application date above will continue to have access to the lower rates of development charges for an additional year until March 22, 2026.

Housing Supply Act:

Amendments to the Housing Supply Act are proposed to ensure consistency of provincial authority to undertake compliance measures with the City of Vancouver, conforming with all other prescribed municipalities subject to a housing target order.

Local Government Act – Elections amendments:

Amendments to the Local Government Act, Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, School Act and Vancouver Charter are proposed to clarify for local election officials and others the rules concerning elections administration and address barriers to participation by electors and candidates in local elections.  

Local elections include elections for municipal councils, regional district electoral areas, boards of education, specified parks boards, local community commissions and the Islands Trust.

Local Government Act – Service Establishment Bylaw exemptions:

An amendment to the Local Government Act is proposed to add an exception to regional district service establishment rules to allow regional districts to establish the service of designating fire inspectors and investigators as required under the new Fire Safety Act.

Local Government Act and Vancouver Charter (clauses 45, 46, 65 and 66):

Amendments are proposed to provide clarity that instream protections extend to site-specific density benefit provisions, and exempt any site-specific density benefits bylaw passed prior to April 25, 2024, from having to comply with the new density benefit bylaw provisions.

Vancouver Charter – City of Vancouver Regulatory Authorities:

Amendments are proposed to clarify that the City of Vancouver can regulate in areas also governed by the Province in the same manner as other municipalities under the Community Charter.

Professional Governance Act:

Amendments are being proposed to clarify a regulation-making power under the Professional Governance Act. The goal is to clarify that the cabinet can make regulations related to job titles.

The act already provides regulation-making power to specify which professional titles are reserved for use by certain professionals. This change would provide clear authority to specify which job titles are not reserved exclusively for certain professionals. A regulation made under this clarified power would ensure that professional regulatory bodies cannot prevent people from using certain job titles set out in the regulation.

Wildlife Act:

Amendments are proposed under the Wildlife Act to enact pull the plug requirements and mandatory stops at open watercraft inspection stations, targeted for the 2025 summer boating season. In addition, the amendments will enable mandatory inspections for watercraft entering B.C. from another jurisdiction prior to launch. This authority will be brought into force through regulations following further analysis and engagement.

The transport of watercraft between waterbodies is the primary high-risk pathway for spreading aquatic invasive species, such as zebra and quagga mussels, and whirling disease. The most effective preventive measure is for boaters to clean, drain and dry all watercraft and equipment after each use, and to pull the plug on all watercrafts being transported between waterbodies. Many other jurisdictions have similar measures in place, including Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Learn More:

For more information about B.C. legislation, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/Legislation