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4. The Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD)
Figure 1 : Greater Vancouver Municipalities source: Greater Vancouver Regional District
Introduction to the GVRD
The GVRD is located on the southwest coast of British Columbia, within the Lower Fraser Basin. It is bounded by the Coast Mountains in the north, the Fraser Valley Regional District in the east, the U.S. border to the south, and the Georgia Strait to the west. It comprises 21 municipalities and one electoral district. It is home to 2 million people and is expected to reach a population of 2.7 million by 2021 and 3 million by 2031. It is home to an urban aboriginal population that represents every First Nation in Canada as well as over 650,000 immigrants from around the world.9
The GVRD is a federation of municipalities. Under the Canadian Constitution, municipalities are 'creatures' of the provinces. The provinces set the rules under which they can be organized, the tasks they must carry out as extensions of the provinces, and the activities they are allowed to undertake. This also applies to regional bodies. The federal government provides aid to municipalities in various forms, but it has rarely had a consistently coordinated urban program because of resistance from the provinces who see cities as their 'turf.'10
The GVRD is a regional district, a form of regional government unique to British Columbia. The regional district level of government was established by provincial legislation in 1965 in an effort to provide local government services to unincorporated areas, and to augment and create a legislative framework for cooperative general planning and for provision of common services to municipalities who wish to receive them.
The GVRD's history goes back long before regional government was established. In 1914 and 1926, respectively, the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (GVSDD) and the Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD) were established, with each entity providing services for a number of municipalities because it made more fiscal and practical sense to develop such services on a collaborative basis.
A precursor of the GVRD's regional planning function was the Lower Mainland Regional Planning Board (LMRPB) which was created by the Province in 1949. Encompassing a much larger area than the current GVRD, its board comprised a representative from each of its constituent municipalities. In 1966, it produced a mandatory official plan before being disbanded in the following year. However, many of the ideas contained therein lived on in the work of the GVRD, which was formed in 1967.11
Over time, the region's governance arrangements were consolidated. In 1972, staffing for the sewerage, water and parks authorities was transferred to the GVRD. Since that time, the GVRD Board has taken on a public housing and labour relations role, and has responsibility for control of air pollution within its boundaries.12
In 1983, facing an economic recession and desire for "less" government, the Province amended the Municipal Act and eliminated regional planning as a statutory function. Despite this, the GVRD managed to continue its regional planning efforts through consensus under the rubric of development services. In 1989, the Province allowed development services to be financed through the regional districts and, in 1995, the Municipal Act was again amended and powers for regional planning were established in a way that encourages collaboration between regional districts and municipalities. Under the 1995 legislation, regional districts in high growth regions were enabled to produce Regional Growth Strategies (RGSs), and individual municipalities were to produce context statements that showed how their own official community plans (OCPs) were consistent with the regional strategy.13
In addition to the regional planning thrust, regional districts have also proven their worth as a provider of services. In addition to providing the 'hard' services of regional parks, water and sewerage, the regions deliver local services such as animal control, recreation programs, libraries, and cemetery operations in unorganized areas.14
The rather organic evolution of the GVRD is significant. Based on earlier arrangements for cooperation over water and sewerage, it gradually embraced other functions where regional cooperation was more cost effective and logical. The provincial government eventually recognized the value of this structure and passed enabling legislation. With regard to issues of sustainability there is no question that the GVRD's most significant and innovative role was the creation of its regional strategic plans. It was the mandate for regional plans that allowed the GVRD to build into its work a case for sustainability.15