“No, we do not have minutes.” – The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) fails to document meetings that lead to resolutions.

“No, we do not have minutes.” – The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) fails to document meetings that lead to resolutions.

Dialogue with UBCM’s Resolutions and Policy Analyst, who was previously Resolutions and Policy Analyst for the Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board

By Sasha Izard
Oct 17, 2025

Recently I wrote the following article:

The proposed “Permanent Provincial Housing Policy Roundtable” is an astroturfing effort by the Real Estate Lobby in BC, with the help of a complicit media in the province. Questions must be asked about close to $100 in value gifts to numerous MLAs. – CRD Watch Homepage

The article was based on a September 2025 UBCM Resolution which called on the Province of BC to create a permanent provincial housing policy roundtable, something that the BC Real Estate Association, a lobby for real estate, in conjunction with other lobbying groups, had unsuccessfully attempted to foist on the Province several times in the past few years.

Once adopted, the media immediately pushed this resolution as being the result of a grassroots effort, even though no evidence indicates that this was a grassroots effort. Rather, the BC Lobbyist Registry shows that this was a concerted and orchestrated effort by real estate for many years.

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On October 5, 2025, I sent the following inquiry to UBCM:

Hello UBCM,

The following article states: ” The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) has officially passed a resolution calling for the establishment of a Permanent Provincial Housing Policy Roundtable, a move widely endorsed by local governments, housing organizations, and sector stakeholders across British Columbia.”

https://www.bcrea.bc.ca/advocacy/ubcm-endorses-permanent-provincial-housing-policy-roundtable-resolution/

I would like to see all the information that UBCM has about that resolution, a list of the delegates that presented it, and including the discussions that led up to the decision.

I cannot find the resolution put forward in the 2025 UBCM Resolutions book:

2025 UBCM Resolutions Book.pdf

Thank you,
Sasha Izard

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2 days later on Oct 7, 2025

Jammee Justason, UBCM’s “Resolutions and Policy Analyst” responded to the question:

“This resolution was included in our Policy Book 1, available here: https://www.ubcm.ca/sites/default/files/2025-09/2025%20UBCM%20Policy%20Book%201.pdf

We do not keep track of who discussed the resolution, nor do we keep track of how delegates voted on the resolution.

Thank you,

Jamee Justason, Resolutions and Policy Analyst (she/her)

Union of BC Municipalities“

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The following day on Oct 8, 2025 – I replied:

Hello Jamee,

Thank you for getting back to me.

Does UBCM keep minutes of meetings where resolutions are made, or discussed?

If so, where can I find the appropriate minutes of the meeting where this resolution was discussed and voted on.

– Sasha

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On Oct 9, 2025 Jamee replied:

Good morning Sasha,

We do not have minutes to share of the discussion by the Executive who approve the resolution to go forward to our Convention.

If you are looking for more information on this resolution, the sponsor NCLGA, may be able to help you.

Thank you,

Jamee Justason, Resolutions and Policy Analyst (she/her)

Union of BC Municipalities

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I replied the same morning of Oct 9:

Hello Jamee,

Does UBCM have any minutes at all in regard to this resolution and the discussion of it either before, during, or after the convention?

Thank you,
Sasha Izard

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Jamee fell silent.

6 days later on Oct 15, 2025 – wrote again:

Hello Jamee,

Are you going to answer the question?

Thank you,
Sasha

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Jamee responded 3 minutes later:

Hello Sasha,

No we don’t have any minutes in regards to this resolution.

Thank you,
Jamee Justason, Resolutions and Policy Analyst (she/her)

Union of BC Municipalities

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I wrote:

Hello Jamee,

Thank you for your response.

Does UBCM keep minutes in regard to resolutions?

Thank you,
Sasha

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Hello Sasha,

No, we do not have minutes.

Thank you,

Jamee Justason, Resolutions and Policy Analyst (she/her)

Union of BC Municipalities

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Hello Jamee,

How can UBCM not have minutes of its resolutions?

Thank you again,
Sasha

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Hello Sasha,

Would you like to give me a phone call and we can discuss this?

Thank you,

Jamee Justason, Resolutions and Policy Analyst (she/her)

Union of BC Municipalities

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This appeared to be a pattern that I have noted before: When those involved with government don’t want something on the record, they ask for a phone call instead of continuing a discussion in writing.

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I replied:

Hello Jamee,

No, I would rather discuss it in writing.

Thank you,
Sasha

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Hello Sasha,

I do not write a set of minutes for the resolutions committee meetings.

We do provide our members and the public highlights of our Executive meetings via The Compass newsletter.

Here are the highlights from the July Executive: https://www.ubcm.ca/about-ubcm/latest-news/highlights-ubcm-executives-july-meeting-0

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Another pattern that I’ve noticed in this regard, is when a question is asked, and those involved with government respond with a question that wasn’t asked.

In this example I asked: “How can UBCM not have minutes of its resolutions?”

The question above, did not answer that question, unless that is that the simple act of Jamee’s not writing a set of minutes for the resolutions committee meetings explains why UBCM does not have minutes of its resolutions.

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I replied to Jamee:

“Can you confirm to me that UBCM does not make minutes of its meetings where resolutions are made?

Thank you again,
Sasha

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Jamee wrote:

“I offered to speak with you on the phone, but you declined, indicating you want everything in writing.

To again answer your question about minutes for resolutions, I ask that you please refer to the responses I have already provided in the email chain which started on October 5.

While I appreciate you are interested in this topic, the answer will not change, even if you pose the question again.”

Jamee declined to respond further on the subject.

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Given UBCM’s Resolutions and Policy Analyst’s reticence to respond further on the subject in a recorded medium, I did a quick google to see what their background was.

According to Justason’s LinkedIn profile. She had worked in the position of Resolutions and Policy Analyst for UBCM for over a decade. Immediately prior to being hired to that position, she had been the Research and Policy Analyst for the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.

She was also for a couple years simultaneous with her position at UBCM, the Executive Director of the Lower Mainland Local Government Association LMGLGA).

The association that brought forth the Resolution at UBCM that the Province adopt a permanent provincial housing policy roundtable was the similarly named North Central Local Government Association (NCLGA).

During the last week, I sent an inquiry to UBCM, as to whether or not FOIs can be sent to them. I have not received a response so far.

Yesterday, I inquired to UBCM: “Does UBCM keep any minutes of its conventions”.

I am now awaiting a response, which may not arrive.

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References:

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jamee-justason-she-her-48a948a8 (Accessed Oct 17, 2025)

– Lobbyists Registration System – Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (Accessed: Oct 17, 2025)

Although UBCM used to register lobbying activity at the Federal level, the last lobbying registration at that level seems to have taken place in 2020, and its registrations are now listed as “inactive”.

Advanced Registry Search Results – – Lobbyists Registration System – Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada

Union of British Columbia Municipalities Act

A search of the corporate registry:

As UBCM appears to be part of the Province of BC by being under the Act, this could explain why it does not have entries on the BC Lobbyists Registry.

2025 UBCM Resolutions Book.pdf The permanent provincial housing policy roundtable does not seem to appear in the 2025 UBCM Resolutions Book, as it was apparently a late resolution.

The late resolutions can be found here: https://www.ubcm.ca/sites/default/files/2025-09/2025%20UBCM%20Policy%20Book%201.pdf

Below, was the last late resolution NR123 – Establishment of a Permanent Provincial Housing Policy Roundtable, seemingly slipped in at the last moment, that appears in the document. It was included in a list of several resolutions that were described as “Resolutions Omitted Due to Administrative Error”.