Project Update – May 2023

Thank you for your continued interest in the University Endowment Lands (UEL) Governance, Services and Structure Study. The report has been finalized and is available for viewing and download on the Province's website HERE under the tab "Guidance and Resources". If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Governance and Services Branch of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs by email at: LGGovernance@gov.bc.ca, with the subject line UEL or by calling 250-387-4020.

We would like to acknowledge all of those who contributed to this project, including, UEL residents, community groups, key agencies, services providers and UEL staff. Thank you again for your interest and participation in the process, and for helping to shape the future of the UEL.

Project Update – June 2022

Thank you for your continued interest in the University Endowment Lands (UEL) Governance, Services and Structures Study, and to those that participated in the Virtual Open House and Community Survey this past Spring. The highlights of the recent community survey have been uploaded to this site, CLICK HERE to view (or see the “Documents” tab on this web page).

We are currently working on the study report, which will be made available on this project website in the coming months. If you would like to be informed about the study’s release, please CLICK HERE to register for updates.

Thank you again for your interest in the process, and for helping to shape the future of the UEL.

Study Process

The UEL Governance Study includes four phases leading up to the study’s conclusion and includes two rounds of engagement with UEL community members, First Nations, and local governments in neighbouring jurisdictions (including the City of Vancouver, Musqueam Nation, Metro Vancouver and UBC, among others).

Project Timeline for the UEL Governance Survey

Community Survey – March 17 - April 8, 2022

The community survey is now live! To take part in the survey, please CLICK HERE for English or CLICK HERE for Simplified Chinese. The survey runs from March 17th to April 8th, 2022.

Virtual Open House – March 16, 2022

The virtual open house was held over Zoom on March 16, 2022. A recording of the meeting has been posted below for those who were unable to attend. Please CLICK HERE (or see “Documents” section) to view the open house presentation.

Project Update – March 2022

Thank you for your continued interest in the University Endowment Lands (UEL) Governance, Services and Structures Study. Whether you participated in the first open house and community survey in spring 2021, or you are visiting this project website for the first time, your participation and input is greatly appreciated.

The next phase of this study includes a review of the various governance scenarios that exist throughout B.C., in order to discuss the opportunities and challenges of each scenario in managing the future needs of the UEL community in approximately 30 years (i.e., year 2050). To help provide you with additional context, a series of governance scenario backgrounders is provided CLICK HERE to view (or see “Documents” tab on this web page).

We hope that this information will assist you as we move into the next round of community engagement. This will include a virtual open house, which is scheduled for March 16, 2022, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, and a community survey. To register for the open house, please CLICK HERE or click on the “register for our open house” icon on this web page. Those who register will receive a link to the virtual open house 48 hours before the event and on the day. Immediately following the virtual open house, we will post a recording of the meeting as well as release a second community survey on the website.

Mandarin interpretation will be available at the open house. If you would like this option, please add the word ‘Mandarin’ next to your name when registering.
开放日将提供普通话翻译。如果您想要此选项，请在注册时在您的姓名旁边添加“Mandarin”一词。

We encourage all UEL residents to review and complete the survey. If you have any questions regarding the study or upcoming engagement session, please fill out the “Questions” form at the bottom of this page.

Project Update – September 2021

Thank you to everyone who participated in the first round of public engagement for the University Endowment Lands (UEL) Governance, Services and Structures Study. Whether you visited the project website for information, joined our virtual open house, completed our online survey, or submitted a question with our website question tool or directly by email, your participation and input is greatly valued.

We are pleased to share with you what we heard about current and anticipated issues related to services, structure and governance in the UEL.

To read the full summary of the project to date, including what we heard from the public survey conducted during the spring of 2021, please CLICK HERE. To see the key project highlights and next steps, please CLICK HERE.

Your input has contributed toward a better understanding of the issues and considerations and will inform the project’s detailed technical review. We look forward to sharing this work with you as part of the second round of engagement, which will take place later this year.

Please check back here for further updates.

Participate in the UEL Governance Study

The University Endowment Lands (UEL) is unlike any other place in B.C. because of its unique history. It is the only urban area in the province not directly run by a local government and elected council – it has been administered by UEL staff on behalf of the Province for the past 100 years.

That’s why the Ministry of Municipal Affairs is conducting a study of the UEL to better understand the current and future needs of the community, including governance.

This public engagement is intended to encourage discussion and comments from all members of the UEL community including the Musqueam Nation (xwmәθkwәýәm) and other key stakeholders to help us identify different ways to enhance community services and prepare for the future.

By services we mean those things that make a local community function, such as roads, utilities, planning and development, solid waste collection, parks and recreation, emergency services and more.

An experienced and impartial consulting team led by Urban Systems will be overseeing the engagement process and working through a detailed technical review of UEL services, structure and governance over the next 10-12 months.

Throughout the process, community members will have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of how the UEL is currently governed, communicate their experiences and preferences about service delivery and decision-making, and provide feedback on potential opportunities for improvement.

To share learnings with the community as the UEL Governance Study progresses, each round of engagement will conclude with a ‘What We Heard’ summary, complemented by an overview at the study’s conclusion.

Following the thorough technical review and discussions with the UEL community and other key stakeholders, a final report will be submitted to the Province to consider options for the future services, structure and governance arrangements of the UEL.

Engagement Opportunities

A virtual open house was hosted on March 11, 2021 from 7-8pm on Zoom. Thank you to those who attended. A recording of the meeting has been posted below for those unable to attend.