B.C. municipalities have voiced concerns for a while that higher levels of government have shifted numerous costs and duties onto them. In response, several cities are now attempting to calculate the extent of these additional burdens — revealing millions of dollars in “downloaded” expenses.
According to a report in November, Coquitlam, a Vancouver suburb with around 150,000 residents, estimated that provincial government downloading had imposed a financial impact of $37.6 million on the city from 2021 to 2024. This amount equates to an 18% cumulative tax increase over the four-year period.
Local authorities argue that these downloaded costs strain their budgets, making it challenging to fund essential services such as infrastructure, parks, and community facilities as they assume more responsibilities for complex issues traditionally overseen by higher government tiers.
Coquitlam outlined a variety of expenses it is absorbing due to downloading, including increased spending on RCMP and fire rescue services stemming from insufficient support on housing and mental health, rising costs due to declining provincial aid for libraries, and expanding obligations related to climate resilience.
For instance, the city disclosed expenditures like approximately $17 million on affordable housing projects and $1.55 million on police and fire responses linked to a provincially-run mental health and addiction center.
Various municipalities, including Kamloops in the B.C. Interior, have also quantified the financial impact of downloading. In 2024, Kamloops identified $13.1 million in costs attributed to downloading, with an additional $122 million in anticipated “future impacts” if responsible for orphan dikes and inherited dams.
In a similar vein, Vancouver calculated $353.1 million in downloading costs in 2022, offset by $44 million in revenue from senior governments. Meanwhile, the City of Penticton tallied $4.6 million specifically for public safety as a result of provincial downloading between 2019 and 2023.
While some municipalities are vocal about the financial strains caused by downloading, not all are actively quantifying these impacts. For instance, in New Westminster, a proposal to calculate downloading costs was turned down in November due to concerns about the lack of a comprehensive definition for downloading.
Government responses to these concerns vary. B.C.’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs emphasized the support provided to local governments, including a $1-billion one-time grant program for infrastructure and $51 million in assistance for new housing legislation.
On the federal level, plans are in place to invest $51 billion over the next decade, with an additional $3 billion annually to enhance local infrastructure. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has been advocating for revenue generation reform to address the challenges faced by municipalities in funding essential services.
The federation’s president, Rebecca Bligh, highlighted the critical role municipalities play in the country’s infrastructure and urged for modernizing revenue tools to better support municipal operations. Municipalities, she emphasized, are fundamental to shaping the nation’s future, requiring updated funding mechanisms to meet evolving needs.