Sooke has become the latest municipality to speak out against Bill 15.
On May 21, Sooke Mayor Maja Tait expressed her concerns with the new Infrastructure Projects Act, also known as Bill 15, following her attendance at an information session on May 16.
“Bill 15 risks weakening trust, sidelining Indigenous and local voices, and ultimately delaying progress by creating conflict where cooperation is needed,” Tait said.
Tait explained that the act would give broad new powers to the provincial government, allowing it to override municipal wishes regarding local planning, environmental protections and the permitting process – if deemed to be provincially significant.
“The language within the legislation leaves room for interpretation, particularly around the classification of projects, scope of ministerial authority, and the potential for private-sector-led initiatives to fall under this framework,” Tait said.
“Without clearer definitions, this opens the door to unintended consequences and undermines the democratic systems that communities rely on to shape their futures.”
Tait’s statement follows that of View Royal, which on May 14 expressed its opposition to the bill, claiming it would “centralize power, strip local governments of decision-making authority and diminish public accountability.”
The province has since responded to View Royal’s position. B.C. Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma explained that the bill was designed to allow the province to meet growing infrastructure needs.
“Between June 2023 and June 2024, British Columbia's population grew by 188,000 people, and with that comes the need for more schools, more hospitals—more of everything,” Ma told the Goldstream Gazette on May 16. The statement was supported by Premier David Eby.
The Union of B.C. Municipalities, alongside the First Nations Leadership Council, expressed further opposition to the bill at a press conference on May 22.
Robert Phillips, of the First Nations Summit expressed that if the bills were not withdrawn further action would likely be taken against the province in response to this "unilateral decision."
"We're saying we have to work together to kill the bill, to amend it, to work with us. The process is in place to reintroduce [the bill] potentially in the fall," said Phillips.
"If this isn't done then we're going to see conflict. We're going to see courts, we're going to see protests and that's not what we want to do, we want to work together with British Columbains. With this amount of disrespect that's happened with the premier moving forward like this, it's unbelievable. We want to make sure we can correct this as soon as possible."
In her letter, Tait said she had wished to withhold comment until hearing directly from the province.
“The minister acknowledged shortcomings in consultation and emphasized the intent of the act to streamline the delivery of urgently needed infrastructure while maintaining environmental protections,” said Tait, who added that she understood the rationale behind the bill and its attempt to achieve goals that resonate with municipalities.
“While the intentions are appreciated, the mechanisms proposed raise questions about local autonomy, legislative coherence and public accountability,” Tait wrote.
“In Sooke, we are already feeling the impacts of the gap between provincial announcements and on-the-ground delivery. In 2023, the province announced a community health centre with an anticipated 2025 opening date. Yet no ground has been broken.”
Tait continued to outline how a district collaboration with the T’Sou-ke Nation for wastewater service expansion had also failed to advance, along with the “long-needed” expansion of Sooke Elementary School. She questioned why these projects had stalled if the bill’s goal was to accelerate approvals for priority infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.
“If this is the core function of the legislation, then why are projects like the Sooke health centre, wastewater expansion (jointly applied for with the T’Sou-ke Nation), school improvements, and The Gathering Place – a much-needed community centre – not advanced with urgency?” Tait asked.
“Instead, these projects have been delayed or denied, despite their clear alignment with the stated priorities of the act.”
Tait thanked the province for acknowledging the lack of consultation and for holding the information session, and expressed a desire for municipalities and the province to work together.
However, she remains concerned by Bill 15’s ability to waive Official Community Plan (OCP) requirements, which she described as “one of the most important tools we have to ensure the voices of the citizens we represent are heard.”
Tait said the province’s ability to do this conflicted with the early engagement principles outlined in Bill 44, and called for further review to ensure the legislation “effectively solves problems rather than creating more in the future.”
In her letter, the mayor frequently encouraged greater collaboration between the province and municipalities but said this could not come with expanded provincial authority.
“Local government is not a barrier – we are a solution. Our processes are grounded in public accountability, transparency and responsiveness,” Tait said.
“Let’s reframe the conversation. Instead of expanding provincial authority, let’s focus on expanding community capacity. Fund municipalities directly. Equip us to deliver – together.”
Interim Green Party Leader Jeremy Valeriote also criticized the bill in a news release, saying it “grants the NDP cabinet sweeping powers to bypass environmental assessment, municipal authorities and the jurisdiction of First Nations under the guise of fast-tracking major infrastructure projects.”
