B.C. sets formal performance targets for the Minister of State for Community Safety on street disorder

A new regulation establishes the official expected results that the Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services must achieve during the 2026/2027 fiscal year under B.C.'s ministerial accountability framework. The minister is required to continue engaging with local governments, community associations, and the business community on street disorder issues, and to support development of strategies to reduce its impact on those groups. The minister must also make progress on commitments outlined in their mandate letter and submit a report to Cabinet on all of these results by March 31, 2027. This is a government accountability instrument rather than a direct regulatory requirement on businesses or individuals, but it signals that engagement with the business community on street disorder will continue as a formal government priority.

B.C. sets formal performance targets for the Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities in 2026/27

A new regulation establishes the official expected results that the Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities must achieve during the 2026/27 fiscal year under B.C.'s ministerial accountability framework. The minister is required to maintain close engagement with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, including participation in executive committee meetings, quarterly sessions, advocacy days, and the annual convention. The minister must also hold meetings with representatives of rural and remote communities, regional districts, municipalities, and First Nations to understand their needs and opportunities. A report on the outcomes of both activities must be submitted to Cabinet by March 31, 2027. This regulation is primarily a government accountability measure and does not directly impose obligations on municipalities, First Nations, or other external parties.

B.C. sets formal performance expectations for a Minister Without Portfolio for the 2026/2027 fiscal year

A new Treasury Board regulation establishes the expected results that a specific Minister Without Portfolio (designated under Order in Council 656/2024) must meet during the 2026/2027 fiscal year under the Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act. The minister is required to support and promote government priorities, promote community events aligned with those priorities, and submit a results report to Cabinet by March 31, 2027. This is a routine accountability instrument and does not change any rules that apply to businesses or the public. It primarily affects the named minister and the Cabinet reporting process.

BC sets out the Minister of State for AI and New Technologies' performance targets for 2026/27

A new regulation establishes the specific results the BC Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies must achieve during the 2026/2027 fiscal year under the provincial ministerial accountability framework. The Minister is required to hold regular round-tables with leaders in AI, life sciences, and quantum computing; meet with business leaders to support and track AI adoption across industrial sectors; and speak at conferences to promote AI uptake. Additional obligations include representing BC's interests to the federal government on AI and technology law and policy, advocating for an equitable share of federal funding for new technologies and the low-carbon economy, and working with the Minister of Citizens' Services to open public-sector procurement to BC tech companies. The Minister must submit a results report to Cabinet by March 31, 2027. BC businesses in technology and AI-adjacent sectors, as well as companies interested in public procurement, should be aware that the province has active engagement commitments that may create consultation and investment opportunities.

Residential Tenancy Act no longer applies to rental units in licensed assisted living residences

Rental units inside assisted living residences (as defined under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act) are now exempt from the Residential Tenancy Act. This means the standard tenant protections, rent rules, and dispute resolution processes under that Act no longer govern these living arrangements going forward. Operators of assisted living residences and their residents are now outside the residential tenancy framework for new and ongoing tenancies. However, any dispute resolution application relating to a matter that arose before the change took effect can still proceed under the Act. Operators and residents in these settings should review what rules and agreements now govern their arrangements in place of the Residential Tenancy Act.

B.C. Provincial Court Family Rules: "family justice registries" abolished and folded into expanded early resolution registry network

The amendment eliminates the separate "family justice registry" category from B.C.'s Provincial Court Family Rules. The Kelowna and Nanaimo registries (and, retrospectively from November 2025, Vancouver Robson Square) are converted from family justice registries to early resolution registries, and a new Appendix 1 now lists 46 locations across B.C. designated as early resolution registries. All procedural rules specific to family justice registries—including the needs-assessment participation requirement under the repealed Part 6 and Rule 39—are removed going forward. Parties with family law matters that were already started in one of the former family justice registries can continue to rely on the old rules for those existing cases, and the previous version of Form 21 may still be used for family management conferences in those cases. Anyone filing a new family law matter at any listed registry should expect early resolution registry rules to apply; practitioners handling legacy matters from the three former family justice registries should confirm which rule set applies to their specific case.