Parksville city councillor returns from FCM conference in Edmonton
Published 11:30 am Friday, July 3, 2026
Parksville Coun. Sylvia Martin is back from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference feeling optimistic about a significant new source of funding to address homelessness.
Martin represented the City of Parksville at the annual conference in Edmonton, where more than 1,800 elected officials gathered from around the country for FCM’s 125th anniversary, Martin told the PQB News.
She was able to speak with representatives of the event’s official sponsor, CN Railway, about their $100 million pledge to support the prevention of homelessness across the country and has reached out to local non-profit organizations about how they may be able to access the funding.
CN announced the $100-million commitment over the next 10 years to support the prevention of homelessness through its new initiative, CN Railroaders for Change, which will support non-profit organizations focused on early intervention and sustainable solutions that help prevent homelessness.
Martin was able to speak with local government leaders from different parts of the country and found that different communities are facing many of the same issues, such as housing, mental health, addictions and homelessness.
“It was just realizing all the different challenges that we all have,” Martin said. “Everywhere it’s a problem. It’s not just here.”
Martin learned about opportunities for Parksville to apply for federal funding for upcoming projects, which she said are especially important for a small municipality looking to create climate resilience or address major climate impact challenges.
She added she will look for more of these opportunities as council confirms its work plan priorities for the next term.
The conference included talks on the topic of trade, including removal of barriers between provinces and small business implications when participating in Canada/U.S. trade discussions.
The 2026 FCM Annual Conference and Tradeshow was held from June 4 to June 7 at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
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