Citizen's assemblies in British Columbia

Both provincial and municipal governments have recognized the value of citizens' assemblies to engage residents in meaningful decision-making. The City of Vancouver really is lagging behind the rest of the province.

• The landmark provincial body, the British Columbia Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform (2004-2005), brought together 160 randomly selected residents to study the electoral system, deliberate in depth, and make a recommendation to the public via referendum.
• More recently, the Gibsons Residents’ Assembly in the Town of Gibsons Landing took place in spring 2024, with 25 residents selected through a civic lottery, making it Canada’s first residents’ assembly tied to an Official Community Plan process.
• And in the city of Burnaby, the Burnaby Community Assembly convened 40 randomly selected residents over six months to learn together, deliberate and submit actionable recommendations to the City Council for the new Official Community Plan.

These initiatives demonstrate a shift from one-way public consultation to deliberative, inclusive processes that give residents genuine influence. The Gibsons and Burnaby assemblies both emphasize learning phases, participant selection by lottery, i.e. sortition, and facilitated deliberation.

By empowering ordinary residents to engage in structured dialogue to co-create policy, these models strengthen trust, deepen democracy and produce recommendations rooted in community values. As British Columbia explores more inclusive public engagement methods, these citizen assemblies stand out as truly democratic tools for shaping the future together.