Site Help
CivicInfo BC is rich in all kinds information, including documents, directories, and statistics. We have made every effort to organize these resources in a way that makes them as easy to use as possible.
The most common questions we receive about our information resources have been posted below. If you cannot find the answer to your specific question, please call our office in Victoria BC at 250-383-4898, and one of our staff would be pleased to assist.
FAQs
- Bid & Tender Postings
- Career Postings
- Directory of Local Governments
- Directory of Related Local Government Organizations
- Document Library
- E-mail Broadcast Service
- Grants Database
- Legislative Calendar
- News Stories
- Newsletter
- Practices & Innovations Database
- Professional Development Information
- Registration Services
- RSS Feeds
- Suppliers Directory
- Surveys & Statistics
- Wireless Information Services
Bid & Tender Postings
- How do I post a bid or tender opportunity on the CivicInfo BC website?
- How much does it cost to post a bid or tender opportunity?
How do I post a bid or tender opportunity?
To post, simply send your one-page ad to bids@civicinfo.bc.ca. If you have supporting documents, please send them to us as a PDF file or send us a link to where the documents are posted on your own website. You may incorporate a link into your ad, through which people may download your additional information.
How much does it cost to post a bid or tender opportunity?
Posting a bid or tender is a free service for communities that are members of the CivicInfo BC Society. Fees apply for non-members.
Career Postings
- How do I list a job on the CivicInfo BC website?
- How much does it cost to list a job on the CivicInfo BC website?
- I am hiring several people, and my ad is on a single page. Can you charge me for a single posting?
- Can I search through old job postings?
- What is the RSS Jobs Feed?
- How do I subscribe to the RSS Jobs Feed?
How do I list a job on the CivicInfo BC website?
E-mail your posting to jobpostings@lgma.ca, or info@civicinfo.bc.ca. The job posting service is offered in partnership with the Local Government Management Association of British Columbia.
How much does it cost to list a job on the CivicInfo BC website?
Single job postings are $425, plus GST. Discounts on package purchases
are available if your organization is both active in the Local Government
Management Association, and a member of the CivicInfo BC. See www.civicinfo.bc.ca/162.asp
for details.
I am hiring several people, and my ad is on a single page. Can you charge me for a single posting?
No. The price is per job, not per page. Exceptions to this rule are made if you are hiring two or more people for the same position, or if the positions you are filling are closely related to one another.
Can I search through old job postings?
Yes. You can search for old postings by professional category, by date, or by local government. See www.civicinfo.bc.ca/163.asp. This is a very useful feature if you are looking for language to use in your own job posting.
What is the RSS Jobs Feed?
RSS stands for "Rich Site Summary" or "Really Simple Syndication". Using an RSS reader, such as Sharp Reader, you can receive direct and near-instant notification when any new job is posted to the CivicInfo BC website. For more details about how RSS works, please see www.civicinfo.bc.ca/56.asp.
How do I subscribe to the RSS Jobs Feed?
Newer web browsers such as Internet Explorer 7.x and Mozilla Firefox have RSS readers built into them. Consult your browsers "Help" menu for details. If you wish to receive your feed through an RSS reader, use this address: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/job_rss.asp.
directory of local governments
- Do you have a list of all the Mayors (or Chief Administrative Officers, or Clerks, or Treasurers)?
- Can I get a complete electronic copy of your local government directory?
- How current and accurate are your directories?
- Do you have a complete list of local government websites?
- How does CivicInfo BC protect personal privacy?
Do you have a list of all the Mayors (or Chief Administrative Officers, or Clerks, or Treasurers)?
Yes. CivicInfo BC maintains lists of elected officials and senior staff. To see a contact list for a specific community, simply type in the community's name into the "Organization Finder" box that appears in the left hand margin of every page of our site. You can also use our "Find Organizations" page at www.civicinfo.bc.ca/11.asp.
Can I get a complete electronic copy of your directories?
To protect our members from unsolicited mail and e-mail, CivicInfo BC does not sell the directories it maintains. CivicInfo BC does, however, occasionally share its directories with other government agencies.
How current and accurate are your directories?
Directories are updated on an ongoing basis, but in general each record is checked for accuracy every three months.
Do you have a complete list of local government websites?
Yes. See www.civicinfo.bc.ca/11.asp and select "Show All Local Governments", or click on this link: www.civicinfo.bc.ca/111.asp?showAll=yes.
How does CivicInfo BC protect personal privacy?
All of the information contained in CivicInfo BC's databases is in the public domain, and our lists contain no personal information.
directory of Related local government Organizations
- Do you have a listing of all agencies in the BC local government sector?
- Can I get a complete electronic copy of your agency directory?
- How current and accurate are your directories?
- Do you have a complete list of websites for local government agencies?
- How does CivicInfo BC protect personal privacy?
Do you have a listing of all agencies in the BC local government sector?
Yes. We have a comprehensive list of agencies in a drop down menu at the bottom of www.civicinfo.bc.ca/11.asp. You may also find them by typing their names into the "Organization Finder" box appearing in the left hand margin of each page. Be sure to indicate that you are looking for a “Related Agency”.
Can I get a complete electronic copy of your agency directory?
Many local government agencies are partners in the CivicInfo BC project, and to protect them from unsolicited mail and e-mail, CivicInfo BC does not sell its agency directory. CivicInfo BC does, however, occasionally share it with other government agencies.
How current and accurate are your directories?
Directories are updated on an ongoing basis, but in general each agency’s record is checked for accuracy every six months.
Do you have a complete list of local government websites?
Yes. See www.civicinfo.bc.ca/11.asp and click the "Show All Related Agencies" link at the very bottom of the page. You may also access the list directly though this link: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/111o.asp?showall=yes
How does CivicInfo BC protect personal privacy?
All of the information contained in CivicInfo BC's databases is in the public domain, and our lists contain no personal information.
Document Library
- How do I search for a specific document?
- I can't find the document I'm looking for. How can I get help?
- How do I contribute documents to the CivicInfo BC online library?
- What is the “LGI Bibliographic Database” listed in the “Options” menu?
How do I search for a specific document?
CivicInfo BC's "Find Documents" feature indexes approximately 50,000 document using search technology from Google, the world's leading search engine company. To find a specific document, simply enter the key words you are searching for, just as you would when conducting a regular internet search using the Google search engine. The search will return documents found on local government websites across BC, and documents found only in CivicInfo BC's archive. Use quotation marks around your search term for best results.
Those who use our "Find Documents" feature can refine their searches by using all of the "Advanced Search" features offered by the regular Google search engine. See: http://www.google.ca/help/refinesearch.html for details.
CivicInfo BC also has a “Browse Resources by Topic” section at http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/134.asp. This section contains an extensive collection of local government policies, most of which are not available elsewhere on the web.
I can't find the document I'm looking for. How can I get help?
Personal assistance is available at no cost if your organization is a member of the CivicInfo BC Society. (99% of BC local governments are members.) Just call our office in Victoria at 250-383-4898, and we will gladly help you find what you need.
How do I contribute documents to the CivicInfo BC online library?
Please send your documents by e-mail to info@civicinfo.bc.ca. We welcome sample policies, bylaws, best practice guides, reports to council, and virtually any other document that may be of interest to professionals working in the BC local government sector.
What is the "LGI Bibliographic Database"?
The Local Government Institute (LGI) Bibliographic Database was created in the mid-1990s by the School of Public Administration, at the University of Victoria. It was an early effort to help local government practitioners find documents via the internet - an extremely innovative concept at the time. While the database only contains bibliographic records, and has not been updated in several years, it is still a valuable resource for researchers. At the request of the LGI, the database was moved to a permanent home on the CivicInfo BC server in 2002.
If you have questions about the LGI Bibliographic Database, please contact Cindy Vallance at the University of Victoria, 250-721-8071.
E-Mail Broadcast Service
- Does CivicInfo BC send out direct e-mails to local governments?
- Is there a cost to send out an e-mail broadcast?
Does CivicInfo BC send out direct e-mails to local governments?
Yes. On behalf of its members CivicInfo BC will occasionally send out direct e-mails to all local governments, but strict conditions apply. In general, we will send out official government-to-government correspondence that would not necessarily be appropriate for inclusion in our weekly e-mail newsletter. (Examples: council resolutions with letters that ‘cc’ all BC local governments; letters and information bulletins from the Province of BC.)
For additional information about our broadcast service, please contact our Victoria office at 250-383-4898, or e-mail info@civicinfo.bc.ca.
Is there a cost to send out an e-mail broadcast?
There is no cost for CivicInfo BC members to use this service.
Grants Database
- What’s listed in the grants database?
- Where do you get the information listed in the grants database?
- How often is the grants database updated?
What’s listed in the grants database?
The grants database contains information about grant opportunities available to BC local governments. This service is provided in partnership with the Local Government Management Association of BC.
Our database does not contain information about grant opportunities for volunteer-based community groups. For a list of grants for community organizations, we recommend a list of grants maintained by the Community Futures Development Corporation of Greater Trail. See: http://communityfutures.com/cms/index.php?id=168
Where do you get the information listed in the grants database?
CivicInfo BC receives grant information directly from a variety of sources, including the Province of BC and the Union of BC Municipalities. We also conduct regular and extensive web searches for new information that may be suitable for the database.
How often is the grants database updated?
The grants database is updated continuously, and new grants are generally added as soon as application details are made public. Every two or three weeks, the listed grants are also reviewed to ensure information is still current.
Legislative Calendar
What is the legislative calendar?
With support from the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development,
CivicInfo BC hosts a legislative calendar. The calendar will show
key dates and deadlines for local government practitioners, with references
to legislation provided.
News Stories
- Where does CivicInfo BC get its news stories?
- How do I submit a story to CivicInfo BC?
- What is the RSS News Feed?
- How do I subscribe to the RSS News Feed?
Where does CivicInfo BC get its news stories?
Local governments and the Province of BC frequently send their press releases to CivicInfo BC. CivicInfo BC also combs newspapers from across the province looking for stories. When a story comes from a community paper, CivicInfo posts short pieces of that story, with a link back to the online edition of the newspaper it came from.
How do I submit a story to CivicInfo BC?
Send your story to info@civicinfo.bc.ca, and if it is of interest to those in the BC local government sector, we will generally post it. We do, however, reserve the right to refuse at our sole discretion.
What is the RSS News Feed?
RSS stands for "Rich Site Summary" or "Really Simple Syndication". Using an RSS reader, such as Sharp Reader, you can receive direct and near-instant notification when any news story is posted to the CivicInfo BC website. For more details about how RSS works, please see www.civicinfo.bc.ca/56.asp.
How do I subscribe to the RSS News Feed?
Newer web browsers such as Internet Explorer 7.x and Mozilla Firefox have RSS readers or “Live Bookmark” features built into them. Consult your browser’s “Help” menu for details. If you wish to receive your feed through an RSS reader, use this address: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/news_rss.asp.
Newsletter
- Who subscribes to your e-mail newsletter?
- How do I subscribe to your e-mail newsletter?
- Does CivicInfo BC sell its subscriber list?
- When is the e-mail newsletter published?
- Is there a cost to post an announcement in the newsletter?
Who subscribes to your e-mail newsletter?
Our subscribers include local government managers, elected officials, provincial employees, students, and business people who work with local governments. Anyone is free to subscribe to our e-mail newsletter.
How do I subscribe to your e-mail newsletter?
Enter your e-mail address into the "Newsletter" subscription box located in the left hand margin of every page of our website. You can unsubscribe at any time at www.civicinfo.bc.ca/unsubscribe.asp.
Does CivicInfo BC sell its subscriber list?
No, CivicInfo does not sell or share its subscriber list. E-mail addresses are used solely for the purpose of distributing the e-mail newsletter.
When is the e-mail newsletter published?
The newsletter is published on Fridays. When Friday is a holiday, the newsletter is published on Thursday.
Is there a cost to post an announcement in the newsletter?
There is no cost for local governments that are members of the CivicInfo
BC Society to post an announcement. For private firms, the cost to run
an advertisement in the "Sponsor's Corner" section of the
newsletter is $75 per week, plus GST.
Practices & Innovations Database
What is the practices & innovations database?
CivicInfo BC, in partnership with the Union of BC Municipalities, maintains
a searchable database of local government practices and innovations.
Professional Development Information
- How do I list a professional development event on the CivicInfo BC website?
- How often do you update the information listed in your Professional Development section?
- Is there a cost to list an event on the CivicInfo BC website?
- Do you have a list of post-secondary institutions that offer courses to local government professionals?
- Do you have a list of BC local government professional associations?
- Do you have information about Board of Examiners Certification?
- What is the RSS Events Feed?
- How do I subscribe to the RSS Events Feed?
How do I list a professional development event on the CivicInfo BC website?
Simply send your event information to info@civicinfo.bc.ca, and if it is of interest to those in the BC local government sector, we will generally post it. We do, however, reserve the right to refuse at our sole discretion.
How often do you update the information listed in your Professional Development section?
Our professional development listings are constantly being updated. When we learn of an event, we post it.
Is there a cost to list an event on the CivicInfo BC website?
No. Posting event information is a free service.
Do you have a list of post-secondary institutions that offer courses to local government professionals?
Yes. Simply click on the “Post Secondary Programs” link appearing under the “More Options” menu on http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/30.asp. Or to access this list directly, click this link: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/37.asp.
Do you have a list of BC local government professional associations?
Yes. Simply click on the “Professional Associations” link appearing under the “More Options” menu on http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/30.asp. Or to access this list directly, click this link: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/38.asp.
Do you have information about Board
of Examiners Certification?
Information about the Board of Examiners, including contact numbers,
has been posted at http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/36.asp.
The Board's page on the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
website contains complete details about certification. See: http://www.cserv.gov.bc.ca/lgd/gov_structure/board_examiners/index.htm.
What is the RSS Event Feed?
RSS stands for "Rich Site Summary" or "Really Simple Syndication". Using an RSS reader, such as Sharp Reader, you can receive direct and near-instant notification when any news story is posted to the CivicInfo BC website. For more details about how RSS works, please see www.civicinfo.bc.ca/56.asp.
How do I subscribe to the RSS Event Feed?
Newer web browsers such as Internet Explorer 7.x and Mozilla Firefox have RSS readers or “Live Bookmark” features built into them. Consult your browser’s “Help” menu for details. If you wish to receive your feed through an RSS reader, use this address: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/event_rss.asp.
Registration Services
- Can CivicInfo BC provide online registration services for my event?
- How much does it cost to use CivicInfo BC’s online registration service?
- Can CivicInfo BC accept online payments?
- How will I receive my registration fees from CivicInfo BC?
Can CivicInfo BC provide online registration services for my event?
CivicInfo BC can provide online registration services for events designed for people in the broadly-defined local government sector. If your event does not have a ‘local government’ component, it is outside of CivicInfo BC’s mandate to provide registration services.
How much does it cost to use CivicInfo BC’s online registration service?
Quotes may be obtained by contacting the CivicInfo BC office in Victoria at 250-383-4898. The base rate is $8 per registration, but costs can vary depending on services requested.
Can CivicInfo BC accept online payments?
Yes, CivicInfo BC can accept VISA, MasterCard, and American Express
payments through a secure online payment system. Payments are processed
in real-time, and receipts are presented on-screen. Fees of 3.2 % apply
to all VISA and MasterCard transactions, and fees of 3.9% apply to American
Express. We ask that event organizers take these fees into consideration
before deciding on prices.
How will I receive my registration fees from CivicInfo BC?
Normally, CivicInfo BC holds your funds in trust until your event has taken place. After the event, you receive a cheque from CivicInfo BC, along with a complete reconciliation showing monies collected and applicable fees. If you require funds before your event, CivicInfo BC would be pleased to send you an advance payment.
RSS Feeds
What is an RSS Feed?
RSS stands for "Rich Site Summary" or "Really Simple Syndication". Increasingly, content-rich sites such as CivicInfo BC are using RSS feeds to send information directly to a user’s computer or web browser, without the user actually having to visit the site.
Using RSS, you can receive direct and near-instant notification when a job posting, news story, or event listing is posted to the CivicInfo BC website. For more details about how RSS works, please see www.civicinfo.bc.ca/56.asp.
How do I use CivicInfo BC’s RSS Feeds?
Newer web browsers such as Internet Explorer 7.x and Mozilla Firefox have RSS readers or “Live Bookmark” features built into them. Consult your browser’s “Help” menu for details. If you wish to receive one of our three feeds through an RSS reader, use the addresses found on this page: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/56.asp.
Suppliers Directory
- How much does it cost to purchase a Supplier's Directory listing, and how do I make a purchase?
- What services does my listing package include?
How much does it cost to purchase a Supplier's Directory listing, and how do I make a purchase?
A one-year listing in the Supplier's Directory is $399, plus GST. Between
January and March each year, you may place your order online at http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/buylisting.asp.
If you wish to purchase an ad between April and December, we can offer
pro-rated prices. Please call the CivicInfo BC office in Victoria at
250-383-4898 for details.
What services does my listing package include?
The Supplier's Directory is a service offered in partnership with the Union of BC Municipalities. With your purchase, you receive: a detailed listing on our website; your logo in random rotation on our home page; a listing in the Union of BC Municipalites' Net-work-book; a copy of the Net-work-book; and up to three 75 word advertisements in the CivicInfo BC e-mail newsletter sent every Friday to approximately 3,000 subscribers in the BC local government sector. (Ads must be used within 1 year of purchase.)
Surveys & Statistics
- Where does CivicInfo BC get its statistics?
- How do I use the report generator?
- I don't see information about staff salaries or remuneration for elected officials. Do you have this information?
Where does CivicInfo BC get its statistics?
The information in the Surveys and Statistics section comes primarily
from two sources. First, it contains data from a series of local
government surveys conducted by CivicInfo BC, the Union of BC Municipalities,
and the Local Government Management Association of BC. Second,
it contains selected statistics collected by the Ministry of Community,
Sport and Cultural Development.
How do I use the report generator?
Using our powerful online report generator, you can create your own custom reports in two simple steps. Step 1: select the particular pieces of information you want. Step 2: select the local governments you want to know about. You can even select information from multiple surveys for a single report. This ability to cross-reference multiple data sources is what makes this tool particularly valuable.
I don't see information about staff salaries
or remuneration for elected officials. Do you have this information?
Yes, we have salary information and remuneration information for elected officials in BC. CivicInfo BC, Union of BC Municipalities, and Local Government Management Association members may access it by logging on through the "Member Login" link appearing near the top right corner of our Surveys and Statistics page. When you login, surveys pertaining to salary and remuneration will be added to the report generator.
If you are a member, and you require the password, please e-mail info@civicinfo.bc.ca or rtagami@civicnet.bc.ca.
Wireless Information Services
- What is CivicInfo BC’s wireless service?
- How do I access CivicInfo BC’s wireless site?
- Is there a cost to using the wireless site?
What is CivicInfo BC’s wireless service?
CivicInfo BC’s wireless service allows you to receive many of our more popular information services through your cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA), such as a BlackBerry™. At the present time, you may access all of our directories, our career postings, local government news stories, and our grants database.
How do I access CivicInfo BC’s wireless site?
Simply enter this address into your mobile web browser: www.civicinfo.bc.ca/wireless.
Is there a cost to using the wireless site?
Only fees payable to your phone service provider may apply.
