Below you can read the story of the LGD's past, told in four distinct eras.

• Timeline of Local Government in B.C. (PDF, 645 KB) provides highlights of the evolution of B.C.'s local government system and the LGD's involvement in that evolution.
• 1930-1948, Turbulent Times. Formally established in 1934, the LGD helped financially troubled municipalities survive the Depression and encouraged municipal savings during the Second World War.
• 1948-1965, Coping With Growth. The 1948 Goldenberg Commission initiated broad-ranging changes to the local government system in B.C., including a new Municipal Act and the beginnings of regional government institutions.
• 1965-1995, Collaborative Institutions. In addition to the implementation of regional districts, this era saw the development of province-wide collaborative institutions such as the Municipal Finance Authority and the Municipal Insurance Association.
• 1995-2005, Fiscal Challenges and Municipal Empowerment. When municipalities sought more autonomy from the provincial government in the 1990s, the LGD helped to facilitate this transition, playing an important role in developing both the Local Government Act and the Community Charter.
• Evolving Mandates.  Since its inception in 1934, the LGD has undergone many transformations. While its focus has always been on local government, other areas of responsibility, such as housing and recreation, have shifted in and out of its ministry's portfolio. This list presents those various incarnations.