Second Session, 42nd Parliament

(2021) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Monday, November 1, 2021

Morning Sitting

Issue No. 120

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

Gendering health

K. Paddon

S. Cadieux

Emergency room closures

M. Bernier

M. Dykeman

Local agriculture and food security

A. Walker

I. Paton

Importance of accessing government

information

J. Sturdy

B. D’Eith

Private Members’ Motions

Motion 18 — Rural communities and economies

R. Russell

L. Doerkson

M. Babchuk

C. Oakes

J. Rice

B. Stewart

B. Bailey

M. Morris

D. Coulter

J. Tegart

D. Routley

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021

The House met at 10:03 a.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: R. Merrifield.

Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

GENDERING HEALTH

K. Paddon: I think perhaps one of the most misleading ideas about feminism and

gender equality is that if you can look around and see more women, we must be

achieving it.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

Take this chamber, for example. There are more female members than ever

before. If you can count an equalish number, that must mean equity and

equality, right?

[10:05 a.m.]

That, to me, is a most dangerous notion — a notion that, if taken

without any critical examination, could have us ignoring many gender-related

inequities that put us all, men and women, at risk. One of these inequities —

perhaps one of the riskiest, in my opinion — is gendered health.

We all know that in our health care system, access is for everyone. When

we talk about health, it doesn’t matter your gender. Access is open to

everyone. But access to what?

Health care is based on a very long and old tradition of predominantly

men studying in a predominantly male discipline doing research about and on

predominantly male bodies for the purposes of keeping society healthy.

Traditionally, “society” has had a very narrow definition. Spoiler alert: it’s

men.

Now, we have moved past this. We have brilliant people in STEAM working

in medicine and research and treatment, and it’s different today. We have men

and women engaged in the work required to do the science and be representative,

accessible and relevant to all genders, but we can’t ignore the hangover of our

history. We know that all genders can experience access issues in health, and

it is critical to not lose sight of this. Today I would like to discuss about

gendered health for women.

Let me give you an example, a very simple example. Take the heart

attack. We all know the signs and symptoms, right? I think I learned them in

grade 6 or 7, probably while doing Jump Rope for Heart. I think many of us may

have. The symptoms of a heart attack are: squeezing chest pressure or pain;

jaw, neck or back pain; nausea or vomiting; shortness of breath. But it is a

fact that women die every year of heart attacks, because these are actually the

symptoms of a heart attack for men.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, for women,

symptoms are: chest pain — but not always; pain or pressure in the lower chest

or upper abdomen; sweating; jaw, neck or upper back pain; nausea or vomiting;

shortness of breath; fainting; indigestion; and extreme fatigue. Some symptoms

are the same or similar, but many are unique. So unique, in fact, that most

women have not heard of these symptoms being associated with heart attacks and

so brush them off.

Last night, when I shared this with my partner, he was surprised and

said he had no idea. This wasn’t a shock, but his next point was: “How do I

know how to help you — that you even need my help — if I don’t know

this?”

It’s not just women who need to understand and know the signs and

symptoms but those around them who love and care for them — employers, friends,

all of us. How do we take care of each other if we only know the signs for

approximately half of us? That’s just one example of how research and education

can be gendered and can impact health outcomes in women’s bodies.

Women’s bodies are often smaller, with smaller hearts and arteries, and

there are specific risks that we know impact women’s health — risk factors like

pregnancy, menopause and hormonal changes that impact every system in the body

and can result in drastic changes, as well as gender-related factors such as

lower socioeconomic status, gender-related violence, and the reality that there

are still many arenas in our society where women’s experiences are just not

believed. We also know that many of these risk factors are exacerbated for our

trans brothers and sisters and for racialized women.

There are some very real risks to gendered health, and there are also

some very real costs, both individual and social. Social costs are both more

difficult to initially recognize and dramatically more costly and risky to our

province. One very big example is the cost of caregiving. Women continue to

overwhelmingly provide most of the care.

In our personal lives, women continue to leave, adjust or limit their

participation in the community and economy in order to carry the weight of

caring for our babies, our children, aging parents, sick partners or family.

Even before the pandemic, 30 percent of women in B.C. supported people who have

long-term illnesses, disabilities or are aging, racking up an estimated total

of six million collective unpaid caregiving hours per week.

Professionally, women continue to make up a huge majority of care aides,

community support workers, residential support workers, nurses, long-term care,

health care workers, child care providers, mental health workers, nutritional

and cleaning support professionals, and education staff. These positions

require a massive amount of emotional labour, which I would argue is essential

but often unpaid. Traditionally, they are largely precarious positions or

underpaid.

[10:10 a.m.]

The B.C. Women’s Health Foundation has indicated in their Unmasking

Gender Inequity report that, historically, girls and young women have

been encouraged into occupations with high levels of flexibility under the

assumption that they will eventually be the primary caregivers of children and

other family members.

According to the report published by the foundation, the concentration

of employment in these sectors led to women in B.C. losing 60 percent more jobs

than men, as women occupy jobs in industries that were the first to be impacted

by job loss or restrictions and that those jobs were impacted to a greater

extent and for a longer period.

The same report found that the gendered nature of work put women at

higher risk of exposure to and infection from COVID-19 in B.C. Women having

access to health care that is relevant and inclusive to them is more than just

a moral or social responsibility. As the report highlighted, children, families

and communities need healthy women. Essential services need healthy women.

Organizations and the economy need healthy women.

If there are still any who need more reason, making changes that support

women staying healthy has the potential to save up to $2.6 billion in lost work

or productivity annually in B.C. and as much as $17.9 billion across

Canada.

S. Cadieux: Thank you to the member for raising this issue. It’s certainly one that

we can agree on. I’m pleased to speak today about gendering health.

Over the last two years, during the global pandemic, all British

Columbians have come to realize the importance of our medical system and equal

access to it. People from across B.C., especially those underserved by access

to medical care, were impacted. Deficiencies, though, in our medical system are

not new, and especially as we are talking about today, there are significant

gender biases that impact women.

Women’s health research has been chronically deficient in the past. I

experienced this myself when I was first injured 30 years ago and looking for

information about various impacts of spinal cord injury on women. There was

very little information available on women’s experience. Furthermore, the

determinants of health are complex, and they arise from a combination of

interacting economic, social, psychological and biological forces. But with a

lack of research into women’s health, the medical system has sexism built into

it, at the very foundation.

Take, for example, as the member said, heart attacks. The typical

symptoms that most people attribute to heart attacks are more likely symptoms

for men, leaving women more likely to have severe side effects or die because

symptoms are different. Women, in general, aren’t as aware of them and aren’t

taken seriously. This is just one, but one very deadly, side effect of the

quiet sexism that interferes and influences medical care.

If we want to see long-term change in health outcomes for women, it has

to include the society-wide impacts. The Vancouver Women’s Health Research

Network did publish a report — and obviously, both the member and I have read

it — Gendering the Health Determinants Framework: Why Girls’ and Women’s

Health Matters , which highlighted the need for a long-term approach,

not only for women generally but especially for vulnerable groups.

For this to happen, an equitable distribution of resources is crucial.

It could be achieved with greater gender equality in paid and unpaid work;

social rights, like parental leave; public child care and elder care; and

ethnoculturally appropriate care aimed at Aboriginal, visible minority,

immigrant and refugee communities. We know that rural and on-reserve Aboriginal

women are particularly likely to find themselves without equal access to health

care and, therefore, not reaching out for health care and experiencing worse

health outcomes.

When we talk about trans health, those issues are also important. In

British Columbia, no one can be denied medical care, whether they identify as

trans or cisgender. This is critical, but unfortunately, it doesn’t prevent

discrimination in the health care system. There’s still a lot more to be done.

Groups like trans health B.C., the Catherine White Holman Wellness Centre and

Trans PULSE are just some of the organizations helping to ensure the delivery

of services for transgender people.

Patients aren’t the only ones impacted by gender. Those who work in the

medical field are as well. In any given workplace, research has shown that 51

percent of women, compared to 31 percent of men, report experiencing workplace

discrimination. That same study found women physicians were five times more

likely than their male colleagues to experience opposition to career

advancement and three times more likely to experience actions they perceived to

be disrespectful in the workplace.

[10:15 a.m.]

It’s interesting that this topic came up today. Just over the weekend, I

was speaking with a woman whose sister-in-law is a doctor who has experienced

that very kind of discrimination.

Not only have female physicians reported feeling their career has been

impacted by their gender, but there’s also an issue where 30 percent of women

in Canada report having experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. When

women don’t feel safe or equal in the workplace, that leads to significant

mental health issues, burnout and individuals less likely to remain in the

system.

At a time where there are significant shortages of medical staff,

including family doctors and nurses, it’s more important than ever that we

ensure that everyone, no matter how they identify, feel appreciated, valued

and, most importantly, safe, working and seeking help in our medical

system.

Deputy Speaker: Of course, just a reminder to everybody. Please wear your mask over your

nose and your mouth in order to follow the public health orders.

K. Paddon: I’ve given examples of social costs of ignoring gender health, but there

are also individual costs. Beyond the pink tax that many of us have heard of on

everyday goods and services, there are very real individual health-related

costs to being female. There is period poverty, birth control, time off related

to reproductive health issues. There is a cost to lives and quality of lives

and the reality that often women’s pain is dismissed as anxiety or not believed

or recognized as a physical ailment. This costs us.

Ineffective testing that is not designed for our bodies or is not

effective for us costs us. Late detection, not knowing the signs and symptoms

in women, lack of research and lack of diagnostics cost us. Lack of choice,

depression, anxiety, fear of losing our jobs, self-medication, ignoring

symptoms as we care for others instead — all of this costs us.

There is so much work to do, and I’m so grateful to all the health care

professionals, advocates and researchers of every gender who continue to call

out for change, who continue to publish and ask for awareness and policy that

supports health which recognizes the range of gendered needs and differences.

This is especially true when it comes to supports, treatments, procedures,

coverage, access, research and education. I thank those who recognize that

women’s health is impacted by many different areas.

I’m also proud to be part of a team that is committed to listening and

doing the work and has already started it. There is so much yet to do to fix a

system that has been built over a long, long history, but we’ve begun by

committing to make health more affordable for women by addressing period

poverty, giving easier access to medical abortion and addressing the cost of

contraception, by providing publicly funded gender-affirming lower surgeries in

B.C. and by recognizing gender-related risks in B.C.’s mental health road map

and investing in specific mental health supports for women.

We have a Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity who recognizes that

gender-based violence is not just a justice issue but a health issue, and we

must work on best practices for accessing health care following an assault. We

know that gender-based violence impacts women’s health and comes at a

individual and social cost that was exacerbated by the social and economic

impacts and restrictions of COVID-19, and we have put supports and resources in

place to help those for whom home is not safe.

Together, we can move past the confines of old

definitions, habits and

assumptions, and advance equality and build a brighter future for women, girls

and gender-diverse people in British Columbia. We need everyone of all genders

to become leaders in health care across B.C.

One last note. If you have delayed your tests during COVID — your

routine mammogram or your pap — maybe because you were busy or nervous or

because you were taking care of others, it’s time to re-book. You are your

strongest advocate, and you cannot care for others if you do not care for

yourself. Make the appointment.

EMERGENCY ROOM CLOSURES

M. Bernier: It’s interesting listening to the last commentary. I’m going to build on

that. One of the things I think we can all agree upon is that there’s not much

more important in life than our health and our family members’

health.

Obviously, right now in the province of British Columbia, we are almost

in a crisis mode in so many areas. This is not just because of COVID. It’s

exasperated the issue.

[10:20 a.m.]

When we look at the state of health care and health care professionals,

the shortage thereof around the province, and the hospital emergency room

closures that have had to take place because of that, I think it warrants a

very healthy discussion in this House and action from all of us.

Maybe I should start by thanking all of our nurses, doctors and health

care staff around the province. When we look at the stress and the workload

that they’ve been under the last couple of years, it can’t be easy for anybody.

But it definitely has been, I think, at the front lines, just that much more of

a challenge when people who we trust our well-being to are tasked to the limit

when we look at the shortages that we have. I think we all want to thank all of

our health care professionals for the extraordinary work that they’ve done —

the last couple of years, specifically.

I think through COVID, one thing that has happened is it has really

highlighted and acknowledged the cracks that we have in our system and the need

for greater investment, the need for greater supports and attention that are

needed, especially for our health care workers.

Right now across the province, in almost every jurisdiction, we’re

seeing a serious shortage in staffing in our hospitals and in our clinics. Many

emergency rooms — I think, unfortunately, some of us in this House know — are

chronically understaffed. That’s leading to increased stress on our

workers.

More people are leaving because of burnout. Some are choosing to retire

because of this extra stress, and that’s only, again, exacerbating this

staffing issue that we have, which is just compounding and making it harder for

those that are staying in the system, looking out for our health and our

well-being.

Again, it’s in every corner of the province. I look at our northern

hospitals, the dedicated health care professionals that we have in Northern

Health. And in my region specifically, I can attest to that. And the fact that

they have been dealing with such a staff shortage…. And this is for years. This

is for quite a few years now. COVID-19 definitely has made it worse. We’ve seen

the impacts of that. But again, it’s highlighted the struggles, the troubles

that we already have.

Our understaffed hospitals around the province are leading to closures —

shifts being closed, hospitals being closed, patients in need being diverted to

other areas and, in a lot of cases, being diverted to hospitals that,

themselves, are understaffed or over capacity.

This summer in Dawson Creek, for instance, we had to bring in a virtual

doctor service to help cover the fact that we did not have night-shift doctors

in our hospital. And even with that extra help that came in, it still wasn’t

enough. Our hospital, on numerous occasions in Dawson Creek, which is the hub

hospital for the region that I represent, had to close, had to not accept

patients into the ER, and divert people away.

I look at Chetwynd. That’s also in my riding. This is almost a daily

occurrence that I see a notification coming out from Northern Health, saying

that due to staff shortages and the pressure in the hospital because of the

amount of people who are utilizing the ER or the health care system in the

hospital, the hospital has had to go on diversion.

That is causing a huge ripple effect in regions like ours. But I also

say that that puts pressure on every single person in this House, when we have

to transport people out of a region to other parts of the province. And

although we appreciate that help and that support, people would far rather have

the health care that they need as close to home as possible, when we have the

hospitals that are right there. The issue is that we need the staff.

Fort St. John — beautiful, fairly new hospital. In June 2020, right at

the onset, I guess, of the pandemic, the ICU in Fort St. John, another major

hospital for the northeast part of the province, had to shut down due to

staffing shortages and people being transported.

[10:25 a.m.]

Imagine that. You’re in a large geographical area of the province. All

of the hospitals are being shut down due to staffing issues, and people are

having to be transported. To actually be told when you need to go to the

emergency room: “Sorry. The doors are closed….” We actually have that happen,

where people show up and there is a sign on the hospital door: “Sorry. We don’t

have room for you. We don’t have staff.” The next-closest major hospital is a

four-hour drive away through the Rocky Mountains to Prince George, which is

also struggling with the same issues.

I think it’s important that we just highlight that we have a lot of work

to do. The Fort St. John Hospital, again, requires 20 nurses in the ER. They

only have five. There are 15 vacancies right now, which is why they have to go

on diversion, just like so many other hospitals around the province.

Again — I know I’ll have a few more minutes just to wrap up at the end

of this — I think it just highlights the struggles that we need to, in this

House, collectively work on and address, because this is the health and the

well-being of our constituents, the people we represent. We need to find a

solution to make sure that they have the supports they need when they need

it.

M. Dykeman: Absolutely every British Columbian, no matter where they live and

whatever their health concerns, should have access to the care they need when

they need it. I’d like to thank the member opposite for bringing this

forward.

The pandemic has shone an even brighter light on the importance of

health services, and in Budget 2021, our government continued to protect

people’s health and safety with $4 billion in new investments over three years,

including launching our primary health care strategy, which focuses on faster

team-based care, hiring more than 660 new full-time-equivalent health

professionals who will be part of 22 primary care networks throughout the

province.

In establishing primary care networks across 65 percent of B.C.’s

communities since that strategy was started, the government has invested over

$1 billion over three years to improve care for seniors, which includes

investments in primary care, home health, long-term care and assisted

living.

We’ve opened urgent primary care centres. These centres provide primary

care to patients who do not currently have a family doctor or nurse

practitioner, and weekend and after-hours care, taking pressure off hospital

emergency departments. A total of 16 of these urgent primary care centres are

now up and running across the province. They include community health centres.

These health centres bring together health and broader social services to

improve access to health promotion, preventative care and ongoing

services.

We’ve dramatically boosted the number of MRI exams and elective

surgeries as part of the surgical and diagnostic imaging strategy and increased

the number of priority surgeries and diagnostic imaging, like PET scans and

CTs, to ensure faster access. We’re increasing staffing levels in long-term

care homes, taking action lowering drug costs by making record investments in

Fair PharmaCare, and moving forward with a first-of-its-kind children’s complex

care transition facility in B.C. to fill in those gaps in much-needed

services.

As I said earlier, every person deserves to have the best possible

health care close to home. One of the things that our government is focused on

is boosting support and hiring to enhance services in Northern Health so that

people in northern B.C. are benefiting from additional government action to

deliver needed health care services. The government announced $6.38 million for

programs to retain and recruit more health care workers and by making the

northern area a desirable and accessible place for health professionals to live

and work.

Our government has been working with Northern Health regarding concerns

on recruitment and retention of health care workers in the north. To address

these, actions are being taken at every level in Northern Health, starting

immediately with the launch of a comprehensive health care worker rural

retention program. The program is designed to offer financial incentives and

support for health care workers. It’s funded by the Ministry of Health at

approximately $3 million.

[10:30 a.m.]

There’s funding of $821,000 to continue the travel resource program,

keeping more than 40 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in the

area; $225,000 in funding to develop a child care program to support expanded

and new child care spots and expanded hours of operation to meet the needs of

health care workers who often work 12-hour shifts; $750,000 to develop a

housing program in communities where suitable market housing is a barrier to

permanent staffing; and $825,000 to launch the rural doctor in-aid virtual

support pathway. These new programs will help retain and recruit more health

care workers to provide needed services.

Our government knew that the way that health care is delivered had to

change, and we’re working to fix those problems and ensure that those left

behind are now brought into the net. We’re transforming the way it’s delivered

not just for people in the community but for everyone around the province

through these strategies.

My colleagues and I know that there’s more to do, and we’re committed to

delivering the health care services that families in B.C. count on. I’m very

excited to have been able to stand here today and talk about the investments

and the pathway forward that will ensure that every British Columbian has

access to the health care needed in a system that, unfortunately, had

previously been systemically underfunded. Our government has worked so hard

over the last several years to reinvest to ensure that there’s equitable access

throughout the province.

M. Bernier: I’d like to get back to the topic, which was supposed to be around

emergency room closures and some of the challenges that we are facing around

the province of British Columbia. I guess the politest thing I can say…. The

member can stand up and read off a whole bunch of things that were written for

her, but at the end of the day, what’s happening is that hospitals around the

province are being closed. We do not have enough staff in the hospitals right

now.

We need to collectively work on a plan. It’s not just about training and

recruiting. It’s also about retaining. One of the biggest issues that we have,

that we hear right now, in our health care profession is retaining the health

care workers when they do come.

Again, I can speak from experience for the rural parts of British

Columbia. It is difficult to recruit people to rural B.C. That is just a fact

that we need to work on, and we need to have strategies around that. But again,

what compounds the issue is the additional stress that they are faced with when

they move to smaller communities where hospitals are being shut down, ERs are

being closed, and the health care professionals are being burnt out. So what

happens? They in turn, maybe, leave. Retaining them is difficult, and we need

to work on that collectively.

St. John Hospital in Vanderhoof is sounding the alarm. They’re in a lot

of trouble. ERs being closed this year in Ashcroft hospital, Dr. Helmcken

Memorial Hospital in Clearwater, Barriere Health Centre. All their emergencies

rooms were closed this year, in part times, due to staff shortages. Royal

Inland Hospital in Kamloops, luckily, is able to take some, but they are being

stretched to the limit as well.

This is not just a rural issue. I think everybody in the House has heard

the breaking point that the Surrey Memorial Hospital is under. The

fastest-growing community in the province, and they don’t have the systems in

place for the people that they have as well. So we need to be working on that.

And again, this is about making sure that we come together with a plan. This is

not about just announcing projects and money, because that doesn’t solve the

problem unless we know it’s going to where it is needed. We need to have plans

in place.

I am very thankful that we have a nursing program now at Northern Lights

College, in Fort St. John, that is going to hopefully help the Peace region.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel. If we can train local, they stay

local. But we do need to collectively work on this. We need to talk about the

stresses. We have to talk about emergency rooms that are being closed around

the province due to lack of staff, and we need to find a plan to fix this

issue.

LOCAL AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY

A. Walker: Over the past few generations, we have seen our relationship with food

change dramatically. Many of our children have never experienced the unexpected

sweetness of biting into peas straight from a pod or freshly picked carrots.

Many of their parents no longer know the family farmers who grow this

food.

[10:35 a.m.]

In the 1950s, here on Vancouver Island, we produced 85 percent of the

food that we ate, but today us Islanders produce less than 10 percent of what

we consume. Our food comes to us from farther away geographically, of course,

but also much of it is processed well beyond recognition, and it comes to us

through more intermediaries than ever before.

Early in the pandemic, we saw just how precarious our food system is.

Disruptions in global supply chains and massive volatility in price led to, for

the first time in a long time, the conversation of food security being heard at

dinner tables across our province.

Add to this struggle the impacts of climate change that farmers are

already experiencing in a significant way. Not just the heavy winter rains and

storms and the longer dry spells each summer but the heat dome that we all felt

recently had a massive impact on our agriculture sector. Here in B.C., over

half a million chickens perished from the heat. In many areas, berry crops

suffered 40, 50 percent or complete crop failures, and millions of dollars in

damages were felt across the sector, including shellfish and aquaculture

operations.

The vital link between our economic prosperity and food security is now,

more than ever, clear to us all. It is because we know the importance of a

strong and secure agricultural and food sector that our government has focused

heavily on food security and sustainability initiatives since we were first

elected.

We are ensuring that we will have a resilient and competitive

agriculture and food sector in this province that feeds British Columbians and

the world both for now and for generations to come. This will be crucial not

only for ensuring food security but also lasting prosperity and jobs,

especially as we work towards an economic recovery following COVID-19. What

gives me hope is seeing how our government’s focus on food security initiatives

is being amplified by the interest and demand of regular British

Columbians.

Our farmers markets were hit hard by the provincial health restrictions

of the pandemic. In Parksville-Qualicum, our local market, led by Launie Elves,

every week adapted their market plan to keep their vendors and patrons safe.

They worked incredibly hard to ensure as much local product as possible made

its way to the tables of families across our community. Here and across our

province, people lined up to buy local produce and support community

farms.

We are also seeing more families sign up for CSA boxes,

community-supported agriculture. When you sign up for a CSA, you commit to

paying a local farm the same amount weekly throughout the growing season, and

they deliver a bounty of fresh vegetables, meats and/or eggs at the peak of

their growing season. We’re seeing positive signs as local demand for B.C. food

is growing and as the market for value-added products does as well.

We are also seeing investments in local companies as the number of new

businesses and made-in-B.C. products continues to grow. This is especially

evident through our B.C. Food Hub Network, which is creating more demand for

ingredients from local farmers and helping increase the volume of food grown

and processed locally. These hubs are providing good jobs and economic

opportunity for many businesses, as well as farmers, ranchers and fishers in 12

communities across the province, increasing food processing capacity and

strengthening regional food security.

Our government is also focused on three key initiatives: Grow B.C.,

which works to get more farmland into production, to date bringing more than

6,000 acres of farmland into the capable hands of new farmers; Feed B.C., which

is increasing B.C.-grown and processed foods in meals served in our hospitals

and post-secondary institutions; and Buy B.C., which makes it easier for

consumers to identify the products with a buy-B.C. label so British Columbians

can enjoy healthy and local food while also supporting our local community and

economy.

What we eat not only sustains us; it is also a reflection of who we are.

We are a strong, resilient and community-focused people.

I. Paton: It’s a pleasure to rise today to speak about my favourite topic,

agriculture, with a particular focus on local offerings, as well as food

security.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, we are starting to deal with its

full impact and the long-reaching effects it will have on our economy. Farmers

have experienced unprecedented labour shortages, disruptions in processing and

transportation sectors, as well as increasing domestic and international market

uncertainty.

[10:40 a.m.]

Over the past 19 months, farmers have had to make difficult decisions

about which crops to grow and whether or not to leave certain fields fallow for

a season. Moving forward, it’s imperative that the government work with the

federal counterparts and industry partners to restabilize our province’s

agriculture industry by strengthening our risk management and agri-recovery

programs.

It’s been said many times, but it bears repeating. B.C.’s agriculture

industry must become more self-sufficient. As the old proverb goes, those who

cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. We need to be better

prepared for unexpected interruptions in the international food supply chain,

as COVID-19 has made us realize how reliant we are on meat, fruit and vegetable

imports from other countries.

We must continue to incentivize both buying and growing B.C. products.

These are just a few of the many unresolved issues that we as legislators can

tackle to help ease some of the worry and financial struggle facing our

agricultural community. Just last week, we welcomed agriculture representatives

from all across the province of B.C. for B.C. Ag Days at the

Legislature.

Many of us got the opportunity to meet virtually with farmers, ranchers

and stakeholders to hear about the issues that matter to them. One of the big

takeaways was the need to review previous tax recommendations, along with water

licensing, labour shortages and trespass issues.

What the council wants to see is an update to the provincial farm and

ranch taxation legislation with a goal to improving incentives offered to

active farmers and to increase farmland productivity. Over the past few years,

I’ve reminded this House many times about the growing costs that farmers and

ranchers are having to contend with. The hike to the minimum wage and carbon

tax, the introduction of the employer health tax and the financial losses that

came with the government’s Bill 52 disrupted building plans and put principal

and secondary houses on hold.

I will note that hardship could have been avoided had they been

consulted about the proposed changes in advance in the first place.

Another issue highlighted this past week by the B.C. Agriculture Council

is the need to remind the buying public that there is much value in both

large-scale and small-scale farms. The council notes that a lot of

conversations around agriculture today are influenced by a perception that the

products grown or raised on smaller-scale operations are a better choice than

those offered by bigger farms. The council reminds us that there is a market

and a need for both types of farms, and many, many opportunities need greater

collaboration and working together.

As a third-generation dairy farmer myself, I can tell you that for the

vast majority of farmers and ranchers, we share the same values. We care about

the safety of the products we grow, the safety and care of the animals we

raise, and the care and adequate housing for our workers.

We go above and beyond to offer safe, high-quality products to

customers, and we understand the importance of making connections with those

buyers who come to our properties, to our homes and to our farms. We believe in

environmental protection and in putting in place practices to ensure that the

next generation can follow in our footsteps. Perhaps, most importantly, we know

long-term profitability…. As I’m fond of saying, there is no farmland without

the farmer.

If governments continually put up barriers and make it harder for

farmers and ranchers to do their jobs and actually make a living, they will

disappear, and so will the farmland they once tilled. That would be devastating

to food security in this province. It’s a significant issue, and it’s part of

the reason I introduced the Home-Based Craft Food Act in 2020. It would have

allowed individuals to sell food products that have been prepared in their home

kitchens as long as they have the appropriate FoodSafe certification and local

business licence.

This bill would have been a step forward towards our goals of food

security, while also providing more opportunity for British Columbians to enjoy

high-quality homemade food straight from local farms.

One idea that could help in this regard…. I hope all sides of the House

will continue discussing creative ways to support local agriculture by

lessening the regulatory burden and red tape for farmers and improving food

security in British Columbia.

A. Walker: I want to thank the member for Delta South for your continued advocacy

for the farmers of our communities and for your collaborative effort as we look

to become more resilient in the future of British Columbia.

I would be remiss if I did not use the balance of my time here to

celebrate a few of the hard-working family farms in

Parksville-Qualicum.

[10:45 a.m.]

Every morning, on the way to my office, I have the absolute pleasure of

taking in the beautiful sights of Hilliers Estate blueberry farm, crowned with

the stunning backdrop of Mount Arrowsmith in the distance.

This family farm was established by the Bergen family in 2006, but like

many farms, it is the continuation of a legacy on this land, dating back

generations. With over 150 acres of blueberries, they supply families all over

western Canada with some of the finest blueberries available on the

market.

Morningstar Farm, in Parksville, founded 20 years ago by Clarke and

Nancy Gourlay, has flourished into a thriving dairy and cheese works. The farm

is open seven days a week, where visitors can come and see up close the herd of

45 cows, the automated milking parlour and, the highlight for many, Canada’s

first on-tap milk vending machine, where, for a small sum, you can bring your

own bottles and fill them with milk fresh from the cows. This family farm has

very recently found new caretakers, with Albert Gorter and Chelsea Enns

bringing with them an experience and passion for dairy farming.

Springford Farm, founded by Collin and Dianne Springford. Together, they

brought generations of family farming experience to our community. In 1979,

they started on a 10-acre hobby farm in Parksville, moved to a 30-acre farm in

1990, and in 1998, they moved to their present 225-acre site in Nanoose Bay.

They not only produce some of the finest eggs and beef that can be found in

central Vancouver Island, but through their market store, they have

enthusiastically helped countless small, local producers sell their

products.

The recent passing of Clarke Gourlay and Collin Springford had a massive

impact on the people of my community. They will be missed, but the legacies

live on.

These are but three of the hard-working family farms that helped form

the backbone of our community. To all of the farmers in our province, I thank

you and your families. Through the early mornings, long days and the hard work,

you do more than just feed us. It is with your collaborative, neighborly spirit

that you help bring our communities closer together. And through the nurturing

of your land for future generations, you give us hope for tomorrow. For all

this, and all that you do, I thank you.

Deputy Speaker: Before we move to the next statement, I just wanted to caution the

members that, of course, the subject matter of the statement pertains to a bill

that’s currently before the House. Pursuant to Standing Order 25A(5)(c), we’ve

got to take care that we don’t anticipate deliberations that the House or one

of its committees may undertake.

I’m sure the member is well aware of that. So I’ll acknowledge the

member for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky.

IMPORTANCE OF ACCESSING

GOVERNMENT

INFORMATION

J. Sturdy: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As always, I appreciate your

guidance.

The pandemic has shown us that this is a critical time in our province’s

history, where people need and deserve accurate information from their

government now more than ever. People need to have access to the information

that will allow them to make educated and informed decisions that help ensure

their health and safety and the safety of those around them — decisions that

give them confidence in this democratic institution, decisions that can

influence the fundamental direction of our democracy.

It is our democratic duty to provide citizens with the appropriate

information that allows them to understand the issues that we face as a

society. At a time when British Columbians are looking for greater access to

information, greater transparency and greater accountability, it is imperative

that governments protect people’s access to open information.

Transparent governance allows for information to flow freely so that

citizens understand the underpinnings of decisions that are being made that can

affect their lives. Transparency is fundamental in ensuring good governance,

something that we should all be striving for. Openness and transparency are key

pillars that allow democracy to work, and without these important aspects,

accountability and trust, cannot be formed.

I think we all understand that knowledge is power. When openness and

transparency are threatened, access to knowledge is imperilled, the power of

the people in a democracy is weakened, and thus, democracy itself is

undermined.

[10:50 a.m.]

We in this House need to stand together in defence of this institution,

in defence of freedom to access public information and in defence of the

principles on which this democracy rests.

A key tool to open information is the freedom-of-information process,

and a key tenet of that principle is that the information belongs to the public

and, therefore, should be accessible to the public. Without freedom of

information, we would not be able to ensure government is making the right

decisions that are in the best interests of our citizens. Rather, government

could ensure the decisions are made to better their positions of power, and

these decisions don’t come to light as such. Individuals within government can

potentially do as they please without oversight.

Our current freedom-of-information laws are a safeguard against this.

Oppositions of government, of the media and of the community at large are free

to request this information at no charge, as this is the people’s

information.

Deputy Speaker: Member, I’ve listened to debates on Bill 22, including your own, and it

seems that we’re starting to traverse into topics of legislation. We do have a

bill at committee where arguments such as the member may wish to make can be

made, those arguments, and that would seem to be the appropriate place under

our standing orders.

J. Sturdy: Just stating facts, Mr. Speaker. Just stating facts.

Deputy Speaker: Please don’t argue with the Speaker, Member.

There are standing orders that we, as a House, have agreed to follow.

Those include orders that discuss where appropriate debate is to be had. The

member has made his debate around freedom-of-information legislation. There is

a committee looking into those matters right now.

If the member wishes to continue debating the legislation, the

appropriate place would be that committee, not here under the private members’

statements, as stated in our standing orders. If there’s a different track to

take on the discussion of accessible information, I invite the member to try

and find it. However, if it’s discussing legislation and our laws, the rules

are very clear.

J. Sturdy: Mr. Speaker, this is about democracy and the process for openness and

transparency, through which we strive to ensure accountability and trust is

created between government and those they govern. It allows for democracy to

work, and it demands that individuals are able to participate effectively in

decision-making and assess the performance of their government.

Freedom of information contributes to enhanced empowerment and equality

of all social groups, including women, Indigenous people and the disadvantaged.

It also plays an important role in creating well-functioning markets and

ensuring governments make the right improvements as our world continues to

change — improvements in investment climates and improvements in government

policy.

We don’t have to look back very far to see examples of how freedom of

information has allowed us to better understand what government is doing. Time

and time again we’ve seen information come to light that highlights the

importance of this process. It’s only through freedom of information that we’ve

learned about unfulfilled commitments on housing targets; unfulfilled

commitments on child care targets; the details, or lack of details, on the

Massey Tunnel replacement project; or, more concerning, government’s initiative

to use taxpayer dollars to politicize constituency offices; or examples of

ministers’ improper use of messaging services to communicate with political

staff.

The freedom-of-information process holds governments accountable and

keeps them honest. It ensures the public has access to vital public data, data

that helps the public better understand if government is making the right

choices for all our communities and citizenry. It’s a process that’s critical.

In a world where this process is hindered and barriers are in place, it’s

important that this is not hindered.

[10:55 a.m.]

Deputy Speaker: Again, I’d ask members to reflect on the standing orders. I didn’t write

them, but they are orders that we all agreed to follow.

If there are suggestions for changes, please suggest them, but let’s try

and follow them until those suggestions and changes are made.

B. D’Eith: I did want to thank the member for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky for

bringing up a statement in regard to the importance of accessing government

information.

As we know, Members, in 1993, the Freedom of Information and Protection

of Privacy Act was brought in to hold current and future governments

accountable to the people who trust them to make decisions on their behalf and

to act with integrity. The last round of amendments to this were in 2011, which

was ten years ago….

Deputy Speaker: Again, I’ll…. I probably should have cut this off at the beginning. I

just don’t know how we can talk about freedom of information when we have a

freedom-of-information act open before us in this House for amendments and

debate. That is the appropriate venue.

I know we can go down the history. I apologize to the member.

B. D’Eith: Thank you, hon. Speaker. If I may just move on, then?

Deputy Speaker: Okay. Please.

B. D’Eith: Thank you. Where I was going, hon. Speaker, was that I can’t speak to

the bill. That’s what my next statement was going to be — that I can’t speak to

the bill. So what I will do is speak about the importance of freedom of

information generally.

Freedom of information is important to fight corruption. Freedom of

information is important to ensure that elected governments are held

accountable and are transparent with the decision-making that they’re making.

Freedom of information is important to expose any fraud or mismanagement.

Freedom of information allows people to make informed decisions when electing

representatives. In short, freedom of information is important to

democracy.

Over the last decade, there are a number of examples, where freedom of

information was important to these very things that I’m talking about. For

example, in 2012, there was the B.C. Health researcher firing scandal that

happened. In that story, there were a lot of things that happened:

whistleblowing, dismissals, lawsuits, settlements, restatements, apologies and,

of course, a very tragic suicide. But there was one piece that illustrates the

importance of freedom of information. That is that there was an ongoing RCMP

investigation, at that time, that went from 2012 to 2014.

In 2014, in July, the RCMP closed its files to the investigation. At

that point, the Vancouver Sun made a freedom-of-information request,

and nearly a year after that, it was revealed that the police were never given

evidence by the government to investigate the wrongdoing that was used to

justify the firings, despite the government at that time telling the public

that an investigation was ongoing.

At that time, the then Health critic said…. They claimed an RCMP

investigation simply didn’t exist. They failed to provide any information, even

though they led their press conference announcing the dismissal of these

workers saying there was an ongoing RCMP investigation. It shows a government

that, frankly, intentionally, from the beginning, misled the public about this

issue and continued to do so for years.

This is an example of exactly the kind of information that freedom of

information is done for, in order that the public can then make an informed

decision when they go to the polls, when they choose their

representatives.

Another example of freedom of information and the principles around

freedom of information was also brought forward in 2015. This was around a

scathing report from the then Privacy Commissioner in regard to destruction of

email records that related to missing women on the Highway of Tears. This

resulted from an investigation after the former executive assistant to the

Minister of Transportation wrote the commissioner a letter stating that he was

ordered by other staffers to triple-delete records responsive to a

freedom-of-information request.

The commissioner investigated and found that the minister did, indeed,

contravene the Freedom of Information Act in ways that threatened the integrity

of access to information in British Columbia. The commissioner then said: “It’s

difficult to overstate the seriousness of the problem that my office

discovered.”

[11:00 a.m.]

Again, while no charges were laid for the deletions — now, of course,

the information of unrecoverable Highway of Tears records — the public was made

aware of serious issues.

Moving on. Basically, over the last four years, there have been a number

of actions that have been taken to allow the public to have more access to

information. One of those is the increase of data and practically publishing

documents.

I have run out of time. There’s so much to talk about.

I very much appreciate the opportunity to speak to the very important

access to freedom of information.

J. Sturdy: Thank you to the member, not necessarily opposite but down the road,

anyway, here.

I suggested before that we really don’t have to look back far to see how

freedom of information has allowed us to explore how governments operate.

Equally important is to understand what type of personal information is

collected on the public. Ever since the Cambridge Analytica scandal was exposed

in the U.K., people have become more aware of how their data is collected, who

has access to it, how it is used and to what ends, and rightly so.

We know that seemingly mundane data is extremely valuable to third

parties, to companies, to advertisers, to political campaigns or, even, to bad

actors, wherever they happen to be. Likes, dislikes, views on various social

issues, views on hot-button political issues, page views and preferences — if

enough of this basic data is gathered about somebody, it can be extremely

powerful for a third party, regardless of who that third party is. Intentions

can be innocuous but increasingly can be insidious and, in some cases, can even

be with criminal intent.

[N. Letnick in the chair.]

Until now, certainly the rules here in British Columbia have been

largely…. The government has largely been restricted from gathering this type

of data, and for good reason. In the wrong hands, this type of information can

be used against someone to target them without them knowing it.

Currently even when it is deemed permissible to collect information of

this nature, it is done under the purview and oversight of the independent

Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia. It is important that there are checks

and balances in place to prevent governments from using this type of

information for their own self-interested end, to create strategies to target

citizens and sectors with design, to purposefully manipulate narratives with

self-serving purposes.

Thresholds on limits to this type of information that would routinely be

captured by advertising companies, political campaigns and bad actors should

remain high, and if this is to change, and there are initiatives to change

this, then the citizens of British Columbia should be justified and concerned

and demanding to know why.

Hon. J. Whiteside: I ask that the House consider proceeding with Motion 18, standing in the

name of the member for Boundary-Similkameen.

Deputy Speaker: Members, unanimous consent of this House is required to proceed to

Motion 18 without disturbing the priorities of the motions preceding it on the

order paper. If any member is opposed to the request for leave, please indicate

now.

Leave granted.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 18 — RURAL COMMUNITIES

AND

ECONOMIES

R. Russell: I move:

[Be it resolved that this House support strong rural communities built on

thriving, diversified and sustainable rural economies.]

A few years ago, sitting around a campfire near Pemberton, my friend Ben

made the astute observation that what our small communities needed most is the

ability to reach their full potential. The historic model of economic

development and the foundations of neoclassical economics is that more is

better.

[11:05 a.m.]

Today I rise to remind us that better is actually better, and that as

people tasked with making life better for British Columbians, all of us in this

chamber owe some attention to how best we can help support rural communities

live up to their full potential.

We need to do this in the context of significant transformation in rural

B.C. The nature of our resource sector is changing. There is dramatic increase

in the mobility of labour. Climate change is impacting everything we do. Even

fundamental expectations and values of our new generations are different than

in years past.

For example, over the last few decades, we’ve seen job losses and mill

closures in the forest sector. This leaves our communities struggling to

revitalize those downtown coffee shops and kindergarten classes, and it is the

impetus for the sweeping changes proposed in our forest remodernization

intentions paper, for example, to help provide more value to more British

Columbians.

Even while this pandemic has tried relentlessly to break our spirits,

there has been an increased appreciation of the quality of life that rural

communities can afford. We’ve seen a shift to increased remote work

opportunities and increased digital engagement options in education and beyond.

This resulted in migration into rural communities — people deciding to live

where they want to and fitting their work into those places, as opposed to vice

versa. This means more vibrant communities, as long as we plan wisely for these

changes.

We’re also coming to a greater societal recognition that climate action

is not an altruistic or optional path forward. It is a responsible investment

in public safety. The opportunity here is to reimagine how rural communities

identify as active actors in this process. How well we incorporate climate

solutions into our identity in rural communities will dictate our

success.

This motion is to support that transformation that’s on the horizon. The

fascinating question for me is: how? Communities are all unique, and they have

different needs and different pressure points for change. Given that one size

clearly does not fit all, this government’s support plan needs to, and does,

provide a diverse menu of programs to get the right support to the right

places.

There are some fundamentals of making life more secure that we know are

foundational. Child care is a necessary part of the scaffolding to support

thriving rural communities. Keremeos, for example, loses rural professionals

after recruitment because they simply cannot find child care. Investments in

child care partnerships like this government is making in an unprecedented

fashion across B.C. are investments in health care, investments in jobs,

economic vibrancy and more.

Another cornerstone of thriving rural communities is connectivity. It’s

tough to work remotely without predictable and high-speed Internet. Budget 2021

brought stable funding to connectivity for the first time to help realize the

government commitment to connecting all British Columbian communities — a bold

proposition but one that we all recognize is central to helping provide the

potential for communities to be creative, to be diverse and to support a shift

in the nature of what rural B.C.’s identity really is.

Agriculture is part of the fabric of rural B.C. as we heard earlier,

helping building predictability into producer’s financial statements. Programs

like Feed B.C. and food hubs are important to ensure that local producers have

sustainable avenues to get their healthy food processed and into institutions

like hospitals and universities. This builds predictability and security into

our agricultural systems.

To help pivot minds, the StrongerBC future leaders program is providing

over 5,000 people with access to skills training, internships, job co-ops and

meaningful jobs. Hopefully, we’ll find inspiration from rural innovators such

as Boundary Electric in my riding, which, among other things, converts sea cans

into mobile cryptocurrency mining centres, eventually equipped with generators

attached to convert waste gas into energy onsite.

We are foresters and miners, but we have an identity in rural B.C. that

can be so much more as well, if we embrace it and support it wisely. How do we

support best rural communities to plan for and prepare for this future that we

have yet to see? How do we help ensure that rural residents keep a strong sense

of purpose and identity in this new future?

I’m not certain, but I see it as our number one challenge — for us in

this House to work to ensure that we can provide diverse supports for a diverse

and sustainable, thriving B.C.

On Friday, I met with leaders in Okanagan Falls, an unincorporated

community with huge potential and an enormous amount of local energy poised to

make great things happen. If we do this right here, our role in this House will

help lower barriers and provide supports to help make rural community visions

such as theirs a reality.

L. Doerkson: Thank you to the member opposite for moving this motion this morning. It

is an issue that I’m sure you know is one of great importance to many people on

my side of this House and, certainly, many people of British

Columbia.

[11:10 a.m.]

I have to say I’m glad to hear the member opposite talk about the

importance of strengthening rural communities and, of course, our economies,

particularly when so many people in B.C. — certainly rural B.C. — feel utterly

forgotten and left behind by some of the government’s decisions.

It is not lost on my constituents or people around B.C. that this NDP

government is mainly composed of MLAs from Metro Vancouver and Victoria.

Therefore, much of it’s focus lies in southwestern B.C. But as it has been

rightly pointed out, strengthening our rural communities is absolutely vital

and something that needs to be a greater priority for this government, so I

welcome the opportunity to highlight this motion.

One need that is prominent in my constituency and, also, in much of

rural B.C. is connectivity. This is true both in cases of Internet and cell

coverage and also with respect to transportation, especially in the past two

years. As so much of our daily life has increasingly moved online, our need for

better connection to the Internet is becoming more and more profound. Improving

this will open up so many new opportunities to access services that are

currently limited.

Additionally, to improve overall connectivity, we need better

transportation services. The lack of transportation between communities and

even within our cities and towns holds people back from being able to access

health care, businesses, other services and, sometimes, even their

work.

The withdrawal of Greyhound from B.C. left considerable gaps in our

transportation system. While private companies have done an amazing job of

filling some of these gaps, they could be used by the government to solve some

of these large transportation issues that still plague rural B.C.

It’s not just the need for alternate routes of transportation; it’s also

the state of our roads that can be a limitation to connectivity. We frequently

have roads that have been washed out by landslides and floods, and these events

can block off the only routes in and out of communities. There is significant

need for better maintenance of these routes both to limit the safety risk and

so that people do not have to worry about being cut off from businesses or

services like health care.

Also, in order to strengthen our rural communities, we need proper

supports for recovery from disasters like wildfires. It is absolutely

unacceptable that months and sometimes years after devastating fires, people

are still trying to pick up the pieces by themselves because this government

has not stepped in to provide the needed investment and recovery.

I’ve spoken at length, before, about the NDP dragging their feet on

securing disaster relief funding from the federal government and the impacts

that this is having on ranchers looking to get their cattle back on the range.

But there is so much more to do — so much work that is absolutely necessary to

maintain and strengthen our rural economies.

It’s hard to forget that this government, despite their attempts to make

it seem like they are ready to invest in rural communities, is the same

government that cancelled the rural dividend fund. The rural dividend fund

consisted of millions of dollars set aside precisely for what we’re talking

about this morning: creating thriving and diversified world

economies.

Instead of investing in a program and allowing it to continue to fund

important projects, the government called it a slush fund and then raided it to

use the money elsewhere. It was profoundly disappointing for so many people,

particularly local governments who were depending on this money for projects in

their communities.

I am glad that the members opposite are finally starting to acknowledge

the need for greater investment in the Interior and the North, but I hope that

they know they have a lot of work to do. Rural B.C. deserves better — far

better — from this government than what it has received over the past four

years.

M. Babchuk: I stand today to support the motion: “Be it resolved that this House

support strong rural communities built on thriving, diversified and sustainable

rural economies.” The most important part of that statement, to me, is the

identification of rural economies and the understanding that they differ from

urban or metropolitan economies.

Rural and remote communities should not just be defined as a location on

a map or a population statistic. They’re communities that have deep, historic

roots, cultures of resilience. The people who live there, most often, are from

multigenerational families who identify themselves directly with their

community.

[11:15 a.m.]

It will not come as a huge surprise that my riding, North Island, is

primarily made up of a dynamic group of rural, remote and Indigenous

communities. Currently we’re seeing these communities raise concerns as we

watch historic economic sectors attempt to transition. Industries like

commercial fishing, forestry, mining, tourism and aquaculture are looking at

sustainability and diversification strategies that are creating a sense of risk

or uncertainty for any type of economic investment.

Coupled with the absence of tools that urban and metropolitan

communities often take for granted makes it more important than ever to listen

to the needs identified by the people in these communities as we assist them

with their economic diversification.

A great example of this is the Connected Coast project. This project

started with the strategic direction from rural and remote directors of the

Strathcona regional district in hopes to promote safety and provide

emergency management B.C. and to assist with attracting economic opportunity.

This project grew out of necessity and has become what is today a collaboration

between the Strathcona regional district and CityWest, a B.C.

telecommunications company founded by the city of Prince Rupert.

I was extremely proud to welcome the Minister of Citizens’ Services and

the Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction to Campbell River just

last Friday to announce the launch of the cable-laying vessel for the Connected

Coast backbone fibre.

Our government has identified that approximately 60 percent of rural

non-Indigenous and non-urban Indigenous communities do not have reliable,

affordable, high-speed Internet and that people need broadband to work, learn

and stay in touch with friends and loved ones. That’s why I’m so grateful for

programs like connecting British Columbia that help fund a significant portion

of this infrastructure cost and our Stronger B.C. plan that includes record

investments in connectivity infrastructure for rural and Indigenous

communities.

Budget 2021 brought stable funding to connectivity for the first time,

ensuring that these important investments continue. When provincial, federal

and privately funded projects are complete, 60 percent of rural and Indigenous

communities throughout B.C. will have access to reliable, high-speed Internet.

Almost $90 million has been committed to connectivity projects throughout B.C.

since October 2020.

The Connected Coast is bringing unprecedented digital capacity to many

rural and remote coastal communities in B.C. The subsea fibre optic cable will

be laid along the ocean floor, providing the infrastructure to benefit

approximately 139 communities, including 48 Indigenous communities, from the

southern tip of Vancouver Island to as far north as Haida Gwaii.

That’s not all. We’re investing in rural and remote B.C. with small and

medium business recovery grants, circuit breaker relief grants and wage growth

strategies, through the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation; Buy

B.C., Feed B.C., B.C. Food Hub and the B.C. salmon restoration and innovation

fund, through the Ministry of Agriculture; new regional airport infrastructure,

active transportation initiatives and road upgrade projects, through the

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure; and rural community resource

grants and exploration around mass timber opportunities, from the Ministry of

Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.

We are working hard, but there’s still more to do. We need to continue

to provide rural remote communities with the tools they need to diversify their

economies: cell service, reliable hydro, travelable roads and municipal

infrastructure.

Rural and remote B.C. is quickly showing itself to be the ideal place

for people seeking lifestyle and affordable choices for themselves and their

families, so it’s more important than ever that we get these communities tooled

up so they can invest, make investments, create jobs and provide services, all

while keeping their community identities.

C. Oakes: It truly is my honour to rise today to speak to the motion of supporting

strong rural communities.

Investments in rural British Columbia form the foundation for future

growth, economic certainty and opportunity across this province. They assist

rural communities to remain vibrant, attractive places to live, work and, of

course, encourage young adults to stay and attract new residents into our

communities. Government needs to invest in these communities to ensure that the

next generation can flourish in the very communities that they call

home.

[11:20 a.m.]

This requires a rural economic development strategy that aligns with

government policy and a wide range of programs. Governments need to be there to

support these communities, to support forest-dependent communities facing mill

closures, curtailments. Government needs to be there to support communities

facing wildfires, floods and landslides. Government needs to be

there.

I encourage members of this House to look at the B.C. Liberal B.C. rural

opportunities strategy of which the cornerstone, of course, was the rural

dividend fund. Don’t abandon policies that made good common sense, that

supported rural economic development. Building infrastructure such as highways

is critical to rural communities which, of course, link them to the rest of the

province and the key markets to help them thrive.

At the same time, it’s essential for government to continue to do road

repairs on impacted communities that have faced catastrophic climate events

such as wildfires and floods, because, of course, transportation serves a dual

purpose by generating direct employment and underpinning job creation, all

while supporting the quality of life for citizens in our

communities.

It is also critical that government supports policies that support

thriving rural economies. We all know that small businesses are the heart and

soul in all of our communities, and it is critically important that we are

there to assist them in times of difficulty. We need to do more to create

vibrant places for people to live, work and play. One of the ways is to make

sure that we’re supporting the very small businesses that give back each and

every time that community members ask.

I have heard firsthand the many challenges that businesses in my riding

of Cariboo North are currently facing. Things such as they’re having difficulty

accessing labour. They’re struggling with the increase in taxes. And they are,

of course, still dealing with the devastating impacts of the

pandemic.

This government needs to do more to support this important sector in

order for our communities to live up to their full potential. Helping rural

communities meet local infrastructure needs such as affordable housing,

transportation, infrastructure and replacing aging infrastructure can enhance

safety, grow our economy and support trade for B.C.’s expanding resource

sectors.

Last week in this House, we recognized the importance of our

agricultural sector in our province. Food security in our province requires

that we listen closely to this important sector and ensure that government

policies and regulations do not have negative consequences. However, I have

heard major concerns from a variety of my agricultural constituents that this

government continues to create roadblocks for this sector. Issues such as

confusion around requiring permits, delays in receiving water well licences and

layering of new fees have caused disruption for many and are greatly impacting

our agricultural sector.

For example, I have heard from individuals that future farm planning has

become so difficult for the next generation that it is not sure if the next

generation is willing to step up or can even survive in this critically

important sector. For many, the water well licence programs have taken years to

process. And most importantly, the new fees on top of the rising costs of

layering of cumulative fees are negatively impacting a sector that needs to

thrive for B.C. to meet its food security needs.

I want all members of this House to understand the unique challenges our

rural ridings experience. Cariboo North is larger than Vancouver Island. I want

each of you to consider for a moment what it means when government policies and

regulations, the role it plays in making rural communities less efficient….

Under this government, communities like mine have struggled, and we need to

implement the right policies here in Victoria to ensure that our rural

communities can thrive.

One of my proudest accomplishments when we were in government was when

we developed a pilot project across ministries looking at how we can support

rural communities. I implore this House to continue that important

work.

[11:25 a.m.]

J. Rice: It is important to note that the wealth generated in the regions of

rural B.C. make possible many of the essential public services that every

British Columbian depends on. Our government has been working hard to support

rural B.C., including the communities I represent in North Coast. These

investments help maintain diversified and sustainable economies, allowing

communities to thrive.

Locally, some of the investments to rural economies include the northern

planning and capital grant, which brought in over $175 million to northwest

communities. Communities like Prince Rupert received over $14 million to invest

in water infrastructure, roads or downtown revitalization. To put that into

perspective, the city’s budget is $35 million annually. So that’s quite an

investment.

Thanks to federal and provincial investments, Highway 16 from Prince

Rupert to Prince George will soon have cellular coverage along the entire

route, fulfilling a critical recommendation to make the highway safer. As part

of this project, Rogers plans to install 12 cellular towers along the highway.

This will provide 252 kilometres of new highway cellular coverage, closing

several gaps along the corridor.

As someone who uses this highway regularly and has been stranded on the

highway myself, I know how important this project is for the people who travel

Highway 16. Not only will this project open up access to communities along the

corridor; it will make it much easier for emergency responders to react quickly

when people need assistance. It’s scheduled to be complete in the fall of

People in northern British Columbia will continue to enjoy safe,

reliable transportation options with help from new multi-year funding from the

provincial and federal governments. B.C. and Canada are providing $7.9 million

in safe restart funding to respond to the longer-term impacts of the COVID-19

pandemic and the continued need for public transportation in rural and remote

communities in northern B.C., through to March 2025.

The new funding will enable northern bus services, including the areas

served by B.C. Bus North, to be sustained and enhanced. In 2018, when Greyhound

eliminated its bus services throughout western Canada, the Ministry of

Transportation and Infrastructure, working in partnership with B.C. Transit,

launched B.C. Bus North, a long-haul bus service serving communities such as

Prince Rupert, Prince George, Valemount, Fort Nelson and points in

between.

People who live and work in northern B.C. are benefiting from a

provincial investment of $25 million that will improve and expand operations at

the Port of Prince Rupert. This supports B.C. and Canadian exporters’

competitiveness and opportunities in international trade. Our investment in the

Port of Prince Rupert improves western trade corridors and helps Canadian

importers and exporters get goods to market. It supports regional businesses

and provides the necessary infrastructure to boost our provincial economy to

help build back stronger from the hit of COVID-19.

The project, led by the Prince Rupert Port Authority, improves and

expands infrastructure at Ridley Island export logistics platform. The new

platform will increase the port’s export transloading capacity from 75,000

20-foot-equivalent units, or TEUs, to over 400,000 TEUs annually.

Subsea fibre optic cable will be laid along the ocean floor, providing

the infrastructure to benefit approximately 139 communities, including 48

Indigenous communities. The Connected Coast network will serve communities with

backbone infrastructure from Haida Gwaii to southern Vancouver Island. Service

providers will be able to offer high-speed Internet that will provide coastal

communities with better opportunities to learn, do business, access services

and stay connected.

It’s a powerful socioeconomic driver that supports the delivery of

accessible and responsive services citizens count on. My colleague from North

Island has done an excellent job outlining the benefits of this

project.

I’m running out of time to elaborate on the investments we’ve made in

northern communities, such as the creation of 45 new child care spaces at

school district 52 or the $720,000 input into the Prince Rupert regional

airport to help sustain services.

We have accomplished much in the North, but of course, we still have

much more work to do. It is my honour to represent and advocate for the people

of North Coast and to help develop strong, resilient, diversified rural

economies.

B. Stewart: It’s a pleasure to rise in the House today to support the motion before

us today and speak to the need to strengthen our rural communities and

economies.

Our rural communities are vital and, unfortunately, all-too-often

forgotten by this government. I have to say that it was surprising to see the

NDP put forward this motion — however, the member who brought it forward, I

know, lives in rural British Columbia in one of the communities that needs many

things — as it feels like the priorities for the government often lie outside

of rural B.C.

[11:30 a.m.]

However, it is a positive step to see them recognizing the importance of

these communities here in this House. I hope it signals a change in the way

that we operate and the way that we engage with the majority of the province

that is beyond Hope.

As for strengthening rural communities, there is no shortage of

important issues to talk about. The one that remains at the top of the list, I

think, in everyone’s mind is connectivity. I know that we continue to hear

that, and I know how rapidly it’s changing. But that change really took place

during COVID, when people were stranded at home, couldn’t connect with their

businesses, their loved ones.

This has been a growing issue, with the threshold and the standards that

the federal government has insisted that connectivity levels get to across

Canada. I’m glad to hear from the member for Boundary-Similkameen about the

continued investments in this, but I do think that we need long-term,

sustainable funding.

As I mentioned, the CRTC has recently set a target that every Canadian

should have access to Internet with a speed of 50 megabits per second. But

right now only 40 percent of rural British Columbia communities have access to

this, and it’s even worse in our Indigenous communities that are at less than

38 percent.

The Internet is so essential for most people’s daily life, from

business, school, health care, consulting a doctor, or being able to just stay

in touch with loved ones and friends. As such, there needs to be a greater

focus in ensuring that every home in B.C. has access to this kind of

connectivity.

In the same vein, there are still many places in this province, and I’m

glad to hear the member for North Coast mention the fact that there is going to

be cellular coverage along Highway 16. That’s great, but there are still many

places besides Highway 16 that need to have access to that. We have to invest

in this. That transportation, that connectivity, is as important as our

highways.

For people that live in the Lower Mainland, it’s hard for them to

imagine living somewhere that cell coverage isn’t always a guarantee. But right

now, that’s just a part of life for so many British Columbians. It’s not just

cell coverage. There are so many challenges for rural communities that people

in urban areas never have to think about and don’t really

understand.

There’s less access to education, particularly at the post-secondary

level, and for those that are in rural B.C., wanting to attend college or

university usually means leaving your community. Rural B.C. also has fewer

options for health care. Hospitals are few and far between in much of the

province. Ambulance wait times can be exceptionally long, or you simply don’t

have access at all. This makes having a family doctor all the more

important.

Hence, I go back to my earlier comment about connectivity and health

access over the Internet. In the rest of the province, we’re seeing people,

more than ever, without a primary care provider, so this is one of the ways of

helping to make that more accessible.

What about transportation? It’s not only a challenge to traverse long

distances between cities, but the transportation options or lack thereof within

many of our communities pose a challenge. Many cities and towns do not have the

transit infrastructure to adequately serve our residents, particularly in

places, even in my riding of Kelowna West, where areas like Northwest Side have

no access and school students ride for up to an hour and a half just to get to

school one way every day.

We need to ensure that we are investing in our communities in ways that

make common sense and serve the needs right now into the long future. Whether

it’s recovering from wildfires, improving connectivity and transportation

options, providing more supports for businesses, there are certainly no

shortages of ways that this government could work to strengthen rural

communities and their economies. The problem is not a lack of opportunities to

invest but a lack of will and effort to prioritize the needs of rural British

Columbians.

Whether someone lives in the centre of Vancouver, in rural Peace River

or in my constituency of Kelowna West, they deserve the same access to

services, the same level of government support. I hope that the members on the

opposite side of this House can come to not just agree with that statement but

actively work to make it a reality.

[11:35 a.m.]

B. Bailey: Most of us are well familiar with the rural-to-urban brain drain. For

decades, rural towns have been losing inhabitants to bigger cities. Between

1951 and 2016, B.C.’s urban population grew from 68 percent of the total

population to 86 percent.

Many of those workers joined the tech sector, now employing more than

135,000 individuals. With both wages and employment growth well above average,

a career in technology has never been more inviting. Projections show that we

expect a shortage of 75,000 workers in this sector by 2030. That’s not very far

off the horizon.

The global pandemic has had horrific consequences for many. It’s also

been a disrupter both in supply chain but also in how we do business. As has

been widely reported, working from home allowed British Columbians a new

framework from which to plan where to live. Why pay high urban prices when you

can work from anywhere that you can get Internet? Of course, this government

continues to seriously invest in connectivity in rural B.C. and Indigenous

communities.

Much has been written about the future of work, but in reality it’s

still being invented. We don’t really know what comes next. Innovation and

disruption breed change and opportunity. A favourite small-town example is that

of Greg Malpass and Traction on Demand. Greg hails from Nelson, and he founded

Traction after attending SFU in Burnaby. Malpass has grown Traction from a

one-person company to what is now over a thousand people. He has seven offices

worldwide in Canada, the U.S., India and Australia.

Interestingly, Malpass reports seeing a steady migration of his team

that are moving from major urban centres to smaller communities where there’s

more affordability. They can leverage the fact that they can do their work from

virtually anywhere. In 2018, the company opened a 10,000-square-foot office in

Malpass’s hometown of Nelson. Traction is looking at many disruptive and new

ways to do work, including a model where remote workers have a central location

to meet up, like a coffee shop, and Traction pays part of the operating cost to

that business.

B.C. has a network of regional economic development agencies working to

support companies in these communities. KAST, the Kootenay Association of

Science and Technology, collaborates with companies like Traction on Demand.

Accelerate Okanagan, or AO, is one of the drivers that’s led to the Okanagan

becoming a rapidly growing tech and innovation hub. AO indicates that the

Okanagan now hosts 12,500 tech workers, a 15 percent growth, and $1.7 billion

in economic impact.

One of the companies AO has been working with is Yeti Farm. Creative

couple Ashley and Todd Ramsay had been working in the animation sector in

Vancouver and, after starting their own company and becoming parents, decided

in 2010 to move closer to family in Kelowna. The couple rented space, hired

five students and secured their first work-for-hire projects. By 2019, Yeti had

160 artists — 7,000 square feet of studio space. Historically animating shows

under contract for other companies, Yeti has now expanded to the point where

they are writing, developing and pitching their own series. Recently three

ideas have been greenlit to develop into primetime pilots.

Innovation Island works to support tech companies north of the Malahat.

A great example of a studio that benefits from this support and continues to be

successful is Cloudhead Games, located in an old fire hall in Qualicum.

Cloudhead Games was an early adopter of building video games in virtual

reality, or VR. In fact, their hit game Pistol Whip won VR game of the year in

There’s no region in B.C. where technological innovation is not

happening. In the north, tech firms often develop technologies specifically for

the more traditional northern B.C. industries, like energy, mining and

forestry.

As an MLA from Vancouver, I’m always happy to see growth of tech

companies in my city.

As the Parliamentary Secretary for Technology and Innovation, I see

opportunity everywhere. I’m delighted to see the growth of technology and

innovation spread throughout our province, creating opportunity for all

B.C.’ers.

In honour of Women and Girls in STEAM Week this week, November 1 to 7,

I’m happy to mention that Yeti Farm, in fact, and Cloudhead Games are both

women co-founded and led.

M. Morris: Good morning. It is my privilege to stand and speak about the importance

of strengthening our rural areas and ensuring that we have a thriving,

diversified economy throughout British Columbia. Rural B.C. can’t survive

without a strong resource sector.

[11:40 a.m.]

B.C. can’t survive without a strong resource sector across the province.

The focus on building a strong and resilient, robust resource economy has never

been more critical than it is today.

B.C.’s electricity originates in rural B.C. and is transported through

thousands of kilometres of hydro lines across the province. Our natural gas,

which is generated in northeast B.C., provides heat for most residential

buildings in the province, provides natural gas for industry and commerce in

British Columbia and the northwest United States. Those take people, and those

take a commitment by government to ensure that those resources keep flowing

south.

Provincewide, resource sector jobs have dropped from 8.4 percent of all

employment to around 4.4 percent — 50 percent just in the last few years alone.

This is an indication that government has abandoned the resource sector right

across the province. Fifty percent of our resource sector jobs have

disappeared.

I’ll start with forestry. The severe overharvesting and bark beetle

salvage that we’ve seen throughout the province have prematurely depleted B.C.

forests. It’s led to several mills being permanently shut down, and there are

several more to come. Modernization in the forest sector over the last 15 years

has seen a 50 percent drop in employment within the forest sector.

I look at Mackenzie as an example, a small town in my riding where the

pulp mill has permanently closed. A large-dimension sawmill has permanently

closed. The other mill in town has been operating intermittently over the past

number of years. Combined, this has put hundreds of people in this small

community out of work. They’ve had to go to other areas to seek

employment.

I haven’t once seen government in town to address any of those concerns

within that community. They virtually abandoned Mackenzie in its time of need.

The time has come to reset how we do forestry right across the province to

enable us to extract the other values of the forest, rather than just mere

fibre.

I turn to another resource sector that I think has been abandoned by

government: mining. It’s always been the cornerstone of the B.C. economy as

well, contributing to small and large communities. There are several mining

opportunities in British Columbia. Just in my region alone — within about a

two- or three-hour drive of Prince George — there are all kinds of shovel-ready

projects that are ready to go.

Rare earth minerals are in high demand right around the world. Again,

within a two- or three-hour drive of Prince George, there are a number of rare

earth elements that are attractive to international folks.

The problems that we see facing the existing and potential mines are the

escalating costs, many of them imposed by government, like your employee health

tax, increased fuel costs and lengthy permitting processes. I look at Mount

Milligan near Mackenzie. It employs about 450 people. It’s very vital to not

only the regional economy in Prince George, but there are people who travel to

Mount Milligan from all across the province to work.

As a result of examining these increased costs, the mine life of Mount

Milligan has been reduced from 25 years to nine years. That’s going to have a

significant implication on the public and the economy, moving forward, not only

for the folks in Mackenzie but regionally all across the province.

There are a number of things — you know, oil refinery…. We have

petrochemicals. There are a number of initiatives that we need to look at to

stimulate the resource sector and the economy of British Columbia so that

everybody has the opportunity to succeed and live successfully in our

province.

D. Coulter: I’m very happy to speak today in full support of the member for

Boundary-Similkameen and Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development’s

motion: “Be it resolved that this House support strong rural communities built

on thriving, diversified and sustainable rural economies.”

[11:45 a.m.]

My colleagues have mentioned many ways to diversify the rural economy,

but I’d like to mention just two: forestry and connectivity. It’s not a secret

that I worked in the forestry industry, in particular a sawmill, so the

forestry industry is quite important to me. Forestry has been the backbone of

our rural communities for so long. I look around the province now, though, and

see so many sawmills that have disappeared. Communities all over the province

were devastated by these closures.

The 2003 forestry revitalization strategy — truly an Orwellian name —

was a disaster for the forest industry here in B.C., an unmitigated disaster.

It removed the social contract that required forestry companies to process

their logs locally wherever possible. Local mills shut down, raw log exports

accelerated, and the jobs and wealth from our Crown resources went elsewhere —

resources that belonged to the people of B.C.

The current government is taking a different approach. We need to

maximize our resources for the people of B.C. to have good-paying jobs and

vibrant communities. That’s why this government is supporting things like mass

timber by investing an additional $2 million into the mass timber demonstration

program to support a second intake for successful eligible applicants who want

to advance their mass timber project.

The first intake invested $4.2 million to support eight mass timber

demonstration projects and four research projects in the province. This

provides grants to accelerate the use of mass timber in B.C. to support jobs in

research, design, engineering, construction and forestry.

Mass timber already provides approximately 166,000 jobs and generates

more than $17 billion annually for B.C.’s economy. With these grants, I think

that British Columbia has the opportunity to become a world leader in mass

timber.

Another place that we can ensure that forestry continues to provide

good-paying jobs to British Columbians for generations is to ensure that we are

getting the most out of our fibre. In my constituency, and in my colleague the

member for Vernon-Monashee’s constituency, there’s a company that takes the

waste wood or cut ends from larger mills and joins them together to create

high-end products, including siding and structural beams. These pieces are as

small as six inches long.

Also, in my other friend’s constituency, the member for Chilliwack-Kent,

there’s a new mill that employs up to 100 people and is focused on

remanufactured wood. These are the types of activities that we need to continue

to support. There’s a lot of potential for the value-added sector to keep

forestry jobs in our rural communities.

I’d also like to talk a little bit about connectivity. I lived in a

somewhat rural area called Ryder Lake, just outside of Chilliwack. I had ten

acres. I had some Simmental cows. It’s such an idyllic, wonderful place. Lots

of old families. Properties from 100 to ten acres. They have the largest

western toad migration in southwest B.C. They shut down a road, as all of the

tiny little toads — they look like pieces of gravel — cross the road every

year.

It’s a wonderful place to live, but the Internet was so awfully slow. So

slow. I never got the chance to watch a YouTube video up there. You could

either have dial-up, or you could have very expensive satellite

Internet.

Like I had, many rural and non-urban Indigenous communities don’t have

reliable or affordable high-speed Internet access. Broadband Internet is

becoming essential for everyone — for work, to learn and to stay in touch with

friends and loved ones. That’s why this government has the connecting British

Columbia program, which helps by funding a significant portion of the

infrastructure cost.

Budget 2021 brought stable funding to connectivity for the first time,

ensuring that these important investments will continue. When current

provincial, federal and privately funded projects are complete, 60 percent of

rural and Indigenous communities throughout B.C. will have access to reliable

high-speed Internet.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot see my time, but I just want to say…. Oh, okay. I

am proud to speak today in full support of my colleague from

Boundary-Similkameen’s motion. Thank you very much.

[11:50 a.m.]

Deputy Speaker: We’ll go back to old technology, before we had the screens with the

timers.

Green light means two minutes. Face mask off means ten seconds,

right?

J. Tegart: I’m proud to stand today in the House to speak on the motion: “Be it

resolved that this House support strong rural communities built on thriving,

diversified and sustainable rural economies.”

Thank you to the member opposite for bringing this forward.

Sometimes when I sit on this side of the House, I think that there is a

huge gap between what happens in rural and what happens in urban — a

misunderstanding of without each other, we cannot be strong as a province. What

is happening in urban centres makes a difference to what happens in our rural

communities. What is happening in our rural communities makes a difference to

what happens in urban centres.

I know that Highland Valley Copper in my riding, which employs close to

1,100 people and provides good, family-supporting jobs, has their head office

in Vancouver. Many of the head offices in Vancouver, for those resource

industries, would gut the downtown of Vancouver if those industries were not

supported by government and by the people who live in this province.

I’ve got prepared notes. I am quite passionate about the economy of

rural British Columbia, and I want to share some stories about my

riding.

As you know, my riding starts below Hope and goes above 70 Mile, out to

Gold Bridge and Bralorne, over to Merritt and towards Princeton, down Highway 3

and through Manning Park to the U.S. border. So it’s quite diverse. But we

struggle, as many small communities do. We depend on governments and people in

this House who will support programs that will help small communities get that

little bit of a start to look at projects and to look at possibilities in their

communities that will build jobs and sustain people staying close to

home.

I don’t know about your communities, but many of our small, rural

communities are seeing a lifestyle of fly in, fly out. People are choosing to

live where they live and are having that ability because the job will be

elsewhere. You fly out for two weeks, come home for two weeks.

That changes your community. It changes the volunteer base of your

community. It changes the interactions in your community. We need to think

about that as leaders. We need to think about the changes that are happening,

not just climate change and big changes but changes socially in our communities

that are happening.

I think the rural dividend fund was an incredible program for so many of

our small communities that wanted to kick-start a project and just needed

$10,000 to do that. I would urge everyone in this House to think about those

innovative little projects that got started because someone was able to pick up

$5,000 to $10,000 to get it in place.

I think about what’s happened during COVID. When we talk about high-tech

sector, many people in my community would have no idea what a high-tech

industry would look like. But I think COVID has shown us that every place in

British Columbia has a right to the infrastructure around Internet.

Many of us found it impossible to do our Zoom calls, to do our

interactions. You think about that. It’s like having no telephone. Many of my

communities and areas in my riding don’t have a telephone or don’t have

telephone connection, cell phone connection. Think about your life without that

and how difficult that would be. So lots of things that could be talked about

around rural B.C. and sustainable economies.

[11:55 a.m.]

I think that one of the things we need to commit to in this House is to

understand the diversity of our economy, to understand the importance of

everything that happens in this province to every person in this House and also

to every person in British Columbia.

Without rural B.C., urban B.C. would look very different. Without a

strong, sustainable rural B.C., I don’t know what our province would look

like.

I want to thank you for bringing it forward today. I could talk forever,

as you well know. I know that the Speaker’s mask is off, so thank you, and

thank you for supporting rural British Columbia.

D. Routley: Thanks for the warning on the mask, the ten-second rule. We’ve never had

that luxury here. I appreciate it.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

I’m very pleased to speak in support of the motion from the member for

Boundary-Similkameen, which is, in itself, in support of rural economies. I’d

like to speak to the House from the perspective of a member who represents

rural islands. The islands I represent are just a few short kilometres from

urban centres. Gabriola, the island that I want to specifically speak about, is

only six kilometres from Nanaimo, but that can be the equivalent of about a 50-

to a 100-kilometre drive, given the time of day and ferry service.

It’s important that we recognize our communities beyond simple

equations, more deeply. I think that when you look at the Gulf Islands,

uniqueness is definitely a trait, not just the people but the islands — the

culture, the habitat, the uniqueness. They are governed by a body called the

Islands Trust as well as regional districts. Their mission is to preserve and

protect the trust area and the unique amenities and environment for the benefit

of residents and the trust area of B.C.

It’s important that we recognize that it’s not just about protecting the

environment and the Gulf Islands but also the unique island culture. It’s said

that the most endangered species on the Gulf Islands may indeed be working

families as the cost of living on the islands becomes higher and the cost of

running businesses is higher. So there’s always a struggle.

It’s important that government recognize just what we’re facing, and I

think we do. We know that Gabriola is the Isle of the Arts. It’s a land of

festivals. It has the highest concentration of artists in our province. Our

government recognizes that.

On Gabriola, that’s exactly the type of investment we’ve made, along

with others. Recovery funding, just in this past year: the Noise Floor

Recording Studio, $5,500; creative writers, $14,500 in grants; a microgrant to

a singer of $1,500. Project assistance to the museum, the historical society,

was $7,000.

Pivot grants were given to the Gabriola Arts Council of $35,000 and to

another four artists, $20,000 in total. StrongerBC resilience grants went to

the Gabriola Arts Council, again, $18,000, and to the historical and museum

society, another $18,000. Then again, in March, to the arts council, another

$5,000, recognizing how important arts and culture are to the economy and the

underlying thriving and health of the Gulf Islands.

We went back and gave another $20,000, under the art infrastructure

program, to the Gabriola Arts Council. Pivot grants, again, to the arts council

of another $20,000.

The Gabriola Huxley skate park project was joint funding. When I saw a

skateboard park and funding on Gabriola and saw that it was joint funding, I

had to do a double take. But it’s joint funding with the federal government,

and they got half a million dollars.

The Gabriola Community Hall Association, a quarter-of-a-million-dollar

grant in joint funding from the province and the federal government.

It goes on. The GERTIE bus service got $188,000 for a new facility to

store their bus. The fire department, another $20,000. The accessible

playground at the Gabriola Elementary School cost $110,000.

I think the investment that I’m most proud of and that has the most

immediate effect on the economy and the liberation of the lives of Gabriola

residents is child care funding. There’s been $729,000 invested on Gabriola

Island alone for a new building and 40 new spaces, as well as the existing

spaces, to serve the families of Gabriola.

[12:00 p.m.]

And broader investments like getting rid of the MSP premium — the

largest middle-class tax break in the history of this province — as well as the

investments in paramedic services. We have two helicopters and a fixed-wing

airplane on Vancouver Island where we had none and had to wait for service from

the Mainland in the past.

It’s important always to recognize the true economy and the culture of

the places and the people that we are attempting to help in order to do the

best job. I would argue that our government has done that and that the people

of the Gulf Islands, and particularly Gabriola Island, have benefited

economically, culturally and as families. I’m very proud of that record, and

I’m very proud to stand in support of rural economic development in

B.C.

D. Routley moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. J. Whiteside moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. today.

The House adjourned at 12:01 p.m.

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