The committee met at 8:36 a.m.

[B. D’Eith in the chair.]

B. D’Eith (Chair): Good morning, everyone. My name is Bob D’Eith. I’m the MLA for Maple Ridge–Mission and the Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, a committee of the Legislative Assembly that includes MLAs from the government and opposition parties.

I’d like to acknowledge that I’m joining everyone today from the traditional territories of the Katzie and Kwantlen First Nations.

I would like to welcome everyone listening and participating to this virtual public hearing for the Budget 2021 consultation. Normally, the committee travels around British Columbia to hear from British Columbians about their priorities for the next budget, but due to the pandemic, all public hearings are being held virtually this year.

Our consultation is based on the Minister of Finance’s budget consultation paper that was released to the public on June 1, and we invite all British Columbians to participate by making a written submission or by filling out an online survey. The details for this are at bcleg.ca/fgsbudget. The consultation closes at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 26.

We’ll be carefully considering all input to make recommendations to the Legislative Assembly on what should be in Budget 2021. The committee intends to release its report in August.

In terms of the format, presenters will be organized into small panels, as we’ve shown, by theme. This morning we’ll be continuing with the topic of social services before moving on to advanced education. Each presenter has five minutes for their presentation followed by questions by the committee.

Today’s meeting is being recorded and transcribed. All audio from our meetings is broadcast live via our website, and a complete transcript will be posted.

Next up we will have the members introduce themselves. Today we’ll start with Donna.

D. Barnett: Good morning, and thank you. Welcome, everybody. My name is Donna Barnett. I’m the MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin.

Today I am on the traditional territory of the Secwépemc people.

R. Leonard: Hi. I’m Ronna-Rae Leonard. I’m the MLA for Courtenay-Comox.

I am speaking from the traditional territories of the K’ómoks First Nation.

M. Dean: Good morning. I’m Mitzi Dean. I go by the pronouns she/her. I’m the MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin.

I’m honoured to be speaking to you today from the traditional territories of the Songhees, Esquimalt and Scia’new Nations.

[8:40 a.m.]

D. Clovechok (Deputy Chair): Good morning from the Kootenays. I’m a little squirrely this morning. I had squirrels this morning, and I had a bear yesterday, so there you go.

I’m the MLA for Columbia River–Revelstoke.

I’m sitting today on the shared traditional territories of the Shuswap and Ktunaxa Nations.

I look forward to your presentations.

N. Simons: Good morning. I’m Nicholas Simons. I represent Powell River–Sunshine Coast, to be precise. That’s the territory….

I represent the Tla’amin and shíshálh territory.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Assisting the committee today are Susan Sourial and Stephanie Raymond from the Parliamentary Committees Office, and Dwight Schmidt from Hansard.

First up we have Erica Mark from TRRUST Collective Impact.

Budget Consultation Presentations
Panel 1 – Social Services

TRRUST COLLECTIVE IMPACT

E. Mark: I’d like to start by acknowledging that I’m on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

Thank you for allowing me to present today. My name is Erica Mark, and I’m speaking on behalf of the TRRUST Collective. TRRUST is made up of over 60 organizations and 250 members in non-profit organizations, government agencies and young people. Our goal is to improve outcomes for youth in and from government care in Vancouver. Young people with experience in government care guide our work. They have identified several gaps and barriers that we, as a collective, continue to try to address. That’s why I’m here asking for your support today.

I’m going to start by asking you to think about what you want for your children and for anyone that you care about. I’m guessing that most people would want their loved ones to have a safe place to live, healthy food, access to mental health supports, good health care and medication, access to transportation, technology, employment and education, and positive people and relationships in their lives. These are the same things that we want for youth in and from government care.

Moving out, for youth, should be a time of excitement and opportunity. Yet for many youth in care, it comes with fear and anxiety as they try to figure out how they will meet their basic needs while losing services, support and connections. In Fostering Change’s report, Opportunities in Transition, it’s noted that most young people aged 20 to 24 have low incomes, and they tend to rely on family for additional financial support. In fact, 60 percent of youth in this age range live in their parental homes.

With this in mind, it seems reasonable that we need similar levels of flexible support for youth transitioning out of care. The Canadian Mental Health Association of B.C.’s website states: “In 2010, the government of British Columbia estimated that mental health problems cost our economy an estimated $6.6 billion annually.” Investments in preventative and proactive measures can significantly reduce this massive annual expense. Mental health and wellness isn’t just about having access to mental health care. It’s also about having basic needs met, having good living conditions and having a place in a supportive community.

We recommend the following to improve the mental health of youth transitioning out of care. Transportation affects a person’s ability to maintain their basic needs, such as food, housing, health care and connection to family and friends. It also affects one’s ability to be successful in employment and educational pursuits. We ask that youth in and from care be able to access public transportation free of charge.

Safe housing in their neighbourhood of choice is crucial so that youth can stay connected to their family, friends and community. According to rentals.ca, in June 2020, the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver is $2,022 per month. Based on current government support structures, youth would need to have two to three roommates living in a one-bedroom apartment. It may be possible to find slightly less expensive places, but there’d likely be reduced safety, poor living conditions and shared spaces with people that they don’t know.

[8:45 a.m.]

We ask that the amount of funding allocated for housing for youth transitioning out of care be increased to adequately reflect current housing costs. A person working full-time, making minimum wage in Vancouver, earns approximately $2,000 per month. Many organizations, including the city of Vancouver, have acknowledged the importance of a living wage and have agreed to be living-wage employers.

A person working full-time, making a living wage in Vancouver, earns approximately $2,700 a month. This implies that at a minimum, people need $2,000 per month. To be able to live comfortably in Vancouver, they need $2,700. Yet we ask youth from care to survive on $1,250 per month. We ask that all youth transitioning out of care be provided a living wage or, at a minimum, that the AYA be raised to the standard of the minimum wage, at $2,000 per month until their 25th birthday.

According to the McCreary Centre Society report titled We All Have a Role, youth in care participating in activities on a regular basis and who felt connected to their community were more likely to report better mental health and lower rates of extreme stress or despair. For positive mental health and self-care, youth should be able to have hobbies, take part in recreation activities with friends and explore interests. We ask that youth in and from care receive an all-access pass to utilize government assets such as community centres, pools, arenas, public gardens and aquariums free of charge.

In conclusion, when considering your recommendations, I ask that you reflect on two things. If we were talking about your child, what kind of supports would you want for them, and what kind of budget would you want them to be living on? Secondly, ask yourself: can I reasonably develop a livable budget for living in the Lower Mainland from the $1,250 that an AYA provides? Can I see myself, with this budget, ever pulling myself out of poverty, thriving and being successful?

Thank you for your time.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much, Erica.

Next up we have Braydon Chapelas.

BRAYDON CHAPELAS

B. Chapelas: Good morning, members of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. My name is Braydon Chapelas.

I’m speaking today from the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish people of the Qayqayt First Nation.

I come today with my lived experience as a youth who was formerly in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development from the time I was six years old until I was 19 and aged out of care in the fall of 2017.

I am here to speak to the work of the B.C. government’s budget committee and to share my personal reasoning as to why youth aging out of care in British Columbia need more support. Having the lived experience that I do makes me a perfect candidate to tell you why the support that is provided while aging out of care and the program in place once youth have aged out of care is inadequate in relation to parents and peers who did not experience time in the care system.

I spent 13 years in the care of the ministry from 2004 to 2017, and I was one of the fortunate youth to experience living with only two foster families, with my last placement lasting ten years. In the six months leading up to my 19th birthday, I was working part-time, going to university and living on my own through an independent residential program called Support Link through Aunt Leah’s Place in New Westminster.

I was given a list of things I needed to get done before I turned 19. An example of a few things I was tasked with completing include acquiring my BCID, registration for PharmaCare and MSP, acquiring a letter confirming my status in care from my social worker, securing affordable housing and applying for the agreements with young adults program, just to name a few.

I can tell you that even though I was doing well, living on my own with support from MCFD and Aunt Leah’s, I was horrified at the thought of aging out and losing the supports I had come to know while I was in care. The six months leading up to my 19th birthday were filled with a lot of doubt and uncertainty.

When I realized I would have to find a roommate to be able to afford a place to live after spending two years living on my own, I was upset and anxious. Even though I was an eligible youth to receive support from the agreements with young adults program and would be working at a full-time job while attending university, I would still be struggling to get by on a month-to-month basis.

My situation is just one example of what it is like for youth to leave care, but this story remains true for a lot of youth who are aging out. There has been lots of talk around improving the agreements with young adults program, but there has yet to be any concrete action to revamp the program to fit the needs of all youth leaving care.

[8:50 a.m.]

In the death review panel report, it mentioned specifically that “by October of 2019, MCFD will amend the qualifying criteria” for youth accessing AYA so that all young people transitioning from care or those who are on a youth agreement leading up to their 19th birthday are “universally eligible for the program. Services and financial support provided will address unique circumstances and transition needs of the young person.”

In Premier John Horgan’s mandate letter for MCFD, it states that one of the priorities of the ministry will be to “increase funding for agreements with young adults in order to offer supports to all young people aging out of care who need it, not just a few.”

We all know that $1,250 per month is barely enough to afford housing costs in the Lower Mainland, let alone food, transportation and communication costs. When you factor in that a lot of youth leaving care are leaving with physical and emotional trauma, whether or not they talk about it, it creates an even harder time for them to thrive.

In the reimagining of agreements with young adults, we need to understand the trauma youth are coming with and help support them in addressing and working through their experience in care with the support of private counselling and additional funding separate from the $1,250 included in the AYA program.

Youth need to be given access to their MCFD file, and they need to get it in a timely manner. Youth need to be supported through reading this file, and this lines up with my mention of working through their trauma from their time in care.

As a youth who has accessed the agreements with young adults program, who is still continuing to access a program…. It needs a drastic overhaul in the way it supports youth to success, not as an alternative to receiving an income or avoiding income assistance but as a program that accurately reflects and responds to the needs of every single youth who has been in the care of MCFD and is now trying to move on with their life.

The funding associated with this program needs to reflect the real, tangible costs of living in British Columbia. Youth should not be without food or basic necessities in order to afford rent in this province. Youth also shouldn’t be forced to live in SRO’s and environments which have a negative impact on their well-being because that is all they can find or afford after leaving care.

I call on this committee to make funding the universal and comprehensive agreements with young adults program a priority. I also call upon MCFD to stop talking about reimagining the program and to listen to the voices they’ve already consulted and actually do something to improve the lives of youth whom they close the door on when they turn 19 and leave the system.

If we are going to tell youth that at 19 they’re on their own, there need to be stronger supports in place leading up to that transition and afterwards. If you know that these kids don’t have the skills to live on their own yet and certainly don’t have the finances available to them to thrive in our communities, why are we sending them out on their own and setting them up for failure?

I know that many of the people I graduated with still live with their families and receive support, and I’m sure many of you here today have children and can only imagine how well they would do on their own at 19 if you closed the door on them and exited their lives. We see that only 20 percent of eligible youth are accessing the AYA program, and if you look at all of the restrictions, it’s easy to see the confusion on who is even eligible.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Braydon, just a reminder that you’re out of time. If you could wrap up, I’d appreciate it.

B. Chapelas: Yep. With this budget review, please consider what I’ve said today in making the right changes moving forward to support youth aging out of care to not just survive but to thrive in our communities.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much, Braydon.

Next up we have Susan Russell from Fostering Change.

Please go ahead.

FOSTERING CHANGE

S. Russell: Good morning. Thanks for having me. I’m speaking on behalf of the organization Fostering Change. The Fostering Change community is made up of youth who all have lived expertise in the child welfare system. We mobilize together around the powers of youth development and policy advocacy to challenge these systematic injustices. We are supported by our volunteers, allies, stakeholders and First Call: B.C. Child and Youth Advo­cacy Coalition.

Thank you for having me today as I speak on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Nation, of the Qayqayt First Nation folks as well.

As a representative of the Fostering Change community and an alumna of child welfare, I’d like to start off by recognizing the diverse experiences of my peers in care across Canada and, more specifically, the 7,000 children and youth in care in B.C. and the 700 alumni of care aging out this year.

We know that out of the 700 youth who leave care, only those who are eligible will receive the support they need to survive. We know that from the community, the eligibility criteria of the Ministry of Child and Family Development’s agreements with young adults program is widely inaccessible. Being unsupported after aging out at 19 leaves these youth more likely to experience adverse outcomes like substance engagement, homelessness and death.

Youth from care are more likely to die prematurely — more specifically, at a rate five times greater than the general young population. That jarring statistic of premature deaths is reflected in the 2018 B.C. Coroners Service Death Review Panel: Review of MCFD-Involved Youth Transitioning to Independence.

[8:55 a.m.]

The AYA program serves roughly 20 percent of youth, or about 104 youth annually, leaving over 500 youth unsupported. By using the ratio of the coroners service death review panel, that predicts that 112 youth will experience an early death this year alone. These statistics are too close to my heart, as I’ve lost several family members. All of us who have endured the child welfare system…. Three of my family members passed away before the age of 28, directly related to systematic failures of the child welfare system in areas of housing, support and substance engagement and mental health care.

Our community, the youth volunteers, allies and stakeholders of Fostering Change have an ask that reflects the research found in opportunities and transitions. We believe that making the supports universal and comprehensive will change the landscape of child welfare in B.C. We more specifically ask for the removal of policy barriers, including an age cap and minimum of in-care time period for agreements with young adults program.

We also ask for guaranteed equitable access to a medical model and non-medical model counselling platform. These solutions will be a good start in challenging the multiple systematic injustices and make the transition into adulthood a dignified experience.

We note that in this unprecedented time, the pandemic has highlighted and magnified the many unmet needs of communities, including youth in care at this time. We are aware that MCFD has made changes to the eligibility of life skills and AYA programming. These changes have the potential to affirm a dignified experience leaving care. We hope that special consideration is taken to indefinitely implement these supports, like cultural learning, after the pandemic comes to an end.

Our community continues to wait on Premier Horgan’s promise made in April 2018 to expand and improve supports to youth transitions from care through development of an action plan to be created by a cross-ministry working group. We call on each ministry to acknowledge their roles in expanding the prime mode of support youth are meant to receive when transitioning from care. In bringing awareness to action, we ask for transparency, communication and commitment from all governments and anything to do concerning the other amendments to the Child, Family and Community Services Act and, by doing so, fulfilling the parental role to 7,000 children and youth in their care.

We now have the chance to reshape our social systems, and lives truly depend on building the systemic change our community deserves. Therefore, in reimagining the AYA program, we imagine AYAs to be made comprehensive and universal for all youth in care. Anything other than that proposed solution will underserve youth, who should be supported to thrive, not just survive.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much, Susan, and all of the speakers. I really appreciate everything that you’re saying.

Let’s open it up. Mitzi, please go ahead with the first question.

M. Dean: Thank you so much. It’s really important that we hear from you, and we really appreciate you taking time and sharing your stories and your strong messages with us as well. Thank you so much.

I guess it’s only a budget question because of the resources involved, but I’m interested in what Braydon was saying about access to case files.

My approach, working in the social services sector for decades, was always that whatever age the child you were working with and on behalf of…. The case file was theirs, and you should always preserve the case file for them for whenever they wanted to access it, at whatever age, as an adult. So I was interested in what you were saying. Are there barriers to young people having access to their case files? Is it because of resources, or is it a policy or a culture matter? I’d just be interested in hearing a bit more about that.

B. Chapelas: Hi, Mitzi. I can speak on that right now because I’m currently waiting for files. I’ve been waiting over a year, and I think it’s a matter of resources available to gather these files. Like I said, I was in care for over ten years, and I understand that it’s probably a much larger file than somebody who is only in care for a few months.

The fact that I’m still waiting to hear this story that I don’t know…. A lot of it I don’t remember — my time in care — and it’s just really hard to not have that information in front of you. Obviously, you have to be patient. But I think it’s most likely around the resources that are allocated — that it’s not enough people to scan and get all of these files together.

[9:00 a.m.]

B. D’Eith (Chair): I’m curious, Braydon. Were you able to take advantage of the tuition waiver, or did that come after your education?

B. Chapelas: I was eligible for the tuition waiver, thankfully. I used that in conjunction with the agreements with young adults program. Then as well, I’ve applied for many bursaries and other accessible financial support.

As I’ve mentioned, the agreements with young adults, only being $1,250 a month, is quite low, especially when, in order to live in this province, you need to access transportation. You need to be able to have a vehicle and pay insurance and things like that. That alone is more than…. You can’t add all that together and still be able to afford rent, still be able to feed yourself and have time for yourself for recreational activities, like Erica mentioned.

Yeah, I’ve used the tuition waiver, and it’s a really great tool. As well, there are many bursaries like the…. Oh my goodness. What’s it called? There’s a specific $5,000 bursary that’s awarded to specific youth. You have to apply for it as well. If you’re taking full-time coursework, you could apply for that to get some financial support, which acts sort of like a student loan but is forgiven. You don’t have to pay it back, as long you are maintaining your courses. So that’s another way.

B. D’Eith (Chair): That’s good. I definitely hear what you’re saying. I know that in Maple Ridge, one of the issues we have out here is that we have a very high graduation rate, but the number of students that actually go to university is generally 66 percent or lower. A lot of that has to do with travel and proximity. If you want to get near BCIT, SFU, UBC or any of the colleges and you have to drive in or take transportation, a lot of them find it’s just too much money. I totally hear what you’re saying. I think that it makes it doubly difficult for youth aging out of foster care. So thanks, Brayden.

Other questions from members? Seeing none, I just wanted to thank all of you for your presentations and your passion about this issue. It’s obviously very, very important. I think everybody on this committee knows how important it is to make sure that our youth in care and aging out of care are supported. Thank you so much for your presentations.

With that, if I could have a short recess until 9:15.

The committee recessed from 9:02 a.m. to 9:14 a.m.

[B. D’Eith in the chair.]

B. D’Eith (Chair): We are continuing with panels on social services.

First up we have Viveca Ellis from B.C. Poverty Reduction Coalition.

Please go ahead.

[9:15 a.m.]

Budget Consultation Presentations
Panel 2 – Social Services

B.C. POVERTY REDUCTION COALITION

V. Ellis: Thank you for this opportunity to address this committee and the meaningful investments this government should make, at this unprecedented time, in Budget 2021.

I would like to acknowledge that I am presenting today on the unceded territories, the unceded land, air and water, of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish Nations.

I would like to start by acknowledging the major strides government has made through our legislated commitment to reducing poverty and with the introduction of a poverty reduction strategy for B.C., the application of a cross-ministerial gender lens to policy-making and a robust pandemic emergency response to address the needs of B.C.’s most vulnerable communities.

Poverty itself is a public health crisis. While frightening pandemics come and go, a public health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic upon us has held up a mirror to reveal the breadth and depth of the social and economic inequality and related inequities that exist in this province.

Those experiencing intersectionally defined disadvantage — Indigenous communities; women; those working precariously without adequate benefits, decent wages and working conditions; those who are institutionalized, whether in prisons, residential care homes or mental health facilities; those who work in grey economies such as sex work and vending; those with addictions; the homeless or precariously housed; those with precarious immigration and/or employment status who are excluded from the benefits of our employment standards and health care system; and all those who remain unable to afford the Internet access and technology to benefit from our online world of information and health — are disproportionally impacted and vulnerable to the pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, ministers and others have used the term “vulnerable British Columbians” when addressing the need for a targeted emergency response to address the well-being and safety of low-income and at-risk communities. The pre-existing vulnerability of British Columbians due to economic insecurity is, in fact, a result of political and policy choices that have been made.

Now we have an opportunity to shift beyond polarizing narratives of us versus them in discussions of investment to end economic inequality and poverty in B.C. We have an opportunity to build on smart policy introduced as our pandemic emergency response and to put in place the building blocks for more resilient systems that address the systemic and root causes of poverty, as I remember the BCTF pointed out to this committee earlier this month.

We propose that Budget 2021 be based on a broad equity lens to fulfil this government’s commitment to tackling and dismantling systemic racism, gender inequality and intersectional disadvantage. The economic recovery process is not a time for budgetary austerity that further compounds and reproduces vulnerabilities. But, in fact, the exact opposite. We have an opportunity to tackle the public health crisis of poverty and build resilience through increasing investment in our poverty reduction strategy, building and strengthening publicly funded universal basic services and building on the cross-ministerial collaborations we have seen during the pandemic response.

B.C. Poverty Reduction Coalition members have recently reiterated the importance of addressing food insecurity and poverty through income supports rather than charitable emergency supports; increasing the building of publicly funded universal basic services, free at the point of use for all; housing and homelessness; wages and all forms of precarious work; and tackling racial and gender inequality as top priorities.

The federal Canada emergency response benefit has defined a basic standard of living at $2,000 a month, which is in line with the market basket measure of poverty used here in B.C., as adequate income for a single individual. As we know, many in B.C. live far below the poverty line and on much less than $2,000 a month. We must extend the temporary $300 increase to income and disability assistance rates and raise these rates further, to the market basket measure in 2021, bringing our targeted social safety net incomes in line with the decent standard of living now defined by the federal CERB.

Home has been deemed the front-line defence against COVID-19, and it is a human right. We need to increase the amount and expedite the building of modular and all other forms of supported and affordable housing provincewide, including transitional housing for those escaping domestic violence, and work with every unhoused individual to ensure they access the basic human right of a permanent, safe home. We also ask for an extension to the moratorium on evictions and the rent freeze, to implement vacancy control to protect renters and to ensure 21 days of sick leave for all workers.

We must make sure the new systems we must have in place do not deepen and compound inequities.

We advocate for Budget 2021 to position Internet access as a universal basic service for all, starting with $10-a-month Internet access and a basic standard of technology for all those living at or below that market basket measure line in B.C.; for investments in public transit, infrastructure and affordability mechanisms for all transit systems in B.C. for those who are low-income, including free transit for all children and youth; for increased mental health supports and funding; and to fast-track the expansion of our publicly funded, universally accessible child care system, raise the wages of this predominantly woman-dominated labour force and to also implement the living wage.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much, Viveca.

Next up we have Adrienne Montani from First Call: B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition.

Please go ahead.

[9:20 a.m.]

FIRST CALL: B.C. CHILD AND YOUTH
ADVOCACY COALITION

A. Montani: Good morning, everyone. I’m Adrienne Montani.

I’m speaking from the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish Nations on behalf of First Call: B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition.

You know we’re a broad, non-partisan coalition of 110, now, organizations committed to the rights and well-being of children and youth in B.C. We will provide a full written submission next week to the committee.

In my five minutes today, I’ll just outline some key priorities. I know you’ve heard from many of our members already, having read through Hansard. I know many of our members who have been presenting to you on behalf of children and youth.

Building on Viveca’s presentation about poverty, I want to emphasize the need for the next B.C. budget to continue action to reduce child, youth and family poverty. The evidence from our last child poverty report card showed that one in five children were growing up in poverty still in B.C., and a shocking 51 percent of children living in lone-parent families were poor. There are clear inequities, when you look at the data and the maps on our website across the regions and the cities, in poverty levels between different parts of the province and cities.

That was 2017 data. Not surprisingly, the number of children reliant on income assistance is up over 7 percent from April 2019 to this past April. The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has now seriously exacerbated the existing inequities that we’ve documented and further marginalized poor children and their families.

We appreciate that government has made significant investments and policy changes aimed at reducing child and family poverty in the last few budgets. We look forward to seeing the impact of the B.C. child opportunity benefit on family incomes in the coming years, but we still have lots of work to do to make sure families are lifted out of poverty through living wages, income supports, targeted income transfers, reducing core expenses and expanding and enhancing public services.

We recommend significant increases in income and disability rates to bring them in line with actual living expenses, index them to inflation and adjust them to recognize, also, the additional cost to families who are raising children with disabilities or complex needs. Ensure government and all its contractors are able to be living-wage employers. Ensure families and youth have access to the technology, both the hardware and the Internet access, they need, especially now during this pandemic, to apply for the financial assistance that is available and access the other online supports that have become so crucial.

Continue to remove financial barriers for post-secondary students through grants instead of loans and reducing tuition fees. Accelerate investments to create more affordable rental housing, in particular. First Call strongly supports the recommendations, which you’ll hear from Sharon Gregson next, to accelerate implementation of a $10-a-day, as we call it, child care plan to build a quality, publicly funded child care system modelled on universal, locally based access — the way public schools are. I won’t take more time on that one today. It’s a passion for us, but Sharon will do a good job on it, I’m sure.

A few days ago we released an open letter to government, drawing attention to the importance of mitigating the impacts of the pandemic and the response measures, such as social distancing or physical distancing, on the health and development of children and youth as we move through to recovery.

Prior to COVID, supports and services for the most marginalized and stressed families and youth were already inadequate, and the scope of the vulnerabilities caused by the pandemic are just beginning to be understood. The emergency measures that have been hastily put in place to enhance social service program eligibility and capacity to respond to the needs of children, youth and families must be sustained and built on in next year’s budget.

Next year’s budget must prioritize funding for crisis supports and programs to support the mental and emotional health of children, youth and families, especially those already impacted by deep poverty, racial discrimination, women and children fleeing violence, and children with special and complex needs who have lost access to services. I know you’ve heard about that already.

We must increase investments in our public school system to support the teachers and other staff who are needed to respond to the impacts on students’ learning and social and emotional well-being in a new learning environment. We still need to restore funding for lost programming in our public schools — the arts, school counsellors, school psychologists, libraries — and address the inequities caused by reliance on parent fundraising. Now is the time to work with the federal government to introduce a universal healthy school meal program in all public schools.

[9:25 a.m.]

We call again for significant increases in funding for early intervention services for children with special needs through infant development programs and timely access to therapies. No child should have to wait months and years for help they need to maximize their development.

As I’m sure you heard earlier this morning from both our own staff and Susan Russell, one of our Fostering Change organizers, government has yet to fulfil its promise to fully support youth aging out of foster care. We call upon you to listen to what you heard this morning and echo their calls for that.

I see that I’m out of time here, but we are looking for Budget 2021 to contain that promise to youth from care, because we’ve heard promises from the Premier on down, from government, that this agreements with young adults program will be reimagined to be universal. It is not yet. There have been some small steps, but again, that needs to be opened up so that any youth aging out of care has an entitlement to the supports they need.

I’ll stop there. We will have more specific recommendations in our full report, and I’ll welcome your questions later on.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Great. Thank you very much.

Next up we have Sharon Gregson from Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C.

COALITION OF CHILD CARE
ADVOCATES OF B.C.

S. Gregson: Thank you, Chair, and to committee members.

I, too, speak to you from the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.

My name is Sharon Gregson. I work with the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C., where I am the provincial spokesperson for what’s popularly known as the $10-a-day child care plan, which now has the support of 34 school districts around the province and 64 municipal governments.

Recently, Premier Horgan said on May 20: “As we come out of COVID-19, what I see as one of the bright spots is that uniformly across the economy, people understand now and recognize the importance of child care to a robust economy that includes everybody.”

We couldn’t agree more with Premier Horgan. The thousands of families, early childhood educators, employers and communities who support the $10-a-day child care plan have always known that child care is an essential service. And now, as the Premier says, everyone gets it.

We all know that many, many thousands of families in B.C. have lost jobs and income and now, sadly, face more financial hardship than ever before. A sustainable economic recovery for our province relies on the ability of those people to regain their earning power, to rebuild confidence in their future and to participate in their local economy. But before parents with young children can return to work, they need access to affordable child care that meets their diverse needs, is culturally relevant and offers hours of care for shift workers and part-time workers

As Finance Minister Carole James noted this week, women have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. Their decisions about whether or not it makes economic sense to return to their part-time or low-wage jobs will likely rest on the cost and availability of child care. Economist Armine Yalnizyan summarized this reality by noting — it has gone viral across the country — there will be “no recovery without a shecovery and no shecovery without child care.”

As B.C. prioritizes new green infrastructure investments, it must include shovel-worthy child care construction projects in communities across the province. In fact, just this year public sector partners through the Union of B.C. Municipalities community child care planning program have already identified programs and projects that are ready to go.

While our current government has very wisely made historic investments in child care, they have not yet taken the steps required to move child care from the fragmented, failed market-based approach they inherited to a system that is not only publicly funded but publicly managed.

Very quickly, here are three essential actions that we urge you to recommend in Budget 2021. Move now to $10-a-day child care sites. Government should begin funding the transition of existing and willing child care programs across the province to sites where parents pay a maximum of $10 a day, in sites that are already in public facilities like schools and hospitals, community centres, to make sure that new public funding goes directly to lower parent fees and raise educator wages and not pay the leases or mortgage costs of the private sector.

No. 2, implement a competitive provincial wage grid for early childhood educators. There was a recruitment and retention crisis in child care pre-pandemic. It’s going to be even worse post-pandemic if we don’t do something about ECE wages.

Just this week a competitive provincial wage grid report was released from our organization, which suggests starting wages of $20 to $29 an hour, publicly funded.

[9:30 a.m.]

The third action we encourage you to support is expanding the number of child care spaces through infrastructure investments. There is a chronic shortage and waiting lists, as every MLA across the province will hear from their residents, and many desperate parents. The immediate goal for new spaces should be school-aged child care in every B.C. elementary school and modular child care facilities on the grounds of B.C. hospitals, schools and post-secondary institutions with each new facility opened as a $10-a-day program.

With these three actions, a significant number of short- and long-term jobs will be created and supported in our economy, and B.C. will be well on the way to a sustainable and just recovery.

As a reminder, in the 2017 provincial election, B.C.’s government made a commitment to the goals of the $10-a-day plan. Now is the time to deliver on that promise, because B.C. families, and frankly, B.C. employers, are counting on you.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much to our presenters. There’s a lot there. We really appreciate you being able to get that all in, in the short time that you were given. We all look forward to reading your written submissions.

Questions from members?

Mitzi, please go ahead.

M. Dean: Thank you to you all for your continued engagement and advocacy and all of your depth of understanding, experience and wisdom and for sharing that with us. I appreciate everybody’s work. Thank you to everyone who works in the field with you as well.

Sharon, I’m interested in your thoughts as we move forward. With having to keep physical distance and the restrictions that places on early childhood education centres, what do you see that we’re going to need to prioritize or invest more in to be able to make sure that we continue to built capacity in the sector yet keep everybody safe at the same time as well?

S. Gregson: Right. So child care programs were never ordered to close, and two-thirds of them stayed open across the province during the pandemic. Now with the financial incentives that have been offered, more and more are opening.

You can’t physically distance from young children. What we’re hearing from Dr. Henry and others across the province in the health sector is that it’s cleaning that’s really the requirement, and ensuring that the adults in the programs are very forthright about their exposure or any potential illnesses that they have.

Really, this is a time to actually…. If we’re thinking about getting people back to work and we want children to be safe, we need programs that are publicly funded and publicly managed. That’s the way to have greater accountability. What all the research shows is that that’s where higher quality sits. That’s where public dollars should be best invested.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much.

Any other questions from members at all?

Seeing none, thank you very much for your presentations. I also just wanted to recognize that, of course, many of the people you represent are certainly some of the most vulnerable in our community. We really appreciate all the work that you do.

With that, if I could have a recess until 9:50 a.m.

The committee recessed from 9:33 a.m. to 9:49 a.m.

[B. D’Eith in the chair.]

B. D’Eith (Chair): Now we have a panel on advanced education.

First up we have Alan Davis from Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Alan, please go ahead.

[9:50 a.m.]

Budget Consultation Presentations
Panel 3 – Advanced Education

KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

A. Davis: Good morning, everybody. I speak today both as the president and vice-chancellor of Kwantlen Polytechnic University and as the outgoing chair of the nine-member B.C. Association of Institutes and Universities, which collectively serves over 100,000 students across B.C. and the Yukon.

KPU itself serves a population of one million citizens south of the Fraser River in Metro Vancouver. This region overlaps with the traditional and ancestral lands of the Coast Salish people, and we thank them for sharing their land and resources with us in friendship and in peace.

Like many institutions, KPU shifted to remote learning and working in mid-March to allow our students to complete the spring semester on line. We are currently offering our full summer semester remotely. We’re very focused now on continuing, largely on line, throughout the fall and beyond, if needed.

I cannot say enough about the talent and dedication of the faculty, staff and administration at KPU and across the sector in maintaining academic continuity with the quality of education and of the student experience top of mind. In so doing, we have all benefited greatly from the support and guidance of our colleagues in Advanced Education, Skills and Training. I thank Minister Mark and Deputy Minister Baskerville for their leadership.

We acknowledge the actions and courage of the B.C. government in taking appropriate steps and measures to keep British Columbians safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is not over yet, but there is no safer place to be in the world, and the future looks good. However, that future will be different, and each of us here is ready to be a full partner with the provincial government, employers and our communities to develop the talent needed for our province to thrive in the post-COVID era.

KPU is a regional teaching university, and along with the other BCAIU members, is focused on student access and success. We acknowledge the significant changes in investments the government has made in support of this mission: the elimination of fees for adult upgrading and English language studies, student mental health supports, graduate scholarship funds, interest-free student loans, and investments in trades and technology and in student housing.

You have also invested heavily in open education and in the development of skills-based micro-credentials. I am proud that KPU is recognized as a leader in Canada and beyond in the development and use of open textbooks, saving our students millions of dollars each year while enriching their studies. Further advancements in these areas will be essential to ongoing workforce and talent development.

You will hear from my colleagues in a moment about some of the key issues facing us as a sector as we go forward, but I can assure the committee that we in the BCAIU stand with our partners in the Research Universities Council of B.C. and B.C. Colleges in our commitment to a high-quality, inclusive and supportive learning environment for our students.

By working together, we have been able to respond to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis. The post-secondary sector in B.C. is cohesive and both allows and encourages student mobility in a way that is unique in Canada. A certificate at one institution opens the door to a degree at another and vice versa. The possibilities are endless and so, therefore, are the opportunities. This is vital, as economic recovery post-pandemic will require us all to be as nimble as we can.

At KPU, we have further augmented that work with a recently refreshed approach to acknowledging the value of prior learning so that we can more fully support students who strive to respond to the changing nature of work. I am confident that we can continue to generate, develop and support initiatives that positively influence changing higher education in B.C., such as further enhancements to remote working and learning by, for instance, accelerating the development of micro-credentials and providing more resources to support students as they continue to learn remotely.

Looking beyond the pandemic, KPU remains poised to serve the fast-growing South Fraser region. We look forward to our continued collaboration with our colleagues at SFU Surrey as, together, we do our part to support the city of Surrey as it continues its evolution towards becoming the largest city in the province.

Thank you, Bob.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much, Alan.

Next up we have Andrew Petter with Simon Fraser University, my former law school professor.

[9:55 a.m.]

Please go ahead, Andrew.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

A. Petter: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Let me start by saying that I strongly endorse the proposals that the Research Universities Council of B.C. will be presenting later today, concerning the needs of students adversely affected by COVID-19 and its impacts. Meanwhile, I’m going to focus my remarks on the contributions that Simon Fraser University and other post-secondary institutions can make to B.C.’s economic recovery strategy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted social and economic conditions on a scale that we have not experienced in recent memory. It has exposed and exacerbated inequalities, particularly for low-paid workers in service sectors where women, young people and new Canadians are overrepresented. Not only have huge numbers of these workers lost their jobs, but it’s expected that many of these jobs will not return in the economy that follows the pandemic.

At the same time, the pandemic has given rise to a strong sense of social solidarity, a concern for inequality and an appreciation for the capacities of public institutions to advance common interests. The forces unleashed by the pandemic combined to generate both a pressing need and a unique — indeed, some might say, a historic — opportunity for transformative economic and social change.

Of the tools that government has at its disposal, post-secondary education is amongst the most powerful. Post-secondary institutions possess potent and responsive capacities to support a transformative economic recovery in three significant ways: as developers of human capital, as engines of social mobility and as generators of research and innovation.

Even before the pandemic, B.C. businesses were struggling to find the skilled labour that they needed to thrive, and the province was losing almost $8 billion in GDP and $2 billion in forgone tax revenues due to talent shortages. In a post-pandemic universe, B.C. has an opportunity to grow the economy by developing human capital in ways that also promote social equity and environmental sustainability.

The province’s recent investment in SFU’s sustainable energy engineering program in Surrey provides a compelling example of how this can be done. Not only will the talent, research and innovation that’s generated by that program help to establish B.C. as a leader in clean tech and sustainable energy technologies, but I’m proud to say that 42 percent of the undergraduate students entering that engineering program are women, demonstrating our capacity to drive economic growth in ways that reduce our carbon dependence and advance social equity.

Opportunities like this exist across B.C.’s robust post-secondary system in every region of the province, but nowhere is the need and the potential greater than in Surrey, whose population is younger, faster-growing, more diverse and has less access to post-secondary education than in other parts of the province. SFU’s Surrey campus is uniquely well positioned to build the human capital and produce the research and innovation in areas that the province needs to grow and that will promote social equity and environmental sustainability.

As far as back as 2006, the province recognized even then that this region suffered from a serious shortage in post-secondary capacity and signed an MOU pledging to double the size of SFU’s Surrey campus from 2,500 to 5,000 domestic student seats by 2015. However, as I come before you today in my final days as SFU president, almost 15 years since that MOU was signed and five years since the target date it set, we have seen only 440 of those 2,500 long-promised seats.

I therefore respectfully request this committee to do what it has done before and recommend that the province recommit to the MOU by increasing the number of funded student seats in Surrey to 5,000 at SFU. Meeting this commitment will open a door of opportunity to thousands of young British Columbians who deserve a chance to make the most of their potential. In doing so, it can help contribute to a transformative economic recovery that benefits all British Columbians.

If the events of the last three months have taught us anything, it’s that societies that nurture belonging, trust and inclusion are better positioned to adapt and to thrive in a world of uncertainty. British Columbia has fared well by applying these principles during this pandemic. Now, together, we have an opportunity to build on that success, to build a more equal, more sustainable and more hopeful society. Post-secondary education is key to the future we hold.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much, Andrew, and thank you very much for your service to the province and to the post-secondary institution that you serve. I really appreciate that.

[10:00 a.m.]

A. Petter: Thanks, Bob. You’re a good student.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you.

I did want to say that MLA Nicholas Simons had asked me to point out that our next presenter is an accomplished cellist who has actually entertained many of us during the pandemic, as MLA Nicholas Simons did as well. He wanted to send his thanks for entertaining us all and keeping us sane during the pandemic.

Next up we have Santa Ono from the University of British Columbia.

Please, go ahead.

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

S. Ono: Thank you very much. I’d love to perform for you at any time. It would be comforting and helpful.

I want to begin by thanking the provincial government for its leadership during these extraordinary times and to apologize for a lawnmower that’s passing by my office right now.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly every aspect of society, from tragic loss of life to an economic downturn that has affected every sector in B.C. The public post-secondary sector has not been immune, as you know. Members of UBC’s community are facing tremendous personal and professional impacts.

As an institution, UBC is navigating many of these challenges like the other institutions, which includes redesigning 4,000 classes for 68,000 students; curtailing research activities, which bring in over $660 million into the province annually; and adapting services like child care, athletics, 12,000-bed residence halls, conferences and more. These impacts have fiscal implications, the full extent of which are now coming into focus.

UBC is modelling various scenarios with impacts ranging from the tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars, depending upon the extent and duration of the pandemic.

Students in particular have faced a unique set of challenges, including a dramatic shift in their learning experience mid-semester; lost jobs and lost work-integrated learning opportunities; and unexpected housing, living and technology expenses. I want to thank you, as a government, for really supporting those students.

As you know, youth unemployment now sits at 29 percent. Despite these challenges, UBC students are stepping up to volunteer in health care in communities across B.C. and contributing to research that is driving solutions to the pandemic’s social and scientific challenges. Indeed, UBC researchers and graduate students are advancing significant discoveries that are helping to understand and fight the pandemic, including promising new treatments, made-in-B.C. PPE, advances in diagnostics, and more.

UBC is responding to student needs just as the province is. We’re acting quickly to increase support with financial assistance, including a fivefold increase in emergency assistance from the institutional loan to $3.6 million, already allocated. We are deeply appreciative of government investment to support students during these trying times, such as increasing emergency aid, freezing student loan payments and providing income supports.

Looking ahead, supporting students in access to post-secondary education is more important than ever. A dramatic increase in online learning will continue for some time. We need to provide students with high-quality learning experiences and services that support their academic success, and fiscal and mental well-being.

Many British Columbians will turn to post-secondary programs to re-skill and retrain for a changing economy. We need to ensure that these opportunities are available by continuing to increase student spaces, particularly in high-demand programs, by offering innovative new programs such as micro-credentials and by ensuring education is accessible to all.

Many graduates and students will be looking for jobs and work-integrated learning. We need to help them navigate one of the most challenging job markets in generations. Supporting students will continue to be our top priority for UBC, and it needs to be a priority for our entire province and all the institutions represented here. That’s my request today.

First, our students and B.C.’s economic recovery depend on the continued strength of our post-secondary system. I encourage government to sustain post-secondary operating funding so that we can continue providing high-quality education and services to students.

Second, we encourage government to support students and accessibility by enhancing investments and flexibility in student aid programs, complementing recent federal announcements; and by extending the B.C. access grant, the B.C. graduate scholarship program and Indigenous student support programs — programs that you’ve already supported very robustly.

[10:05 a.m.]

We look forward to building on UBC’s partnership with you, with the government, to support students and achieve an inclusive and sustainable economic recovery for British Columbia.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much, Santa.

Next up we have Prof. Jamie Cassels.

I must say, I did try to get into one of your classes back in the day, but it was too full, and I didn’t get the pleasure of being able to be taught by you.

Thank you so much, Jamie Cassels from the University of Victoria. Please go ahead.

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA

J. Cassels: Thanks very much, Chair. Good morning, committee members.

I’m speaking to you from the University of Victoria campus on the traditional territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ peoples — the Esquimalt, Songhees and W̱SÁNEĆ Nations.

COVID-19 has been unlike anything I or, I know, any of you have experienced in our lifetimes. I want to acknowledge the investments and efforts of government and the public service to support students to ensure their health, and to support the institutions as we have pivoted so rapidly in the way in which we operate.

As my colleagues have noted, students have borne the brunt of this disruption. The main point that I want to leave you with is that swift and bold action can prevent this disruption from setting back an entire generation.

Youth unemployment is at 29 percent, 115,000 jobs have been lost, and many of those are not going to return. However, while we’re looking into a canyon, I think we can build a strong bridge across that canyon. Education and research, of course, are the foundations and the girders of that bridge.

I say this not only as a university president but also as a father with three kids who are all on different pathways through post-secondary, whose lives have been turned upside down by the pandemic and who are worried about an uncertain future.

Like the other institutions, UVic is doing all we can to support our students, building on support from government and alumni and donors. We have provided almost $2 million in emergency bursaries to our students who have suffered from the immediate impacts.

Along with my colleagues, my first recommendation to you is that government make targeted investments in emergency bursaries and other forms of student support to ensure access and affordability for our students.

Secondly, 18,000 UVic students will attend fall classes on line from remote, rural and urban locations outside of Victoria. To facilitate that online learning, UVic has invested over $5 million in new technologies to develop our Teach Anywhere and Learn Anywhere platforms and to implement new learning management platforms. It’s critical that students have the access to support this new infrastructure.

We recommend that government invest in rural connectivity, which would also be a legacy investment for the future of the province.

My third point is looking forward to the opportunities that are thrown our way by our present circumstances. The crisis has shown the importance of expertise and innovation and the significant role that research and training play in dealing with the crisis. Again, along with my colleagues, I urge government to consider continuing to invest in research — in particular, in graduate education, because those graduate students are our future innovators for the province.

I’ll conclude by stating again that education is the bridge to a better future for individuals and for the province. Education is the great equalizer. The skills and the talent and the innovation that we produce are the fuel for a positive future for the province.

Seventy-five percent of job openings over the next decade will require a post-secondary degree. Post-secondary will support and equip our workforce with the necessary skills for an equitable, inclusive and resilient society.

I join my colleagues in urging the province to keep our post-secondary system whole so that it emerges from this time with the strength it needs to serve the province and its people.

[10:10 a.m.]

I want to remind committee members of the fact that because of our differentiated and integrated system, B.C. has the best post-secondary system in the country, with research universities, teaching universities, colleges and institutes all playing different but equally important roles in that ecosystem.

While I’m here as a research university president, I want to emphasize the importance of supporting the entire post-secondary system.

I mentioned my three kids. One of them is in the middle of a doctoral program at a research university; one is just graduating, albeit without a ceremony, from a professional program; and the third is partway through an electrical apprenticeship program, taking courses at Camosun. I am proud of all three of them. Each of them is on exactly the right path for who they are. I know, because B.C. has a superb educational system, that they, and the kids who come after them, will flourish as individuals and contribute as citizens.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much, Jamie, and thank you to all of the presidents. We really appreciate everything that you’ve done — in particular, during the pandemic.

I have children as well, and one of them is at the University of the Fraser Valley. It was pretty seamless how she was able to shift from the physical courses to on line. Her friends, who are at all of your universities, experienced the same thing. I just wanted to thank you, on behalf of the committee, for the amazing work that all of the universities have done in terms of the response to this pandemic.

Also, it’s interesting that you should bring up the idea of connectivity. Going on line really shines a light, especially in rural and remote British Columbia, as to the lack of connectivity. We’ve seen that not just in education but throughout all the sectors. Then with libraries closed, people who would normally be able to get access through other services can’t get access at all. It’s really one of those things that the pandemic has done. It’s really shone a light on some of the deficiencies.

Oh, look at all the questions.

Rich Coleman, first question from the members.

R. Coleman: It’s not so much a question. But to Santa and Andrew and the others, thank you for the work you do. I appreciate it.

Andrew, thanks for the job that you’ve done at SFU. I was never one of your students; however, I did have the opportunity as a young MLA to be schooled by you during debates a few times in the Legislature. Maybe you actually had some effect on my presentation in the Legislature over these many years. Thank you for your service, and thanks for the job you’ve done, Andrew. You’ve done a great job up there.

A. Petter: Thanks, Rich. That means a lot. I really appreciate it.

R. Leonard: Hello, everybody. Thank you very much for your presentations. It’s a little bit daunting to be in the company of such esteemed leadership.

I have a question around being in this world of having to go virtual and not knowing when it will end. I’m wondering what kind of collaboration there is between universities to be able to support each other’s students where they’re at, knowing that this is across the province and that there are challenges, that connectivity is an issue in rural areas. Are there places where there is some connection on that virtual platform?

S. Ono: I can tell you, in talking to my peers across Canada but also internationally, that we should be proud of the level of collaboration that exists in this province. At the research universities, we collaborate — and we discuss how to collaborate — on a weekly basis. The different organizations that represent the different parts of this ecosystem are in constant communication. That’s not the case in some other provinces in Canada and, certainly, around the world. So there’s a lot to be proud of.

A. Petter: I just want to echo that. Jamie made such a great point when he talked about the strength of the diversity of our system. The other strength that Santa is referring to is the collaborative culture in B.C. It’s so unlike other provinces.

I would say that for COVID-19 there are a few silver linings, and one of the silver linings is that it has brought us even closer together. Not only at research universities but right across the system in our discussions with government and amongst ourselves, we are really working together to try to help solve problems for students in whatever way we can. Hopefully, that’ll be a legacy that we’ll pay forward for the system as we come out of COVID-19 as well.

[10:15 a.m.]

B. D’Eith (Chair): Great. Thank you.

Any other questions from members at all?

N. Simons: I just wanted, on a personal note, to thank Santa for his cello playing, entertaining us all. Cellists have become quite the popular people these days, but in particular, I just wanted to thank you for playing beautiful music throughout, and I hope you continue to.

S. Ono: It’s my pleasure, and if you have any personal requests, I’ll perform and send you a personalized video. I’m serious about that. Thank you for that.

N. Simons: We’re going to do a duet one day.

S. Ono: We’ll do it.

B. D’Eith (Chair): I just wish we could do duets on Zoom. It doesn’t work. Nick and I have tried that. It’s unfortunate.

Thanks so much, everybody. And once again, thanks very much for everything that you’re doing for our post-secondary students. Particularly during the pandemic, the efforts that have been made have been absolutely amazing. Thanks once again.

With that, if we could have a recess until 10:30.

The committee recessed from 10:16 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

[B. D’Eith in the chair.]

B. D’Eith (Chair): All right. We are continuing with presentations on the topic of advanced education.

Next up we have Dr. Brett Fairbairn from Thompson Rivers University.

Brett, please go ahead.

Budget Consultation Presentations
Panel 4 – Advanced Education

THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY

B. Fairbairn: Thank you very much. As you’ve mentioned, my name is Brett Fairbairn. I’m president at Thompson Rivers University.

I acknowledge that our campuses are located on the unceded lands of Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc for our Kamloops campus and of the T’éxel’c for our Williams Lake campus. We also serve the peoples of nearby territories, including the St’at’imc, the Nlaka’pamux, the Tsilhqot’in, the Nuxalk and the Dakelh, as well as Métis peoples in those communities.

As you can see, I’m speaking to you today from my dining room. Like 90 percent of our staff, I’m working from home, if possible.

I want to begin by acknowledging my post-secondary colleagues on this panel and also by thanking the committee members, particularly MLA Barnett, who represents the Cariboo region, including our Williams Lake campus. I also note that MLA Leonard, I understand, had the pleasure of officially opening our new Industrial Training and Technology Centre back in September of 2018. Thank you to the select standing committee for your work, for gathering information on what will be an important budget for British Columbia as we consider the effects of the pandemic on the province.

I know that you have our written submission in front of you. There are really three points that I want to emphasize today. First, TRU is an ambitious, dynamic, and distinctive institution. There is no other institution that spans from job skills for people with disabilities to master’s degrees and online open learning. We develop programs that serve our region, including trades, natural resource sciences and our 100 percent student-funded law school, which is the only one in the Interior.

We are, in fact, the only public institution in our region. When it comes to post-secondary education, we are everything to our region, and we take that responsibility very seriously. That brings me to my second point — that we will lead our region through the recovery to come. We’ll lead it through trades, through engineering, through health programs, and through community-based research.

And third, we are struggling financially under the impacts of the pandemic, but we are doing what we can. The province can help us in several ways, including support for students, as well as support for the programs that will drive the recovery in our region.

Alongside those main points, I want to provide a little bit of context around our submission. We have a rich 50-year history in the region of offering accessible education. We take our mission of radically open access seriously.

In 2020, we’ve adopted a new vision statement that emphasizes TRU as a place where everyone belongs. That includes Indigenous people, who make up 10 percent of our on-campus students, 27 percent in Williams Lake. It includes new Canadians, online learners, people who haven’t finished high school. We provide the supports for all kinds of students to experience inclusion and to succeed. Together, that represents more than 30,000 students who depend on TRU for their future, whether they live in a small city, a large city or a remote and rural region.

We have not been spared from the impacts of the pandemic. Our sector has been disrupted. Our revenues are down. A particular risk for us is enrolment, especially international enrolment, which represents 40 percent of our in-person student enrolment. We’re looking at something like a $40 million decline in revenues this year. We’ve taken aggressive steps to manage our budget shortfalls, and what we’re looking for, ultimately, from the province is ongoing support for our mission to meet the growing needs of the Interior.

We have a plan to energize recovery through high-demand occupations in health care and technology. We have programs that are poised to meet that need, with the possibility of additional seats in nursing, health care assistant, and respiratory therapy, as well as funding to launch a master of nursing, nurse practitioner, program. We seek government’s support to launch two new bachelor’s programs in electrical and computer engineering.

[10:35 a.m.]

Capital funding is part of our plan. We have a new nursing and population health building that is almost complete with generous support from the province, and we look ahead to the possibility of a new science, technology, engineering and mathematics building.

Student supports are needed — support for vulnerable students, for health and wellness services, for course redesign and open educational resources.

In conclusion, I hope that, through this brief presentation as well as the more in-depth written submission, the committee members will see the role that universities like TRU have in the prosperity of B.C. post-COVID-19.

Thank you very much.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much.

Next up we have Tyrone Pile from Pearson College UWC.

Please go ahead.

PEARSON COLLEGE UWC

T. Pile: Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity, and also thank you, all of you, for your leadership for the province as we fight through this pandemic. I think we’re showing a lot of leadership to the rest of Canada and the rest of the world. We appreciate it.

I’m going to talk to you about a very unique institution in British Columbia. Pearson College of the Pacific has been around since 1974. It’s been a landmark for B.C. educational innovation since that time.

We are honoured to be on the unceded territory of the Scia’new Beecher Bay First Nation, the salmon people, who are our neighbours and our friends. Today I’m going to talk to you a little bit about youth, including our British Columbia youth, and why schools like Pearson College are important and should be supported.

Financially, the province used to support the college with scholarships, and that ended around 2011. We do receive some funding from other provinces. Alberta, primarily, is our biggest donor with $640,000 a year. We also receive some other funding from some of the other provinces. But we do not receive any subsidies whatsoever from British Columbia, and we would really like to see that change and go back to receiving some support. I’m going to talk about that specifically this morning.

Pearson College was an incredible idea borne of Lester B. Pearson, Nobel laureate in 1957. He visited the Atlantic College, the first United World College, back in 1968 just after completing his tour as Prime Minister and was absolutely astounded by bringing together young men and women from around the world to live, work and study together in one location and was determined to create another United World College here in Canada. We opened up as a second United World College, as I said, in 1974.

The mission of the school is to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace in a sustainable future, and that’s what we have been doing for the past 46 years. One of the most notable things that he said was: “How can there be peace without people understanding each other, and how can this be if they don’t know each other?” That is what we do at Pearson College.

Young men and women from over 80 to 90 different countries live, work and study here together, learning from each other and teaching each other about their cultures, about differences, about how to live peacefully, how to change the environment and how to become a global citizen. They really teach each other, and we provide the programming and the support to do that. It is such a unique institution and one that all of British Columbia should be proud of.

One of the areas that we do focus on and that I want to talk about this morning, specifically, is that Pearson College has always been diverse and represents diversity deliberately, with over 196 national committees selecting students from around the world. All of our students are selected on merit and merit alone. There is some means testing. We provide 80 percent financial aid to our students, over 50 percent on full financial scholarships. All of this is done through the college, through fundraising and through our own endowment.

One of the life-changing experiences here at Pearson College is the opportunity for this diversity that I was talking about and for these young men and women to break down systemic barriers. We’ve seen that over the past three weeks with the Black Lives Matter movement. Pearson College students live that every day. They take that experience, and they take it forward to the world.

[10:40 a.m.]

You’ve seen in the packages before you some of our alumni from other United World Colleges, what they can achieve and what they have achieved. It’s quite an incredible experience.

Here is an opportunity for British Columbia to continue to support these post-secondary opportunities for youth that face these systemic barriers. Whether they are Indigenous youth, youth coming from conflict and crisis zones, or young women and the LGBTQ2S community, Pearson is a welcoming learning environment that embraces all of these young men and women and allows them to move forward confidently and bravely to take on these challenges.

With that, before you, we are proposing to the Finance Committee to consider bringing back an opportunity for scholarship to support students, and we’re asking for two scholarships in the amount of $120,000.

A large component of our students is Indigenous. I’ll wrap up here by saying that for the first time, we are going to be taking a First Nations student from Beecher Bay First Nation on full scholarship provided by the college.

Thank you very much for the opportunity.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much, Tyrone.

Next up we have Dr. Philip Steenkamp from Royal Roads University.

Philip, please go ahead.

ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY

P. Steenkamp: Good morning, everybody. It’s a great privilege to join you from the traditional, ancestral lands of the Xwsepsum and the Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ Nations.

I am Philip Steenkamp, president and vice-chancellor of Royal Roads University. I really want to thank the committee for the opportunity to join you today and also to thank my colleagues on this panel.

This year actually marks the 25th anniversary of Royal Roads University, and what a year to have an anniversary. People will probably remember that Royal Roads was launched with a forward-looking mandate to develop applied and professional programs and research that could be delivered in a blended format, on campus and online. So we actually became experts in remote learning and working from home long before anyone had even heard of a Zoom meeting.

Today, with a strong reputation for accessible, high-quality and market-relevant education and research, we attract students from every corner of British Columbia and from across the country. We’ve got about 20,000 alum right now, and they are highly valued by employers across Canada and around the world for their practical and collaborative professional skills.

In terms of tomorrow, though, in these unprecedented times, it’s imperative that we continue our efforts to remove barriers to lifelong learning. We must strive to deliver hope and new skills to a disrupted and demoralized workforce that faces great uncertainty around career and financial prospects, and we have to create timely new programs that meet the demands of a forever-altered economy.

We must also find new ways to support those who’ve been disadvantaged most by COVID-19, including youth, women, Indigenous and marginalized communities. To that end, we are here today with three very specific requests for support.

First, we are seeking more flexibility around student financial aid. Currently only on-campus courses and their online versions are eligible for full-time federal or provincial loans, as determined by StudentAid B.C. What this means for us is that only ten of our 72 programs are eligible for student aid. We’re asking that British Columbia align with Ontario, Alberta and other provinces in recognizing distance programs for loan eligibility, as long as they meet the school’s definition of a full-time program and that participation is clearly measurable.

Additionally, executive programs are not currently eligible for student loans. The rules generally assume that these students work full time, and therefore do not require assistance. However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that not all students can choose to work while studying, especially now, which results in a discriminatory barrier, particularly for family care givers. We are requesting the removal of the restriction to full-time student loans for executive programs as well.

Second, we urgently require more nimble and responsive program approvals. In this fast-changing economic landscape, we cannot ask our students or their potential employers to wait patiently for necessary upskilling and re-skilling. The job market is changing just so rapidly. Here we respectfully request that the Degree Quality Assessment Board commits to streamlining program approvals, which currently can take up to two years.

[10:45 a.m.]

In fact, we have two new degrees — a master’s in executive and organizational coaching and a master’s in climate action leadership — which are currently under review at the board, with tentative launch dates in January 2021. The demand is expected to be extremely strong for these important programs, and ideally, they would be approved quickly.

Thirdly and finally, we are looking for the green light to launch phase 1 of the initiative to expand post-secondary access on the West Shore of southern Vancouver Island to better meet the needs of local learners and the labour market.

Our business case is actually currently in front of government, and it makes the case for the creation of a collaborative learning hub on the West Shore with programming from Royal Roads University, Camosun College and the University of Victoria. It promises to be a model of innovation for post-secondary education in Canada. The focus would be on a challenge- or problem-based curriculum for undergraduate students.

The West Shore, as you might know, is one of the fastest-growing regions of B.C., with a steadily rising youth population. But faced with daunting tuition and housing costs and three-hour-long commute times, high school graduates from the West Shore do not transition to post-secondary education at the same pace as other B.C. graduates. So we proposed a dynamic close-to-home solution that will greatly assist West Shore students in transitioning more quickly to post-secondary education. We’re ready to move on this project, with an eye to delivering programming starting in September 2021.

I want to thank you for your consideration and for the opportunity to present today.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much.

Next up we have Dr. Daren Hancott from Yorkville University.

Please go ahead, Daren.

YORKVILLE UNIVERSITY

D. Hancott: Good morning, everyone. Thank you to the committee for your time today and all of my colleagues for taking time out of their busy schedules to present their cases.

Obviously, thank you for what you do for all of the students in British Columbia and for opening access to high-quality post-secondary education, which brings me to my school, Yorkville University.

It started in New Brunswick in 2003 as an online university. Today we have operations in New Brunswick, Ontario and B.C. — so kind of unique in comparison to some of our competitors. We have about 8,000 students now across the country — anything from certificates to diplomas to film schools to bachelor’s and master’s degrees. We just had a fantastic review in New Brunswick for a soon-to-be doctoral program in counselling and psychotherapy. We’re very enthused about that.

The good news is that even though we have a pandemic — and I understand the concerns that people have — I just saw in my inbox four interviews for faculty. We’re hiring faculty late today, hiring extra student service support and IT support to engage our students and faculty and make sure that this world of Zoom and pivot doesn’t keep us unaware of what we need to do, which is to keep investing in our people and our technology, because like it or not, pandemics or other events are here to stay, and we have to be better at what we do.

Our mission statement, which is similar to some of the others you’ve heard, is to build a national university that provides practitioner-oriented degree programs leading to professional careers that are personally rewarding and contribute to the betterment of society.

Nothing is more important than doing that in a pandemic, as you can hear from our colleagues here. It’s difficult to do, but the good news is that we’re continuing to do it, and actually, our numbers are exceeding our expectations. I don’t know if it’s because people have more time or there’s less travel involved, or maybe they’ve said: “I’ve put this off long enough. I’m going to return to school with a vengeance. Instead of part-time I’m going to go full-time.” Our enrolments are up. International is a little bit off, but domestic is up, so overall, we’re above where we expect to be. So that’s the good news.

In B.C., in particular, what’s been happening…. We’re growing in a rapid yet sustainable way. Like I said, constant hiring, and even though there’s a pandemic, a lot of people are happy to work from home, because if you live in the Lower Mainland, taking a bus to get to a SkyTrain to have to maybe walk to a campus is not always fun. Sometimes the SkyTrain looks like two cans of sardines in one can, and a lot of people prefer to work at home and spend time with their families.

We have a New West campus close to SkyTrain. We’re hiring faculty, admin staff, support staff, extra IT people. And you know, the funny thing is that our engagement level is higher now than it was in class — more people attending class, staying for the whole class. Our faculty are loving that, because if you’re teaching people that are engaged, obviously the classrooms are much more engaging.

[10:50 a.m.]

As you heard me say earlier, “Zoom” and “pivot” are new buzzwords — I think you would probably agree with that — so we’re going to build that into our vernacular as to how we continue those things even when the pandemic subsides.

Our programs are very interesting, because they’re aligned with the associations that do a lot of careers — Project Management Institute, Supply Chain Canada. CPA and energy management — those are our major specializations in the bachelor’s program. The job prospects are really good with those programs, so the students are really engaged with that. We want to offer new master’s programs in the near future, so obviously, Dr. Steenkamp’s comments about approving programs in a more timely manner are very, very important. With a pandemic, it might even be more important.

I also want to tell you that I’m chair of a private degree group that you probably don’t know. It’s the Private Degree Granting Institutions Association, PDGIA. I wrote a paper at one of our conferences, which we hosted last October. Just our small group of 17 institutions represents 22,000 to 24,000 students, depending on how you count them, and $1.2 billion in economic impact.

We want to be considered part of a solution to access to quality post-secondary education. We want to be integral to the province as a post-secondary brand. We’re meeting regularly to share best practices in student services, teaching and learning, so call on us any time. We’re part of the solution. We’re not asking for anything. We don’t need any financial compensation. We just want to be equal partners in the province for access to education.

Thanks very much for your time.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much to all the presenters. Before we open the floor to questions from members, I did want to thank all of the institutions for pivoting the way that you have during the pandemic. I mentioned in a previous presentation that I have a daughter who’s in university, and it was quite seamless. She was able to finish her year. It was challenging, but everybody rose to the occasion, so thank you for that.

I do have a question, though. This could probably apply to everyone, but I’m particularly interested in Pearson College, given the international nature. With there being no travel right now, I’m just wondering how that’s going to impact Pearson and other colleges and universities. Maybe if we could start with Tyrone, and then I’ll open it up to members. Thank you.

T. Pile: Thank you for the question. Yeah, it’s a big concern of ours right now; 75 percent of our student population is international. Half of those students already have their visas, so as long as they can travel, they should be able to make it back to the school. We are planning on reopening in the fall. We’ve been busy beavers, working like mad, getting everything organized, coordinated and set up for a safe environment — sort of a bubble, as you say.

We’re semi-isolated out here in Metchosin, but it’s a beautiful location. Once we have the students on campus, we’re completely confident they’ll be safe. And 50 of our students come from Canada, so one quarter, and we expect those students to arrive as well. But we’re very concerned about the student visa situation for our international participants.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thanks, Tyrone.

Brett, did you want to talk to that?

B. Fairbairn: Yes, thank you very much. For us, I mentioned that number, 40 percent, of our on-campus undergraduates being international students. But for context, I’d want to say that our existing international students who are in-program have mostly remained in Canada, so we have thousands of international students who have remained throughout the pandemic and who will keep taking courses.

What’s at risk for us is the incoming cohort, and we’re currently planning on the basis of about a 35 percent decline in numbers. What we’re hoping is to engage them electronically in the fall, with the commitment from them and from us that they will attend in person later. The visa assurances around that are especially tricky. We’re certainly working with governments to make that possible.

B. D’Eith (Chair): And that could get challenging with time zone issues too. If the students are in Asia or in Europe or Africa, wherever, they might be doing courses in the middle of the night. So a lot of challenges — no shortage of challenges in this period.

Did anyone else want to comment on that before I open the floor?

[10:55 a.m.]

D. Hancott: Just briefly. Very similar to Thompson Rivers, we have a lot of international students that decided to stay in the country. I guess that before they decided to leave, the borders started to close anyway, so they were caught. It was difficult.

We’re offering our programs online for the next term — so we start in July — and then possibly again in September. We’ve decided to keep offering the programs with no commitment to come because we’re not sure. But as soon as the border is open, we would pivot really quickly, because that’s what a lot of students want.

We’re trying to be flexible and keep our eye on that fast-moving ball, because we don’t know exactly what will happen.

D. Barnett: Thank you, all, for your presentations. It’s great to see you Dr. Fairbairn. I haven’t seen you for a long time, since we met about a year ago.

My question is, in particular, to Dr. Fairbairn, because it is rural British Columbia that they really service. Through the pandemic, we’ve learned, in some ways, to go backwards to open learning now that we’ve realized that people can learn more from home sometimes, and access is a little easier for people to not have to travel and a lot more financially accessible for them. Do you think that maybe Thompson Rivers will go more to an open learning process for this, for these rural communities that have access to Internet?

B. Fairbairn: Well, thank you very much for that question. The short answer is yes. We have different modes of online learning, and our sort of capital-O, capital-L open learning is primarily for independent learners who don’t require a lot of support.

One of our concerns is those first-time, first-year learners and how effectively they can begin programs online. That will require — and we’re doing this right now — really considerable additional supports, online tutoring, online counseling.

We’re also concerned about the quality of Internet access in rural and remote locations, and we’re concerned about safe study spaces for students, because the assumption that everyone can work from home, can study from home, doesn’t apply to all groups. So we’re looking at repurposing some of our campuses and regional centres so that those students who need to can travel there and access them.

There are many dimensions to it. The short answer is yes.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Great. Thank you very much.

Mitzi, please go ahead.

M. Dean: Thank you, all, for your presentations, and as the Chair said earlier on, thank you for being able to continue to serve students and provide education, even in these situations.

Ty, my neighbour, I want to say a special thank you on the record. The rest of the committee might not realize, but you stepped in as acting president for Pearson College just at the end of last year. You were just going to be steering it through until getting a new president, who is arriving in August. But look at the time and the work that you’ve had to do. It’s been amazing, and you’ve been a great support to all of the families who support students here in Metchosin and taken care of all of the students.

So I just wanted to recognize all of your hard work in these times, and you’re handing the reins over later on this summer. Thank you for all of that.

Philip, obviously, I’m a graduate of Royal Roads University and know that a lot of the learning has already been online. You have a lot of expertise there online. Thank you again for all of your work.

I’m interested…. Maybe you don’t want to give any trade secrets away, but are you already working on new courses that you’re going to submit for approval? As you rightly say, moving out of COVID, we’re going to move into a new kind of economy, new kinds of trades and working and skills that are going to be needed, and we’ve got to make sure that there are opportunities for people who are displaced from the economy and from the workforce now, for them to retrain and reskill so that they can actually be part of our economic restart and recovery.

P. Steenkamp: Yeah, thank you for the question. We’re doing a lot of work looking at our program mix right now, and I think as you know, because you’re a grad, of course, each of our programs is supported by an advisory council of external stakeholders. So it’s people from industry and business who advise us on curriculum and what courses are required.

We’re consulting extensively with those groups, and we’re consulting with students right now, because we think coming out of COVID, there’s going to be a need for a particular set of skill sets. Things around, like, digital transformation — I think there’s going to be a lot requirement for that. We’re doing a lot of work on adaptation, resilience. Our emergency and disaster management programs are just burgeoning right now.

[11:00 a.m.]

We, in fact, are offering courses…. We just started, a few weeks ago, teaching faculty how to teach online. We’ve got faculty from Queen’s, U of T and across the country. So we’re very, very alert to that issue. But also, it’s not us deciding what we think is needed; it’s us consulting with business and with community groups about what they think is needed.

One last point I’ll make is that I think people are going to come back and not necessarily be able to put their lives and their careers on hold. So what we’re looking at is creating a proper micro-credentials framework. We’re going to break our courses down. You can come in, take a very short course, get a credential for it, go back to work, come back in at some point, build on that credential, get another credential and ladder your way up to a degree. We have signed an agreement with MIT on recognizing…. They recognize our microcredits, and we obviously recognize theirs. And we’re looking for other partners in that realm as well.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thanks, Philip. Yeah, the pedagogical side of it is really interesting, because obviously people teaching have had very different skill sets teaching in person versus teaching online. So I appreciate that you’re having to pivot there, too — not just designing the courses but also retraining the professors as well.

Rich, go ahead.

R. Coleman: Thank you, Philip. I know that Royal Roads has also reached out to smaller communities, and you have some conversations going on with folks up in Powell River and other places for some of this micro and distance education. I want to thank you for that, because, as we know, when we get into rural B.C., it’s not so easy just to go to an institution. You need, actually, to get the institution to go to them. And the more you guys can deal with that, I think the better it is.

P. Steenkamp: Well, thank you for that. We do have a provincial mandate, so we do think we have that responsibility, and we’ve got the kind of platforms so we can partner with people across the province to provide that kind of learning. We’ve got a partnership right now with the First Nations Technology Council. With them, we’re providing training in basic IT and computer skills to First Nations communities across the province. But we’re always looking for other opportunities to partner as well.

R. Coleman: I think it’s good that you’re all moving in that direction, actually.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Excellent.

Any other questions from members?

Well, thank you again for everything that you’re doing. We certainly appreciate the huge effort that you’ve made during this very difficult time and also looking for opportunities for the future. It’s fascinating to hear everything that you’re working on. We recognize the resilience and the hard work that you’re doing, so thanks so much.

With that, if I could recess until 11:10.

The committee recessed from 11:03 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.

[B. D’Eith in the chair.]

B. D’Eith (Chair): First up we have Stephanie Goodwin from Out On Screen.

Please go ahead, Stephanie.

Budget Consultation Presentations

OUT ON SCREEN

S. Goodwin: Good morning, everybody. It’s really good to see your faces. Thank you for having me come in and present to you. My name is Stephanie Goodwin. I am the executive director for Out On Screen. My pronouns are she/hers. For those of you following along with the PowerPoint presentation I provided in advance, I’m going to be moving from the first slide to the second slide now.

At Out On Screen, we envision a future that is an equitable society where gender and sexual diversity thrives. Our mission to achieve this is by illuminating, celebrating and advancing queer lives through film, education and dialogue. I know that there are at least one or two of you on here who are familiar with us. It’s good to see you all or at least see your names on the page.

We fulfil our mission through two main programs: the Vancouver Queer Film Festival and Out in Schools. The Queer Film Festival has been a cultural institution in British Columbia for the last 32 years. It’s the largest queer arts event in western Canada and a world-leading queer arts festival. Out in Schools, which many of you know about, is the largest LGBT2Q+ education program in British Columbia and in Canada. We serve elementary, middle and high schools, educators and corporations across British Columbia and are the widest-serving organization of this kind in British Columbia.

I’m going to move on to the next slide, for those of you following along with the slides.

Why am I really here? Well, due to homophobia, transphobia, racism, anti-black racism, colonization, sexism and more, queer, trans, LGBT2Q+ people face discrimination, harassment, violence and oppression. The impact on queer and trans identities makes us more vulnerable and more threatened, and as a result, we require differential and more resources by the government. For example, one in four queer and trans youth are forced out of their homes. Trans and non-gender-conforming people have double the unemployment rate as the general population, and one in five have been refused homes or apartments because of their gender identity.

Because of this and so much more, there is a legal, moral and financial imperative to eliminate these impediments and the oppression that underpins these acts. Properly resourcing the elimination of this kind of oppression is one key way of addressing these violations of law and the human rights code.

I’m moving on to the next slide, for those of you following along with the PowerPoint presentation.

That’s all a big mouthful. Where might we start with that, though? How might we start addressing these mass inequities that are faced differentially based on our identities? Well, for Out On Screen, when we look at it, we think about…. A budget goal would be equitable and dedicated funding for LGBT2Q+ communities. As somebody who works in this field, there is some dedicated funding for our communities. It’s not wide and across all ministries, but there is some. But what I would say as well is that it’s not equitable.

So where can we start with that? One is increases to the Ministry of Education budget specifically for LGBT2Q+ outreach and training. Reaching folks in schools, both educators and students, is incredibly important. Increasing funding in this regard to $2.6 million a year would begin to close the gap. Out in Schools currently provides $345,000 worth of free educational outreach per year.

[11:15 a.m.]

The next place we can start or continue is to increase the B.C. Arts Council granting budget, specifically for LGBT2Q+ and communities of colour. What I would remark is that if you actually do the analysis, arts organizations that serve predominantly white or straight audiences are disproportionate recipients of this funding. I’m not saying to fund them less. I’m saying to fund marginalized groups more.

The third place that we can move to is health. Increase Ministry of Health funding for LGBT2Q+-specific services. When we are preventing, we are saving money.

The piece in all of this funding, as well, is to prioritize organizations that have queer, Indigenous, black and people of colour in their leadership and staff, and organizations that intentionally and overtly serve diverse communities — so essentially, by LGBT2Q+ communities for LGBT2Q+ communities.

Those are some places we can start. I just want to tell you about the value proposition really quickly. When we focus on serving and meeting the needs of LGBT2Q+, Indigenous, black and people of colour, all boats will be lifted. Lots of research exists that shows that everybody gets helped when you target marginalized groups in terms of funding and support services.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much, Stephanie.

Next up we have Ernest Baatz from Equal Work–Equal Pay B.C. Coalition.

Please go ahead.

EQUAL WORK–EQUAL PAY B.C. COALITION

E. Baatz: Mr. Chair and committee members, I thank you for giving our coalition the opportunity to speak with you today.

I’m thankful to the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations on whose unceded territories I work and live.

Equal Work–Equal Pay B.C. is a coalition of organizations dedicated to ensuring that all people who work in the community social service sector benefit equally from government-funded pay increases when they’re performing the same work.

I listened to some of the presentations to your committee yesterday from the B.C. CEO Network, the Federation of Community Social Services and from Communitas and Archway. They’ve given you the broad and very persuasive arguments for government to be providing the same increases for all community social service workers.

Our concerns arise because of the action of the government last March — 2019. Two weeks before pay increases were due to be implemented, provincial funders announced that they were funding the 2 percent general wage increase for all workers and an additional 4 percent low-wage redress for unionized workers only. Agencies and their employers association were shocked. This was a departure from 25 years of practice of the provincial government with respect to members of the employers association.

Agencies from across the province called their MLAs and asked why 17,000 workers were being excluded from this wage increase, especially when almost 80 percent of them are women. On April 2, over 200 people gathered on the Legislature steps to call the government’s attention to this unfair treatment. The government and Minister Simpson responded by pulling together a social service round table with representatives from the sector.

In June, we presented to this committee with the same message — that all workers should get the same funded increases — and we thank the committee for including these calls in their report. Specifically, they said in recommendation 84: “Fund adequate training, professional development, compensation, equipment and other incentives to recruit and retain workers in the social service sector.”

The social service round table met over the fall and winter and came up with priorities. Their number one priority was fair wage increases for all workers, action on compression and inversion and, for a lasting impact, an HR strategic plan for social services that identifies the priorities for the sector — training, marketing, compensation and recognition — creating a comprehensive plan that recognizes this workforce and keeps our communities safe and healthy.

In February, in the budget announcement, the Minister of Finance said there will be new funding to support recruitment and retention for community social service agencies to support the overall and long-term strength of the sector. So thank you to the government for the positive words.

In March, COVID-19 hit the province, and priorities got reorganized to keep people safe and healthy. We were given more evidence of the struggles our workers have managing the expenses of living in B.C. when their wages are the lowest in the public sector. Similar to strategies in the health care sector, we have been working with employees to have them work with one employer and in fewer locations.

[11:20 a.m.]

Last week on June 10, we received notice from our funders that there would be a recruitment and retention amount added to our contracts and that this increase must be applied to training initiatives or compensation for non-union employees.

We are grateful that the government has followed through on their commitments. But there is a problem with the announcement that responds to one of the Chair’s questions from yesterday. He asked: “How is government to be sure that non-union agencies will provide all the funding to their employees when they don’t have a collective agreement that requires a set level of compensation?” Our answer is: through transparency.

It’s nine days after that announcement, and we still have no idea how much of an increase we can give to our employees retroactive to April 2020, and we have no commitment for April 2021.

In summary, we’ve worked hard with this government to address a serious concern for our sector. Some funding was directed this year, but we need an ongoing commitment to a consistent and transparent process that allows all social service workers to receive equivalent increases year after year without the need for these exceptional advocacy efforts. Government needs to show respect for the extraordinary commitment that all social service workers have for their work with the vulnerable citizens in our communities.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you very much, Ernie.

Next up we have Dr. Brenda Morrison from the Centre for Restorative Justice from Simon Fraser University.

Please go ahead, Brenda.

CENTRE FOR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE,
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

B. Morrison: Good morning, hon. Chair, committee members and fellow witnesses. Thank you for your work, particularly in these challenging times when budgets are being pulled in many directions and your job is to balance the budget or inform a balanced budget.

Thank you for calling me for a witness today here on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish people. The Musqueam, the Squamish and the Tsleil-Waututh is where I sit today.

My name is Brenda Morrison. Today I represent the work of my students and associates at Simon Fraser’s Centre for Restorative Justice. The provincial signing of UNDRIP and the recent calls to defund the police, address systemic racism and enact justice that reforms amplifies the need for restorative justice in these trying times.

In defining restorative justice, I’ve decided to draw on an early Canadian definition of restorative justice. According to Susan Sharpe, restorative justice is a justice that puts energy into the future, not into what has passed. It focuses on what needs to be healed, what needs to be repaired and what needs to be learned in the wake of crime and any harm or wrongdoing. It looks at what needs to be strengthened to prevent such harm from happening again.

The goals of restorative justice are to reduce recidivism rates, to increase victim satisfaction, to strengthen our communities, to prevent further harm and to increase public confidence in the justice system, including the cost of delivering justice. The objectives are to provide a voice for victims, for offenders, for community — for all people, in fact, impacted by injustice — and to decrease the possibilities of those parties seeking retribution in their own right — in other words, vigilante justice.

The objective is to repair the harm caused by the offence so that there is meaningful restitution. The objective is to reintegrate the offender and reduce the likelihood of further harm yet hold the offender accountable to those directly impacted by the harm.

While restorative justice grew out of innovation by police, probation and judges within our state-based retributive system, the relevance of the restorative justice framework has now been recognized widely within a range of regulatory agencies from education to health care.

As the UN handbook that I provided for you states, restorative justice has a great potential to contribute to the significance and achievement of sustainable development of institutions at all levels.

[11:25 a.m.]

I’m going to use the mantra of Bonnie Henry to make my point. Restorative justice helps us to be calm, be kind and be safe. The evidence clearly points in that direction.

It helps us be calm by enacting processes from education to our justice system that keep us in our sympathetic nervous system, not our fight-or-flight response. We have evidence that it enhances mental health and reduces symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

It helps us be kind by developing effective interpersonal and intergroup relations through a range of processes that we can start working on in schools.

It helps us be safe by reducing recidivism rates in our community. The evidence clearly points that that so truly is the case.

We need to do this through comprehensive reforms, just as in an effective health care system, at primary, secondary and tertiary levels — in other words, immunization processes that are proactive as well as responsive, that are reactive to crime and injustice.

Our ask today is for funding that I’ll forward to you in a little budget that we’ve created — $50,000 in each of four areas and $50,000 to coordinate those activities. All up, $250,000. We believe this is a relatively small investment to support the province’s commitment to UNDRIP and to address the systematic reforms that are necessary in these days. Thank you very much.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you, Dr. Morrison. My daughter just did a grade 12 law project on restorative justice, and she didn’t know what “recidivism” meant. I had to explain that to her. So thank you. I appreciate that.

Next up we have Emily-Anne King from Backpack Buddies.

Please go ahead.

BACKPACK BUDDIES

E. King: Thank you for the opportunity to present to you today. My name is Emily-Anne King, and I’m one of the founders of the Backpack Buddies program.

Since 2012, Backpack Buddies has been on a mission to end childhood food insecurity in B.C. We started by helping 20 kids, filling their backpacks on Fridays so that their empty cupboards at home didn’t result in them going hungry all weekend.

One of the very first families we helped was a single mother named Allison and her three children. Allison’s first child was born when she was just 14. They lived in absolute poverty, and Allison was beyond worried about how to feed her kids with very limited resources to do so.

When she tells her story now, she says it was Backpack Buddies that changed everything. Knowing her kids were no longer starving took an incredible pressure off. It allowed her to concentrate on feeding herself and to take the time to go back to school, which led to a good job so that she could look after her family. That is the impact of feeding children. Access to adequate food is part of the United Nations convention on the rights of the child. We’re helping to make that possible in B.C.

We have come so far since those early days. By March 2020, we were supporting 1,350 kids with over 8,000 meals a week in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island. Between school meal programs and Backpack Buddies, these children have food security.

In 2018, this government, in its throne speech, said: “The story of British Columbia is the story of our people. Their potential is our potential.” Since then, this government has improved access to child care, worked towards reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, raised the minimum wage and developed a housing plan. Yet the story of our people still includes 172,000 children who are going hungry. Thousands of vulnerable children rely on school meal programs, Monday through Friday, yet go home to empty cupboards on the weekend. Indigenous children in B.C. are the most likely to be suffering.

Someone said to us recently that we can’t expect to feed all of these children. Our response was: “Why not?” It is not only possible; it is essential, and it is why we’re here to ask for your help.

A stronger province begins with eliminating childhood hunger. Children who have food are healthy children. Children who have food learn better. It’s about intervening early to help children grow up healthy. It will ultimately lessen the burden on all other social services we need to provide. If we can solve this one basic need, just imagine the potential of these kids.

[11:30 a.m.]

Unfortunately, since COVID-19 hit, many more children are in desperate need. We get calls every day from people asking for our help. In just a few short weeks, we added over 1,000 children to our program. With children out of school, we worked around the clock to get bags of food to them. It’s been a huge community effort. We’re feeding more kids than ever before and providing more food to stem the tide of hunger.

In April, Backpack Buddies was launched on the northern part of Vancouver Island. It’s a heartbreaking story. The Indigenous peoples there were relocated in the 1960s after their homes and villages were burned to the ground. They live in poverty, with nearly no access to resources to change their lives. The childhood poverty rate in this region is as high as one in two kids. These children are literally starving.

Backpack Buddies eliminates the barriers that children have to accessing food. We put child-friendly food directly into their hands. It’s easy to prepare without the presence of an adult. When kids live in families without food security, Backpack Buddies is there to make sure they’re not going hungry. It only costs $520 a year for each child.

We know this government wants to make life better for people. We hope it starts with helping children who are going hungry. We’re asking for your support to help end hunger for 2,000 more children this year. At $10 a week, that’s $1.04 million.

We don’t hand money out. We give food directly to children by quarterbacking an ever-growing team of partners that gets it where it needs to go. Urban areas like Vancouver and Victoria and remote communities like Alert Bay and Gold River. From 20 kids in 2012 to now helping close to 3,000 children today, we are taking big steps to end childhood hunger. As of today, June 19, we’ve filled 50,000 backpacks of food this school year.

We ask you to choose to put our most vulnerable children first and to end their hunger, which will transform their lives and give them a better future.

B. D’Eith (Chair): Thank you, Emily-Anne.

Thank you to all our presenters. I know the final presentations can be a bit diverse. We do appreciate all of the comments made. I wish we had time for questions. You all bring up very, very important points. We’ll have the opportunity to read your submissions and to take those all into account when we deliberate. So thank you very much. I’d like to say thank you on behalf of the whole committee.

With that, if I could have a motion to adjourn. I see a motion.

Motion approved.

The committee adjourned at 11:32 a.m.