Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

STEAM

J. Brar: I’m very pleased to rise in this House today to make an important private member’s statement regarding our fast-changing education system, with a special focus on a newly emerging system known as the STEAM approach.

[L. Reid in the chair.]

We need to first understand the meaning of STEM education in order to understand the STEAM approach. So what is STEM education? The simplest definition of STEM education is that it stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. STEAM takes STEM to the next level. It adds the arts to the mix. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.

More than 40 years ago, the focus of our education system was that you had to first become fully grounded in your own discipline and then be exposed to other disciplines. But now, the going view is that we have to have that kind of mixture much earlier on in the student’s experience to give them a jump-start in their professional life.

What combination of skills will be needed in the workplace of the future is a challenge for educators and policy-makers. The province that will find the right answer to this question will be able to develop and implement the education system that will serve the young people as a springboard to acquire the right types of skills needed to compete in the ever-changing global economy.

With the rise in technological changes over the past 20, 30 years, the nature of work is always going to change. We live in a global economy with businesses now able to sell their products, find employees and target new markets in the global village.

The technology revenue, as it’s often called, will force change on us all. The reason is partly because of the way in which high-tech sectors are changing the economy and hiring students who not only know technology but also understand sales, marketing and other social sciences disciplines.

No doubt, the type of work we do is changing. But what does this really mean for the way we train our young people? It is an interesting and important question. On the one hand, we have a skill shortage in many industries, and on the other hand, there is this growing sense that jobs will actually disappear and be replaced by robots. Driverless vehicle development will change and shape the world more than the Internet has changed.

What does it all mean for training future students and employees? The STEAM education system seems to be the answer. STEAM is an educational approach of learning that uses five disciplines — namely science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics — to prepare students for a rapidly changing economy and labour market.

In this interdisciplinary program, students learn through inquiry, dialogue, critical thinking and project-based learning. The STEAM program offers a special focus on developing independent learners, critical thinkers, collaborators, innovators and contributors. The end result is students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration and work through the creative process.

These students of today are the innovators, educators, leaders and learners of the 21st century. They will have the skill set to solve the key problems we are facing as a community — global warming, poverty and so on.

[10:10 a.m.]

The STEAM movement has been taking root over the past several years and is surging forward as a positive model of action to truly meet the needs of a 21st-century economy. The objectives of the STEAM movement system are to transfer education approach and research policy to place art and design at the centre of STEM education, encourage the integration of art and design into K-to-12 education and influence employers to hire artists and designers to drive innovation.

That’s why our government is committed to supporting the tech sector, turning to innovation as the way to ensure a prosperous future. We will expand tech co-op education opportunities. We will partner with public post-secondary education to advance technology and innovation centres in key areas of our economy.

It is no surprise that the tech sector in B.C. is one of the fastest-growing sectors of our economy, generating approximately $29 billion in revenue and supporting 106,000 good-paying jobs. It is home to more than 10,200 businesses. Over 83,400 tech-related job opening are expected by 2027, jobs like computer programmers, engineers, information systems analysts and software designers.

Our government is creating a B.C. that works for people by making informed decisions that allow them to follow their passion and reach their full potential at home, in the community and in the workplace where they work.

M. Hunt: The topic that’s brought up by my friend on the opposite side today is STEAMD, which is, as he said, science, technology, engineering, art, math and design. I find it interesting that when we talk about this, we deal with issues like: what happened to English language skills? What happened to communication skills?

I think this is great. Maybe this is a program to get rid of lawyers, because I don’t see lawyers fitting into this one very well. But hey, that’s okay.

You see, when we come to technology, my question is: in technology, what are we actually talking about? Over at Simon Fraser University Surrey campus, we have a beautiful new energy systems engineering building going up, and one of the things that’s going to be inside it is a mechatronics technology incubator. Well, we get these really long handles for things — mechatronics and all the rest of it. We used to call that mechanical engineering. Now we get these new, fancy terms for it all, but it’s all similar. That’s called technology.

I find it interesting that that’s technology. We have all these changes going on in our education systems — and as the member said, fast-changing — but it’s still a basic truth of education that grade 8 math skills are a good indicator of how successful you’re going to be in post-secondary education.

Back when, I know, the earth was cooling down and I was young, we used to have that when you got to grade 9, you had the great choice, the great divide: you either matriculated and went on to academics and universities or you went to technical school. You had skills. That’s where it was separated.

I keep wondering about what we are doing today for those young people that are skills-oriented and learn with their hands. I know the member for Surrey-Fleetwood is from Surrey, and he knows as well as I do that the number one industry in Surrey is construction. That means the trades. That’s those who are carpenters, plumbers, electricians. They gain their skills very differently from those who are the academics. They gain their skills and learning by using their hands, working with their hands and developing with their hands.

I think many times, in the midst of our academic excellence, we forget or we leave out those who are skill-based. MIT recently had a study that was published in the MIT Press Journals. It said career and technical education actually increase the graduation rates by 21 percent among those who are low-income students.

[10:15 a.m.]

I think that’s really significant, because many times these are the people who have the hands-on skills, the skills to be able to do different things. They work with their hands; they learn with their hands.

I know in the automotive industry…. We recently had the automotive retailers here in the House lobbying us. I have a friend who has an automotive repair shop. On about a — what was it? — Wednesday on Facebook, all of a sudden there was this announcement that on Friday, he was closing his shop. Well, I’ve been going there for eight years. This was his baby. He had looked forward to having his own business.

I asked him: “What’s the problem? What’s happening? Why are you changing?” He says: “I can’t get automotive technicians.” We used to call them mechanics, but now they’re called automotive technicians because, of course, they’re dealing with all kinds of different things underneath the hood. But he couldn’t get them.

When we had the automotive retailers here, they were telling us how business was doing. I would ask them the question: how were they doing with automotive technologists? They would roll their eyes and say: “They are the hardest thing to get.”

Before, in high school, we used to have mechanics. We used to have the guys who would go out and tear apart the old cars, the 327s, rebuild motors and all this sort of thing.

I was talking to one of the automotive guys. People who are in upholstery, upholsterers, are putting in their pockets $82 an hour. Electricians. You charge those guys out at 75 or 80 bucks an hour. That’s what these guys are putting in their pocket because they’re in such demand — those who are skill-oriented, those who are in fact working and learning with their hands.

I think, as we look at equal opportunity — a member even referred to it within his prayer this morning — this is a place and a land of equal opportunity. I think that within our educational system, we also need to be focusing, as we are on this theme, which is the high-tech side of things…. We also have to be looking at those who are skills-oriented. How are getting the opportunity to be able to develop their skills and abilities so that they can have productive jobs?

J. Brar: Thanks to the member for Surrey-Cloverdale for his thoughtful response to my private member’s statement with regard to our fast-changing education system. It was about the education system, with a special focus on the newly emerging system known as the STEAM approach.

Clearly, the member has a different approach. I think the member is more focused on only the construction industry, which is an important one. I don’t disagree with that. But the economy is way bigger than that, Member. I think we are in the 21st century, and the member wants to still live in the last century. That’s his choice. We all make choices about that.

The member spoke passionately about trades and training programs and how we can help tradespeople. But I want to say this to the member. During the last 16 years, there was absolutely nothing the government that he represented did to improve the trade situation in the province of British Columbia.

On the housing market, they introduced one thing. If you want to build your own house, you need to have a licence. You are building your own house, and you have to have a licence. When you are going to hire tradespeople, and then the city is going to come and inspect at every stage, they introduce an additional step for them to do that.

Coming back to the real topic. The STEAM system is the new system. It is being adopted by countries across the globe, whether it’s the U.S.A. or England or Finland or also Canada. It’s a system where science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics work together. Basically, they work as a team, and that’s where the communication the member is talking about is most important.

The only difference is, if you go back 40 years — the time the member is talking about — that was the time when it was kind of a requirement, or the focus of education, that you first master the skills of your own discipline. Then, maybe, through life experience, you learn other disciplines. So by the time you’re close to retirement, you become a more holistic professional. What we are saying here is that that is actually the beginning of your professional career right now, and we need to give those skills to the students in order to make them capable to compete in the global community at the very beginning.

[10:20 a.m.]

That’s the difference between my remarks and the remarks of the member on the other side. What we are doing, the government of British Columbia, is we are actually looking into that situation. We are actually accepting that reality and moving forward by making investments in that area.

FIRST NATIONS PARTICIPATION
IN THE RESOURCE ECONOMY

E. Ross: When I became the Haisla’s first full-time, elected councillor in 2003, it took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to achieve, mostly by learning on the job. There was no guidebook in those days as to what my job actually was. My learning came from reading, listening and then trying to make sense of what was really going on.

In 2003, my council was just starting to get out of the deficit that was limiting the progress of our people. When a band is preoccupied with paying the bills or caught up with the processes of the Indian Act funding agreements, there is very little time to deal with unemployment or future prosperity dreams. The positions I was appointed to quickly fell well below my expectations. I learned that these processes did next to nothing to resolve our band members’ issue at the time, which was unemployment, especially for our younger people, so I quit Indian Act–related portfolios as quickly as I could.

As soon as I became elected chief councillor in 2011, I changed the council’s structure to focus less on Indian Act programs and more on initiatives that promised employment for our people. I also took our band out of B.C. treaty negotiations so we could concentrate fully on initiatives that could put our people in a position where we could deal with our own issues on our own terms. There have been many statements and books published on this idea, like the book entitled Beggars in Our Own House. My late uncle Heber, who was also a leader of the Haisla, said: “All we want is a share and a say.”

Over the years, not only did I read about Aboriginal issues in Canada, I experienced them. This is what motivates me to at least try and help Aboriginals across Canada. There are thousands of Aboriginals across Canada who are in the same situation as I was, as well as my band. Helping out First Nations, our province and our country is a commitment I take very seriously. It is hard to describe the joy of witnessing ordinary people receive meaningful employment or watching an individual turn their life around, seeing despair melt away as someone takes control of their own future. To this day, this still gives me the greatest satisfaction.

To be clear, I don’t denounce Indian Act funding agreements or treaty negotiations. It’s just that when a wide range of decisions and issues are in front of me, I always want to make sure to look out for any opportunity for individuals to secure a better future. Sometimes this is my primary goal, depending on the situation. I do prioritize and distinguish between real and/or hypothetical situations and opportunities. If make-work projects lead to real, sustainable work, then I’m all for them.

This is mainly why I support the idea of impact-benefit agreements that have been in place in our territories since 2004 — impact-benefit agreements that provide real work with real wages. In many ways, IBAs have transformed the way our people think about their futures. With the revenue our council received, programs were initiated without consulting outside organizations. Our elders program, youth programs, sports fund, job-coach program and even our bereavement program are all self-funded, with no authorization from any level of outside government.

There was a time in the past when these types of programs were only possible if our council begged for money from Ottawa. As a matter of fact, early in my career on council I did a trip to Ottawa to ask for additional money. I felt so demoralized from the experience that I refused to do it again.

Once we began to implement impact-benefit agreements, we began to see a future. For example, we had the forest and range agreement signed with the B.C. government over ten years ago. It guaranteed revenues and timber to harvest.

These types of things point toward a future. LNG is another possibility — something that will change lives and make a better future for everyone, not just Aboriginals.

N. Simons: I really appreciate the words of the member for Skeena. I think he is a tireless advocate not just for his people but for his region. I think what he said today reflects the views of many of us in this House.

[10:25 a.m.]

In fact, anyone who has given some thought and some time to this issue recognizes the interconnectedness of people but also of the resources that we now, in this day and age, are sharing. We need to continue to work on making sure that everyone gets the benefits of our natural resources and that we steward them in a way that reflects the value that they have to us as a society, as communities.

I know that, having worked in a First Nations…. I’m not an expert on this area. I’m not claiming to have any sort of knowledge beyond that of my friends and colleagues on both sides, but I do recognize that things have changed. We see a sea change occurring in our relationships. As those relationships develop and become based on fairness and on an effort to reconcile past injustices, I think we need to be conscious of the fact that the revenue and the benefits of our resources need to be shared — not only shared but stewarded in a collective way, in a way that meets not just the needs of our generations now but for future generations.

I’m concerned about contemporary discussions around resource extraction and how the debate is often turned into the politics of division. I don’t hear that in the member across the way, but I do hear it in the public discourse — about how certain groups support certain resource development and other groups are opposed. I think what we need to focus on more as a collective, as a group of people representing the people of British Columbia, is to find where we agree and to recognize that opposing views do not mean full disagreement on all issues but a difference in emphasis and a difference, possibly, in the priorities.

When I think of the natural resources of our province, I think of the water that we need to protect. I think of the air, and I think of the land. Those are resources that we cherish, I believe. Those are the natural resources in our forests and in our seas, which, I think, have been used and cherished since time immemorial and now are in need of our protection and our stewardship. The resource economy is not simply one of extraction and wealth creation. It’s one of resource protection and conservation as well.

When we talk about one perspective versus another, I think it does a disservice to the debate. For that reason, I think it’s equally important to talk about how this is not a new situation, that resource-sharing has evolved. We continue to allow it to evolve, obviously, and push for its evolution, because fairness has not been a part of the agreements, as the member mentioned, with the Indian Act and with other forms of agreements.

Benefit agreements are important, and they will continue to be important as we find another way to find a place of reconciliation and an ability for all our communities to focus on future cooperation, future friendship and future partnership.

E. Ross: I’d like to thank the hon. member for Powell River–Sunshine Coast for his comments.

Just before I conclude my own comments…. I made mention of LNG. When it comes to natural resource development, many First Nations leaders are subject to threats and intimidation. I’m glad that the member brought up division, because communities — Aboriginal communities — are in the middle of controversy, misinformation and politics that lead to division within the communities and keep the status quo of unemployment and poverty for many Aboriginal communities across B.C. and Canada.

This is unacceptable, because First Nation leaders are elected to make a better future for their people. I’m not talking about the differences of opinion within their own community. I’m talking about well-funded, highly organized groups who want to impose their own vision without any regard for the future they are denying Aboriginal people.

It’s very hard to imagine what it feels like to finally see some light at the end of the tunnel, only to have some organization from hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away say no because those other organizations know better than the elected leaders.

[10:30 a.m.]

An example. On January 24, Caitlyn Vernon, campaign director for the Sierra Club, wrote an editorial in the Times Colonist. She criticized the Premier’s trip to Asia and the fact that he met KOGAS, Mitsubishi and PetroChina — members of the LNG Canada consortium that wants to build an LNG export facility in Kitimat.

The editorial went on to say that LNG development is not compatible with tourism. In other words: “We know better than you do.” Forget about the prospect of lifting a people out of generational poverty. Forget about the fact that just one facility like LNG Canada could easily replace 30 or 40 coal-fired power plants in China.

There are many Aboriginal leaders who are not afraid to speak up against organizations like the Sierra Club. In response, Crystal Smith, chief councillor with the Haisla First Nation, had this to say: “Your editorial neglects to address any of the issues faced by First Nations in northern British Columbia, where unemployment is rampant and the tourism industry offers very little promise of that changing anytime soon.”

Chief Crystal Smith even invited the Sierra Club to her territory to spend time with First Nations who support LNG. Chief Crystal Smith concluded by saying: “We know exactly what we need — the ability to govern ourselves, take care of our families and ensure our young people have the kinds of opportunities that allow them to remain in our community and become self-supporting. What we need are well-paying jobs and economic development opportunities so we can dramatically reduce unemployment.”

In conclusion, First Nations will no longer be bullied, intimidated or threatened by outside groups who think they know best. It’s our future at stake, and we’re going to stand up for ourselves as well as British Columbians.

THE NEW ECONOMY

R. Glumac: In the last few decades, the world has experienced a technological revolution. High-tech products and services that you could only dream of or read about in science fiction novels before are now becoming part of our daily lives. These products are coming on the market and evolving at an accelerating pace, and this is what drives the new economy.

When you consider that the personal computer took almost 20 years since inception to being adopted by 25 percent of the U.S. population but smartphones only took five years, you can see how much of an impact new technology has. Consider now smart speakers like Amazon Alexa. It just took two years to get to 25 percent adoption. This is how quickly new technology can propagate through our society and change the way we do things.

All that change represents economic opportunity. Here in B.C., our tech sector contributes almost $14.6 billion to the province’s GDP and employs over 106,000 people. That’s more than mining, oil and gas, and forestry combined, even if you include all the manufacturing activities related to those industries. The wages are almost 85 percent higher than the average wage in B.C. There has been steady growth in revenues in this sector in the last ten years and a 9.2 percent jump in revenue in 2016, to nearly $29 billion.

This new economy exists throughout our province. Let’s start in the Lower Mainland, which is home to head offices for Telus, Maxar Technologies and Sierra Wireless, just to name a few. Many other companies have established themselves here as well, including Boeing and Intel, Electronic Arts, Sony, Imageworks, Disney, Salesforce.com and Tableau. There are many homegrown industries and success stories here as well, like Zymeworks and Hootsuite and Global Relay.

Motorola recently acquired B.C.-based Avigilon technologies for $1 billion. Mitsubishi is investing $4 million in one of B.C.’s top clean-tech companies, MineSense. Fortinet is expanding and adding 1,000 new jobs in digital security.

[10:35 a.m.]

Microsoft is adding 50 new mixed-reality jobs. Not only that, they’re expanding their technology, education and literacy in schools program to teach computer science to B.C. high school students and also partnering with BCIT to expand tech training.

Amazon is adding 1,000 new software engineering and related jobs in the next two years. A number of high-tech clusters have developed in greater Vancouver in areas like alternative energy, digital media, virtual reality, biotechnology and wireless.

High tech is growing in all areas of the province. Vancouver Island is home to more than 1,500 high-tech companies, and Victoria has head offices for some of the largest, including broadband hardware manufacturer Vecima Networks and solar power systems manufacturer Carmanah Technologies.

Nanaimo also has a strong information technology sector and has a large number of engineering and environmental technology firms. The Thompson-Okanagan has over 800 high-tech companies, where Kelowna is the hub of the high-tech sector and has been called Silicon Vineyard.

There are almost another thousand high-tech companies throughout the province. The Crown corporation Innovate B.C., formerly BCIC, funds start-up accelerators across the province in many of these areas, including Kamloops and Prince George. Government investments in broadband internet will allow many rural communities to participate in this new economy. So the future looks bright. Vancouver has been ranked the number one start-up ecosystem in Canada.

B.C. is also home to internationally recognized educational institutions and some of North America’s leading research programs, including UBC’s Data Science Institute, UVic’s institute for data science, SFU’s cybersecurity centre and UBC’s Quantum Matter Institute. Our R-and-D infrastructure also includes the Centre for Drug Research and Development, Genome B.C., TRIUMF, and BCIT’s Centre for Energy Systems Applications.

We also have the unique distinction of being in a time zone where our business day conveniently overlaps with afternoon working hours in Europe and morning schedules in Asia. And we are in the exact same time zone as the biggest tech hub in the world, in Silicon Valley.

Despite all the successes, there is room for growth. B.C. ranks third in the country in high-tech GDP, behind Ontario and Quebec, and far behind many U.S. states. Washington, Oregon and California all have around 20 percent of their GDP contributed by the high-tech sector.

The tech sector is a very important part of our diverse economy. Quite often, it doesn’t get the attention that it deserves. While the previous government focused all of its energy on LNG, the tech sector grew. With a new government in place that recognizes the importance of this sector, it will continue to thrive and become a strong foundation of economic prosperity for all British Columbians.

T. Stone: It’s a pleasure to rise today to speak to this particular item that was brought forward by the member for Port Moody–Coquitlam, and I thank him for that.

First off, what exactly is the new economy? It’s often used to describe new high-growth industries on the cutting edge of technology, a technology that’s often a force of tremendous economic change and economic growth. Many suggest that the new economy started with the advent of powerful computing, and I think that is certainly the fact.

It’s now reflected in exciting subsectors of technology: the streaming economy, the gig economy, the cloud computing economy, big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality. On and on the list goes. All of this new economy is truly changing our communities. It’s changing how we work. It’s changing how we live. We see innovation everywhere, in communities large and small.

Now, I am a former tech CEO. This is the world that I come from. When I started my tech company back in the late 1990s, there were four tech companies in Kamloops. Today there are over 160 companies, employing over 1,400 Kamloopsians and doing incredible innovation. Companies like iTel or Lightship or Streamline or Hummingbird Drones. Kamloops is now home to data centres, hardware and software providers.

[10:40 a.m.]

The same goes for Kelowna, Victoria, Vancouver, Prince George and communities all over this province of ours. It’s one of the beauties of this new economy. You can go to 100 Mile House, Sicamous or Cumberland, and you will come across incredibly innovative companies building services and products as part of the new economy.

This sector is certainly booming in British Columbia: over 106,000 direct jobs with projections to grow, to see growth in this sector, to 120,000 by 2020. There are over 10,000 companies, again, in every community, large and small. The jobs do pay 75 percent higher than the average wage in British Columbia, and as the former member mentioned — he’s absolutely correct — there are more tech jobs than mining, forestry and oil and gas combined.

It’s very important to understand what those keys to success are to continue to enable this sector to grow. One of the most important strategies is to keep the cost of doing business competitive. Raising taxes is not a good way to spur continued growth in this particular sector.

I’m really proud to have been part of a former government that worked really hard to develop the tech sector and to ensure continued growth. You know, we took sector employment in a four-year period from about 80,000 tech jobs to over 100,000. We provided an additional $87 million towards the B.C. tech strategy.

Our actions were organized into three broad categories. First, access to capital — a $100 million venture capital fund we created, a very, very important source of early-round financing. We enhanced tax credits, like the small business venture capital tax credit and the digital animation or visual effects credit. We also pursued federal funding under the clusters initiative.

The second key category is talent — better capitalizing on ideas generated in British Columbia to support commercialization. That starts by first focusing on developing talent here in British Columbia. I’m proud that we did that by introducing coding in schools, grades six to nine, creating more seats in our tech programs at our universities and colleges across the province, more co-op placements and so forth.

The third key strategy is on the market side of the equation. That, again, starts by making it easier for B.C. companies to do business here in British Columbia with government. We implemented a simplified RFP process, which did exactly that. It also involves fostering better market access across the world. We did that through growing the export navigator pilot program and expanding U.S. trade and investment offices in Seattle and the Silicon Valley.

The new economy in B.C. is very exciting. It’s growing fast. British Columbia is now a leader in biotech, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, clean tech, digital animation and special effects. This industrial revolution is all about bringing the physical, biological and digital worlds closer together.

Yes, it will cause some disruption, as new technology and automation challenge the status quo in some industries. Government will need to continue to anticipate and prepare British Columbians to adapt to this very exciting disruption. If we do this right, if we embrace this change, we can seize these massive opportunities inherent within this change.

R. Glumac: A great deal of time is spent talking about the economy in this House. The tech sector needs to be recognized and championed, because it is part of the new economy that is driving economic growth. It is pervasive, and it crosses into many traditional industries.

In this House, we’ve had question period taken over for several weeks by questions related to a single pipeline project. Perhaps we need to step back and cast our eyes to the future in order to get some context. The oil industry, while still an important part of the Canadian economy, will decline in the future, as countries around the world are banning internal combustion engines in new vehicles and are embracing renewable energy, which is becoming cheaper and cheaper. At some point, it’ll become impossible to ignore climate change, and the use of fossil fuels will decline further.

What will not decline is the new economy. The tech sector and all industries that it supports will continue to grow at an accelerating rate. B.C. is well positioned to be a global leader in the new economy.

[10:45 a.m.]

That is why we are investing in education, K to 12 as well as post-secondary — so that our children will have the tools to thrive in the economy of the future. That is why we’ve hired B.C.’s first innovation commissioner to champion the innovation and tech sector and to strengthen national and cross-border relationships. That is why we are forming the emerging economy task force to develop made-in-B.C. solutions in the new economy.

The future is bright, and I’m proud to be part of a government that recognizes the opportunities we have and that is positioning B.C. to be a world leader in the new economy.

FUELLING BRITISH COLUMBIA

J. Yap: Today I want to talk about fuelling British Columbia, both literally and figuratively. Like most members of this House, I own a car. Richmond-Steveston isn’t the biggest riding in British Columbia, but it’s still too big to walk across in a reasonable amount of time. This is also true for millions of British Columbians. They walk, take transit or ride their bikes when they can, but quite often it’s necessary to get around by car. How are these cars fuelled?

The previous B.C. Liberal government made great strides in investing in electric-vehicle-charging stations. Since introducing the clean energy vehicle program in 2011, British Columbia has added more than 1,300 charging stations. These are positive steps, and it’s my hope that the current government continues to build on this success. But this transition cannot happen overnight.

The fact is that the overwhelming majority of commercial and private vehicles still run on gas or diesel. Where does this fuel come from? In greater Vancouver, more than half of the petroleum products we depend on are refined in Alberta and then shipped to the coast through the Trans Mountain pipeline.

Constructed in 1953, the pipeline, which connects Edmonton to Burnaby, is currently able to move 300,000 barrels a day. This fulfils about 50 to 60 percent of the Vancouver market needs. Twinning will allow for up to 890,000 barrels a day. Meanwhile, Kinder Morgan’s Puget Sound pipeline spurs off near Abbotsford and connects to Washington state. This allows Trans Mountain to supply refineries in Anacortes, Cherry Point and Ferndale, Washington.

There are other sources. CP and CN Rail lines carry oil into B.C.’s northern and southern regions, where there’s a rail line between Burnaby and the United States. But it’s not enough.

A supply shortage on the Prairies — or if Alberta follows through on its threats to restrict the flow of oil here — would create significant hardship for ordinary British Columbians. I should note that these folks are also contending with an increase to the carbon tax. This price hike will impact motorists and commercial truck drivers at the pump. It may discourage tourists thinking about taking a road trip through our great province.

In addition, representing a riding in Richmond where agriculture is a key industry, I know many farmers are worried about it as well. They use heavy machinery to get the job done on their farms each day and the trucks to transport their goods. They’re very concerned about how the increase to the carbon tax, among other factors, will hurt their bottom line.

They’re not alone. Many people across British Columbia are nervous. All the members in the House, I’m sure, are hearing from them. The threats made by Alberta may or may not be constitutional. But as we have learned, just because something is unconstitutional, it doesn’t mean it cannot happen anyway, even if just temporarily.

It’s not just cars. My community, our community, also includes Vancouver International Airport, YVR, which is the gateway for millions of tourists and visitors to our province. One of the files I worked on in government — with Rob Howard, the former member for Richmond Centre — was air access. I’m sure all members of this House use YVR. It’s a huge economic generator for our province as well as the major employer in our community, the city of Richmond.

[10:50 a.m.]

With B.C. being an open economy so very dependent on trade, YVR is a gateway for our province and all of Canada. From tourism to agriculture and aquaculture to business, there is hardly any sector of our economy that does not benefit from a successful YVR.

YVR also plays a crucial role in B.C.’s ties to the economies across the Pacific. Our former B.C. Liberal government put a lot of hard work and energy into developing these Asia-Pacific relationships, opening up new markets for B.C. goods. All that economic activity creates jobs, drives growth, brings investments, builds communities and makes a positive difference in people’s lives. It also takes a lot of fuel.

Each additional flight to Asia increases jet fuel demand by 800 tanker truckloads per year. The new pipeline, marine terminal and receiving facility being constructed is good news for YVR to secure fuel supply and eliminate the need for daily tanker truck deliveries. But again, YVR is vulnerable. If Alberta cuts or restricts the flow of oil, there is a risk of fuel shortages at YVR.

Set aside the economic impacts, even though they would be considerable; the reputational impact might be even worse. As I mentioned, under our previous B.C. Liberal government we made great strides in economic growth and trade ties and in diversifying our economy. While we also took steps to expand our network of electric vehicle charging stations, all that economic growth and activity needs fuel.

In a very real sense, B.C. runs on oil. As our relations with Ottawa and Alberta continue to be strained and potentially descend into hostility, I hope the government will consider the real impacts of a sudden rise in fuel costs or even a shortage. They are impacts that will be felt provincewide by our citizens who seek greater affordability, by various industries and our business community and, ultimately, by our economy, which fuels the social services which we all rely on.

I’ll leave it there for now, and I look forward to the response from the members opposite.

R. Kahlon: Thank you to the member for Richmond-Steveston for bringing this motion forward: the importance of fuelling British Columbia. Before I get into my remarks, I just want to talk on a couple of quick things.

I’m going to be talking about electric vehicles. I know that the previous government started some initiatives on this. I think all governments in North America and the world are starting to see the transition from oil and gas to electric vehicles, and so as a province we need to do that as well.

The member mentioned the challenges around carbon tax. I just wanted to remind the member that in fact it was his government that actually introduced the carbon tax. We and other jurisdictions around the world now are seeing the benefits of that.

One of the things that I want to touch on is a commitment that our government has made. Our government is in the process of creating a road map for the future of our province’s energy needs. This new plan will drive innovation, will drive energy efficiency, partner with conservation programs and generate new energy responsibly and sustainably, creating good jobs across the province.

We must do this to ensure we both provide the energy required to power B.C. but also to meet our climate targets and, along with this initiative, also creating good jobs throughout the province. There’s a supply and demand piece there.

On the supply side, I’d said that we’re actually extremely fortunate here in B.C. Our electricity is one of the greenest in the world and one of the lowest costs anywhere in the world. We’re blessed to have the biggest tools available in the carbon reduction box, so to speak. Using B.C. clean energy, with our abundance of existing hydro dams, wind, solar and biomass, gives us a phenomenal competitive advantage by helping us to create some of the lowest carbon product services in the international market. Dramatically cheaper renewable energy technologies are already making us competitive, and the trend is only going to continue.

First Nations are not just joining the movement; they’re actually leading in this movement. Just locally, we’re talking about the T’Sou-ke First Nation. They were proclaimed Canada’s first Aboriginal solar community. To think that ten years ago they took the initiative to put solar panels throughout their community, in the middle of a rainforest, is quite remarkable.

[10:55 a.m.]

Now they’re selling power back to the grid as well as providing power to their entire community, although, along the way, also employing 15 band members.

The Upper Nicola Band just recently has announced plans to build B.C.’s largest solar panel farm. It will provide energy for 5,000 homes and deliver about $4 million in annual revenues to their community. This is the future of energy in this province.

Electrifying the grid. We have lots of opportunities to electrify our grid as well as help us ensure that we meet our climate change targets. I know there have been reports written for many, many years about the importance of the Montney basin and work that can be done to electrify that. We could avoid up to four million tonnes of emissions per year, minimizing the greenhouse gas footprint in our province’s busiest resource area.

The member mentioned electrical cars, and I think that there’s been some good work started in that direction, and it’s only going to expand. Every jurisdiction is moving at a very fast pace at bringing on more electric vehicles and building more capacity for electric vehicles. I know that just recently the new-car dealers were here, and the amount of new electrical cars that are coming on the market is astounding. Starting next year, I think every company will have at least five or six cars on the market. That’s something for us to be proud of.

There’s certainly a transition happening, and it’s only going to get faster and faster. So when we talk about fuelling B.C., I think we should be talking about it in the future. I think our constituents and all of our ridings want us to be thinking about, “What is it going to look like in ten years?” and not: “What does it look like today?” I think there’s been good work done by the previous government. We’re only looking to expand that work by ensuring that more people have access to electric vehicles, that even our commercial vehicles start looking in that direction.

With that, I thank the member for Richmond-Steveston for bringing forward this motion and look forward to hearing his follow-up thoughts.

J. Yap: Thanks to the member opposite for his remarks. It’s clear that we and the members opposite don’t agree on everything, but there are many things we agree on. I appreciate his comment about the good work that was started by our previous government, and the new government is working on continuing a number of those initiatives.

All sides of this House believe that we should do more to increase affordability in the province, particularly in centres like the Lower Mainland and greater Victoria. I believe all members in this House can also agree that a dramatic rise in fuel prices would hurt ordinary British Columbians.

It’s not just the price that we would pay at the pumps; it’s the cost of heating their homes with natural gas, a home heating oil. It’s the spillover effect, including the rising prices on everything from groceries and household goods to the cost of busing kids to school. Beyond rising prices, an actual fuel shortage would cause havoc. We need to think about what a major interruption would do to our economy.

As I’ve outlined, our previous B.C. Liberal government did all we could to grow the economy, and many of the opportunities we created to build that success rely on fuel. From tourists arriving by planes through YVR, Vancouver International Airport, to the goods being exported out of that airport to overseas markets — and let’s not forget the commercial trucks getting goods to YVR — these are just some of the ways that fuel plays a big part in our economy and in our lives. I could go on and on.

The health of our economy is so important. When our economy is functioning well, we have the funds to pay for the services that we all need. Most of us jump into our cars and go about our business each day without a thought as to where our fuel comes from. I hope today’s discussion of this matter is illuminating on that point.

With all of this in mind, I hope that we avoid the threats and the risks that loom over that important supply of fuel. Our interprovincial relationships are so important, especially with our next-door neighbour, Alberta, which provides us with so much of the fuel that we use. Let’s maintain and work to maintain and improve those partnerships, rather than the alternative which would do so much damage to our provincial economy and hit British Columbians hard in the pocketbook as well.

Hon. B. Ralston: I call debate on private member’s Motion 19.

[11:00 a.m.]

Deputy Speaker: Unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed with Motion 19 without disturbing the priority of the motions preceding it on the order paper.

Leave granted.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 19 — AGRICULTURAL LAND
AND FARMING

R. Leonard: I’m delighted to put forward my first motion in the House on the matter of a most basic human need.

Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, you need to move the motion.

R. Leonard: Yes.

[Be it resolved that this House recognizes the importance of protecting agricultural land and encouraging farming.]

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

Without sustenance, we would all perish, and without arable land or farmers, we could not grow the food we need. In our vast and varied province, our limited fertile ground is found where land uses other than agricultural aggressively compete for housing, commerce, industry, resource extraction, roads — you name it. In 1973, food production was prioritized on about 4.7 million hectares of highly sought-after, fertile real estate, protecting 5 percent of the land base within a single agricultural land reserve to be overseen by an independent provincial commission.

The Comox Valley is an agricultural community with $34 million in gross farm receipts and growing. But today, only 23 percent of the more than 23,000 hectares of ALR is actively farmed, and 62 percent of the remaining land is in its natural state and available for production. That’s three times as much land that could be farmed but isn’t. That’s a lot of potential. It’s important to protect that potential and encourage more farming, since Vancouver Island gets more than 90 percent of its food from off Island, and there is only enough supply here for a few days.

We witnessed how important food security can be with the wildfires in B.C. last year, when some communities were cut off and only local food was available. Resiliency to withstand disaster is where we need to be in every community.

So how do we encourage farming and grow local supply? The Comox Valley has some encouraging trends to reflect on. Although the average age of Comox Valley farmers is 59 years old — older than the Canadian average — unlike most of Canada, there’s been a surge in agri-investments there, seeing more land going into production and higher gross farm receipts, according to our local economic development office.

While the older generation is still farming, many young agrarians are cropping up. There have been the development of niche markets with a number of grape and fruit wineries, Natural Pastures’ award-winning cheeses, Tree Island’s yogurt and McClintock’s Farms’ water buffalo yogurt, as well as the renowned shellfish aquaculture of Baynes Sound.

Beef farms are expanding herds and buying up farms and growing a grass-fed, organic, natural, specialty meats sector. Its necessary forage production has the potential in the Comox Valley to grow up to five times what it is today. On the other end of the spectrum, organic produce on small farms with young agrarians has seen an uptick, but accessing land is an issue. There are about ten big dairy farms and over 400 small farms, 75 percent being organic.

Diligent support and a comprehensive plan is needed to turn trends into long-term change, and our new government is doing just that. Grow B.C. will help young farmers access that land and support expansion of local food production. Feed B.C. will help grow consistent markets for B.C.–grown and –processed food, and Buy B.C. will expand marketing and expand market access.

Agricultural land in B.C. is under threat after the previous government brought forward Bill 24 in 2014 with virtually no consultation. Continuous improvement is a good concept, but it can’t be achieved without regard for those who practise farming or who are in the food industry. The uproar that followed the creation of two zones — that’s two kinds of ALR — with attached legislative measures that will allow losses of up to 90 percent of good farmland indicates that Bill 24 has not been considered an improvement.

[11:05 a.m.]

That’s why I am encouraged by today’s Minister of Agriculture’s interest in hearing from British Columbians about what we can do to strengthen our farming and ranching industry. The new ALR revitalization commission has an impressive diversity of agricultural interests, and the different geographical areas of B.C. are well represented. It has heard from over 1,500 British Columbians. Their work and our renewed focus on B.C. agriculture should put us on the right track to better protect our agricultural land and encourage farming.

I. Paton: I rise in the House today to speak on the subject of protecting agricultural land and encouraging farming in British Columbia. It’s a subject I’m well versed in, having grown up on a dairy farm and becoming a third generation dairy farmer.

My grandfather was a dairy farmer, as was my father. My father, by the same name, was also chairman of the Agricultural Land Commission in British Columbia in the late ’80s and early ’90s, so my family knows quite a bit about encouraging farming and protecting farmland in British Columbia. My older brother is also a veterinarian of large animals — horses and dairy cattle.

Not only did I develop a love for farming from my family, I also got it from my involvement in B.C.’s 4-H program. I got involved with this organization when I was about eight or nine years old, and the skills I learned over the years carried on into my adult years. 4-H is a wonderful program. It gives young people the opportunity to learn how to become productive, self-assured adults through a variety of programs and experiences.

Personally, I chose to take part in the 4-H dairy and beef clubs, but it’s not just about animals. 4-H, over the years, has evolved into other many interests, such as bees, small engines, photography, poultry, sewing, crafts and gardening. 4-H also provides young people with a long list of skill sets, such as livestock husbandry, nutrition, showing and judging their animals and animal health, not to mention public speaking, project reports, farm safety and many, many fun times at the local fairs.

Interestingly, adults in the early 1900s did not readily accept new agricultural discoveries, but educators found that youth would experiment with new ideas and then share their experience and successes with the adults. In this way, youth have led in the introduction of new technology in the farming industry.

In addition to learning new skills as a 4-H member, I also learned the 4-H pledge, which I’m proud to share with the House today. It describes the significance of the 4-H’s: “I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service and my health to better living for my club, my community and my country.”

That last point is so important. 4-H doesn’t just improve the skills of young people in the present. It empowers them to become good citizens in the future who give back to their community and their country. In fact, many people I know from my time in 4-H have risen to leadership roles in their communities. I count myself among them, serving as, first, a city councillor and then an MLA, working with diverse community groups, even getting up and speaking in this House. 4-H is one of the early experiences in my life that gave me the skills and confidence to pursue this type of work.

I’m proud to say that I continue to stay involved with activities relating to 4-H. Through our family farm auction business, my late father and I have been involved in the annual 4-H auction at the PNE for over 50 years. The auction is such as an important event to the 4-H community. It’s the culmination of participants’ hard work to raise their animals and learn the business lessons needed to sell those animals, hopefully, for a profit. The event also is a celebration of the many individuals and business people who support these future farmers.

I also would like to mention that I’m proud to say that the Ian Paton Sr. Memorial Scholarship at the PNE is a $2,000 scholarship that’s awarded each year in memory of my late father for his contribution to the 4-H program in British Columbia.

Those of us who were born and raised on a farm or who live in rural areas treasure the lifestyle and experience that come with it. We also know that agriculture is hugely important to our provincial economy. We need to see this industry continue to grow and thrive. Luckily, the 4-H program is there to support not only our youth but the future of our agriculture commodities.

M. Dean: I rise with pleasure to speak to this motion: “Be it resolved that this House recognizes the importance of protecting agricultural land and encouraging farming.” This is an important issue in my constituency. It is being addressed by our government — a priority since the ALR was weakened by Bill 24.

[11:10 a.m.]

For example, the Minister of Agriculture is expected to make substantive progress on revitalizing the agricultural land reserve and the Agricultural Land Commission and establishing Grow B.C. to help young farmers access land and support fruit and nut growers and processors to expand local food production.

This is particularly important locally, because a 2012 study by the Capital Region Food and Agricultural Initiatives Roundtable found that nearly 50 percent of CRD farmland sits idle. In addition, more than half the farmers in the region are more than 55 years old and likely to retire in the next 20 years.

It was identified that non-farm use of farmland — including for residential, transportation and recreation — is reducing the availability of arable land and drives up the cost. Not surprisingly, it was established that high land prices represent a significant barrier to the next generation of farmers to take over a family farm and for new farmers to establish farms. Development pressure and speculation are driving up land prices.

Now, in spite of these issues, there are some pockets of our community where farming is thriving and is very well supported, such as in the beautiful and rural district of Metchosin. A substantial land base in Metchosin is devoted to agriculture, with 1,070 hectares of land protected by the ALR and 82 properties being farmed in Metchosin’s ALR. Metchosin farmers grow a diverse range of products, from vegetables, fruits and root crops to poultry for eggs and meat, sheep, cattle and pigs, and flowers, shrubs and trees for landscaping purposes.

The district council has long prioritized its commitment to maintaining and expanding local and environmentally sound agriculture as an important component of the strategy to enhance Metchosin’s ability to respond to the threat of a changing climate and dependence on off-Island food sources. This illustrates a convergence of local and provincial values and offers partnerships for future actions.

The actions that Metchosin already commits to in order to help protect the district’s agricultural potential are directed at their aims to support and enhance the Agricultural Land Commission’s mandate to preserve agricultural lands for agriculture; maintain and, where possible, strengthen the protection of agricultural land; support efforts to improve public awareness of local agriculture and farmer access to local markets; support programs providing educational and extension services to new farmers; support programs providing affordable access to land for new farmers; support edge planning around individual farms and around the ALR; and encourage and support organic farming practices and ecological stewardship.

There are many areas of support offered by Metchosin that provide leadership within the region and reinforce the intent and benefits of the ALR, including the vibrant and successful farmers market.

Another wonderful farmers market is that in Esquimalt. They support local growers and producers and people who engage in environmentally sound farming practices. To thank them for growing local food, this market charges farmers half-price for their stalls. Recently Esquimalt Farmers Market was named the 2017 B.C. Farmers Market of the Year, and their ED, Katrina Dwulit, was awarded Market Manager of the Year. As she says of their work: “Farmer first, always.”

S. Gibson: Good to be here today in this House to speak to the motion: “Be it resolved that this House recognizes the importance of protecting agricultural land and encouraging farming.” I’m grateful for the opportunity to speak today on behalf of my constituents of the intensely agricultural Abbotsford-Mission riding.

Agriculture is incredibly important to the Fraser Valley. Our valley is made up of six municipalities — many electoral areas spanning eight electoral ridings — and the valley is one of the most intensely farmed in Canada. Home to a diverse range of farms, the valley occupies a relatively small geographic area, but our economic footprint is significant. In fact, the Fraser Valley regional district, which encompasses the entire area, generates the largest annual farm receipts of any regional district in the province.

[11:15 a.m.]

The agricultural community of the valley is not only important to the local area but invaluable to the province and the economy as a whole. Agriculture in our Fraser Valley is particularly successful due to a long growing season, great quality soil — a lot of class 1 and 2 soils — ample precipitation, moderate climate and easy access to markets. The growing season, of course, is very significant when you compare it with northern parts of our province.

Currently B.C. farmers produce 45 percent of all foods consumed in B.C. As our population continues to grow, the importance of farming will also grow as well.

In 2016, B.C. agrifood and seafood reached $14 billion in sales and a record $3.8 billion in exports, accounting for 2 percent of B.C.’s total GDP. In the Fraser Valley alone, agriculture is responsible for $3.1 billion in annual economic activity — 18,000 full-time jobs.

Now, the agricultural community in the Fraser Valley expands far beyond the dairy farms. Traditionally, when we think of the Fraser Valley, we think of the bucolic dairy farms that continue on today on both sides of the river in my riding in the Mission area and, indeed, in the Abbotsford area. You might say dairy farms are nostalgic, and in a way they are, but they still contribute significantly to the economy of the Fraser Valley and, indeed, the entire province.

There’s also a lot more farming that we could talk about in the Fraser Valley region. There’s a myriad of berries — blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, even some cranberries — eggs, pork producers, chickens, turkeys. Quite amazing, the variety. Our blueberries are indeed world famous. In fact, currently we are shipping to Europe, China, India, the U.S.A. and Japan.

The importance of agriculture in the Fraser Valley and, indeed, in our province can’t be understated. For this reason, I take a particular interest in agriculture. In 2014, our former government took action to modernize the ALR. Adopting a two-tier system, we took important steps to protect our farmland while reflecting the diversity and economic realities of our province. Across B.C., we see different growing seasons, agricultural practices, unique crops.

In my home of the Fraser Valley, we boast remarkable agricultural diversity. But beyond the Fraser Valley, we have ranchers in the Cariboo and Kootenays, fruit growers in the Okanagan and fish farmers on the coast and Vancouver Island. These are just a few examples.

I believe a simple approach doesn’t reflect these regional differences to the ALR. It doesn’t allow local understanding of decision-making and the application of local guides to determine what’s best for those regions. I would therefore want to raise a note of caution today. I know the government is involved in consultations regarding the ALR. I don’t want to prejudge the outcomes. However, I’m concerned that the minister seems to have alluded that there’s the consideration of changing back to the one zone.

Thank you so much for allowing me to speak to this today. I appreciate that.

M. Elmore: I’m very pleased to rise and speak to the motion moved by my colleague, the member for Courtenay-Comox: “Be it resolved that this House recognizes the importance of protecting agricultural land and encouraging farming.”

I’m certainly in support of that motion. I know all members of the House are. I just want to put the context for us. We are talking about the Agricultural Land Commission, which was brought into force by the first B.C. NDP government, under Premier Dave Barrett, responding to the erosion of the agricultural land base by creating the Agricultural Land Commission — that was in 1973 — to protect agricultural land. At the time, and currently today, that’s approximately 5 percent of the province.

[11:20 a.m.]

Certainly, when we talk about the importance of agriculture in B.C., we recognize the importance of food security — having reliable access to sufficient quantity and quality of affordable, nutritious food. In addition, the concept of food sovereignty, which is the right of people to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods.

I want to recognize the work of the Vancouver Urban Farming Society. You think Vancouver, and you don’t necessarily think farming. But certainly, there are very passionate folks — very committed to these issues around agriculture. They are an organization that strengthens the growth and promotes urban farming through education, advocacy, networking and business support — doing very important work.

We know that the issue of agriculture in Vancouver is very popular. There’s an increasing awareness around food literacy and very popular farming markets that we have in Vancouver and throughout Metro Vancouver. We don’t have a lot of farming, actually, that takes place in Vancouver or Metro Vancouver. On the one hand, we represent over 50 percent of the population, but our total farmland area is just 1.5 percent. We see the number of farms declining by hectarage, number of farms and, also, folks involved in farming. Certainly, it’s putting on that pressure in terms of growing local food here in British Columbia, particularly in Vancouver and when we look at Metro Vancouver.

I want to address as well: what are the challenges that are facing agriculture? We know 16 years of the last government, the old government…. My colleague from Abbotsford-Mission mentioned that there was an act in 2014 to modernize and protect farmland. But we heard…. That was Bill 24, and the impact actually was that it removed about 90 percent of land from the ALR, from that specific protection, with the creation of the two-zone system. It was opposed by the B.C. Agricultural Council, which represents 14,000 farm families.

Our government is committed to recognizing and strengthening the Agricultural Land Commission. We have undertaken a consultation and a commission. It’s a consultation to go out and engage British Columbians in a process around their ideas and suggestions, to actually talk to farmers and get their input, in terms of how we build and strengthen agriculture in B.C.

As well, we know that the last government…. Besides undermining the Agricultural Land Commission and the agricultural land reserve, we know that the steps taken by the last government made farming unsustainable by allowing speculation on farmland and really driving up the price of land. This has fundamentally undermined agriculture in our province, and our government is committed to ensuring that we support agriculture and support farmers.

In the mandate letter for the Minister of Agriculture, our government is committed not only to revitalizing the agricultural land reserve and Agricultural Land Commission, but we have also taken steps to promote buying B.C. products, growing B.C. products and also encouraging the use of B.C.-grown-and-processed foods for local hospitals, schools and other facilities so that we can promote and support our local producers here in British Columbia.

We’ve taken a significant step to develop a B.C. Food Innovation Centre to innovate in the processing, packaging and marketing of B.C. food products. We’re also making a commitment to look at addressing the speculation which has driven up costs. Our government is committed to agriculture in B.C.

L. Larson: I’m pleased to rise to speak to the motion this morning. I know we are all aware that good farmland in some areas of the Lower Mainland is under threat from development, and there is much ALR land that is considered marginal or more difficult to farm. But continuing innovation and research is helping to make farming more profitable and, therefore, a more attractive career choice.

[11:25 a.m.]

One of the most important ways we can encourage farming in B.C. is by supporting groups and organizations like the Young Farmers of British Columbia. The B.C. Young Farmers Association has 250 registered young farmers. They are involved in small and large farm operations promoting and working in categories such as beef, berries, vegetables, flowers, grain, poultry, bees and all areas of specialty organic commodities, just to name a few.

The B.C. Young Farmers Association assists with information, education and supports to ensure that they become successful farmers. They are typically between the ages of 19 and 40, and there is no cost to join. The B.C. Young Farmers are a committee under the B.C. Agriculture Council and was started in 2008. There is a board of directors that meets ten times a year and that consists of young farmers and some industry representatives.

Their most important goal is education, making sure that all information that is relevant to the industry is readily available to the membership and also to recognize, every year, young farmers who have excelled in their particular field. That recognition, I believe, is extremely important in encouraging young farmers to continue in the farming industry. The motion before us, to encourage farming, starts with young farmers. I would like to mention some of those who have received recognition in the past years.

In B.C. this year, 2018, the winner is Prime Cuts at Cutter Ranch in Fort Steele. Tyler McNaughton and Sacha Bentall produce pasture-raised lamb, pork and beef on their 160-acre ranch. Rather than use conventional barns, Cutter’s animals are housed in greenhouses when not in the pastures. They streamlined their hog production by phasing out farrowing and using purchased weaner pigs.

In 2017, the sales of their pasture-raised pork increased 219 percent, and it’s already up 30 percent so far this year. They tour hundreds of kids through the farm during lambing season in the spring each year and conduct regular sheepdog demonstrations — positive ways to introduce youth to farming — and they market through the very modern use of the web.

Gary and Marie Baars, from Chilliwack, were the 2017 recipients. Gary started out offering relief milking, then selling hay, and then he and his wife eventually bought a dairy. They’ve continued with hay sales and have added cattle to the mix.

The 2016 recipients were also from Chilliwack — Brian and Jewel Pauls. In the 36 years the award has been made, this was the first time that there was a second-generation winner. Although he owns only one farm himself, consisting of 17,000 broilers and 55,000 white and free-range poultry, they also manage the family’s multiple egg, broiler and turkey farms in B.C. and Saskatchewan. The holdings include Canada’s first certified humane turkey farm.

The 2015 recipients were Kerry and Anita Froese. Kerry, who was born into an Abbotsford farm family, has dedicated his life to the sustainability of agriculture in Canada. He founded the B.C. Young Farmers in 2008 and, in 2010, was elected to and served as president of the Canadian Young Farmers’ Forum.

My area of the Similkameen and South Okanagan has also produced some amazing young farmers. The 2013 winners were Troy and Sara Harker. Troy is a fifth-generation farmer in Cawston. Everything grown on the farm is started from seed in the 1,200-square foot greenhouse. Harker’s Organics is made up of five separate entities — a farm-to-fork delivery to restaurants in the Lower Mainland, Rustic Roots Winery, a wholesale packing business for 15 organic producers, a retail outlet and the farm itself.

Gene and Shelly Covert, of Oliver, won the provincial award in 2010, and the recipients in 2011, Annamarie and Kevin Klippenstein, are also from Cawston and went on to be recognized as the Canadian young farmers of the year in 2011.

The national winners last year were from a grain operation in Saskatchewan and a vegetable farm in Quebec. The Axtens, of Minton, Saskatchewan, researched the biology of the soils on their farm, developing a process called intercrop.

B. D’Eith: I’m very happy to rise to speak to this motion today. Just in terms of context, it was really in the late ’60s and early ’70s that nearly 6,000 hectares of prime agricultural land were being lost each year to urban development. In was in fact Dave Barrett’s NDP government that responded to this erosion of the agricultural land base by introducing the Land Commission Act in 1973. This commission established the agricultural land reserve to protect B.C.’s agricultural land.

[11:30 a.m.]

This was driven by a desire for food security in the future. In fact, this ALR system was the first of its kind in Canada. But in 2011, the Ministry of Agriculture review of farming in Metro Vancouver exposed the fact that only 50 percent of farming land in the Metro region is actually being farmed. There’s so much pressure now being put because of urban development. Clearly, we need to support and enhance the Agricultural Land Commission’s mandate. Our government is working towards that with our consultation with stakeholders and also the Grow B.C., Feed B.C. and Buy B.C. programs.

It’s particularly relevant in my communities of Maple Ridge and Mission. Maple Ridge is actually cited at only farming 26 percent of the ALR lands, and according to the Maple Ridge agricultural plan, one-quarter of that is used for growing hay for horses. The Maple Ridge agricultural plan further cites that the majority of farmers are now part time, with 70 percent earning less than $25,000. So it’s a challenging business, and farmers are also getting older, and less young people are taking up the work.

Having said that, Maple Ridge boasts some of the richest agricultural land in Canada, and it’s actually generating substantial revenues from blueberries, dairy, nurseries and greenhouse farms. Agriculture has actually been an economic driver in Maple Ridge for decades, and Maple Ridge ranks high among B.C.’s municipalities in terms of agriculture production value. The total land area in the agricultural land reserve is 3,782 hectares, or approximately 15 percent of Maple Ridge’s total area.

Maple Ridge is home to some of the largest blueberry and cranberry farms in the province and also produces very high-quality raspberries, strawberries and blackberries. I can attest to that, seeing as we keep doing battle with our blackberries in the backyard every day.

Maple Ridge also has many opportunities, from small, start-up farms to larger operations, and the city is committed to maintaining its agricultural roots by growing agriculture food opportunities. There are a lot of notable contributors to the agriculture diversity in Maple Ridge. One is Golden Ears Cheesecrafters. There’s also vegetable and herb nurseries, manure and topsoil farms. We have Christmas tree farms and an 18-acre pumpkin patch.

Another really important thing that’s happening, and something for the future, is agritourism. That’s actually playing a big role in our community, and it’s producing revenues.

As far as Mission and the ALR…. Mission has over 200 parcels of land in the ALR totalling 1,064 hectares. In fact, retaining and protecting agriculture in Mission is very important to the community as it relates to food security, and many of my constituents are very interested in having access to safe, locally grown food in our district. In the district, we have very, very active farmers markets, both in Maple Ridge and Mission. The district of Mission has been working cooperatively with the Agricultural Land Commission for many, many years to keep farming integrity.

However, of the ALR land in Mission, a majority of the parcels are not farmed and have little or no improvements, and less than 3 percent of the labour force is employed in the agriculture industry. There are only one or two large working farms in the community, with the rest being smaller farm operations; hobby farms; and nurseries producing fruits, berries vegetables, forage crops for beef operations and others within the community.

As for the future, the role of agriculture is obviously changing in our communities. Rather than simply being an industry conducted separately from residences, agriculture is actually becoming, as we see in Maple Ridge and Mission, integrated within the urban and suburban communities throughout many of our areas. Citizens are actually also increasingly interested in producing their own food for reasons that include climate change; food security; homegrown, organic foods; social connections; and also preserving traditional ways of life.

Let’s hope that the future generations will embrace agriculture and take advantage of our amazing agricultural land reserve in order to maintain B.C.’s food security. I’m confident that our Grow B.C., Feed B.C. and Buy B.C. program will help to grow our agrifood sector and enhance the work that the Agricultural Land Commission is doing.

D. Barnett: I’m glad to hear the member’s concerns and thoughts. I absolutely agree that protecting agricultural land and encouraging farming is of utmost importance for all of us.

I am delighted to hear of all our commonalities and would like to tell the House a little bit about the riding of Cariboo-Chilcotin. I have stood in this House countless times in praise of and advocacy for our province’s farms and cattle herds.

[11:35 a.m.]

In fact, there is a Thompson Rivers University in Williams Lake with a ranching stability program there. I believe this is one of two programs of its kind in Canada, and I lobbied and worked hard with our past Minister of Advanced Education for it three years ago — a great success.

My riding is the proud home of some of B.C.’s most abundant and productive farms as well as the largest cattle herds. As such, I would like to tell the House today about the importance of grasslands to the cattle herds provincially.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the cattle industry, the rotation of pastures is a key part of the health of the industry. Without the rotation of crops, the grazing of cattle can be detrimental to the land. For example, the overgrazing of land often leads to the erosion of the fields. And although it may seem intuitive — after all, cattle would naturally want fresh and abundant grass — many don’t realize the frequency of rotation needed. Grasslands are, after all, hugely multipurpose and complex systems.

Many don’t often realize that overgrazed fields have a decline in the diversity and density of vegetation and can lead to the increased presence of invasive species. Some of these species can make cattle ill.

You have heard me say before, and will hear again, that the riding of Cariboo-Chilcotin suffered tremendously during the last fire season. Much of the damage in my riding affected land that had been previously used for agriculture. The B.C. Cattlemen’s Association have reported that as many as 30,000 cattle were affected by this previous fire season. Herds were traumatized by evacuation. Fences were burned, and fields were charred.

The proper rotation of pastures can prevent the buildup of old growth, which can alleviate some potential for wildfires. The Cariboo is one of the last intact temperate grasslands in the world, so we must treat it with caution so that it may be inherited. We need to continue our pursuit of visionary and creative agriculture innovations not only to adapt to present and future challenges but also to challenge and entice the next generation of farmers to this exciting field.

We are beginning to see Farm School projects cropping up all over the Lower Mainland. I know I speak for all of us when I commend those involved for facilitating such wonderful projects. We have heard for some time now that the average age of farmers is increasing — that young people do not want to take the land in the same way as their parents or grandparents. But those participating in Farm School programs show this to be untrue and that programs such as these are critical in inspiring and encouraging farming for those that may not otherwise consider it.

Field rotation is an act of caring for those who come next. It is caring about the next season, the next herd and the next generation. They require time to recover so that they can continue to flourish and be sustained for years to come.

A. Kang: “Be it resolved that this House recognizes the importance of protecting agricultural land and encouraging farming.” Spring is in the air, and everyone is excited to see this new year’s crop sprouts spring out. At home and in our communities, we see the awakened excitement of backyard gardening, community gardening, large-scale farming or, simply, small pots of patio farming. In schools, we see students with dirt on their knees and under their nails. They’re excited about gardening.

People of all ages enjoy gardening, and many have already begun — but in different stages and in different scales. According to the 2016 census of agriculture, the total farm area in Metro Vancouver was approximately 38,000 hectares, which is the lowest number in 20 years.

There has already been a steady decline in number of farms at the regional and municipal levels. Regionwide, there were approximately 2,400 farms, a 14 percent drop from five years ago, but, interestingly, the ages of farmers, on average, are younger than before, which I interpret as there is a renewed interest in growing local, eating local and supporting local. Perhaps it is due to the increase in urban farmers.

[11:40 a.m.]

What is an urban farm? Urban farms help big cities or an urban area with a relatively small amount of designated protected agricultural land, like the trend of declining farms and dwindling farmland that has taken hold across the region and the country.

Most urban farms are small-scale, so producing large amounts of food like traditional farmers is not necessarily their goal. But they are still equally important. Urban farms provide excellent opportunities for new farmers to get involved and for educating the public. This season, my kids and I have prepared a small area in our backyard to grow our favourite vegetables. They have chosen small-vine tomatoes, zucchinis, carrots and beans, which are great for kids and beginning farmers like us. I can’t wait to see and taste our new harvest.

Here’s another interesting fact. Did you know that in B.C. during the 1960s and the early ’70s, we lost 6,000 acres of farmland every year to subdivision and other non-farm activities? In 1973, the new government of that time created the agricultural land reserve, the ALR, to protect land capable of producing food.

As a proud Burnaby MLA, I like to talk about Burnaby’s continual creation and ongoing protection of 234 hectares of land in the ALR within the Big Bend district of south Burnaby — approximately 117 hectares today, in comparison to only 42 in 1982. These highly productive lands are in agricultural production, with minor support of commercial retail and residential uses. In the Riverside neighbourhood, we see an additional 15 hectares of Burnaby land, which is an increase from the 12 hectares under production in 1982.

Approximately 43 farms are in operation in Burnaby. Most of them grow field vegetables and greenhouse products. As well, did you know that cranberries are one of Burnaby’s best-known crops? Cranberries. Burnaby’s largest farm is operated by Mayberry Farms Ltd., which has 70 hectares of cranberries in production.

Building a strong agricultural community involves a partnership of multi-level government, and our government is taking this step.

I am a devoted patron of Burnaby’s farmers market. The market offers a lively and fun atmosphere with colourful displays of locally grown produce and many other delicious items. While I look forward to buying my stalks of organic kale, turnips and tomatoes on a vine, my kids look forward to multi-coloured baby carrots, locally grown berries and much more. Other farmers markets in Burnaby include the SFU Pocket Farmers Market and BCIT farmers market.

The two-tier system introduced in the legislation by the previous government provoked many negative reactions throughout the province. The ALR revitalization commission, initiated by the Minister of Agriculture, is currently conducting consultations until April 30. As the minister has previously said, the ALR and the ALC are incredibly important to the health and economic well-being of our province’s future. Making it easier and more efficient for the commission to fulfil its mandate of protecting farmland and encouraging farming is a commitment the B.C. government is delivering on.

I support an enhanced Buy B.C. marketing program to help local producers market their products. This is why I want to encourage everyone in this province who eats food or produces food to support and defend the agricultural land reserve.

B. Stewart: It gives me great pleasure today to speak on a topic that I know a little bit about — this motion, in recognizing the importance of protecting agricultural land and encouraging farming.

As someone who has grown up on a farm, served as Minister of Agriculture and continues to farm extensively today, I understand the value of agricultural land — not just the incredible value it has in the hundreds of farming communities across this province but also to the provincial economy as a whole.

In 2014, our B.C. Liberal government took measures to modernize the ALR. In March of that year, we announced changes to the Agricultural Land Commission stemming from our core review of the ALC. The changes included the creation of two Agricultural Land Commission–administered zones, zone 1 and zone 2, that we implemented in order to better recognize the province’s regional differences.

British Columbia is a diverse province with varying agricultural practices, differing populations and development pressures and different social and cultural realities in our diverse regions. A one-size-fits-all approach to regulating farmland simply does not reflect this reality.

[11:45 a.m.]

Zone 1 exists where my farm is, where land is in greater demand and there are development and population pressures. The Agricultural Land Commission decisions would continue to be made on the basis of the original principle of preserving agricultural land.

Zone 2 exists in many other areas of the province — of the four million hectares that is in the agricultural land reserve — where shorter growing seasons and lower-value crops are grown. The ALC decisions would be made in addition to the original principle but to include additional considerations to provide farmers with more flexibility to support their farming operations.

Having been in the Peace River and seen neighbouring farms from the neighbouring province, where there are no restrictions on agricultural land operations, it certainly puts our farming operations in the Peace River at considerable disadvantage. These changes that we instigated have helped farmers and farming families get ahead by recognizing the regional differences, strengthening regional decision-making and enhancing the ALC’s service to the public.

Unfortunately, we now have a Minister of Agriculture who’s more interested in farmers markets than the actual farming. She has consistently demonstrated a bias against the current ALR framework and has made public statements about envisioning B.C. moving back to a single zone. She said: “I can see that we will be moving back to one zone, but I would like to preface by saying that I have to consult in a meaningful way. But that is a change that I can see coming.”

She’s clearly trying to obfuscate her position on rolling back the progressive changes we made of the ALR by claiming it will only happen as a result of consultation but not her own ideology. However, in stacking the committee with members who agree with her, such as Arzeena Hamir and Lenore Newman, she has effectively ensured that her position will be the one that’s put forth as a recommendation from the committee.

This is not a time for reverting to the old ways of doing things. We need to be focused on value-added agriculture. We need to be focused on the macro, not the micro. Let’s look at how we unlock greater potential for agricultural lands. British Columbia is a province of opportunity.

Instead of asking how we can return to the good old days, we need to be asking about how we can modernize and embrace the future. How can we increase the capability of agricultural or ALR land in the north? How can we intensify agricultural production in the Okanagan? Expand the agricultural opportunities in the often-overlooked Kootenays? How can we scale up agrifood operations? How can B.C. continue to move forward on the path towards a more and more value-added agriculture?

I’ve seen firsthand how innovation and modernization can improve our agricultural output, not only benefiting our economy but also benefiting consumers and farm workers.

We need to be looking to the future. As some of my colleagues have mentioned here this morning, there is a new generation of young farmers beginning to make their mark on the agricultural industry. We have to welcome this and embrace this. There’s always room for old-fashioned practice when it comes to farming, but archaic regulatory frameworks should remain a thing of the past.

D. Routley: It gives me some pleasure to be able to stand to speak to this motion on protecting the ALR. I would say that that comes as a no-brainer for most British Columbians. Most British Columbians see the high value of protecting farmland and how functional, beneficial and productive the ALR has been over the years. But what they have seen — what’s been defended here as a progression, as progressive adaptation of the ALR — in fact, Mr. Speaker, was no improvement at all — unless, of course, you are a developer.

If you’re a developer or you want to see farm prices escalate, they did a great job in separating into two zones. But what they did do, in fact, was undermine the effectiveness of the ALR.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

By no means should we not encourage flexibility on the part of our farmers. I come from Vancouver Island where we don’t have massive farms. We have postage stamp–sized farms that have to do many different vertical marketing of their goods and their produce — from farm-gate sales to the farmers markets that the previous member disparaged, to local restaurants, local grocery stores.

[11:50 a.m.]

These people have to be true entrepreneurs who promote their products on every possible level, and they have to be part of the tourism business landscape. For the member previous to disparage the type of entrepreneurial effort that farmers put into supporting their businesses is quite unfortunate, particularly coming from a former government that bragged about its support for business. To hear a member disparage something as organic and as beneficial to communities, as beneficial to the economy, both tourism and the farm and agriculture community, as farmers markets is really quite sad.

I think British Columbians have different values. I think British Columbians, by and large, see that the ALR is important to them, whether they consider it for food or environmental protection or whether they consider it for the pastoral backdrop of the place that they live in or the beautiful attraction that our province presents to tourists.

All of these things must be true at the same time for agriculture to survive. But it’s not just about the ALR. It’s not just about the land. It’s also about the infrastructure. The previous government did nothing — in fact, quite a bit less than nothing — to support the infrastructure of food processing, to support the infrastructure of meat processing on this Island, for example, when they introduced the abattoir legislation. I think the member may have been in office at the time. It was roundly condemned as the worst legislation ever drafted in this parliament, and it forced many businesses, many small agricultural businesses, to give up at least a portion of their business, if not all.

Those are the things that the new minister is paying attention to — supporting the marketing of B.C. products, supporting the notion that public purchases of food ought to include B.C. farmers and B.C. farm products. Those are revolutionary in comparison to the backdrop of the 16 years of neglect that we saw from the previous government. They may seem revolutionary from that perspective, but they’re basic. They’re no-brainers to most British Columbians.

We need to support the infrastructure of our agriculture industry. We have to promote our products. We have to consume our products locally. We have to support farmers markets that the member previous disparaged. We have to support the entrepreneurial energy and drive of farmers, particularly young farmers.

The member did bring up young farmers. Part of the transition, the difficulty of transitioning from existing farms to young farmers…. I had a farmer in my office on Friday, from Gabriola Island — a 300-acre farm, the only farm on Gabriola Island. He’s 86 years old. He’s still mending fences. He’s still delivering product. His daughter is trying to help. But successorship is a very big problem in the agricultural community, particularly for those who aren’t born into the wealth of their farms but instead have to buy their way into agriculture — after the members opposite saw massive inflation in the value of agricultural land because of the speculation that they encouraged.

We need to do better. We are on this side.

D. Routley moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. B. Ralston moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 this afternoon.

The House adjourned at 11:54 a.m.