Routine Business

Prayers.

Introductions by Members

B. D’Eith: Today I am proud to introduce two remarkable people from Coast Mental Health: chief operating officer Bruce Smith and mental health worker Lisa Bui.

Coast Mental Health is our province’s partner in supportive housing in buildings in my community in Maple Ridge as well as Vancouver. Like communities across the province, Maple Ridge has faced a housing crisis, and people weren’t getting the homes and supports they needed to move forward. Modular supportive housing is changing that, and it’s changing lives. It’s changing lives of people like Randy and Josh, who I’ve gotten to know and now have a safe and secure place to call home. That’s only because of the support and care of organizations like Coast Mental Health.

We would like to, please, make them very welcome.

A. Weaver: In the gallery today are a number of special guests from Connections Place. I had the pleasure of meeting some of them earlier this year, and I’m pleased to welcome them here today. It gives me great pleasure to introduce Jackie Powell, Sister Patricia Donovan, Sister Judi Morin, Cherry Lynn Brown, Bruce Saunders, Joe Devison, Naomi Beck, Owen Jones, Mike Mori, Tula Rivera, Peter Fitzpatrick and Sonia Garza.

With your leave, hon. Speaker, I’d like to take a moment to note that I first met Jackie Powell in 2014, when she came to me as a constituent with a vision. She wanted to realize a goal of providing a day program for people with mental health challenges. I was incredibly impressed with her presentation on the need for a program modelled on the Clubhouse International program. Jackie has persevered and built support for her initiative and kept me informed of her progress for the last five years.

I recently visited the new facility in Victoria that is serving people in the region with support. It was an honour for me to visit and speak with the people who are already benefiting from Connections’ programs and services.

Would the House please make all of these guests from Clubhouse International and the local Connections Place feel very welcome.

Hon. J. Horgan: In the precinct today and joining us in the gallery, I think probably midway through question period, will be 26 grade 5 students from École Millstream Elementary in the great community of Langford, British Columbia, just down the street — growing faster than any other place on Vancouver Island and perhaps in British Columbia. I hope all of the members will make those 26 students from grade 5 at École Millstream Elementary very, very welcome when they arrive.

J. Yap: I have some guests in the gallery who are here to witness the business of the House and question period. With us today are Pius Chan, Cindy Chan, Tony Ma, Louisa Wong, Dickey Tam, Joeii Tam and Becky Cheng. Would the House please join me in giving them a warm welcome to the Legislature.

Hon. M. Mark: Today in the gallery we are joined by the chief executive officer, Janice Abbott, from Atira Women’s Resource Society, and she is also my constituent; and Lynda Teskey, the director of residential programs.

[10:10 a.m.]

Atira does amazing work providing housing for women and children across the Lower Mainland, including more than 130 units of supportive housing in Vancouver. These are part of the 600 modular supportive homes we’ve opened in Vancouver alone. Aneki Housing for Women, Sarah Ross House and The Anjok are delivering the homes people need and helping to keep women and children safe.

I’d like to thank Janice and Lynda for their work, and their entire team.

Would the House please join me in welcoming my special guests.

R. Leonard: Joining us in the members’ gallery this morning is Colleen Ross, manager of finance and administration with the John Howard Society of North Island. The John Howard Society of North Island provides supportive housing for 46 people in Courtenay at The Junction. It’s one of the projects our government opened in April of this year. It’s wonderful to see the work that Colleen and her colleagues are doing to support people in our community who have experienced homelessness and to help them move forward with their lives. Will the House please make Colleen welcome.

Hon. J. Darcy: I’m very pleased to introduce Shayne Williams, the executive director, and Troy Balderson from the Lookout Society. Lookout is based in my home community of New Westminster and works with government to provide housing, health care, supports and services to people across the Lower Mainland.

This includes supportive housing for 160 people in Surrey that we opened in 2018. These three new supportive housing buildings were able to provide people who’d been living on the street, on the 135A strip, with the homes and the supports that they need. We’re seeing that these supportive homes are working; 81 percent of the residents are reporting improvements in their overall well-being.

I look forward to meeting with Lookout and many of the other housing providers later on today so that we can continue working together in partnership to build supportive housing for those in our province most in need.

Please join me in welcoming the folks from Lookout who are here today.

S. Malcolmson: Today I’m pleased to introduce executive director Violet Hayes and Oceanside program director Patricia Anderson from Nanaimo’s Island Crisis Care Society. Violet and Patricia are working hard every day to support people like Susan, who, after losing her job because of health issues, became homeless, living in Nanaimo’s tent city.

In Newcastle Place supportive housing, Susan found a new home and a new sense of hope, a place where she can learn about self-care and look for a new job. In her own words, Newcastle Place is giving Susan a place to start fresh. She called it “emerging like a butterfly.” These are some of the good stories coming out of these places.

On behalf of Susan and all of us, I thank Patricia and Violet and their whole team at Island Crisis Care Society for their tireless work, truly on the front lines, both in Nanaimo and in Parksville at the newly opened Orca Place supportive housing.

Would the House please make them welcome.

Hon. K. Chen: Today I’m really happy to welcome several early childhood educators visiting the Legislature today. They are members from BCGEU, B.C. Government Employees Union, and they are here to advocate for an inclusive, affordable, universal early learning and care system and with an emphasis to talk about support for the workforce, with the vast majority, about 97 percent, of early childhood educators being women.

They are here with their president from the BCGEU, Stephanie Smith, and Andrea Duncan, vice-president. The early childhood educators and staff from BCGEU are Angela Chiasson, Caroline Kent, Jasna Lugonjic, Jodie Woods, Tiffany Rumble, Laura Stewart, Susan Halwith, Erin Stodnicker and Danielle Marchand. One of the early childhood educators actually helped to look after my son when he was three years old, and I’m very thankful for that.

With them are also some parent advocates from the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C. who are going to share many parent stories. Those include Sharon Gregson; Kate Spence; and Amanda Burnett, who actually started the wait-list project, ensuring that parents’ voices are being heard.

I want to thank them for their advocacy and hope they enjoy their visit to the Legislature sharing their stories, and I would like to ask the House to please make them feel very welcome.

[10:15 a.m.]

J. Rice: Today in the House, I have two guests, Mae-Jong Bowles and Marty Bowles. They’re former Rupertites, retired teachers, real community contributors that we sorely miss in Prince Rupert now that they spend their lives sailing around, gallivanting around on their sailboat. I want the House to make them feel very welcome.

M. Dean: Today I have a wonderful guest in the gallery from Victoria. She’s a mom of two. She’s a lecturer at the University of Victoria. She’s a researcher associate at UBC. She does a lot of volunteering with non-profits. She also does advocacy and voluntary service coordination with the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre. Would everybody please give a warm welcome to Dr. Grace Lore.

Hon. D. Donaldson: I would ask the Legislature to join me in welcoming Candis Crump, who’s visiting the precinct today. She’s manager of Goodacre Place supportive housing in Smithers. It was an amazing ceremony when that opened. Goodacre Place is named, as many people in the Legislature will know, after Bill Goodacre, who passed away recently. It couldn’t be a more fitting name for the building.

Smithers Community Services Association has been a wonderful resource in the community for decades, and Goodacre Place has been made possible by their dedication and commitment to serving the people of Smithers. It has been an amazing facility to house people who have been homeless — to have the dignity of a roof, a door, a bed, a washroom, a kitchen and supports to move forward in their lives.

On behalf of the Smithers Community Services Association, I’d like to ask the members to make Candis welcome.

Hon. S. Simpson: Today in the precinct, we have the executive director Amanda Bains and Helena McGillivary from the Ksan Society in Terrace. We know that our northern communities face challenges around housing, around income inequality, around mental health, and the Ksan Society is an important partner in helping to support people who are tackling those issues.

The society operates Sonder House, which opened in June of this year and provides homes and supports to more than 50 people in the Terrace community. Supports like meal programs, life and employment skills training and access to health and wellness services are also included by this very hard-working society.

We know that having a secure home is the first step in breaking the cycle of poverty and in giving people an opportunity to move forward. The Ksan Society is playing an important role in making that happen for people in Terrace. Please make them welcome.

Hon. S. Robinson: Joining us in the gallery today is ASK Wellness’s chief executive officer, Bob Hughes, and the chief operations officer, Kim Galloway. It is absolutely wonderful to see Bob again. I saw him just last week in Penticton, where we opened up 62 new supportive homes that will be operated by the incredible team at ASK Wellness.

ASK has been an absolutely wonderful partner. They’ve stepped up to deliver more than 110 supportive homes that are changing lives in the Kamloops area. These partnerships absolutely are key. It’s because of the work of organizations like ASK, the John Howard Society of North Island, Island Crisis Care Society, Atira, Lookout, Coast Mental Health, Smithers Community Services Association and Ksan Society — and many, many others — that together with these partners, we’ve been able to open up more than 2,000 new supportive homes across 22 communities in less than two years.

I’m very much looking forward to meeting with Mr. Hughes and Ms. Galloway and all of the other providers who are joining us here in the gallery today to talk about the difference that these homes are making in people’s lives and how we’ll continue to work together to deliver the homes and supports that people need.

I would just ask the House to join us in welcoming all these wonderful professional service providers.

Statements
(Standing Order 25B)

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

J. Thornthwaite: Today on World Mental Health Day, we recognize the thousands of British Columbians coping with mental illness.

[10:20 a.m.]

Together we all play a part to help reduce stigma and support each other to ensure mental well-being. We should all consider mental health just as important as physical health and empower Canadians to seek help when they need it and ensure our workplaces and communities are supportive and healthy places.

Suicide prevention is this year’s Mental Health Day theme. It’s the second leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds. It’s estimated in Canada that 11 people end their lives and 210 more attempt suicide each and every day. This is tragic and must be recognized and talked about so that those suffering in silence are encouraged to seek help. As soon as you start talking to someone, it will get better.

Anxiety and depression can often lead to many having to fight daily just to get out of bed or continue on with their day, so we can’t ignore the early signs. Schools should be playing a crucial role in identifying and referring children for help. We need to pay closer attention to our youth, who are struggling from stresses that they experience at school, at work and within their families. There needs to be a continuum of care for mental health, from preventative coping strategies to professional treatment, to overcome traumas such as past abuse or neglect.

We all play a role in reducing stigma to help youth better cope and learn resiliency skills and for everyone to support families and friends who may be going through difficult times. Mental health affects all of us, so it’s up to all of us to support each other.

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR
THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY

M. Elmore: I rise today to recognize October 17 as International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

This year’s theme is: “Acting together to empower children, their families and communities to end poverty.” It also marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations convention on the rights of the child, a landmark human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities.

Addressing poverty is a challenging and complex issue. We know that approximately 40 percent of the people living in poverty in British Columbia are working poor. They are people who have a paycheque coming into the house, and they can’t make ends meet. We also know that if you have a disability, if you’re Indigenous or if you’re a recent immigrant, you are two times more likely to be living in poverty.

In addition to challenges around affordability, people living in poverty struggle with social inclusion, the ability to fully participate in our society and to not face the alienation that comes with the stigma of poverty. We must do better.

As the Parliamentary Secretary for Poverty Reduction, I am proud of the work our government is doing to meaningfully address poverty in British Columbia. Through TogetherBC, we’re working to deal with the questions of affordability, create opportunity for people to participate and to be engaged in the economy as well as address the question of social inclusion.

Our job is just getting started. I look forward to tackling this challenge with all members in this House to eradicate poverty in British Columbia.

AGASSIZ SPEEDWAY

L. Throness: It was a hot day last August when I arrived at the Agassiz Speedway to enjoy a stock car race, not as a spectator but as a driver. I met my four celebrity rivals. The pit crew gave me a heavy pair of fireproof coveralls and a tight helmet to wear. I crawled through the window of a little car to be buckled in with a five-point belt cinched so tight I could hardly move. Without a breath of air in the cockpit, I was nearly finished before I had even started.

The Agassiz Speedway is a quarter-mile racing oval located on Cemetery Road near Agassiz. It has lots of parking, a low entry price, concession stands and a great deal of noise, smoke and speed, providing families with high-value entertainment.

The track is built, maintained and operated by the Kent Raceways Society, founded in 1971. Perhaps the most enduring among the devoted volunteers is local dairy producer Andy Bodnar, who has served as president for the past 30 years. He’s joined by executive members Darrell Porayko, Sean Edwards, Barb ten Bos, Pat Schepanowsky and Tom Baldwin.

Over the years, the society paved and fenced the dirt track, installed lighting for night races and built grandstands that seat 1,000. As the only oval track raceway left in the Fraser Valley, competitors come from near and far.

[10:25 a.m.]

After some practice laps, where I thought I did pretty good, the race began. I slammed on the gas, determined to take the lead, and went as fast as I possibly dared without jeopardizing my life. But I immediately drifted behind the others and held grimly on to last place for all 11 laps. I guess I’m built for endurance rather than speed.

During the race, I gained new respect for the daring of the regular drivers. I felt gratitude for the many volunteers who provide the region with a place to race, and I had a powerful sense of relief that I remained alive to drive another day.

Thanks to the Agassiz Speedway for an unforgettable experience.

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

B. D’Eith: I’m very honoured today to stand in this House to speak about World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme is suicide prevention. According to the World Health Organization, every 40 seconds someone dies from suicide, and according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 90 percent of people who take their own lives are believed to have substance use problems or mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety, at the time of their suicide.

That’s why I’m so proud of the work our government is doing, led by my friend and colleague the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. It has been done to improve mental health and addiction systems of care with a focus on early intervention and prevention for our children and youth.

A Pathway to Hope is our road map to build a unified network of mental health and addictions services. Earlier this summer I was honoured to attend the announcement of B.C.’s first integrated child and youth team in my riding in Maple Ridge. These teams are critical as part of the Pathway to Hope and will be implemented in five school districts over the next two years. The Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows school district has been leading the way when it comes to addressing mental health challenges before they reach the boiling point. We’re so proud to be welcoming these innovative programs to our community.

Now, at the beginning of the school year, we announced almost $9 million in funding to assist all school districts and independent schools with enhancing their wellness supports and programs. Our goal is simple — for young people and their families to get the supports they need, when they need them, at home, at school and in their community, because we know that while suicide is not reversible, it is preventable. That’s why today’s awareness on suicide is very important, in regards to World Mental Health Day.

We need to educate ourselves on the resources available and help our loved ones so that they can deal with the struggles they may have with mental challenges, as I’ve found with my family. Resources like the Foundry coming to Maple Ridge, and already operating in Abbotsford, are now operating throughout B.C. and helping our youth. On days like today, we need to come together with our families, communities and across the province to have the courage to have those conversations about suicide prevention and mental health.

A. Weaver: Today is World Mental Health Day. There are many individuals and organizations doing incredible work in this field across our beautiful province. But today I want to speak about just one that I had the pleasure of visiting this past summer. Connections Place is a recently opened Clubhouse International in the greater Victoria area. The Clubhouse model is an evidence-based model of psychosocial rehabilitation for people who are struggling with a mental illness.

Isolation is a major factor in mental illness, and a clubhouse gives people a reason to wake up in the morning; a place to come to; to have a purpose; to be welcomed, needed and wanted; to be part of a community of caring people. I witnessed that firsthand and put behind those words my experience to say that they are exactly as I read. A small group of trained staff work alongside members to guide them to full social inclusion.

Connections Place is not alone in B.C. Their mentor clubhouse, Pathways in Richmond, has been operating for over 30 years, successfully and helping the lives of many. It’s been named as one of Canada’s top ten impact charities. This is clearly a model that works.

One in four people struggle with a mental illness in the greater Victoria area. That’s about 95,000 people. Almost a quarter of that number will have a serious and permanent mental illness, almost 25,000 people, which can cut life expectancy by up to 20 years. Families, employers and emergency services are all impacted.

[10:30 a.m.]

Connections Place opened its doors in March of 2019 and now has about 100 members, with more coming on board every week. I welcome the addition of Connections Place to our community. This was Jackie Powell’s vision when I first met her in 2014. I’m absolutely thrilled to see her vision become a reality today.

ACTION ON HOMELESSNESS

R. Leonard: Next week, October 13 to 19, has been proclaimed by the province as Homelessness Action Week. Since 2006, communities throughout B.C. have taken action during this week to help create awareness of the challenges of homelessness and to work to find local solutions. Last year our government partnered with communities throughout B.C. to conduct the first provincewide homeless count and identified over 7,500 people, individuals who need help finding stable housing.

Through TogetherBC, our province is moving to a more proactive and coordinated response to homelessness. The new office of homelessness coordination is basing government’s approach on four fundamental pillars: prevention, immediate response, stability and working better together.

In the Comox Valley [audio interrupted]. Cupelli, the coalition coordinator, says the group works as a collective to plan, coordinate, recommend, advocate and implement a whole-community response to reducing homelessness and increasing affordable housing. Since 2015, the group has seen 131 units of affordable housing built in our community.

I am pleased to welcome members of the rapid response team from across B.C. to the Legislature today. Their work within the rapid response to homelessness program is helping to build over 2,000 supportive modular homes across the province. It’s helping people living on the streets and those in shelters move into new housing.

As part of effective action to reduce homelessness and promote social inclusion, government needs to work with individuals, non-profit organizations, community groups and private sector representatives to find solutions. Together we can bring down barriers that hold people back and deliver supports that lift people up, making our communities better and more inclusive for everyone.

Mr. Speaker: Member for Courtenay-Comox, we had a technical glitch there. Would you prefer to give your talk over again? You are certainly welcome to do that.

R. Leonard: Oh, okay. Thank you, hon. Speaker. Maybe second time better?

Next week, October 13 to 19, has been proclaimed by the province as Homelessness Action Week. Since 2006, communities throughout B.C. have taken action during this week to help increase awareness of the challenges of homelessness and worked to find local solutions. Last year our government partnered with communities throughout B.C. to conduct the first provincewide homeless count and identified over 7,500 individuals who need help finding stable housing.

Through TogetherBC, our province is moving to a more proactive and coordinated response to homelessness. The new office of homelessness coordination is basing government’s approach on four fundamental pillars: prevention, immediate response, stability and working better together.

In the Comox Valley, 24 agencies have banded together to serve the most vulnerable populations through the Comox Valley Coalition to End Homelessness. Andrea Cupelli, the coalition coordinator, says the group works as a collective to plan, coordinate, recommend, advocate and implement a whole-community response to reducing homelessness and increasing affordable housing. Since 2015, the group has seen 131 units of affordable housing built in our community.

I am pleased to welcome members of the rapid response team from across B.C. to the Legislature today. Their work within the rapid response to homelessness program is helping to build well over 2,000 supportive modular homes across the province and is helping people living on the streets and those in shelters move into new housing.

[10:35 a.m.]

As part of effective action to reduce homelessness and promote social inclusion, government needs to work with individuals, non-profit organizations, community groups and private sector representatives to find solutions. Together we can bring down barriers that hold people back and deliver supports that lift people up, making our communities better and more inclusive for everyone.

Thank you very much for allowing me to speak a second time.

Oral Questions

PREMIER’S OFFICE RECORDS AND
FREEDOM-OF-INFORMATION REQUESTS

M. Polak: As the result of a freedom-of-information request, we are in possession of an email thread between staff members in the Premier’s office — Ms. Oreck and Ms. Wong. It begins like this. Ms. Oreck writes to Ms. Wong and says: “I’m hoping at some point soon you can gather all the notes from Geoff’s call yesterday. It is really important we have them all recorded for future reference.” Ms. Wong then responds to Ms. Oreck. “I have Geoff’s notes. Just need to type them up and will send them to you later today.”

As you would expect, the opposition followed up with a freedom-of-information request seeking the notes that were going to be typed up and that Ms. Wong was going to send along. Unfortunately, rather than the notes being provided, we received a letter that told us they could not provide the notes. Why? “They were deleted.” I’m quoting here. “Your file is now closed.”

Will the Premier insist that his chief of staff produce the requested notes?

Hon. J. Horgan: I would be happy to assist the Opposition House Leader in her attempts to get information if I knew more than the names of the people, maybe some dates and some times. I’m sure you may want to take up question period doing that, or you can talk to me off line after question period.

Mr. Speaker: The House Leader for the official opposition on a supplemental.

M. Polak: So you will have noticed, I’m sure, in my quotation from the email thread that in the response that is provided by Ms. Wong, she says not only that she’s going to type up notes, but she says very clearly: “I have Geoff’s notes.”

When we were not successful in receiving the notes that Ms. Wong typed up, we asked for the originals. They exist. We know that from the email exchange. They exist. Interestingly enough, the response on that one was: “No records were located in response to your request. Your file is now closed.”

We know that these notes were important, because it actually says so in the conversation between the staffers: “It is really important we have them all recorded for future records.”

Will the Premier, on principle, commit that he will get to the bottom of how these types of requests are refused, and why on earth things that are really important to have recorded for future reference would be destroyed or lost somewhere in his office?

Hon. J. Horgan: Again, I apologize if I wasn’t clearer with the member when I said I’d be happy to look into it if I had more than two names, one of which is an individual that hasn’t worked in our office for over a year and a half. Maybe some specificity. Maybe some dates. Maybe some times. Whatever the member wants to do. I have committed, and I commit again to help her get to the bottom of this.

I mean, we do a lot of investigating around here, apparently. I’ll investigate it, most assuredly.

M. de Jong: Well, I’ll give the Premier…. Because he might not believe the nature of the questions that my colleague was asking, I’ll send a copy of the document over.

[10:40 a.m.]

It’s very apparent. “I have Geoff’s notes,” it says. They’re really important notes. We ask for the notes. British Columbians want to know the really important work that government is doing. And there are apparently no notes. The dog ate them. They fell into the washing machine — or, more likely, the shredding machine.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, the member for Abbotsford West has the floor. Thank you.

M. de Jong: Does the Premier accept the basic proposition that the rules governing the retention of documents apply to him, his office and his chief of staff, and apparently, since his chief of staff doesn’t believe that those rules apply to him, will he replace Mr. Meggs with someone who does accept that policy?

Hon. J. Horgan: Coming from a member who ripped a page out of a document about ICBC to cover up the train wreck that was happening there, from a member who didn’t know where the on switch was on his computer for his entire time as Attorney General, from a member who denied that money laundering existed in British Columbia…. To not accept “Yes, I’ll look into it” as an answer is a mystery to me.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Abbotsford West on a supplemental.

M. de Jong: What the Premier wants to ignore — and is going, apparently, to great pains to deflect attention from — is the recurring trend that is occurring in his office, by his chief of staff, to break the rules. The Premier has got the document now. He has got the dates. We’re looking for an explanation from the Premier as to why, in a situation where his staff identifies the existence of documents — where his staff says they’re really important documents — when we ask for the documents, none exist.

Why is that; and why does his chief of staff persist in conducting business in a way that breaks the law, breaks the rules; and will he replace Mr. Meggs as his chief of staff and abide by the rules?

Hon. J. Horgan: I’m grateful that the member has handed me the document from December 12, 2017. I must confess to all members of the House that I don’t have at the tip of my tongue, at the tip of my fingers, information that’s almost two years old. But as I said to the first questioner, I’ll get back to it.

While I’m on my feet, since there seems to be a desire to continually smear anyone who stands up, anyone who works for the people of British Columbia and who isn’t a member of the B.C. Liberal Party, I’ll read a couple of quotes, because that’s always edifying for the members here and those who are watching at home.

“Stop these witch hunts. Stop the amateur detective work. This is getting ridiculous. We have to stop this behaviour. We’re seeing a witch hunt.” Hon. Speaker, this is not the Twitter feed for Donald Trump. It’s out of the mouth of the member opposite, the Leader of the Official Opposition.

How can we be conducting a witch hunt one day and blocking evidence in a crucial investigation the next, when it’s the same thing? I don’t know how that happens, but the gymnastics on the other side, with a 16-year track record of triple deleting, of hiding documents…. To not accept the answer of “I’m happy to look into it” is beyond the pale. I’m happy to look into it.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

LOGGING PRACTICES AND
PROTECTION OF OLD-GROWTH FORESTS

A. Olsen: The British Columbia forestry industry has been collapsing for decades because successive governments have been overharvesting trees. People in remote, rural and urban British Columbia are voicing their concern. People within government are expressing their dismay.

British Columbians are concerned that changes made by the previous government in handing over the public interest to foreign interests are hurting them. This government continues to rapaciously log old-growth ecosystems on Vancouver Island, and it appears that they’re doing so in a way that doesn’t even comply with their own rules.

[10:45 a.m.]

Let’s look at the Nahmint valley in Port Alberni. Earlier this year the photos of majestic tree stumps went viral. The vast clearcuts were once rich habitat, home to endangered species. Two separate investigations appear to have found that B.C. Timber Sales are auctioning off cutblocks that are violating their own rules. The compliance and enforcement officer from the Forests Ministry in one investigation recommended that the logging of the valley be halted and that future harvesting be put on hold. Yet the logging of this pristine valley continues, with no end in sight.

My question is to the Minister of Forests. Why is the government ignoring the recommendation of this investigation, continuing to log irreplaceable old-growth ecosystems in the Nahmint valley?

Hon. D. Donaldson: Well, I thank the member for his thoughtful question. We, as the government, understand the importance of old-growth forests to supporting biodiversity in the forest ecosystems. We are blessed in B.C. to still have options on the management of old growth.

He refers to the Nahmint valley, and it was designated a special management zone in 2000 under the Vancouver Island land use plan. The values that underlie this special management zone include wildlife, biodiversity and recreation. Staff in my ministry are currently working as part of a working group that includes First Nations and staff from B.C. Timber Sales to legalize old-growth management areas, OGMAs, in the Nahmint valley. This involves using new and up-to-date information and incorporating other important values, including legacy trees and large cultural trees, to provide additional protection.

We take the member’s concerns seriously. We are not ignoring this issue or this topic. From what I understand, B.C.’s independent watchdog, the Forest Practices Board, is investigating the Ancient Forest Alliance’s complaint, and the Forest Practices Board investigation will be made public.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Saanich North and the Islands on a supplemental.

A. Olsen: Indeed, we do have options — until, of course, we log all the old growth. Then those options are gone. I thank the minister for the response.

I think the problem is that B.C. Timber Sales and the ministry’s enforcement officers are too closely entwined. They work side by side. They report to the same people. It appears to the public, whose interests we are in this place to protect and whom B.C. Timber Sales works on behalf of, that we have serious compliance and enforcement issues.

It appears we have a serious conflict of interest in the administration of the public interest. This is highlighted by the fact that the compliance officer responsible for the investigation that I mentioned earlier says he was told at one point to “close down the investigation, not write a report and just send an internal memo.” That is a worrying statement. B.C. Timber Sales appears to be ignoring internal government recommendations, violating the Vancouver Island land use plan and may have been allowing overcutting of old growth for the past 18 years.

My question is to the Minister of Forests. There is a growing lack of certainty on whose interest B.C. Timber Sales is representing. Who is holding B.C. Timber Sales accountable for their actions?

Hon. D. Donaldson: Well, B.C. Timber Sales is held to the same standard as private companies, and they’re accountable to the public. They submit forest stewardship plans. Those forest stewardship plans now, under our new legislation that we passed in May under the Forest and Range Practices Act, are much more transparent than they were before. They allow a forest operations map to be made public, and transparency is there for people to be able to see where cutblocks and roads, for instance, are planned.

The compliance and enforcement branch has the authority to investigate B.C. Timber Sales. They are a compliance branch, so they monitor and ensure compliance with certain natural resource legislation, including compliance with forest stewardship plans. When necessary and appropriate, they take enforcement actions. That’s the oversight with the BCTS, the same as it would be for any forest licensee.

However, we understand that there are people who are interested in and concerned about harvesting practices on the timber-harvesting land base. That’s why we introduced a legacy tree policy in June, where there’s the ability to register large trees, and each of these trees is protected by a one-hectare buffer. That’s 100 metres by 100 metres.

[10:50 a.m.]

We’ve also convened an old-growth strategic review panel, consisting of Garry Merkel and Al Gorley, who will be travelling the province to gather information and report back to me in the new year for recommendations around old-growth strategic policy.

FOREST INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT
SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITIES

A. Wilkinson: Two weeks ago 250 logging trucks appeared in downtown Vancouver to make it very loud and clear that the forest industry in British Columbia is in a very deep crisis. There have been 89 mill closures, curtailments or permanent shutdowns since January 1; 3,000 workers have been off work without a single paycheque since July 1 on Vancouver Island. The response from this government has amounted to absolutely nothing.

The only step that’s been taken has been to plunder one fund intended for rural communities for $25 million and to provide some of that funding to these people who are having their lives torn apart. But it turns out there’s no application process. There’s no eligibility criteria. There’s nothing available to these communities.

Those truckers drove back to their homes in Quesnel and Merritt and Port McNeill and Chetwynd with nothing, and they now have nothing to look forward to. This promises to be the darkest Christmas in living memory in those communities. The car dealerships have no business. The restaurants and cafés are drying up because people have no disposable income. Yet the response from this government has amounted to virtually nothing.

The question goes to the Premier. When will the Premier recognize this nightmare that’s unfolding in rural British Columbia, as they look forward to the worst Christmas of their entire lives?

Hon. J. Horgan: I thank the member for his question. I think the record will show that the Green Party was the first party to ask a question about forestry in this Legislature. But that goes without saying, I believe.

In this instance, I appreciate the Leader of the Opposition’s sincerity, and I know members on all sides of the House are very much concerned about the downturn in the forest sector. Over the past number of years, over 30,000 jobs have been lost in the sector.

There is a transformation happening on the land base in British Columbia. We’re taking steps to address that with respect to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. We’ve put in place an emergency fund of $69 million to work directly with those that are affected. We’ve been assuring, as best we can….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, the Premier has the floor.

Hon. J. Horgan: Now, I appreciate that they waited till the end of the week to ask a question, and now they just yell when you want to give an answer. That’s the respect that we get from the people on the other side of the House.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, please be more respectful. The Premier had the floor.

The Leader of the Official Opposition on a supplemental.

A. Wilkinson: All of us know that we’ve had the lightest forest fire season in living memory. Roughly $300 million that otherwise would have been spent on forest fire suppression was not spent. It’s left in contingency funds. Yet when these rural communities turn to the province of British Columbia and say, “What happened to all that money available for forest fire suppression?” they don’t get an answer. They get told: “Oh, we’re trying to come up with some money to provide for transition and compensation, so we’re going to take it out of the rural development fund to the tune of $25 million.”

The best example of the consequence of that is that the daycare program planned for Williams Lake, for 63 seats of daycare, has now collapsed. Those parents who were going to rely on that daycare out of the rural dividend fund can’t go and seek work because they’re at home taking care of the kids, while their spouse is unemployed and facing the bank coming to the door and the auctioneers selling off their assets.

This removal of funds from the rural dividend fund was not just deceitful; it was a humiliation to those rural communities.

[10:55 a.m.]

This is a very simple question. With the $300 million left on the table from the forest fire season being unexpectedly light, will the Premier stand up and reinstate the $25 million in the rural development fund? I’m glad to see he’s finally turned to his Finance Minister to ask the question, because apparently he hasn’t done before.

Hon. J. Horgan: I again surprisingly, thank the member for his question and the sincerity with which he delivers it.

We are extremely concerned on this side of the House, as all British Columbians are, at a dramatic downturn in markets, a dramatic downturn in ability to access fibre and the challenges, quite frankly, that were ignored for 16 years by the people on the other side of the floor.

We are putting in place $69 million to go directly into the hands of forest workers and forest-dependent communities to ensure that they do get through this transition in the economy. We’re promoting cross-laminated timber and mass timber construction to create new markets for wood products. We continue to try, to the best of our ability, to work with communities, to work with workers, to work with Indigenous peoples and to work with companies to set tables to establish a way forward for the industry.

It’s all well and good for the people who oversaw the loss of 30,000 jobs, the closure of 200 schools in rural communities, to somehow profess that they care about rural B.C.

We’re building hospitals in Williams Lake, in Dawson Creek, in Terrace, right across the north — $100 million in a northern development fund so that we can build infrastructure to create confidence in communities.

For the people on the other side to somehow profess…. After a week of question periods where they focused on smearing people, to now say they care about forestry is laughable. For 15 years, they knew there was a downturn. The beetle wood is gone. We have challenges in markets. We have challenges right across the board. The way to solve those is to work together, not to throw out invective and rhetoric.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Okay. If we may get back to question period here.

J. Rustad: Some help program for the forest workers when forest workers at Williams Lake have to hold a fundraiser so that they can raise money for families to buy food. That’s shameful, Premier. That is shameful on this government.

And 103 curtailment announcements or shutdowns, including permanent closures. More than 6,000 forest workers have been impacted and thousands more on top of thatl 3,000 workers on the Island on strike, impacting thousands more. A minister who denies there’s a crisis, an assistant who says there are too many mills and a Premier who says to communities that they’re acting like spoiled kids — quite frankly, an assistance plan that is providing no help for the industry.

Premier, you’ve already fired one minister. What will it take? How much worse does a minister have to be before you replace them and put somebody in place who can bring some actual help to the forest workers of this province?

Hon. D. Donaldson: I think we deserve a little context here, for the record. Forestry workers are facing extreme challenges. Forest communities are facing extremely difficult situations in the Interior.

[11:00 a.m.]

To show the priority, to make the priority apparent of this opposition, there were 41 questions over three days. This is the first time that we’ve actually got to a forestry-related question. I can’t think of a better demonstration of how unimportant they think forestry is in this province.

Unlike the opposition, instead of making statements, we actually have taken action. We’ve taken action to clean up the mess that they left in the coastal forest sector. We’ve taken action to clean up the mess that they’ve left in the Interior forest sector. We’ve taken action to support workers in communities.

The Leader of the Opposition calls a $69 million support program “virtually nothing.” I would say he should get in touch with the mayor of Mackenzie and the mayor of Fort St. James, who are appreciative of this forest support program. I’ll quote from Mayor Joan Atkinson of Mackenzie.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. D. Donaldson: “I recognize that the government recognizes communities that are really challenged with these forestry curtailments, and I’m so grateful that my community will receive some of this funding.”

Mr. Speaker: The member for Nechako Lakes on a supplemental.

J. Rustad: As the minister stands up, he’s laughing and smiling, while forest workers and families are hurting. That is disgraceful. That is disgraceful, Minister. And what’s worse…?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, the member for Nechako Lakes has the floor, please.

J. Rustad: Taking the money from the rural dividend fund to put into this package…. The mayor of Fort St. James and the mayor of Mackenzie are afraid to say anything because they don’t want to be persecuted by the most vengeful government in history.

We put forward a five-point plan that we wrote to the minister in June. That plan laid out how we can support workers, how we can support the industry and try to get the industry back on its feet. But what does the minister do, and what does this government do? It simply dithers, and workers are paying the price.

It’s painfully clear that there is no plan from this government, no plan to support workers and families and communities.

Minister, quite frankly, will you do the right thing and step down and let somebody step into that seat that can actually help the workers and families in this province?

Hon. D. Donaldson: Well, that’s great. The opposition puts forward a five-point plan in June. Where was your plan from two years ago, from 2015, when you knew that the crisis was going to hit the Interior forest sector with the end of the beetle wood? You did nothing to prepare communities. You did nothing to prepare workers. That was on your watch.

You’ve got four former Forests ministers over there — well, 3.1; the current critic was in for two weeks. You’ve got four former Forests ministers, no plan to help the Interior when you knew that this was going to happen in the Interior with the falldown of the beetle wood.

We’ve taken action. We’ve put a $69 million support program in place for workers and communities. We’re addressing the mismanagement of the forests by the previous government in the Interior and on the coast. We’ve increased marketing efforts and allowed 12-storey buildings to be built out of wood to reinforce our engineered wood sector. We’ve undertaken training for the new harvesting production and management techniques that will be required into the future. That’s because we understand how important rural communities and the forest economy are to the B.C. sector.

[11:05 a.m.]

RESPONSE TO CRIMINAL CHARGES
AGAINST PORT MOODY MAYOR

T. Stone: The mayor of Port Moody is facing very serious criminal charges related to sexual assault. Earlier this week Port Moody council voted in favour of asking the mayor to go back onto unpaid leave while he deals with these criminal charges. However, despite the majority of council wanting the mayor to step aside, he has declined to do so.

Astonishingly, the member for Port Moody–Coquitlam, who also happens to be one of the mayor’s best friends and close NDP allies, has made it very, very clear that he doesn’t really have an opinion on this matter of whether the mayor should step aside.

Now, we also know that members opposite, over the years, have never, never shied away from making profound statements about sexual assault. Yet when it really matters to make one’s voice heard that sexual assault must never be tolerated, ever, when there is an actual issue of criminal charges of sexual assault against a locally elected official who, again, happens to be a friend and ally of the NDP member for Port Moody–Coquitlam, the member himself, members opposite and the minister have had nothing to say and certainly nothing profound to say about this matter.

My question to the Minister of Municipal Affairs is this. Does she support Port Moody council’s decision calling for the mayor to step aside while dealing with his criminal sexual assault charges, or is she going to protect the member for Port Moody–Coquitlam from being embarrassed by the alleged actions of his good friend and ally?

Hon. S. Robinson: Well, I think it’s rather unfortunate that the member opposite, rather than understanding the seriousness of this and recognizing the principle that, the last time I checked, people in this country are innocent until proven guilty, which I think is an important element. Although I look at the neighbour suggesting maybe different….

I also appreciate how difficult this has been for the residents of Port Moody. It’s tearing this community apart. I would hope that the mayor would listen to his community and do the right thing.

[End of question period.]

Tabling Documents

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I have the honour to present the following reports.

Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the 2018 General Local Elections, October 20, 2018, from Elections B.C.

Secondly, Investigation Report 19-05, Investigation Report 19-04 and Reconsideration Report 19-04 from the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists for B.C.

Motions Without Notice

MEMBERSHIP CHANGES TO COMMITTEES

Hon. M. Farnworth: By leave, I move:

[That Stephanie Cadieux, MLA be appointed as a Member of the Special Committee to Appoint a Merit Commissioner, replacing Tracy Redies, MLA; and that

Adam Olsen, MLA be removed as a Member of the Special Committee to Review the Police Complaint Process.]

Leave granted.

Motion approved.

[11:10 a.m.]