Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

TOURISM

M. Stilwell: It should come as no surprise to anyone here in the House today that I’m here to speak about tourism. I have been an advocate for the industry during the best of times. I’m lucky to live in and represent a part of British Columbia that sees thousands of visitors annually come to enjoy the beautiful Parksville-Qualicum area and Vancouver Island.

My neighbours, local operators and countless members of the community rely on our thriving tourism sector to feed their families and to pay their bills. Yet here we are today facing the reality of this pandemic and how it has gutted one of B.C.’s most vibrant sectors.

Gone are the billions in revenue that tourism brings to B.C. Gone are the thousands of jobs that keep our residents afloat. Gone are the international visitors from Europe and the United States. For those thousands of small businesses, gone are the hopes and the dreams, their life savings and their lifelines. This is the reality of what this pandemic has done.

There is some sense of hope, with the phase 3 reopening, that local and regional tourism will be able to provide a buffer for those businesses that truly are struggling in the face of everything. But when you’re looking at revenue reductions of 70 percent, in some cases, I know it’s hard for many to stomach.

Like myself, I assume that every member in this House has been inundated with correspondence and phone calls and emails from tourism operators looking for support and direction and assistance.

Tourism isn’t something fun that people get to do or experience when on vacation. Here in B.C., it is truly the lifeblood of our communities. It’s an honour to host people from around the world and let them share in our splendour of our province. But when that is your only way to put food on the table and those guests aren’t coming simply because they’re unable to, that brings with it an extra layer of challenges.

Let me be clear, as I’ve been before. The public health response from Dr. Bonnie Henry and her team has been great. The federal decision to close the border and to restrict travel was necessary. As our infection numbers slowly increase, we are still lucky to be well below the threshold of so many other jurisdictions. That is something to be so thankful for and something to be proud of.

Even with all of this, that does not take away from the reality. We have an industry that’s severely struggling. They’re hemorrhaging money in every direction, and they’re screaming for help. It’s no longer a question of if but a question of when some of these businesses will fail or just give up in the face of insurmountable odds.

I know that last week there was a proposal made by the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia mirroring some of the asks that have been coming from the industry and shared by numerous members here in the House. They have asked for $680 million to be used for emergency working capital, support for adaptation costs and support to build a resilient B.C.-based supply chain.

These are all viable supports that should be readily addressed, and I do hope that these asks are being actively investigated. Where is the space in the emergency response budget for support for these businesses?

[10:10 a.m.]

Just last week we heard from Landsea Tours and Adventures, a Vancouver Island tourism-based company that has gone from 130 staffers to just two — 130 to two. That’s a shocking stat, and it’s a stat that, unfortunately, is all too common across the province. The owner, Kevin Pearce, has said that they have had no money coming in for 18 weeks.

They’ve had to sell their office, their shop and their yard space that they operated from, and now they’re starting to sell vehicles to stay alive. These items are a requirement for their business just to stave off bankruptcy, but that means that, even under the best-case scenario of travel being back to normal next year, they won’t be able to operate in the same way or at the same level as usual, making it even more difficult to bounce back from the nightmare of 2020 and what it has been for them.

This is a challenge that is facing our province and our previously thriving sector. Tourism matters, and it needs a plan to be able to make sure that there’s something in place to ensure that the industry can weather this storm.

The reality is that the time to act on this was actually months ago. These issues were put in front of government — these issues of cash flow problems. They needed to help the amassing of PPE and the requirement of reopening and the recovery plans. They’ve been asked for the better part of four months now to cover these costs. I and my colleague from Columbia River–Revelstoke have sent five letters to government outlining different challenges and providing different solutions and actionable items. To that, we have received a very lukewarm response at best. It’s a reminder that government is still consulting, not acting.

I truly, truly worry about the cascading effect of all of this. A series of businesses are unable to survive this year. They’ll close, reducing the very draw that brought people in and further sliding revenue lower. It will take years of successive increases to tourism numbers to recover from all of this. And that is the best-case scenario — if a vaccine is introduced and made widely available.

There is no doubt that this sector has crumbled under the pandemic, that they need support and that they’re asking for support. They’re coming with their hands to government to beg and plead so that they can continue to feed their families, to be able to put food on their tables and support their communities in the way they have under this thriving industry. It is far too late to be coming up with the recovery plan at this point. The action has to happen not today, but yesterday.

I hope that this government will continue to put its focus on the industry that needs the support the most. They have been hard hit under this pandemic, and there is nothing more that they need than this extra funding to keep themselves alive and well.

R. Leonard: I want to thank the member for Parksville-Qualicum for the opportunity to be a tourism booster here in this virtual Legislature.

Even in the time of a global pandemic, there is much to celebrate here in B.C. We all had a part in flattening the curve. We did it with a strong and coordinated provincial approach. British Columbians worked hard, made sacrifices and followed the advice of Dr. Henry. That’s what has allowed us to begin phase 3 of our restart plan.

Compared to so many other places, we are very fortunate to be in a position for British Columbians to safely and respectfully explore our beautiful province. Following Dr. Henry’s advice is how we got here, and we need to encourage people to continue to follow her advice. She’s told us to seek fewer faces and bigger spaces. That happens to fit very well with our Vancouver Island Visitor Centre’s latest hashtag, #OutdoorsAreIn, and it pairs very nicely with another hashtag: #RediscoverComoxValley.

What I’m talking about is marketing. It’s being provided by one of B.C.’s 59 community destination marketing organizations. In May, our government provided $10 million to help them hold on to staff and pay the bills. Destination marketing’s job: to support local businesses.

[10:15 a.m.]

Let me share some of the tourism businesses that are being bolstered in the Comox Valley. I’ll start at the top of the mountain. For those looking for a thrill, Mount Washington has debuted a new summer adventure, a zip-line tour. They’re lucky to have the big outdoor spaces with amazing vistas. They also have a large indoor facility for safe operations.

Coming down from above the trees, there’s hiking and mountain biking; agritourism, with farm cycle tours; and our farmers market. There’s golfing, bike and kayak rentals, fish charters and whale-watching tours. Art Map will guide you to artists’ studios and installations. There are a variety of museums: Comox air force museum, Courtenay museum…. The Comox museum reopens on August 6, and there’s also the Alberni Project.

We’ve got some great breweries and vineyards and, I would argue, some of the best restaurants on Vancouver Island, many having expanded to the outdoors with patios. It’s all about customers keeping their bubbles small and practising our COVID-19 safety protocols and businesses following the guidance of Dr. Henry, with the incredible help of WorkSafeBC and our medical health officers.

We know that tourism is struggling without international visitors. We know that keeping business afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t easy. The good news is that our government moved quickly, working with the tourism industry to provide supports for businesses and people — supports for the people who have invested in their passions and supports for those who work for the many businesses who count on tourists to survive.

By working collaboratively with the federal government in early June, B.C. received an injection of $1 million for B.C. Tourism Resiliency Network so thousands of tourism businesses can get meaningful, hands-on guidance and support to navigate, adapt and recover. Another $500,000 went to Indigenous Tourism B.C.

For all businesses, including tourism, our COVID-19 response plan, back in March when it was launched, reflects the top priority identified by business — cash flow relief. A 25 percent commercial property tax cut worth $700 million. Deferral of many business taxes. Hydro forgiveness for closed businesses. Preventing commercial tenant evictions. Restaurants can save with wholesale alcohol purchases — all provincial measures to give businesses, including tourism businesses, cash flow relief.

Advocating for federal supports, programs for British Columbians and British Columbian businesses have been improved, and new programs have been taken up. Our government continues to work closely with the federal government, and we will continue to see federal funding support for B.C. tourism.

As late as last week, the tourism industry association acknowledged the work that our government has done, both federally and provincially. Their submissions to our government’s recovery process will continue to help inform the best way forward to support B.C. businesses, as we build an economic recovery that puts people first, remembering that we’re all in this together.

Deputy Speaker: I now call on the member for Parksville-Qualicum for her concluding remarks.

M. Stilwell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, the member is trying to paint a rosy picture of the future of the tourism sector. Except, the reality on the ground is quite different.

I’ve been very clear in my opening remarks that businesses are hurting, and they can’t afford to wait. They can’t afford to wait for a plan. They need support now. They need it today. They say, and I quote from John Wilson of Wilson’s Transportation: “With every passing day, it is getting tougher and tougher to see the light. Wilson’s and the entire industry as a whole need something soon to make it through 2020.”

The member opposite mentioned the submission by TIABC, stating that they’re grateful for the support that has come to the industry thus far. But I might point out to the member that the package that they presented to government asking for $680 million was presented because it’s not enough. This government has continued to rely on federal programs and federal funding when this House has put aside $1.5 billion for recovery.

[10:20 a.m.]

TIABC has asked for $680 million of that money to ensure that there is emergency working capital, support for adaptation costs and support to building a resilient B.C.-based supply chain.

The member can talk about fewer faces and bigger spaces. I don’t disagree with that. Nobody on this side of the House would disagree with those wise words from Dr. Bonnie Henry. What we do disagree with is the continuous funding being put into marketing B.C. to B.C., when if in fact these businesses don’t stay alive, if they can’t possibly stay open without additional funding, there is no business to market. You can’t bring tourism to an area that is closed for business, because the jobs and the businesses are gone.

It is clear that the tourism industry does not need another survey. What they need is a plan and the financial supports put in place to ensure that they can rebound from this pandemic. It remains to be seen when this government will provide that real support, including accelerating tourism infrastructure projects as well, to help these businesses get through this very challenging time. We need to ensure that appropriate funding is put in place for these businesses. I implore the government to act swiftly.

MIGRANT WORKERS

M. Elmore: I’m very pleased to speak about the role and contributions of migrant workers here in British Columbia. There are hundreds of thousands of migrant workers across the country and tens of thousands of migrant workers here in British Columbia working in all sectors of our economy and in all communities. With the COVID-19 pandemic, it has raised the awareness, I think, of all British Columbians and Canadians about the vital role that migrant workers play in essential jobs, the work that they do and the important contributions that they make.

They work in our grocery stores, as cleaners, care workers, truckers, farmworkers. They grow the food that we eat, to make sure that it reaches our shelves. They work in construction. They build our schools and homes, and — increasingly important in the context of COVID-19 — they keep all these buildings clean and safe. They do that important job. Also, they take care of our children, the elderly and those with disabilities. Migrant workers are in all communities. I’d also encourage all members to get to know migrant workers in your communities and, really, all the roles that they play.

They also are increasing. We’ve seen more numbers over the last 20 years. The temporary foreign workers have been on the increase. They’re also subject to particular vulnerabilities because of this temporary status. Their employment is tied to their employers, and they’re scared of job loss and removal if they lose their job. It makes them very unlikely to complain if they have difficult circumstances.

Their temporary immigration status puts them in a very precarious position. They’re often working in low-wage, dangerous jobs, and they’re very desperate. It makes these migrant workers uniquely vulnerable to control and exploitation. In addition, we know that there are increasing numbers of undocumented workers who are in an even more precarious situation.

This has been happening in British Columbia. We know that temporary foreign workers are vulnerable to abuse in the workplace. It can be difficult for them to get help. This has been an issue in British Columbia for too long. Workers — we have heard complaints — are placed in inadequate housing, have their passports confiscated and have been misled about work opportunities. They’re also vulnerable to labour trafficking and illegal recruitment fees.

[10:25 a.m.]

While issues of their vulnerability, their precarious immigration status and their resolve — in terms of having them able to apply for permanent residency and also open work permits — are in the federal jurisdiction, British Columbia has taken steps to ensure that all workers, including migrant workers, are protected. Key were changes in employment standards to ensure that we have proactive investigations that can happen in terms of investigating worksites, ensuring that employment standards are being adhered to and that it’s not up to the worker to bring the complaint forward, so that employers are held accountable.

We stepped up workplace protections. In addition, we brought in the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act. This allows us to track recruiters and employers who hire foreign workers and to proactively audit and inspect these businesses. Where violations are found, we’re able to take enforcement actions, and inspectors have the authority to visit workplaces, talk to workers and ask workers what their conditions are. Where violations are found, enforcement actions are taken.

We’ve taken the step to license recruiters. This was issued last fall — October 2019. There are over 130 that have been issued. As well, we are ensuring that individuals and companies that recruit workers put up a $20,000 bond, so if there’s a violation of workers’ rights, there is a recourse for workers to be able to recover either wages or, in the event that they’re charged, illegal recruitment fees. That has acted as a deterrent. We now have over 130 recruiters in good standing, with more pending.

Consultations are also a key part of this. Consultations are ongoing with employers and stakeholders in industries representing about 10,000 employers in B.C. who hire temporary foreign workers. That is one step that we’ve taken to ensure that workers’ rights are enforced, that migrant workers are not vulnerable to this exploitation because of their precarious status and that we really engage all stakeholders — migrant workers, their employers, consultants and labour recruiters — to come together and ensure that there is accountability and that workers’ rights are protected.

These are key measures, steps that we’ve taken to address the safety and the well-being, to recognize the contributions of migrant workers here in British Columbia. There’s more work that needs to be done and more challenges ahead, but our province really leads the country in terms of ensuring that all workers are protected and that their rights are respected. I’m very proud of the leadership that our government has taken to protect all workers in British Columbia.

S. Thomson: I’m pleased to rise today to respond to the private member’s statement from the Member for Vancouver-Kensington. I acknowledge the comments around the very, very important role of temporary foreign workers in our economy and the role they play in so many sectors in that economy here in our province.

A noted economist at UC Davis said: “There is nothing more permanent than temporary workers.” That acknowledges the fact that this is — and has been for many, many, many years — a significant part of our employment labour force and a significant part of our economy. As the member noted, it covers off so many parts of our economy where the labour market is difficult to fill — agricultural, component processing, health care, the service sector — so many areas that these workers play a very, very important role in.

Workers have been coming to work in Canada since the early 1960s. These workers come from many different parts of the world. Major agreements, significant agreements, are in place with Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. These are important parts of the flow of workers into our province through these agreements.

[10:30 a.m.]

I can recall when I worked for the agricultural industry advocating for and lobbying for and ultimately securing the ability for the agriculture industry here in British Columbia to take part in the seasonal agricultural workers program. It had been available in other provinces, in Ontario and Quebec and the Maritimes, for many, many years before it was available here in British Columbia.

As the members know, the B.C. agriculture sector, this year, is facing significant worker shortage as a result of some of the challenges coming forward from the COVID-19 impact, the challenges around entry of workers, safety of workers, travel limitations. To the credit of the industry and to all involved in working with this, I think B.C. leads the country in terms of our response to that situation. The industry has stepped forward and put the appropriate protocols in place on farms — health protocols were put in place for bringing these workers into British Columbia — because we recognized that the health and safety of workers and our employees are critical in this part of our labour force.

Each year we work with the employer group to make sure that these health and safety standards — the laws, the regulations, the provisions of these agreements — are in place and are adhered to by the employees. These workers, in many cases, become integral parts of the teams that are operating, that are managing these businesses. They become part of the family there. They manage expensive equipment. They run major irrigation systems. Many of these workers return year after year to the place of employment where they were.

It is important that the employers recognize the importance of providing the health and safety protocols, the appropriate working conditions for all of these workers. I think that it’s a testament to the industry in many places where that is the case because the workers come back year after year to those same operations.

As I said, I can recall when we got the program available for agriculture industry here, for example, and following that, also put in place the western agriculture labour initiative, which helps educate and communicate to employers. This House supported the legislation for the registration of labour contractors and recruiters, recognizing that that was an area of vulnerability and that we needed to make sure that we could follow those.

Temporary foreign workers deserve to be respected like everyone else. Everybody deserves the right to go home safely at the end of the workday, so we need to do all we can in supporting the comments of the member for Vancouver-Kensington in terms of ensuring their health and safety are top of mind for all employers here in British Columbia.

Deputy Speaker: For her concluding remarks, I call upon the member for Vancouver-Kensington.

M. Elmore: I appreciate the comments from my colleague across the way. I know he’s very knowledgeable, has been very active in this area and has played a real leadership role. So I certainly appreciate his remarks. In terms of the whole House being united to recognize the contributions of migrant workers, but also to ensure for their protection…. Not only their rights as workers, but also to ensure that they’re safe and healthy on their worksites.

In the context of COVID-19, where we have an increased understanding of the vital role that migrant workers play in our economy, certainly they’re on the front lines, not only in terms of providing essential services but really being vulnerable to contracting COVID-19.

[10:35 a.m.]

Our government brought in measures that were unique across the country. We introduced a new plan for temporary foreign workers so that they could self-isolate for 14 days in a hotel near the airport when they arrived in B.C. before leaving to do their important work on B.C. farms. Our government also stepped forward to fund the hotel and food service costs, translation services, health screening and other necessary supports for these workers during that 14-day isolation period.

We worked with employers as well. My colleague mentioned that employers were a key part in terms of ensuring that migrant workers’ health and safety were foremost. We’ve been able to have employers implement infection control and prevention protocols in place. We’ve also gone out and conducted inspections. To date, over 600 farm sites have been inspected. That really stands in contrast when you look across the country, and that hasn’t been the case. We’ve heard about many outbreaks on farms impacting migrant workers.

British Columbia, through the initiative and leadership of our government and working with employers, has ensured that all workers were kept safe. We are dedicated, and I appreciate the support throughout the whole Legislature, ensuring that migrant workers are respected with improvements to employment standards for proactive enforcement of our labour standards, as well as our Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act, to ensure that we take steps against labour trafficking and illegal recruitment fees.

These are key components that we have control of in British Columbia and also nationally, working to encourage the federal government to ensure open work permits and that temporary foreign workers have access to permanent residency. These are key in terms of respecting the contributions of migrant workers.

EDUCATION

D. Davies: I rise today — or sit behind this screen today — to speak on the important topic of education. Few things are as important as ensuring our children have a proper education and are equipped to take on the world and become our leaders of tomorrow. This is, in fact, the driving force that motivated me to become a teacher myself. Education plays that vital role, and in a time of great uncertainty and stress, it is important, now more than ever, that we do our best to provide as much certainty and stability as possible for parents, students and teachers.

For weeks they have been racked with stress and anxiety, unsure of what the upcoming school year is going to look like this fall, watching province after province set expectations all while B.C. seems to continue to keep folks on edge about what a plan might look like. Over the past number of weeks, I’ve received hundreds — and I mean hundreds — of messages from students, teachers and parents extremely nervous and full of anxiety about what September will look like and what their lives will look like as we return to classes. There are so many questions around PPE, questions around scheduling, safety questions — just an incredible uncertainty.

Making back-to-school arrangements was a challenge for parents before there was a global pandemic. Being forced to make plans to return to work, book child care, organize school supplies and all the other things that we as parents know surround our lives before children return to school, all of this while facing the COVID-19 public health restrictions, becomes an even heavier burden, an incredibly stressful burden for all of those involved. Add to that the fact that parents were originally told that they’d have to wait until August 20 to learn what’s needed. That’s only a week or so before school starts. This would make that undertaking completely unfair and unreasonable.

The valid concerns of parents and teachers are not to be dismissed. It is the responsibility of government to ensure that they have what they need — that teachers have the schedules to organize and the resources that they need to teach, that parents have time to arrange their family lives and their schedules around the upcoming school year and that students have an understanding of what will be expected of them.

[10:40 a.m.]

These are all huge questions that deserve answers. It’s a giant cloud that is looming over all of us. As a teacher, I cannot imagine being in a classroom again right now with so many unknowns coming at me.

For many students and even many parents, school is stressful and carries with it an even heavier mental health burden. To fail to provide a timely and a reasonable expectation in place puts this heavy weight on the minds of far too many British Columbians who deserve better, who deserve respect.

Teachers, too, structure their lives around the school year and structure lesson plans around the daily schedules, and they deserve support. Long ago, I was a student myself, and I mean long ago. More recently, though, I am a teacher as well as a father. So I know what countless British Columbians are facing right now. Their lives are in complete limbo, just waiting for direction, just waiting for leadership, the stress and anxiety building up, facing the uncertainty but wanting to do the best for their kids.

How many parents across the province are putting their own jobs on hold, not knowing whether they’ll be able to return to work full-time, without an idea of what the structure of the upcoming school year is looking like? Parents in other provinces have known as early as June what their September would look like, with a plan B. They’ve been able to secure child care for days when school isn’t in session, to make plans, to feel some certainty. They’ve been able to order school supplies and other items that they need for September. Again, they’ve been able to make a plan for their own lives, having that plan and a plan B in their hands.

September is five weeks away — five weeks. I can feel that knot tightening in my stomach, as many parents across every corner of British Columbia can, hearing that news. The end of summer, back to business, back to school — just five weeks away.

Some have even recently had the gall to suggest to me that pushing for certainty on behalf of parents and teachers and students is disrespectful. Well, on the contrary. Standing up for these people whose concerns have been ignored is giving them the respect that they absolutely deserve. As a father and a former classroom teacher, I stand by this fight, because as official opposition critic for Education, it is my responsibility to ensure that your voices are heard.

A collaborative effort is essential for our back-to-school plan to be rolled out as safely and successfully as possible. I’m pleased to see that this plan will be modelled in close consultation with Dr. Bonnie Henry. We cannot sacrifice the safety of students and staff in our schools. Our teachers and students and parents face so many challenges already and have so many more to come. They have every right to have their concerns heard. I intend to continue, in my role, to bring those concerns forward before this House. I’ll continue to push until B.C. families have a plan, and a plan B, in their hands so that they can make the important decisions necessary from their end to embark on this coming school year. I do this with all due respect.

D. Routley: Thank you to the member for Peace River North for his presentation. I have a great deal of respect for his qualification as a teacher but also his character, and he has worked in the construction industry. We share that kind of background as well.

I want to clear up some of those clouds that the member is referring to when he says that there are a lot of questions. Yes, there are, and there are a lot of answers. But parents clearly want this done right rather than right now. In fact, if we look at the performance of British Columbia in this pandemic, we were the only jurisdiction in Canada that brought back provincewide in-classroom education before the end of this past school year. Nearly 200,000 students attended school in June, and we are using what we learned from that experience as we prepare for September.

[10:45 a.m.]

The staff and students have characterized the experience over spring and into June as an important first step that will make September easier. The schools were able to fully implement the new health and safety guidelines and adapt to the new normal. Online and hybrid learning has had mixed results for students. Some students thrive, but many miss the in-person interaction and connection with teachers and classmates.

We’ve seen other jurisdictions across Canada, including Alberta, point to the success of our province’s June restart as an example of how classrooms can operate safely with in-class instruction during the COVID pandemic. There was a recent Maclean’s magazine article that highlighted the hard work done in B.C. to make our schools safe for kids, noting it has given the rest of Canada a chance to see how schools can operate safely during COVID.

Now, the Education Minister has been clear that parents and students should prepare for a September restart. How that will look if we were to ask anyone, including the provincial health officer, is unclear, as so much is unclear with this pandemic and which way it will go. To that end, a steering committee has been formed that includes voices of parents, teachers, support staff, First Nations and public health. It has been established to work diligently to help develop a final plan for all grades in September.

There are also working groups within the steering committee that are focused on best practices related to curriculum, assessment and reporting, resources for teachers and parents, and an updated provincial health and safety guideline for K-to-12 schools. The Ministry of Health is involved in that plan.

We know that there’s no substitute for in-class instruction for all of our students. With the lessons learned in June, combined with the work of the steering committee and guidance from the provincial health officer, our goal is clearly to have as many students back in school as safely as possible in September.

As we’ve said publicly before, and I’ve said before in this presentation, our advice to parents is that children will be back in school and that we should plan for that. And we need to be open and fluid to any eventuality.

It’s also important to note that our education restart five-stage plan was announced on May 15. This five-stage restart plan has thought-out, detailed contingencies for all pandemic scenarios and will allow us to adapt to changing conditions as required.

As we have done from the beginning, all decisions made will be based on science, and we will follow the direction of the provincial health officer to ensure the safety of students and staff. The steering committee is developing best practices and working to ensure that we have a safe and a strong start for September.

I think more information will obviously be coming forward as available, but we need to recognize that this is a fluid situation. We also need to, as the member suggested, always base our decisions on science and follow the guidance of Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer.

All the decisions of this government so far have been predicated on those two things, and they will continue to be. So the advice to parents: plan to be in school. Exactly how that looks is not completely clear, but with the experience we gained in the spring, we will be able to be well positioned to do this safely.

Very quickly, on the issue of racism, since this has been a very strong issue during the pandemic, we believe there’s no place for racism, discrimination or intolerance in British Columbia. So we have developed a community round table on anti-racism in education to support the development of an anti-racism action plan to strengthen the K-to-12 curriculum. We want to ensure that the culture, beliefs and ancestry of all students and staff are accepted, celebrated and understood.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member.

For his concluding remarks, I call upon the member for Peace River North.

D. Davies: I want to thank the member for Nanaimo–North Cowichan, as well, for his remarks. We completely agree that we do want this to be right the first time, or as best as we can. I also want to recognize that June was a good trial opportunity for the province. It does give us a look at what worked and what didn’t.

On that note, as we prepare for a September restart, I think we all are…. The member himself mentioned over and over again that we don’t know what that will look like, and that is the question. I think parents, teachers and students all understand that this is a fluid situation, but a plan, some sort of plan, is what we are looking for in our hands.

[10:50 a.m.]

Our province and our education system are facing challenges unlike we’ve ever seen before. This time last year none of us could have anticipated the circumstances that we find ourselves in today. I’d like to offer my sincere gratitude to all the parents and teachers that have endured so many hardships to preserve and continue our children’s education.

What makes the challenges we face especially concerning is that they are constantly developing and changing. While most of the province is doing their part by abiding by health and safety guidelines outlined by our provincial health authorities, a temporary lapse in judgment from a few select individuals and a select few incidents has resulted in another spike of cases, forcing our public health officer to re-evaluate measures that we currently have in place.

We all want to see as many students return to classrooms as possible in September, but we all recognize that we are facing an ever-developing situation that will force us to constantly re-evaluate our plans as well as our protective measures. Teachers, students and parents recognize this as well. They’re not asking for the be-all and end-all solution from Dr. Henry or our ministry. They’re asking, though: “What is the plan right now? What is the best case for September? What is plan B?”

There’s no way for parents to adjust for anything if they don’t have any idea what a plan might look like. I’m pleased that this government has listened to the concerns raised by members of this House.

Deputy Speaker: Member, we need to be non-partisan at this time, please.

D. Davies: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased that the province has moved a time frame up for a back-to-school plan. Collaboration and open consultation will be key for all of us to enact a successful education plan, because at the end of the day, we must continue to face these challenges together.

I look forward to seeing this education plan, which is planned to be presented this week. I hope government will continue to listen to the input and concerns and solutions brought forward by the members of this House as well as all British Columbians so that we can give our students the best education that our province can offer, no matter what the year will throw at us.

RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

J. Rice: British Columbians worked hard, made sacrifices and followed the advice of Dr. Bonnie Henry, and that’s what’s allowed us to begin phase 3 of our B.C. Restart Plan. We are now very fortunate to be in a position for British Columbians to safely and respectfully travel around our beautiful province. But COVID-19 has changed all of our lives, from the social interaction we have to the way we move.

We are at a time of the year when British Columbians are usually taking a vacation to go on an adventure, whether it be a road trip to an unknown part of the province or country or a flight to a remote and exotic part of the world. This year is different. The pandemic has made travel a more hazardous affair and international travel simply unthinkable. Due to international travel restrictions, families from across the province are taking this opportunity to explore the hidden gems of B.C. I want to use my time today to call on all British Columbians and, really, all Canadians to be responsible when it comes to travelling in the province.

While the province is already in phase 3 of our restart plan and travel within the province is encouraged, that doesn’t come without risks, both for the tourists and the host communities. Before you decide to start up a trip in the province, I ask everyone to please plan ahead and do your research. Follow the local and provincial health guidelines to keep yourself and your host community safe.

First and foremost, check if the community you are visiting is accepting travellers, and be respectful of any restrictions. Many communities are nervous about the entry of the virus into their community, with good reason. Epidemics have a long and dark history in our province and our country. We can’t forget that upwards of 90 percent of the continent’s Indigenous population was wiped out as a result of different diseases introduced by Europeans. The distrust of these communities is further enhanced by centuries of neglect by our government, our school system and our health services.

In the spirit of reconciliation and in the spirit of respect, we need to embrace the needs of local communities, both First Nations and settler. If they are not accepting visitors or if they impose local restrictions, please respect these. It’s not the law, but it’s common decency.

[10:55 a.m.]

When you do travel to communities accepting visitors, remember to follow Dr. Bonnie Henry’s travel manners.

First, check before you go. As stated already, check for local restrictions.

Second, fewer faces and bigger spaces. Avoid large gatherings and confined spaces, so no parties in bachelor pads or houseboats.

Third, if sick, stay home — no exceptions. If you get sick while travelling, immediately isolate yourself and contact local health authorities or call 811.

Fourth, wash your hands. If you don’t have a sink nearby, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Local breweries and distilleries across the province are making their own hand sanitizer. So that’s another way to support small businesses.

Fifth, keep a safe and physical distance of two metres from anyone outside your bubble. If you’re unable to maintain this distance, please consider wearing a mask if you’re able.

Sixth, come prepared. Bring supplies when you visit rural communities. The more you can avoid contact with local communities, the better. You don’t want to become infected by a local outbreak, and you don’t want to be the person who brings the virus to a small community.

Finally, respect travel advisories.

Tourism has been a particularly hot issue in my riding. My constituency is home to some of the most remote communities in B.C., places with few health services and a high occurrence of conditions that increase the rate of COVID-19 mortality. This has prompted some communities, like Haida Gwaii, Bella Bella and Bella Coola, to put in local travel restrictions. While these restrictions are putting a heavy toll on local tourism businesses and forcing many British Columbians to change their travel plans, we need to remember these restrictions are put in place with the best interest of the entire community in mind.

On the flip side, I want to ask people from across the province to be kind and respectful to travellers. On a daily basis, I get calls from constituents worried about the influx of tourists from across the province and from other provinces. Please remember that as long as tourists are following the provincial health guidelines, they are not necessarily a threat to you or the community.

Tourism is a critical part of our economy and a major industry for many parts of the north coast. It puts food on the table for many families. It matters to people. This is a time when we need to come together, not let ourselves be divided by fear. Together we flatten the curve by following the orders and recommendations of health officials. We have proven it works, but we need to keep at it and not let our guard down.

Phase 3 of B.C.’s Restart Plan doesn’t mean life goes back to normal — quite the contrary. It means adapting to a different life using the tools we’ve learned that work for bending the curve. So please support our tourism communities safely. They desperately need our backing. Health measures need to be followed and local conditions considered.

B. Stewart: To the member for North Coast, those are certainly thoughtful remarks about tourism in British Columbia, as we reopen in phase 3. But it’s my pleasure today to rise and talk about responsible tourism in beautiful Kelowna, home for myself and many others, the gateway to the stunning Okanagan Valley.

There is something for everybody here, from relaxing on a beach, exploring a mountain trail, mountain biking, floating on Lake Okanagan to wine-tasting tours. Kelowna will keep you coming back for more and more. But let’s start, before you visit the Okanagan, with a visit to Tourism Kelowna’s website, which is a reliable source for responsible tourism.

Things have changed dramatically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions mean many businesses and tour operators must adapt and cater to the customers in a whole different way. I’d like to take this opportunity to let everyone know about what visitors can look forward to when visiting Kelowna this summer. But before that, I must acknowledge the concerns that were raised due to a cluster outbreak of COVID-19 since the start of July in Kelowna.

[11:00 a.m.]

As the member previous pointed out, it’s not a place for house parties and forgetting about all the social distancing rules that we’ve all come to learn from Dr. Henry. We want people to be able to enjoy the summer, we want people to come and visit local business, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of public health.

Stick to your bubble when you come to Kelowna. Safe and responsible travel is particularly important right now. Let’s all be vigilant and follow the social distancing rules to slow the spread of COVID-19 so that our businesses don’t have to shut down again and so that more people can enjoy what the Okanagan has to offer.

With that in mind, let’s find out what steps businesses and operators are doing to modify and make being a tourist still an unbelievable experience. There are still plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy here.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

One of the first things that the city of Kelowna did was to open up Bernard Avenue by shutting it down to vehicle traffic and allowing people to cycle, walk and run through the downtown and allowing restaurants and businesses to open up on the street. It’s a six-block downtown area that’s never been closed, with the exception of parades, and it’s turned it into a pedestrian mall to help businesses expand their patios and display products. Knox Mountain, which is also in the downtown core, has a strict one-way flow policy going up Apex Trail and down Knox Mountain Drive.

You can certainly rent a boat and search for the elusive and legendary Ogopogo, just past Squally Point at Lake Okanagan Mountain Park, but I want to talk to you about some of the other things that are in Kelowna. Before you come, you need to look on Tourism Kelowna’s website: “Where to stay with kids in Kelowna.” Secondly, there are also things to do in outdoor recreation and hiking. Another one would be the White Glove Experience at the Kelowna and surrounding area museums. And the golf courses, as well as elevated wine experiences. Make sure you plan ahead. Make reservations to make the most of Kelowna.

I’ve explored some of these places since the reopening, and I’m impressed with the safety protocols in place. To some extent, the service is even more personalized, whether it’s a local foodie scene like Sunny’s or the craft breweries or distilleries, as well as the wine-tasting experience.

As the birthplace of wine making in British Columbia, Kelowna is known for its top-quality wines, with more than 40 wineries within a 20-minute drive. With new safety measures, you can book a personalized small-group tasting tour with a maximum of six people at Okanagan wineries. You can spend time walking through the orchards and vineyards. But come for the experience right now, fresh off the tree, before the end of October — sweet cherries, delicious apricots, perfect peaches, pears and a cornucopia of B.C. apples and table grapes.

The Okanagan Valley is full of scenic communities waiting to be explored. We want to encourage responsible tourism, as both visitors and tourism operators have an equal responsibility to minimize negative impacts and generate greater economic benefits for the locals. Kelowna businesses are excited to welcome visitors back in a safe manner.

For visitors to make informed decisions, Tourism Kelowna is one of the most up to date and reliable, with visiting tips as well as safety messaging on their website. I notice also that they have a number of social media, on Instagram, postings from BNA Brewing, HydroFly Kelowna and Delta hotels just talking about how to be safe and visit Kelowna.

Again, visit Tourism Kelowna for a safe, responsible visit here in Kelowna.

J. Rice: Thank you to the member for outlining an excellent example of how we can travel responsibly in a part of British Columbia. I also wanted to share some tips from Destination B.C. They’ve compiled ten tips to help you plan and travel responsibly in B.C. this summer.

Their first step is to plan ahead, just as I had mentioned earlier. They talk about taking extra time to research and plan your trip in advance. Not just being respectful of local conditions and protocols, they also suggest that you prebook attractions and experiences. Many might not be operating, so you want to make sure that what you want to do, you’re able to do it. Hellobc.com has accommodation listings, transportation listings — everything you need to do to plan your trip.

Be respectful. Responsible tourism means that the experience creates a positive impact for all involved, so not just the traveller. Keep in mind that you’re a guest of your fellow B.C. residents when travelling.

[11:05 a.m.]

Travel in smaller groups. If you normally travel with extended family or with several friends, consider travelling in a smaller group this summer. Fewer people makes it easier for you to practise physical distancing in public and have less of an impact on the destination.

More time, fewer locations. Consider a slower pace to help curb the spread. Consider finding a home base and travelling around from that home base, versus stopping into a whole bunch of different destinations, for example, on an extended road trip.

Pack essentials. If you’re heading to a more rural area, stock up with essentials before you leave home; i.e., groceries. This will help lessen the impact on those rural remote communities that are experiencing supply issues and limits their touch points.

Stay safe. Stay apart. I think that’s pretty straightforward.

Leave no trace. This is an important one for those camping in the back country, for example. When exploring B.C.’s outdoors, always leave it in a better state than when you arrived. Respect the local wildlife. Minimize campfire impacts. Check out B.C. Wildfire Service for fire bans and fire safety tips.

Be adventure smart. This is really key. No matter what outdoor activity you’re planning, you must be prepared. Remember to follow the three Ts: trip planning, training and taking the essentials. AdventureSmart is a great resource to get informed before heading outdoors. You can find them online.

Be calm. Be patient. Be kind. Remember activities may take longer than usual, or places may be at capacity when you arrive. Have a plan B researched and ready in case your first choice isn’t possible.

Hon. H. Bains: I now ask the House to consider proceeding with Motion 12, standing in the name of the member for Kamloops–South Thompson.

Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed with Motion 12 without disturbing the priorities of the motions preceding it on the order paper.

Leave granted.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 12 — SUPPORTS
IN SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECTS

T. Stone: I rise to move the motion before the House today:

[Be it resolved that this House acknowledge that meaningful wraparound supports in supportive housing projects are vital for healthy people, businesses and communities.]

Every member of this House agrees that we need supportive housing in our communities. I, too, believe that everyone deserves — needs — to have a roof over their head. I’ve been proud to support a wide range of supportive housing projects in my hometown in Kamloops over the years, both when I was a member of government and also today as a member of the opposition.

Supportive housing is important, because in addition to providing that roof over one’s head, it’s also important to offer supports, as the term would suggest. It’s supposed to be a place where people have the opportunity to get well. But this only comes if the housing includes the needed on-site supports, which should include a team of physicians, nurse practitioners, clinical staff, counsellors and outreach workers, all of whom are able to provide the mental health, addiction and recovery supports as needed.

However, we know that these supports are far too often not available as promised. Unfortunately, we have watched what unfolds in our communities when those supports are not there. Here in Victoria, over in Yaletown, Maple Ridge, Duncan, Nanaimo, Coquitlam, Kelowna, Prince George and, yes, in Kamloops, neighbours and small businesses in these communities are all dealing with the consequences of needed 24-7 on-site supports not being provided in supportive housing projects.

Small businesses being broken into daily, small business owners worrying about the safety of their employees and customers, parents terrified of their kids stumbling across needles in the playground and neighbours worried about leaving their homes and walking the streets of their community — these are all very real issues and challenges directly resulting from the Minister of Housing’s decisions.

Now, I have seen this firsthand in my riding in Kamloops, which I have mentioned many times in this House. The Housing Minister has referred to all of this dismissively as “a bit of an unsettled time.” She has alleged that we in the opposition are dividing communities, “scoring cheap political points.”

[11:10 a.m.]

Well, all of these challenges are happening on the Housing Minister’s watch. They’re happening on the NDP government’s watch. Not a day goes by that the Housing Minister and NDP members opposite say what an incredible job they’re doing, what great progress they’re making.

How can they say that with a straight face while, at the same time, having to know that they’re actually not providing the needed mental health, addiction and recovery supports in every supportive housing project? How can they say that when on their promise of 114,000 new units of affordable housing, they’ve only opened 2,963 units in three years? How can they say that when homelessness is worse today than ever before? How can they say that when overdose deaths and non-lethal overdoses are at all-time highs under their watch?

Even the NDP mayor of Vancouver has said that the homelessness crisis and the addiction crisis are worse under this government than ever before.

It’s worth noting that the hard-working, courageous women and men on the front lines of caring for our most vulnerable and at-risk populations are increasingly saying this to us: “Housing first makes sense. But what’s next? We need resources and tools that have teeth in them, not a patchwork of band-aid supports. If there are no 24-7 on-site supports, where needed, all that government is doing is warehousing people.”

Alberta spends 80-fold more on mental health and addictions than British Columbia, including 4,000 new recovery beds in five therapeutic communities. If Alberta can do this, why can we not do it here in British Columbia? Mental health, addiction and recovery supports do not equate to having a cup of tea, as the Minister of Housing recently stated.

Enough is enough. To the Housing Minister and to the NDP members opposite, it’s time to be accountable for not delivering the 24-7 on-site mental health, addiction and recovery supports, as promised. It’s time to be accountable for the reality that your decisions are also failing communities. It’s time to do what’s right. It’s time to do what you promised. Why? Because it’s not too late.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to get better, to access a dignified path to recovery that fits their unique circumstances, to move from homelessness to wellness. Neighbours and small businesses also deserve to live, raise their families and work in their neighbourhoods and feel safe in doing so.

It’s not too late for the NDP government to do what is right, and that is to provide the needed 24-7 on-site supports in every supportive housing project across this province. British Columbians are demanding and, indeed, expecting the NDP government to do just this.

N. Simons: I’m pretty saddened to hear the attitude of the member from Kamloops. I think it’s unfortunate that it seems like his perception on this is all about what we’re saying we’re doing and what we’re not doing. What about the people involved? What about the families whose loved ones are now getting support in a place where they know that they’ll be safe?

To me, this attitude, which the member just gave all of us to see, shows how out of touch he is with the reality of individuals in our community who are struggling. In my constituency, how is it that after 16 years of useless, when it comes to working with people with homelessness issues and addictions, services, absolutely nothing…?

We’re starting off by trying to house people who have been living rough, people with mental health and addictions issues that hadn’t been addressed during the previous government’s regime. We are making incredible progress in making sure that individuals in our society are given the dignity that everyone should have. When I hear this kind of argument….

I know lots of kids who look to these supportive housing places. They know that someone is looking after their uncle. They know that someone is looking after someone who has had a hard time.

[11:15 a.m.]

We recognize that there are individuals in society who have struggled with addictions and mental health issues, many in our society who have suffered from trauma in childhood, many who have suffered and continue to suffer because of the previous government’s inaction on this file. I can pass supportive housing units — we’re getting 120 — on the Sunshine Coast. That’s how bad the need has been, ignored by the previous government. And they have the audacity to stand up in the House and complain.

It’s not perfect. Things are getting better. We’re all working towards making things better. The supports are becoming better. This is not just about…. Our communities require this. People are going to be living rough if they haven’t got a roof over their head.

Let me tell you a story. I worked with someone, a professional in the social services sector, who herself had tragedy, growing up in tragic circumstances. She was a wonderful social worker, and she experienced a terrible breakdown. She lived on the streets. She had injuries. She had nowhere safe to go.

This person dedicated her life to helping young people in our communities. She is an example of someone who found a level place to be, who found the ability to get off the drugs that she became addicted to due to pain and to suffering. She found supportive housing. Her notes to me about finally feeling safe, finally finding a place where she doesn’t have to think about living outside…. She’s once again dedicating herself to helping others.

That’s the attitude that needs to permeate the discussions around homelessness, not: “What am I scared of? What are you scared of? What should you be scared of?” Maybe we need to adjust programs and services to meet the specific needs of each community. I can tell you that there are individuals living in supportive housing who have not felt safe for years. They have not been safe for years.

While there are glitches and program issues that need to be worked out in individual places, to characterize this as a problem and as not doing enough, after nothing was done, I think takes a lot of nerve. We have progress. We continue with progress. We’re continuing to house people. We’re continuing to ensure that the programs and services they need to be healthy are there.

I think that what this province needs is an expectation that both the government and the opposition agree that we need to take people from the streets into safety and into security for the betterment of our communities.

J. Isaacs: I rise in the House today to speak on the motion: “Be it resolved that this House acknowledge that meaningful wraparound supports in supportive housing projects are vital for healthy people, businesses and communities.”

British Columbians are facing extraordinary challenges that have left our most vulnerable at greater risk. We are facing two very different health crises and fighting two entirely different fights.

On top of the health crisis, British Columbians are facing an unprecedented economic crisis. Individuals are grappling with reduced hours and job losses. Businesses are striving to keep their doors open and employees working. Everyone has made sacrifices to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and we must continue to confront one of the most deadly and tragic fights as our province turns towards recovery on so many levels.

June was the deadliest month on record for drug overdose deaths in British Columbia. Not only does this show just how vulnerable the marginalized members of our community are to the challenges of COVID-19, but it also shows that the current mental health and addictions strategy is not working.

We are leaving individuals who are suffering from mental health and addictions without the appropriate resources in place and with no clear pathway to recovery. We are moving individuals from one community to another without separating them from the risks and challenges, and it is jeopardizing their well-being and the well-being of others.

We are witnessing the devastating results when people are thrust into supportive housing without adequate individual supports. We are seeing the negative impact on residents and businesses when surrounding communities are left without appropriate resources.

[11:20 a.m.]

Housing supports go beyond housing itself. It also means consideration for the families and businesses who live and play in this space. Having a roof over peoples’ heads and offering them meals are important. But leaving vulnerable people to face the rest of their challenges without the appropriate supports is not only letting down these people, but it is also letting down the residents and businesses who share these community living spaces.

Society functions best when individuals abide by basic rules with appropriate boundaries. The most successful housing-first models are achieved when there is a full disclosure and transparency, when those most impacted are consulted and given the opportunity for dialogue, when there’s a good-neighbour policy that has been adopted and is enforced and when there are meaningful supports in place.

All of this was completely absent from this government. In fact, the concerns that have been raised by those most impacted continue to be ignored months later. We’ve seen residents in Yaletown who have experienced a surge in crime rates, street disorder and increased 911 calls. People fear for their personal safety. Long-established businesses share their buildings alongside converted supported housing units, and they are incurring serious financial losses and risks.

This negative impact on our business community adds to an already unstable and uncertain economy. It is our small businesses who create vitality in our neighbourhoods and bring the community to life, and it is the financial contributions and success of our business community that support our local economy and are absolutely crucial to supporting our essential social services sector.

There is no meaningful long-term contingency plan to address and support the complex needs of people who are experiencing homelessness and suffer from complex mental health and addiction challenges. There has been no community consultation or consultation with businesses, and this poorly executed strategy has left residents and businesses to deal with the challenges that we see before us without the proper supports.

This current model is detrimental to residents, businesses and communities and to those who directly depend on the supportive housing services. If we want to truly offer individuals the opportunity and dignity of a healthy recovery, we need to seriously rethink our current model and redefine what meaningful wraparound supports and supportive housing delivers — not only for the people with complex needs, but also to support people, businesses and communities.

J. Sims: It is my pleasure to rise today and speak on the motion acknowledging that meaningful wraparound supports and supportive housing projects are vital for healthy living, businesses and communities. I think every one of us in this House agrees that is what is needed.

I’m so proud to be part of a government that is delivering on the commitment it made. Since we have become government, over 2,600 people have had their lives changed. They are now living in and moving into supportive housing, and that’s exactly what it is — supportive housing.

It is so hard to sit here and to listen to some of the speeches that have preceded me, especially the one that called on how the current mental health strategy is not working. Well, I’m proud to be a part of a government where the Premier acknowledged that we have a real mental health crisis. We have a ministry that’s dedicated to mental health and fighting the opioid crisis, and we are making a difference.

Is there a lot more to do? Absolutely. But I want to remind my colleagues across the way. We have a mental health strategy right now. It’s not perfect. It’s always a work in progress. But for all those years that you were in government, you did not have a strategy. That was very, very evident with what we were seeing out there.

[11:25 a.m.]

Also, when we talk about those who are living on the streets and became homeless, it’s under the previous government that the house pricing escalated, putting more and more people out on the streets.

When I heard a previous speaker say that there has been an increase in opioid deaths — absolutely. As a mother and a grandmother, I am heartbroken. I’m heartbroken. I know parents, grandparents, siblings, family members, community are devastated by this. But the concerted work done by the Minister of Mental Health meant that in the year before COVID hit us, we actually saw, for the first time in a long time, a reduction in the number of opioid deaths. COVID-19 has been challenging for all of us across the spectrum but specifically for those who are already suffering, either financially, with addictions, and the homeless.

It’s because of that that I’m so proud of the work we are doing, and we do have a lot more to do. It’s very hard to take that services are not being provided.

I want to tell you a story about Mary. It’s a made-up name, but it’s a real story. Mary lived on the streets in Surrey, in the Whalley strip. If you’d ever been to the Whalley strip before, you would have realized that that couldn’t possibly be my Canada, my B.C., my Surrey. You actually believe that had to be coming from another part of the world.

Well, she had the opportunity, and she was actually moved into one of the modular homes, where she had her own room and a little fridge. This is what Mary told me. Mary said her life changed. She could sleep, she could actually find time to read, and she went back to school. Yes, right now she is in training to be a long-term-care attendant. She wants to give back, and she says she could never have done this without the support and the guidance she received while she was in the modular housing. That’s the kind of opportunities it gave her.

This is an opportunity for us on all sides of the House to work together. We worked together on COVID-19. But the mental health and the opioid crisis and the homelessness — those are other crises that should be non-partisan, and we all should be working together to address those, instead of putting out misleading information and scaring people that those in modular homes don’t get the supports they need.

It is an insult to the qualified mental health workers that are working around the clock in those facilities. It is an insult to all of the other front-line service providers that work, whether it is with education, whether it is with nutrition, with counselling, with education advisory, with health care issues. They are working with them on a wraparound service.

This is our opportunity. I call on my colleagues: instead of talking about “There’s lots more to do” — and we have lots more to do — let’s also acknowledge the work that has been done, and let’s, together, commit to working on this, not throwing falsehoods in the way of success.

J. Thornthwaite: I might remind the previous speaker that the number of non-fatal overdoses continued to rise under the NDP for years.

I am pleased to rise today in support of the motion before the House, that meaningful wraparound supports, including clinical on-site support, are vital for not only those living in supportive housing but also for those living and working in the surrounding communities.

As the critic for Mental Health and Addictions, I’ve long advocated in this chamber, even last Monday, for the need for a full spectrum of care, a mental health system that could serve youth and adults equally, that would focus on early intervention and could help those dealing with addiction into treatment and into recovery. Yet three years after establishing a stand-alone Mental Health and Addictions ministry, British Columbians are still left waiting for meaningful action. The deadly trajectory since the start of COVID has left May and June as the deadliest months on record for overdose deaths. The evidence clearly shows the current mental health and addictions strategy is not working, with no pathway to help people into recovery and treatment so that they can get well.

One treatment facility contacted me even last week, frustrated that they had 30 beds sitting empty, as more people than ever continue to die from the overdose crisis.

[11:30 a.m.]

I’m going to quote John Volken, CEO: “When a client graduates our program, they have real recovery, with skills to succeed in the real world and be productive, as well as becoming an outstanding member of the community. What keeps me up at night is the fact that we have over 30 beds empty right now, as people live on the street and suffer from addictions here in B.C. We have 30 beds in our Surrey facility that are empty.” Surrey, which is where the member previous is from.

We could be helping these people save lives. As the other member said, from Kamloops–South Thompson, Alberta spends 80 times more the amount in recovery beds than we do, and they have half the amount of overdoses.

I sympathize with the many mayors and residents and businesses who have raised concerns over compassion fatigue in their communities throughout British Columbia. The overdose crisis has not just impacted people in major cities, but it’s all around the province. Sadly, municipalities have rising costs to clean up discarded needles in school parks, human waste, break-ins, home invasions, business vandalism, assaults and sexual violence. We’ve heard it in Maple Ridge, and we’ve heard it in Nanaimo and most recently in Yaletown, Victoria, Parksville.

It’s just not working. Warehousing people with addictions without the proper clinical supports isn’t working. One resident in Parksville recently took to social media, recounting her experience as a homeowner feeling afraid to sleep at night, after the province had recently purchased a hotel to house homeless just down the street from where she lives.

Jane said: “I’m angry. My whole body is in fight-or-flight mode because they are coming out to the property four or five times a day. The homeless people are clearly scoping the place out. The government is paying for hotel rooms for them just down the street, and I just wait for them to hit us. Some of my neighbours and I are having trouble sleeping at night. This is an awful feeling, and nobody will do anything about it.”

We know that the Yaletown residents weren’t consulted either before residents were moved from Oppenheimer Park into hotels purchased by the province in their neighbourhood with no wraparound support. It was a missed opportunity to start an ongoing and open conversation to make sure that those who need the support the most are able to access it in the community, and then everybody can get along.

What we need is a plan that takes into consideration the complexity of mental health and addictions and that includes ensuring that supports are there in whatever community people are living in, whether it’s temporary or permanent, downtown Vancouver or Prince George, Parksville or Fort St. John.

The COVID pandemic has brought into the forefront many of these issues that have been going on under the surface for years. The supports that are needed in place to save lives are harder to reach now under COVID than ever before. Addictions don’t discriminate, and it isn’t a choice. If we grab hold of anyone from any background, addictions can…. It’s up to us to ensure that when that happens, we’re there to help them in any way we can, because everyone in B.C. has a right to a bright future, no matter the path it takes to get you there.

S. Chandra Herbert: I come to this motion to speak about the need to continue to support wraparound services for people with mental health and addictions, people who are homeless. “People,” I might say. I don’t just say “homeless,” because they’re people.

Unfortunately, there are those who try and create a screen, a film, an objective around the concept of homeless — “those people in that hotel that the government purchased, those people who I didn’t get consulted on” when they moved in the middle of the COVID emergency because they were crammed into conditions that could lead to the epidemic spreading rapidly and potentially killing many of them.

Those people needed emergency help. They are constituents, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, grandparents. These are people that needed help. Yet here we have an opposition who has decided, in part, on a good path, to argue for better supports for people who need help but, on the other path, try and speak outside the other side of the mouth and objectify them as “those people who bring danger and potential problems to me, to my community.”

These are people who lived in those communities. You know, you can’t say, “We want to help people” but, at the other time, say that when we as the government launched an emergency response to get those people help, then: “No, actually, there should have been consultation.” Maybe we could have had a couple of months talking to people and leaving those people in inhumane conditions on the street. Is that what the opposition is suggesting would have been better? You can’t have it both ways, Members.

[11:35 a.m.]

This was an emergency, and the government responded to help. Now, it is our job to work with those people — they are people — to ensure that they get the next step to even better lives ahead. You know what? I’ve talked to many of those people, people who were homeless, people who’d fallen through the cracks, and some of them tell me they’ve been on the streets for over a decade. And I believe it, because the government of the day, for the previous 16 years, cut social housing, cut emergency response benefits to people, cut welfare, cut disability. They made it more likely that people became homeless. They made it more likely that people fell through the cracks, and now they’re screaming about it — that those people did fall through the cracks, and they’ve become problems for other people.

When you treat people badly, as the previous government did for vulnerable people, bad things happen. Now we’re trying to clean up the mess. And you know what? That’s a mess that people have had to live in for too long.

When I ran for government in 2008, I said homeless people in my community were tired of being stepped over, and people were tired of stepping over homeless people. They wanted to respect them as people and work together, not as objects. It was a problem then, and it got worse year in, year out under the previous government.

Our government has built over 2,600 new supportive housing units, with mental health professionals, with clinicians, with doctors, with wraparound supports, in all sorts of different ways and all sorts of different communities. And you know what? We need to do much more. Those people who did not get respect and did not get help for too long need that help now. We need to continue and do even more.

That means more trained staff. That means even more purchases of housing to help people who had fallen through the cracks but also, thinking upstream, getting better mental health supports, better medical supports for people so that they don’t get so dire that they end up on the street in crisis, as they did for far too long.

I’m sorry, hon. Speaker, if it upsets me that all of a sudden, the opposition discovered that there were homeless people who need help, because I’ve been trying to get those people the help they need for my entire time as an elected official. I’ve been trying to deal with the chaos that can happen on the street when people don’t have the support they need.

I think about the seniors in Sunset Towers, who I was working with when the previous government brought some people in who had been dealing drugs on the street, who had been dealing with gangs on the street. They brought them into that supportive housing, but without any supports.

It got so bad that the police were there multiple times a day because the government of the day decided to do a quick cleanup before the Olympics, but without providing any assistance for those people — just put them out of space, out of mind — and the seniors in that building had a whole lot of problems to deal with.

We got in. B.C. Housing finally had to admit it didn’t quite get it right at the time. The police had to come in. The security had to come in. The government at the time realized or admitted: “Oops. We made a mistake.” That’s how it went under the previous government. I’m glad I’m not part of that previous government, because people just are so much better.

D. Barnett: I have a written statement here for five minutes. But I am appalled and upset over the last speaker for the opposition and the first speaker. I’m 77 years old. I have worked with communities, those that are homeless and those with mental health issues. Not everybody with mental health and addictions is homeless. Some of them are that way because they led a path from a good home that they shouldn’t have.

Over the many, many years, there have been supports. If we want to go back in history, let’s go back to 1990, when houses for mental health and drug addiction that I know of were closed. Riverview. What happened in Riverview? My mother worked in Riverview, and we had some of those people that were being helped brought to my home. I had one young lady who had no place to go when she left there. We took her in, and she became a successful human being in our society.

So to sit there and knock past governments and think that you are the holier than thou for the past few years appals me. There are so many wonderful people, wonderful government people and people who run for government for many, many reasons. Most people run to make this province a better place. So I’m appalled at the remarks.

[11:40 a.m.]

I will also say that in 2016 there was an opiate crisis, and we as a government started on a crisis that the opposition told me time and time again they had the solution to. Well, I haven’t seen it yet. This crisis is more than just in urban centres; it is in rural British Columbia. And it is as much in rural British Columbia as it is in your urban centres, just maybe not as many because our populations are less. Where is our help? I haven’t seen it yet, and I come from rural British Columbia.

We have many people — not on the street but people with mental health and drug addictions. This is more than about homelessness. This is about people everywhere — people with personal issues, family issues and so many young people today who do not have a direction, who get into the wrong hands. It is up to government to lead the way. We can’t help everybody, but we can do the best we can do. Anybody I know in my government for the last many, many years has done everything they can do to help people.

Please remember you cannot be everything to everyone. So when it gets to mental health and addictions, let’s really get down to the issue.

Dr. Bonnie Henry has done an amazing job with COVID. It was an emergency, and look at the wonderful actions. But there are other crises, and we cannot sweep them under the counter. So let’s listen.

You say: “We want to work with the other parties.” I’m an MLA. Nobody ever calls me from the opposition and asks me how my riding is doing with anything. They can hardly wait to make an announcement. If you really want to work with everybody, then really pick up the telephone. Say: “What is happening to your people?”

Yes, this is about people. This is about my children, your children, your grandchildren, your neighbour’s children. This is about all of us. Let’s not forget that, but let’s not stand on a high horse and accuse people of doing something that they did not do.

Governments in the past have all made mistakes, but governments in the past have continued to do what they could do with the availability of the economics to help people.

I say today: please remember that it’s about people, about all of us, and it’s about more than urban centres. It’s about rural British Columbia too.

S. Malcolmson: I join the debate to speak in favour of wraparound supports for supportive housing projects. Our government and I believe, absolutely, in investing in people and in the homes and the services they need. Access to safe and secure affordable housing is what gives people the stability and the dignity they deserve, and the wraparound supports and the fantastic people who are doing the work on the front line are what help them move forward and build that better life.

Homelessness and the fallout of addictions and the mental health crisis are hard on everyone. Those living with it — what a hard life. No one would choose it. People that have lived this life have done something harder than I ever will, than what I ever have. The neighbours living next to it, the police who are asked to deal with the fallout again and again, the front-line workers who are doing heroic work….

We are working hard on all of those fronts because we know the impacts are extreme, unsustainable and inexcusable. We are working hard on the enforcement front to crack down on addictive and poisoned drugs in ten different ways, which we’ll save for another debate, another day. But know that we’re going from suing big pharma to banning illegal pill presses to targeting money laundering that was at the root of the dirty money that fed this poisoned drug supply.

[11:45 a.m.]

We’re making it safer for people to come forward with information about drug trafficking. We’re trying to tighten off the supply as much as we can. More importantly, arguably, we’re treating mental health and addictions as a health priority. Many, many actions already; many more to come.

We’re seeing it on every front. In Nanaimo, we’ve got a new addictions specialist working at Nanaimo General Hospital doing treatment in the hospital but also working with practitioners across the riding to deal with discharge plans so that people know we have a safe way for them to move back into the community and make sure that they’re hooked up with supports.

The new downtown urgent and primary care centre and the nurse practitioner clinic, just opened last month, both have got new services for mental health and addictions that our communities never had before. The divisions of family practice in Nanaimo has been working in central and north Island on the opiate agonist treatment access.

Again, for another debate another day — so many actions that we are doing under the leadership of our Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. It’s an indication of the importance of this to our government that we have a dedicated minister.

Affordable housing — huge investment of $1.9 billion over ten years to build 14,000 new homes. And 5,200 of them are underway already. Just last week in Nanaimo, we now have the city’s plan about where that next wave of affordable housing and supportive housing will go. Something that we have not had access to, training new workers.

All of those investments have led to some real successes. In Nanaimo, Prideaux is a supportive housing facility that opened in 1997. Prior to getting that affordable housing, tenants there collectively had 1,000 hospitalization days. After they were housed in the supportive housing: 85. A survey that was done found $1 million in hospitalization-cost savings alone. Even when people still were hospitalized, the length of, for example, the psychiatric stays went from 23 days to an average of eight. Huge evidence shows, from 20 years ago, what happens when people are stabilized and supported in their movement forward. Wallace supportive housing in Nanaimo — same kinds of numbers.

More recently Uplands VIU study found that the supportive aspects were really helping people’s lives. And Newcastle — you’ve got to have a look at the Island Crisis Care centre website for the testimonials.

I want to say more than anything that more help is coming. We are training people. We are building housing. To have the opposition now, at the time of the COVID crisis, when everybody is so under pressure, politicize and make people more angry is a disservice to our community and our neighbourhoods. I want us to work as well on addictions and supportive housing as we have on the COVID crisis.

R. Coleman: I’m glad to stand up and say a few words about this subject this morning. I will start out with this: every single member that has spoken here this morning, every single member in this chamber and every single member on Zoom has had a project that went into their community under the previous government. So to say they did nothing in 16 years is wrong. As a matter of fact, the Ministers of Housing across this country, which I chaired twice, told me that the most successful housing strategy they’d ever seen in Canada was during the time that we were in government. So let’s put the rhetoric aside for a few minutes.

Mr. Speaker, 175 people died of opioid overdose in the month of June. What bothers me about this file is that there were 120 empty beds in therapeutic communities in British Columbia in the month of June. They’re empty in the month of July, and they’re still going to be empty going into the month of August.

These are communities where people can go and deal with their mental illness and addictions and live and get better. They can get better in British Columbia. But if you don’t send the patient and then you have 175 people dying in a month, what’s wrong here?

I want to tell you what’s right about therapeutic communities and addictions. First of all, remember one thing. There’s no one-size-fits-all for anyone that suffers with addictions and mental illness.

[11:50 a.m.]

The first thing you need to do is deal with the addiction to get them stabilized and find out what the mental illness is so you can help them deal with what are the underlying things that affect them.

We have a therapeutic community outside Prince George. A few years ago, I sat down with a 21-year-old man. He started sniffing glue at 13 years of age. He’d been clean in that therapeutic community for 14 months. He said, to me, this: “I’m better now than I’ve ever been because this is the first time in 21 years — or at least eight, nine years — that I’ve actually had a clear mind.” He said: “I’ve actually found out that I can love myself, and I can now work on me, because I have now come clean enough that I can do that.”

I sat down with another person in that community, 19 months clean. Told me he’d been in 21 different addiction facilities in British Columbia, and he was clear to me. He said: “Unless you have the time to work on the soul of the person after they get dry, you will never help solve their problems and help them make a change in their life.”

People with mental illness and addictions are a significant challenge. That’s why we started the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction, which is now being replaced with a brand-new facility at Riverview. Those folks need to have their addictions dealt with so they can actually get to where they can get a clear enough mind so doctors and clinicians can sit down with them and work out what mental illness they may be dealing with, whether it be bipolar or whether it be schizophrenia or depression or other aspects.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

You need to have the wraparound supports, which is what this debate is about. The sad part is that they’re not there. We dump a project in Maple Ridge. We can’t even fund a nurse 24-7. We can’t fund somebody that deals with the meals and oversees and somebody who will actually go in and deal with the people with mental ills and help them get the addiction support we need.

This is a global issue. It isn’t partisan. You need to put the supports in, because you can’t help people if you’re not going to give them the supports. You just warehouse somebody. We know; we learned that in the ’90s. We learned that in the 2000s. We learned that in 2010. The fact of the matter is that you need to have supports to deal with mental health and addictions.

I built my first social housing project in 1988 as a volunteer. I know what this file is about. I know you can’t warehouse people. I know you need to put the supports in. So it comes down to this. All levels of government have always had to struggle as to where to get the funds to step up.

The Ministry of Health’s budget has to move some money over to Mental Health and Addictions so we can actually support people the way they really need to be supported so they can build their lives and do better. The diagnosis is important. The supports are important.

To spend your time in this House, continuing with the rhetoric that nobody did anything, is just wasting your time and your energy. There’s never been a person in this House, whether as an opposition or government, that didn’t care about the citizens of this province and continue to build things for the citizens of this province and try to learn and do better. Our former Health Minister spent sleepless nights when he tried to deal with this file. Won an international award for the work we did on opioids.

The fact of the matter is that as long as you are going to snipe about this, you will never do what’s needed for your citizens, and that’s to give them the supports when you put them in housing so they can turn around their lives and have the best outcomes possible.

R. Singh: It’s my honour today to speak in favour of this motion.

I was just listening to the member who spoke before me, the member from opposition. I really like this word, that it is not a partisan issue. It shouldn’t be. But I’m very sorry that the members that have spoken today have tried to make it a very partisan issue.

We know that addictions and mental health is a very, very challenging issue to deal with. I’m very glad that the government has been working towards it and putting in the resources where they are needed. Having worked in the field myself, I know the challenges that people face who go through addictions, who go through mental health. The supportive recovery that was required — that was missing. The addiction facilities…. We needed more beds. That was missing.

I have worked with these people firsthand at the very grassroots level, getting the phone calls from them, not being able to provide them the resources. That was heartbreaking for me when dealing with this issue.

[11:55 a.m.]

I really feel that we all have to work together, and I’m very glad of the work that the government has been able to do in the last two years. We have been able to help almost 2,600 people find the housing and provide them the resources. We know that we cannot just put these people on the streets and try to just think that everything will be okay. We have to provide the resources that provide all the supportive help that is required, whether it is the housing or the 24-7 support that is needed.

This is what the government is doing. It is not bound with just one ministry. It is with all the ministries coming together, whether it is the Ministry of Housing, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions or the ministry of social services — all of them coming together and providing those resources.

I can say, from my community of Surrey, we had a street — 135A Street — which was known as the tent city. Now you go there and you see those people who were living in the tents being moved to the modular homes that were built — 135 modular homes — and how their lives have changed and the difference that it has made in the lives of those people.

We know that a lot of work has been done, and a lot more work needs to be done. We agree with that. We need a collaborative approach. We know the supports that the government has brought in, that government-supported housing for people experiencing homelessness, and we feel that that has brought them the supports, and it is really working.

Ninety-four percent of the residents remain housed in their units after six months. Eighty-four percent of the residents report improvements in overall well-being. Eighty-two percent of residents report experiencing positive interaction with neighbours. Fifty-six percent of the residents report improvement in their physical health. Forty-four percent of the residents report they had been admitted to the hospital less often. Forty-four percent of the residents report improvements to their mental health, and 39 percent of the residents report improvements to their addiction issues.

This is a work in progress. I think that we will keep on working, and our government…. I can say one thing, that we are committed to provide resources for these people. It is a challenging issue, but we are looking for the resources. We are working together, not making a partisan issue, as the member opposite just said. Working together.

I really want to remind him that in the previous years, this was not the issue on their minds. They were working social services. Now that they are coming out so passionately about this issue…. This was not the issue on their minds. So if they are so worried….

I’m really glad to see their passion towards this issue that has just emerged in the last few weeks, but I really hope that we can work together, take it forward and help bring the resources for the people where it is needed the most.

R. Singh moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. H. Bains moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

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

The House adjourned at 11:59 a.m.