Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

DIVERSABILITY IN THE WORKPLACE

K. Paddon: I’m grateful to be speaking about divers­ability in the workplace today from the unceded traditional territory of the Stó:lō people.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

Hiring from a diverse population strengthens businesses and gives them flexibility. When businesses open their search for workers to women, youth, Indigenous People, Black people, people of colour, immigrants and people with disabilities, they expand their ability to be responsive to and representative of the communities they serve while also increasing their capacity to innovate, and they gain the advantages of [audio interrupted].

Today I would like to speak specifically about hiring people with intellectual disabilities and what employers and businesses need to know about this motivated and committed workforce. According to the business case put forward by Ready, Willing and ABLE, we have an untapped resource in unemployed and underemployed individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. Nationwide there are approximately 500,000 working-age adults with intellectual disabilities or ASD, but only about a quarter are employed.

Additionally, youth leaving school who want to work and who also have intellectual disabilities are chronically unemployed. A troubling fact, as research shows us that employment during high school is one of the most significant indicators of a successful transition into adult employment and independence.

This unemployment for youth with diversabilities persists, even with the great work of high schools focusing on work experience. However, there have been great innovative programs to address the gap. The very low employment rate is despite the facts, presented by WorkBC, that hiring people with diversabilities allows businesses a wide pool to draw on, giving a broad choice of applicants. Inclusive hiring provides diverse skills, new knowledge and fresh viewpoints. It supports an extensive range of connections in the community and encourages enthusiasm and commitment to businesses as inclusive employers.

Why, then, the barriers to employment for people with intellectual disabilities? It seems to come down to myths. Historically, our society has viewed intellectual disability through a medical lens, focused on deficits and differences. Fortunately, as a result of the community living movement and deinstitutionalization, we’ve come to develop an understanding of disability as a social construct with no inherent limitations and a diverse range of skills and abilities.

Due to a lack of historic representation in most workplaces, there is often an assumption that people with intellectual disabilities would be difficult, if not impossible, to employ in traditional positions or businesses. There is a misconception that safety would be compromised, that there is a large cost to adaptations or accommodations that may be needed and that only entry-level positions would be appropriate, in any case — basically, that special needs means that people with intellectual disabilities can only hold special jobs.

What this translates to is that people with intellectual disabilities and ASD have often been assigned work that involves volunteer positions, positions that are paid below legal rates, or they’re hired as a different kind of employee. But that is such a loss to our businesses, companies and communities.

WorkBC and Community Living B.C., a Crown agency for the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, take an employment-first approach, with a commitment to the “real work for real pay” standard. This means that persons with intellectual diversabilities should have access to the same kinds of jobs as people who present as neurotypical and that employees with diversabilities should get paid the same pay for the same work as other workers. A concept and discussion that we are familiar with, based on our struggle with gender pay equity.

In previous years, I had the honour of working as a vocational counsellor and instructor for youth and adults with intellectual diversabilities, supporting, teaching and learning while walking the path to employment with them. Our beautiful communities and our incredible employers want to be inclusive, but the myths get in the way. The reality, based on research and the business case put forward by Ready, Willing and ABLE, is that inclusive hiring is a huge asset to any size business from both a social and financial perspective.

Some of the statistics that you may not be aware of are that 86 percent of employees with diversabilities have a better attendance rate than their neurotypical colleagues, and 98 percent of employees with diversabilities have an average or higher work safety rating than their colleagues. Turnover rates for employees with diversabilities are dramatically lower than all sector averages. These are all factors that have a significant financial impact for businesses, and employers know the value of good employee attendance, good safety records and low turnover.

[10:10 a.m.]

Additionally, people with intellectual diversabilities do not seem to require the number of accommodations or adaptations in the workplace that many employers worry about. When they do, the majority of these are free of cost. With proper supports and good matching of business needs and skills, employees with diversabilities average extremely high scores in the areas of high productivity, dependability, work engagement, motivation, attendance and attention to work quality. These supports and matching are available through supported employment programs across the province and are provided at no cost to employers.

We know that with the pandemic, people with divers­abilities have been disproportionately impacted, and many have lost their jobs as positions were cut or entire sectors were reduced. We know that even before COVID-19 employees with disabilities often experienced precarious employment, as the value of their contribution was coloured by historic views or myths. I’m proud to be part of a government that knows that creating a sustainable, resilient and inclusive post-pandemic recovery means ensuring people with diversabilities are not left behind. This includes addressing barriers to employment.

Our government has completed three application intakes for a $10 million work experience opportunities grant, funded to help organizations provide work experience opportunities that will increase the skills and experience needed for people with disabilities and others experiencing barriers. We have committed to introducing accessibility legislation, and through WorkBC and CLBC, the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction continues to fund supported employment services, skill development and employment first approaches. Our government has demonstrated a solid commitment to supporting people with diversabilities who are ready, willing and able to find employment.

As we move through this pandemic and into recovery, as our businesses recover and grow, as we innovate in moving British Columbia forward, we will need all hands on deck. I am so excited to see where our increasing diversity in the workplace will take us.

S. Cadieux: I know the member has a passion for this work and for this topic, both in her former career with CLBC and as an advocate for vocation. Let me just say, if it was possible to say “ditto,” that’s probably what I would say for her commentary this morning.

I, too, was going to reference all of the statistics from the Ready, Willing and ABLE report, but I won’t do that now. But I am pleased that this topic has been brought forward for discussion this morning, because as this House will know, it’s a topic that is very dear to my heart and has been something I’ve worked away at for many years here in this Legislature.

I will take a moment, just to discuss the title of this morning’s comments — “diversabilities,” specifically. I find it interesting that the member chose to use this label and that we have a discussion about that, because many people watching will want to take from this a sense of what they should do, what they should say, how they should label people. Diversabilities is one label, but it’s important to remember that behind every label is a human being, a person with a name.

Some people will describe themselves as a person with diversabilities. Some people will describe themselves as a person with a disability. Some will say: “I’m autistic.” There’s currently a movement amongst the disability community to reclaim the term “disabled,” to own it. It’s a movement of disability pride. Labels are, for the most part, society’s way of categorizing people. Sometimes it is necessary.

I know that in my 30 years as a person with a disability, which is my preferred term, I have been many things to many other people. I have been handicapped. I have been disabled. I have been physically challenged. I have been a lot of other things that I won’t choose to comment on here. But really, the reality is that labels are a way that people can describe how different I am from them. A system will use a label to categorize me for a purpose, like eligibility for a program or service.

[10:15 a.m.]

Sometimes we, as ourselves, do it because we have to, because we must advocate to ensure that we’re included in the design of our physical world, in the development of rules and programs that exclude. Something that we saw earlier last year with the pandemic, like health orders that forgot that some may need caregivers 24-7 to speak for them. But we just must remember that all people deserve to be treated as individuals — so Start with Hi and ask a name.

The reality for work, for people with intellectual disabilities specifically, as we talk about this morning, is challenging, and it is improving. As the member stated, this group has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. There are examples of goodness and of the right steps.

In Surrey–White Rock, the chamber took it upon itself when it was granted some internships to ensure that they included people with diversabilities in that hiring. Now the chamber executive knows that “while it started off with the intention to provide individuals with an opportunity they would not otherwise have had, it ended up being much more meaningful and enriching for not just Trevor and Caleb but for the entire chamber team as well. I would encourage other employers to take that step.” Ritu Khanna.

It is so good to see employers from non-traditional workplaces for people with disabilities to recognize that people with disabilities have every ability to contribute in every situation. I believe, as we move forward, we can do even more working together as a Legislature.

K. Paddon: Thank you to the member for sharing their remarks on this topic that is so close to us and so important to our communities.

In addition to the information and government programs I mentioned previously, I am proud to share about the work being done locally by those in Chilliwack-Kent and Chilliwack.

In our communities, hiring inclusively is a goal shared and championed by many employers and supported by local organizations such as the Chilliwack Society for Community Living, or CSCL. Through their employment support programs, CSCL works with job seekers and local employers to identify workers whose skills are a match for the needs of the businesses. Vocational counsellors and support workers support individual job seekers to find, prepare for, learn and excel in their new roles and to help employers understand the benefits of hiring people with intellectual diversabilities.

We are also very fortunate here in Chilliwack-Kent to have the University of the Fraser Valley workplace task program, a full-time, eight-month program at the university that offers students with disabilities the opportunity to learn self-management and employment skills that will be useful to them in their chosen work. It includes training that employers value, such as WHMIS, FoodSafe, first aid and WorldHost. Program students take part in three community-based work experiences, all to gain the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to find employment in a community.

Champion employers are employers who have seen benefits of having a diverse workforce and who share their experience with other business owners. This may be done through the Rotary at Work group, a business-to-business program that takes a fresh look at disability and how this workforce segment can contribute through real work for real pay; the Presidents Group, a network of 25 change-driven B.C. business leaders who are champions for a more accessible, inclusive workplace; or through peer-to-peer engagement between employers.

Champion employers are celebrated as they open doors, break down barriers and lead the way in Chilliwack-Kent through their inclusive hiring. Local employers like Starbucks and Garrison Crossing, Redux Nutrition, West Coast Reduction, the Cheam Centre’s recreational excellence, Little Kickers, G Tutt Transport, Gala Dairy, Executive Hotel and Resort at the RCMP Pacific Regional Training Centre, Cultus Lake Waterpark, Corner’s Pride Farms and Ivor Forest Products, just to name a few.

They employ café attendants, yard labourers, coaches, production workers, farmhands, child minders, park attendants, forklift drivers and so many more. I want to applaud and thank these employers for not only recognizing the benefits of hiring inclusively but also for being so willing to share their experiences and lead the way for others so that their businesses and community can truly thrive.

[10:20 a.m.]

I want to encourage my colleagues and any employers who have questions about diversability in the workplace to check out readywillingable.ca, inclusionBC.org or Workbc.ca and, if they’re ready to become a champion employer, to contact their local Community Living organization, WorkBC or their local Rotary at Work.

INVASIVE SPECIES

G. Kyllo: I’m honoured to speak today from the Legislature on the issue of invasive species in British Columbia.

I’d like to start by telling a story of two very unique dogs named Major and Kilo. While only some of the members of this House may be familiar with these two curious canines, hundreds of tourists to the province, particularly to the Okanagan and Shuswap lakes, have most likely met these dogs at one point or another.

Now, anyone who has driven a boat into B.C. will have hopefully stopped at a boat inspection site and witnessed Major and Kilo carrying out their very important jobs. Like many sniffer dogs, Major and Kilo scour boats from top to bottom with their keen sense of smell, searching for anything being carried in, either willingly or unwillingly, that is unwelcome in our province.

Outside of smelling for shell casings, illicit drugs or illegal hunting game, these dogs are trained to find traces of almost invisible, yet incredibly dangerous, invader zebra and quagga mussels. As innocent as they may sound, anyone who has travelled to the lakes of eastern Canada or the United States knows the dangers these mussels pose and the devastation that they can bring to our local ecosystems.

Zebra and quagga mussels can graft onto any hard surface or infrastructure — water intake, sewer outfalls, the underside of boats and even the inside of boat motors. Once they’ve entered a body of water, removing them becomes almost next to impossible.

The growth of this invasive species is exponential. A single female can produce more than a million eggs in one year. Within the span of a few years, these mussels can quite literally blanket the lakebed and wreak havoc on native plants and animal populations. A zebra mussel population can overwhelm a lake so much that their shells can blanket beaches, making them difficult to walk on.

Our province is fighting a constant war against these invaders, a war that we cannot afford to lose. British Columbians, particularly those in the Shuswap, recognize that the health of our local ecosystems and our local economies are synonymous with one another. A zebra mussel infestation would undoubtedly devastate our local tourism industry, but the economic impacts would go far beyond that. Mussels can also damage hydro infrastructure, destroy commercial and recreational fishing, harm agriculture irrigation and recreational boating and even impact local water supplies.

It’s estimated that if the mussels were to arrive in Oka­nagan Lake, just the mitigation there alone would cost upwards of $42 million a year. If left unchecked, zebra mussels would create billions of dollars in damage to Canadian waterways.

In 2019 alone, conservation officers stopped 22 mussel-fouled boats coming from Ontario, Michigan, Utah and North Carolina that were headed for B.C. waters. It is thanks to the tireless work and vigilance of our conservation officers and volunteers that we have so far managed to keep B.C.’s waterways free of this catastrophic infestation.

Now, even though we’ve been successful in that regard, British Columbians have already felt the impact that these invaders can have on local businesses. These mussels can spread so easily that they have even been known to invade local aquariums in pet stores. Major pet store retailers like PetSmart have had to curtail the sale of marimo moss balls or even fish because they were known to carry zebra mussels into aquariums.

Earlier this year more than 1,000 local or independently owned pet stores, garden centres and retailers across the province had to take similar actions, curtailing the sale of fish and marimo moss balls in an effort to prevent the spread of zebra mussel infestations. These are local businesses that have already been severely impacted by COVID and are now being forced to prevent the spread of two separate dangers to B.C., both with a severe economic impact.

Although current travel restrictions have offered a small respite for conservation officers, their job requires them to be vigilant 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Government can continue to use this time to re-evaluate the supports that are available to our conservation officers and advocacy groups, like the Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species Society and the B.C. Invasive Species Council.

Boat inspection stations are a vital line of defence to ensure tourists do not bring these invasive species into B.C. waters. As it stands, B.C. only has one 24-hour inspection station in Golden, while the Shuswap and Okanagan region depends on the single permanent station in Osoyoos.

[10:25 a.m.]

While current travel restrictions exist, government must keep in mind the thousands of British Columbians that are eager to travel across the province and support local tourism as soon as it’s safe to do so, as well as other Canadians who will be eager to explore B.C. waters once health orders permit them to do so.

Now is the time to discuss what additional resources our conservation services need to carry out their crucial work, including additional boat inspection stations as well as additional supports and training to ensure that B.C. conservation officers are able to continue their vital work while maintaining COVID-safe measures.

Together, I hope we can keep B.C. waterways free of invasive species to preserve local plant and animal populations and local tourism, as well as to ensure that we can all enjoy clean and balanced ecosystems for generations to come.

Deputy Speaker: Recognizing the member for Richmond South Centre.

H. Yao: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to respond.

Before I start, I’d like to acknowledge that I’m representing the Richmond South Centre riding, which is located in the traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam, Tsawwassen and Kwantlen Coast Salish people. I thank them for allowing us to live, work and play on their ancestral land.

I couldn’t agree more with the speaker earlier, talking about the importance of addressing invasive species. It’s often a generalized and oversimplified knee-jerk reaction when we speak about invasive species. It is easy to demonize the species that we’re dealing with, especially with the capacity to annihilate local species and bring down local ecosystems and even damage our economies.

Often we’re told we must eliminate them in all means necessary. However, when it comes to combating invasive species, we must focus on understanding, collaboration and commitment. The goal often, in the end, is the restoration of a healthy ecosystem. I would like to take a moment to share my personal experience.

For many years in the past, I led a team of volunteers and worked with the city of Richmond’s beautification program. Since the beginning, we were asked to help combat the Himalayan blackberry bush, an invasive species that has proven to be able to terrorize B.C. plant habitats, especially in Richmond’s Garden City Park, which is located in my riding.

When I mention blackberries, many might have fond memories of picking blackberries with their families. However, blackberry as a plant is extremely aggressive. It is capable of overpowering trees and suffocating smaller plants. It grows so fast, it can actually overwhelm an area within the summer. I personally actually have witnessed how a blackberry bush grew and pulled down trees many times its size. The iconic dome that is shaped by the blackberry is designed to grow stems over and pull down trees while blocking out sun against its competitors.

Despite its thorns, my teams and I fought our way to cut branches, black out roots and dispose of the bush by the truckload. After three hours of bloody effort — and yes, it is a bloody effort, because they often fight back with thorns — it made our arms and shins bloody. Some would even suggest that our success should be continued throughout the year. However, we shouldn’t, and we don’t. Here’s why.

Blackberry bushes also serve as a nesting protection for birds against predators, especially against common house cats. If we disrupt blackberry bushes during the nesting season, we would inevitably cause unnecessary destruction to bird nests and their young. Unfortunately, enthusiasm can lead to undesirable consequences. Therefore, we thank our local expert working with us to bring the awareness to us.

We were also introduced to something called Japanese knotweed. Again, we have a volunteer community dedicated to combat the invasive species. However, we’re told by our experts: “Do not touch it.” Why? Japanese black knotweed is brittle, and every little, tiny, broken piece can regrow into a brand-new plant.

Our enthusiasm can often be catered to a wrong direction and cause more destruction than benefit. Therefore, I want to again emphasize the importance of fostering understanding, collaboration and commitment. I’m so glad our government took a healthy approach in fostering understanding, commitment and collaboration in B.C. in our fight against the invasive species.

Since July 2017, our government has invested in future leader programs and a professional economic recovery plan, under StrongerBC. Our government has invested $8.7 million for approximately 160 jobs to work on projects related to invasive species management as well as wildfire prevention and forest health.

[10:30 a.m.]

So $4 million was invested to create 37 positions in B.C. Parks and 46 positions with conservation officers to work on programs such as aquatic invasive species, and $8 million in funding for the Invasive Species Council of B.C. to provide expanded training and outreach programs, as well as collaboration with land managers, local governments, Indigenous communities and others to detect and remove invasive species throughout B.C. And $3 million invested to establish invasive species management partnerships with Indigenous communities, regional invasive species organizations, local governments and others.

There are many, many more of our government’s commitments in combating invasive species in our communities in our beautiful province, British Columbia. Therefore, I would like to conclude and encourage all members across and over the aisle. Let us work together, work in collaboration and work with effectiveness, understanding and precision to remove the invasive species danger to our community.

G. Kyllo: I’d like to continue my statement by highlighting some of the invasive species, aside from zebra and quagga mussels, that are challenging British Columbia’s ecosystems as well as to highlight some additional actions that we’re hoping to see from government in the coming year to further protect our ecosystems and to bolster our conservation efforts.

British Columbians are already too familiar with the impacts invasive species can have on our local wildlife if left unchecked. The grey squirrel is perhaps the most common example. Grey squirrels are so common in our backyards and provincial parks that many might mistake them for local species. In fact, grey squirrels were introduced to our province in the early 1900s. Their large size gave them a bit of a competitive advantage over the local red and Douglas squirrels, and they have now become the dominant species in our local parks and forests.

Zebra mussels are not the only threat to B.C. waterways. Last year invasive Asian clams were found in Shuswap Lake, most likely brought in by travelling boaters.

In 2018, local farmers and constituents of mine began reporting invasive western yellowstriped armyworms attacking local crops and vegetation in the Armstrong-Spallumcheen area. At the time, the government’s Minister of Agriculture was slow to respond, insisting the pests would die off in the winter. Unfortunately, government’s inaction on the issue…. These armyworms have actually become a seasonal danger to agriculture and vegetation in the Shuswap year after year.

Hundreds of invasive species, like common broom, continue to endanger local flora and fauna as well. The government needs to work closely with our conservationists and experts on invasive species to constantly evaluate and re-evaluate our provincial response. There are still crucial steps that government could be taking.

A key recommendation from British Columbia’s experts on invasive species has called on government to introduce a single invasive species act that would streamline regulations to better monitor the high-risk pathways that are now introducing invasive species to B.C. and to ensure aggressive remediation.

Now, such an act could also help provide robust funding for education, prevention, monitoring, response and, of course, enforcement to provide the spread of invasive species…. It’s disappointing that we haven’t seen any action from the Ministry of Environment on this, despite being presented with the recommendations more than a year ago.

Government inaction is as great a risk to our local wildlife and economy as the invasive species themselves. I hope government will act on these recommendations and take the necessary steps to improve our province’s conservation efforts and protective measures against invasive species.

THE OPIOID CRISIS

B. Bailey: I rise in these chambers today to add my voice to an issue of paramount importance to Vancouver–False Creek: the opioid and toxic drug crisis.

I first learned of the severity of opioid addiction while at a conference in Ontario a number of years ago. I had a meeting with the head of a major federal institution, and after we were finished talking business, we were making small talk. Then she mentioned her son. Her son — let’s call him David — lived in Vancouver for a few years, she said. I asked if he enjoyed it. She said he did. I asked: “Where does he live now?” She said: “He’s gone.” Gone? She told me of her loss.

[10:35 a.m.]

David, right after university, had taken a job in a work camp in B.C. I can’t recall exactly where. He was injured on the job — a back injury, I think — and moved down to Vancouver while recovering. This is where the story starts to sound all too familiar. He was prescribed opioids by his physician and became addicted. Eventually, the physician stopped prescribing, and David turned to the streets for the medication he was now profoundly addicted to.

This woman shared her pain. She had navigated this child safely through childhood, got him through all of the childhood illnesses, tended his bumps, cuts and broken bones along the way, kept him from getting cavities, kept him safe from all the perils while he grew into a healthy young man she was so proud of, a young man who did nothing wrong, and he ended up dead in his apartment in Vancouver, due to a fentanyl overdose.

Her story of heartbreak and the destruction of a promising young man’s future is, tragically, not unique. As we all know far too well, this crisis continues to take our family members. In 2021, the largest age group of those dying is 30 to 39. Males account for 81 percent of these tragic deaths. Most of us know someone who has lost a loved one during this crisis. It’s gutting.

As we know, it’s gotten much worse during the pandemic. Last week was the sombre anniversary of five years since B.C. declared the opioid crisis a health emergency, and while the largest concentration of deaths in B.C. is in Vancouver, this impacts all communities, all across our province and all across our country.

On April 8, Vancouver–False Creek held a community panel to facilitate experts from the B.C. substance use centre, sharing their knowledge and experience with our community. Leslie McBain from Moms Stop the Harm shared the tragic story of losing her son. Dr. Brar, a front-line physician, helped us understand the addiction itself, and Dean Wilson spoke from the experience of being a drug user.

These experts helped us grow in our understanding and to see those fighting this terrible health issue in a different light. This is not a failing of someone’s character, or something people want in their lives. It is a serious and horrific health crisis.

The pandemic has brought a disruption in the supply chain for illicit drugs. The coroner’s office has shown that the illicit drug supply is dramatically more toxic than it was just a year ago. The panel of experts explained to us that this is, in fact, less about an overdose crisis now, and more about poisoning. Simply put, the illicit drug supply is poisoned.

The B.C. Coroners Service has shown us that there’s been a greater number of cases with extreme fentanyl concentrations in April to December 2020, compared to prior months. Combine toxic drugs with the stigma that drives people to use alone and a pandemic that isolates people even further and has impacted visits to overdose and safe consumption sites, and you have a recipe for a terrible surge in overdose deaths. That is exactly what is happening.

People who use drugs are in a health crisis, and they should not face criminal penalties. I am so proud that this government has moved forward on drug decriminalization and is providing new overdose emergency response funding in this budget. As the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions told us last week, to address stigma, B.C. will officially request a federal exemption from Health Canada to decriminalize personal possession of drugs in the province to remove the shame that often prevents people from reaching out for life-saving help.

The Minister of Mental Health and Addictions has said: “Stigma drives people to hide their drug use, avoid health care and use alone. Through provincewide decriminalization, we can reduce the fear and shame that keep people silent about their drug use and support people to reach out for help, life-saving supports and treatments.”

The overdose crisis has impacted every community in B.C., and a provincewide exemption must consider circumstances unique to urban, rural and remote communities.

[10:40 a.m.]

Key issues for consideration are defining simple possession; determining allowable drug amounts; and ensuring the readiness of law enforcement, health and social services to support decriminalization. Consultation with Indigenous partners, peers, law enforcement agencies, municipalities and public health officials is being planned. Decriminalization is one additional tool in B.C.’s overdose response plan, which also includes harm reduction, prevention, treatment and recovery, while building a system of mental health and substance use care.

I think about David’s mom and the thousands of families who’ve been torn apart and made to suffer intolerable loss as a result of this difficult, ugly crisis. The work being done by this government will save lives — maybe someone in your family, maybe someone in mine.

T. Halford: I want to take the opportunity to thank the member for Vancouver–False Creek for her poignant comments.

As the member stated, this past Wednesday all members of this House recognized the tragic five-year anniversary of British Columbia’s declaration of a public health emergency regarding the overdose and opioid crisis. Sadly, since that declaration, more than 7,000 lives have been lost to overdose. As the member stated, these lives are our fathers, our mothers, our brothers, our sisters, our friends, our neighbours, our co-workers.

This crisis has affected every corner of our province, and we must now take action to address the risk of the overdose crisis and the increasingly toxic drug supply affecting those who are struggling with addictions. Too many of these British Columbians who use suffer in silence. They suffer behind closed doors. In many cases, their families learn of their addictions once it’s too late. To this very day, people in B.C. are using, and many of them are dying alone in their living rooms, in their bedrooms, in their basements. I think we all in this House agree it shouldn’t be that way.

We must all work to reduce stigma around drug use in this province and ensure that those who need help across this province can get it. Let’s be very clear. This crisis is an epidemic, and the lives lost must be valued and memorialized in the same way we do for anybody else in this province. We have been experiencing two public health emergencies simultaneously over the last year in British Columbia. Yes, a combination of COVID-19, stress and overdoses has put significant strain on our health care system, on our front-line workers, on people experiencing addiction issues and on people that are struggling every day with mental health.

It’s, therefore, also vital today that we recognize the extraordinary work of our front-line response workers — from the firefighters, who are first on scene, to the nurses, to the doctors, to the counsellors in the addiction centres and to everyone else in between. I think we can all say thank you.

Most importantly, we recognize the extreme toll this overdose crisis has taken on our first-line responders over the last several years. Many have spoken out about the mental health ramifications they are coping with and the immense stress that they are under. Not only do we act to save lives; we owe it to those on the front lines to act to help support them through this tragic pandemic.

British Columbia’s mental health and addictions services were already stretched and underfunded before the pandemic. The system is continuing to struggle with the extra demand resulting from COVID-19. People in need of immediate help face wait-lists that are way too long. We need to make sure that we are giving British Columbians a full spectrum of support. It’s unacceptable that a person having a mental health or addiction crisis must wait to receive life-saving treatment in this province.

This House must take immediate action to identify the barriers of access and to close the gaps in service, reduce wait time and create systemic changes. Reactionary services that arrive too little and too late won’t cut it any more. British Columbia needs a comprehensive mental health and addictions system. We must establish a system that commits to prevention and provides education in schools.

[10:45 a.m.]

We need a system that ensures that there is an accessible and feasible pathway to recovery and that ensures people have access to appropriate treatment and care. It isn’t enough to just invest in safe supply. We must invest in harm reduction, prevention, treatment and enforcement for those who are dealing these drugs in this province. This means a true, meaningful government investment in mental health and addictions, more treatment beds, ramped-up prevention efforts, step-up and step-down services and early intervention in education in our schools.

It’s abundantly clear that the action on service expansion we have seen is not enough. We need to do more. It’s time to take real action and begin properly funding the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.

B. Bailey: Thank you to the member for Surrey–White Rock for those thoughtful comments.

Overdose deaths have been on the rise year over year, with one very important exception. Let’s look at the numbers: 2016, 991 deaths; 2017, 1,493; 2018, 1,550; 2019, 985. That’s 565 deaths less than the year prior — a 36 percent decrease in mortality in one year — but then in 2020, 1,724 deaths. It’s important to note what happened in 2019. This is an indication that the programs that this government brought in, after being elected in 2017, were having an impact, but the pandemic created circumstances that led to the devastating increase of deaths in 2020 and now.

Last week the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions announced a $45 million investment over the next three years. As the minister stated, there’s more to come as we continue building the comprehensive system of mental health and addictions care that British Columbians deserve. There is much more to do to stem the tide of this crisis. However, many people are getting the help that they need now.

Last year nearly 3,000 overdoses were survived at overdose prevention services, with zero deaths recorded at these sites. Also, zero deaths were recorded at safe consumption sites. These sites work. Since 2018, more than 6,000 deaths have been averted because of the life-saving interventions this government has implemented, such as expanding access to overdose prevention sites, including making naloxone widely available. Currently more than 23,000 people in British Columbia are receiving some form of opioid agonist treatment in B.C., more than at any other time.

Now, I had to go look up “opioid agonist treatment,” or OAT. Basically, it means providing less harmful prescription alternatives, like Suboxone and methadone. To date, 82 registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses have enrolled to complete their training to prescribe medications for opioid use disorder. According to the B.C. Coroners Service, using drugs by inhalation has become the most common mode of consumption implicated in illicit drug toxicity deaths in British Columbia. Prescription alternatives are being provided in this preferred modality.

The province is expanding access to addiction treatment and recovery services, including $36 million to double youth treatment beds and $13.5 million for adult beds. We cannot lose — and we have not lost — sight of the suffering of these individuals and their families.

RECOGNIZING OUR POST-SECONDARY AND
GRADUATE STUDENTS’ CRITICAL ROLE
IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD

C. Oakes: Without question, the pandemic has had numerous effects on our post-secondary institutions throughout British Columbia. Because our future as a province will be shaped by our younger generations, I would like to speak to the following statement for this morning’s debate: “Recognizing our post-secondary and graduate students’ critical role in a post-pandemic world.”

In the preparation of this statement, I talked to many student associations. I’d like to recognize the SFU Student Society, particularly Samad Raza, and the Graduate Student Society of UBC and, in particular, Alireza Kamyabi. Listening to the voices of students is important, and today I wish to share some of their thoughts.

[10:50 a.m.]

Post-secondary education plays an increasingly critical role in our society today. From tackling the big problems that society faces to making sure our cities and communities are a better place to live, students are a driving force in shaping our future. B.C. is home to world-renowned programs that attract the best and brightest students from across Canada and around the world. During and after completion of their studies, undergraduate and graduate students provide the intellectual capital that ensures British Columbia remains a competitive hub of innovation and technology.

It is critical that we catch up in B.C. on investment in and support of our graduate programs. Given their expertise and unique socioeconomic contributions, an investment in supporting graduate education is an investment in all of our futures. Our economic recovery depends on this critical investment in people. We understand that COVID-19 is having on post-secondary institutions across the country and around the world….

For example: “On April 13, about 100 faculty members from Laurentian University lost their jobs because of a massive restructuring and insolvency negotiations. In Australia this past fall, the University of Sydney eliminated ten faculties and 100 programs in order to increase its long-term sustainability.”

Elizabeth Cannon and Loren Falkenberg at the University of Calgary recently penned a joint editorial arguing that we need to future-proof universities and that leaders have to engage faculty and be prepared to make tough decisions moving forward. The authors describe how “demographic, technological and socioeconomic trends, including reduced government funding and an increased dependency on private donors, are influencing the mandate of universities.”

Is this what we want? The ultimate survival of post-secondary institutions will depend on making transformation, and we in this Legislature have a role in that.

This happens, ideally, “when an institutional strategy is focused on the future while mitigating the impact of unforeseen events. Successful future-proofing involves clearly articulating a path to a new vision with the participation of faculty, staff, students and external community members. It also involves consistently applying decision-making criteria and continuously measuring progress.”

We are, in fact, witnessing rapid change as a direct result of the pandemic. As we look to mitigate the impacts, we need to recognize that up until now, many of our institutions did not get additional funds to move to online classes, and this has had to be taken out of their budgets. So this has and will continue to have an impact on our post-secondary institutions’ programs. Further, our students have been deeply impacted. Many have lost their jobs, their co-op placements. Up until now, most of the support programs, designed by both the federal and provincial governments, have more often than not left out students, and we hope that will change.

International students have been particularly impacted by the pandemic. Many have not been able to access the critical co-op and work experience necessary to meet the necessary requirements to meet their permits, and for many, their dreams of becoming Canadian citizens is fleeting. We need to work with the federal government on behalf of our students. From the provincial level, it is critical that the provincial government develop an international education strategy that ensures that international students’ cost of education is predictable and reduces institutions’ reliance on international student tuition.

Women in academia are still being paid less than their male counterparts. This is simply not acceptable. To the members of the NDP, please call the bill brought forward by the B.C. Liberals, Equal Pay Reporting Act.

We are also witnessing a decline in mental health for many of our students. Under normal circumstances, students actually learn from one another, and this is just another example of how post-secondary education has been deeply affected here in British Columbia.

[10:55 a.m.]

We have heard from students. We need further mental health support, with access to low-cost, multi-sessional counselling. The government also needs to renew the $760,000 to address campus sexualized violence on an annual basis, and the government needs to adopt the regulation of the 11 minimum standards identified by Students for Consent Culture under the Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy Act.

I look forward to hearing a response from the members opposite.

B. D’Eith: I wanted to thank the member for highlighting the importance of students as part of our recovery from the pandemic.

Actually, I chaired the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services from 2017 to 2020 and heard from student associations, faculty, university and college administration and others. We delivered four reports and made a number of very key recommendations. It’s always gratifying to see check marks, year on year, while I’ve been an MLA in this government. It’s also nice to see students celebrate for a change.

Of course, the government knows how important it is to support students and create meaningful opportunities for their successes, especially in a post-pandemic world. Education changes lives and creates a better society. Education will help our province come out of the pandemic better and more resilient than ever.

Now, one of the programs that I’m so excited about is the tuition waiver program. It’s simply transformative. At this point, 1,486 former youth in care have benefited. This is to 25 public post-secondary institutions, Native Education College and ten union-based training providers. In fact, the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training mandate letter is working on removing the age limit as well, which is really important. Where there was despair, there’s now hope for a future. That comes in the form of opportunity. I’m very, very proud of that.

Another very important part for students was eliminating interest on student loans. This simply leveled the playing field. Before, students with financial resources were far greater advantaged over those who weren’t. This has really helped allow students to get their education, especially when they’re financially challenged. Now, of course, it’s time for the feds to step up. I encourage all of you to talk to your local MP about that.

As far as Budget 2020, there was a new announcement in regards to the B.C. access grant. This is the first substantial new investment in provincial needs-based post-secondary grants in 15 years. Unlike the previous grant that came after you get your degree, the B.C. access grant targets those most in need — low- and middle-income students — and ensures B.C. students will be able to access the needs they need to. This has benefited up to 40,000 students, which is absolutely amazing, with upfront tuition costs.

There’s also the student emergency assistance fund. We know that students were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, as the other member had mentioned. Since March 2020, the government has provided $9 million in combined emergency funds to assist students.

There’s also the StrongerBC future leaders opportunity fund. That’s $45 million to assist 5,000 youth and youth adults to access skills training for well-paid jobs. It will also focus on disproportionately impacted and marginalized youth, underrepresented, such as Indigenous, Black people, BIPOC, women and others suffering from socioeconomic barriers.

Of course, student housing is huge. On-campus is so important for our students. The government has delivered on this with investing $450 million in construction of approximately 5,000 student beds over six years. In addition, 3,000 student beds will be built through non-government partnerships to a total of 8,000 new beds. This is in sharp contrast to between 2001 to 2016. That government built only 130 student beds.

Of course, mental health was also brought up by the member. In addition to the foundry and other youth community-based mental health programs in April of 2020, the Here2Talk program was launched.

This has been extremely important for it. For the first time, every student, no matter where they are — rural, urban, domestic, international, public, private, full-time, part-time — can get access to counselling. It’s had a huge pickup, being accessed over 8,000 times.

[11:00 a.m.]

As far as graduate students, the graduate scholarship program has been extended. That’s $3.75 million for grad students who are very important. We need to keep our grad students in British Columbia so that they can do the work to make evidence-based research that can benefit the entire province.

In closing, investing in youth is critical for the future of British Columbia. Our social and economic recovery following the pandemic will require that we support students and young people in education and entering the trades. I am very, very proud of the work that the government is doing on that.

[N. Letnick in the chair.]

C. Oakes: Well, thank you very much. I really want to thank the member for his comments today.

I want to focus now, a little bit, on the importance of investing in graduate programs. I am concerned that British Columbia is falling behind other jurisdictions on how we support graduate programs. While a bachelor’s degree was an important factor in social mobility in the past decades, it is fast becoming the new minimum requirement for many jobs. As our economy develops and knowledge-based industries continue to expand in the province, an increasingly high number of positions will require a master’s and/or PhD degree.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated one example of the critical value of our research enterprises here in British Columbia. Many of the researchers that are working at the forefront of developing therapeutics for COVID-19 are graduate students, and many more have received their training and funding in graduate programs right here in this province.

At UBC, there are currently over 40 COVID-19 research projects, ranging from successful development of potential treatments to investigating the pandemic’s social impact. The University of Victoria has been leading Canadian health research in developing accessible and affordable COVID-19 test kits, while at SFU, graduate student researchers are developing AI tools for speeding up diagnosis.

Graduate education is critical to developing highly skilled experts that can provide the new, innovative solutions needed to strengthen our health care system. COVID-19 research is just one such example.

Our research enterprises in British Columbia are also comprised of critical research in the social sciences and humanities. Systemic inequalities and disparities in our society are better exposed and addressed with research, insight and data-driven policies, all of which are dependent on research in social sciences and humanities.

The burden of the pandemic has disproportionately fallen on our most vulnerable communities, and we are going to need data and research to help us assess the full fallout of the pandemic in our communities. Our graduate students are our future economists, our sociologists, political scientists and historians we need, whose research will help us lift the veil of obscurity from systemic disparities and inequalities in our society.

Our students are key drivers of research and innovation in our province. They are our future. Our success as a province emerging successfully post-pandemic will be evaluated on just how well we invest in our students and our future generation.

Deputy Speaker: We’ll now move to private members’ motions and call upon the member for Richmond-Steveston to introduce the motion, please.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 1 — EARTH DAY AND ACTION
ON CLIMATE CHANGE

K. Greene: It is my honour to be able to bring forward the following motion:

[Be it resolved that in recognition of Earth Day, this House reaffirm its commitment to rise to the challenge of climate change and protect our shared environment now, and for future generations.]

This Thursday, April 22 is Earth Day, a day to celebrate our global home but also a call to action to protect it from its gravest threat. The last time the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were this high was more than three million years ago, when the temperature was two to three degrees higher than the pre-industrial era and sea level was 15 to 20 metres higher than today.

We are already experiencing the effects of climate change. Farmers find the growing season starts earlier, and crops need more irrigation. Sea level is rising. Severe flooding is more often. Diking is being raised and reinforced everywhere. Wildfire season is nearly all year round, and storms are stronger than they’ve ever been, year after year.

[11:05 a.m.]

I need not remind us of the orange skies and desperately poor air quality that choked millions of people from California to British Columbia for weeks on end from forest fires.

As a member of the first generation to bear the brunt of climate change, I’m acutely aware of how climate change will affect generations after us and how declining air quality and rising food costs will affect the most vulnerable among us first. I’ve had teenagers tell me about the things that they are going to miss as adults. I’ve had moms share the anxiety they have for their children’s future, and as a mother myself, I understand that fear well.

We cannot fail to act decisively in the face of the coming crisis. British Columbians treasure our awe-inspiring natural environment. From our snow-capped mountains, our resolute forests, our frigid rivers and lakes to our wild coastline, British Columbia’s beauty takes your breath away. We want to protect our beautiful home for generations to come.

Politicians of all stripes recognize that climate change is real and is caused by human activity, yet this past Thursday a member of this House repeated debunked claims that more CO₂, a greenhouse gas or GHG, is a good thing. It is dangerous to have a person in a leadership role repeating claims that are counter to science. At this crucial juncture in history, we must pull together to fight the existential threat of climate change.

British Columbia has begun to suffer the undeniable force of Mother Nature’s wrath. It is a global problem, but the effects are felt locally. In the fight against climate change, we must reduce our GHGs to what science demands of us. That’s why I’m so proud of British Columbia’s legislated climate targets. Currently the province is legislated to reduce GHG emissions by 80 percent from 2007 levels by 2050. To reach this goal, government set interim targets of a 40 percent reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 and a 60 percent reduction by 2040 from 2007 levels.

Our emissions targets are among the strongest in the world, but we won’t stop there. We will pass legislation requiring B.C. to reach net zero by 2050, which is what science demands. We mandated better accountability, transparency and more detailed targets for climate action under a new Climate Change Accountability Act, to make sure our province is on track for long-term emission reductions.

A first in Canada, government established sectoral GHG targets for 2030 in transportation, industry, oil and gas, and buildings and communities. The province is supporting sectoral efforts to reduce emissions by accelerating investment in CleanBC projects to reduce pollution, drive clean tech innovation and jobs, and meet expanding global demand for low-carbon products in a net-zero future. This investment means good jobs for people across the province and supporting our homegrown innovation to be the solution of choice around the world.

In 2018, our government launched the CleanBC climate action plan, which is North America’s most progressive plan to reduce carbon pollution while creating good, new family-supporting jobs across British Columbia. We just launched a new round of application for emissions reductions project for 2021 through the CleanBC industry fund, with temporary changes to increase the provincial share of funding up to 90 percent of project costs, with a cap of $25 million per project to encourage a greater number of proposals.

In addition, a new stream of the CleanBC industry fund will support industry projects that use advanced clean tech solutions for tough-to-solve emissions problems. This new stream is called the innovation accelerator.

Not only will these solutions reduce stubborn GHG emissions, it is an opportunity for B.C. companies to be first to market with their low-carbon solution, to meet exponentially increasing global demand. B.C.’s strength is our people, and I’m excited to see what we can achieve together.

D. Davies: I rise in the House today to speak on the motion: “Be it resolved that in recognition of Earth Day, this House reaffirm its commitment to rise to the challenge of climate change and protect our shared environment now, and for future generations.”

On Thursday, April 22, British Columbians will join fellow Canadian provinces and countries across the world in recognizing Earth Day. This year’s theme is to restore our Earth, which focuses on the natural processes, emerging green technologies and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems.

[11:10 a.m.]

The theme rejects the idea that mitigation or adaptation are the only ways to address climate change. Instead, it affirms that it is up to each and every one of us to restore Earth, not just because we care about the natural world, but because we live within it. We all need a healthy Earth to support our jobs, our livelihoods, health, survival and happiness. A healthy planet is not an option; it is a must.

As members of this House know, I represent the constituency of Peace River North, which is home to the energy capital, Fort St. John. Fort St. John, in the Peace region, is known for thriving economic development in the natural gas sector. However, the Peace region has a lot more going on than just that. We are also known for our other industries, such as forestry, agriculture, mining and tourism. Its natural resources have allowed our economic growth within our beautiful region, and it’s also our lifeblood.

A lot of rural British Columbians, especially my constituents and the residents of Fort St. John, are often viewed as anti-environmentalist because our economies depend heavily on the natural resources. This perception and stigmatization of natural resource–based jobs and communities is completely inaccurate.

Much of the natural resource development that takes place in our region goes toward green initiatives such as electric cars, greener transportation options and more eco-friendly residential and commercial developments. Rural businesses and organizations are constantly looking for new ways, new innovative technologies, to create greener industries and a greener economy for British Columbia. In fact, we lead the way.

Earth Day has always been a significant day for me and my community, and we commemorate it every year. On a personal note, this date is also my wedding anniversary. On this Earth Day, I’ll be celebrating 15 years with my wife, Erin. Every Earth Day, rural communities have a conversation about environment and remind ourselves that energy conservation is the best thing that we can do.

In fact, the city of Fort St. John was key in building one of the farthest-north passive houses in the world. At the time of completion of the house, it was “only the third certified single-family passive house in Canada. Over the past several years, the city of Fort St. John has made it a priority to conserve water and energy and ultimately reduce both costs and greenhouse gas emissions…. The city has also adopted a community-wide GHG reduction target of 12 percent below 2007 levels by 2030 and continues to maintain a carbon-neutral status in its corporate operations.”

This is rural community leadership. But we, as individuals, can all do better. Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Reduce water waste. Car-pool when able. These are all small ways that we can all reduce our environmental footprint.

This year the communities in Peace River North will continue to engage in meaningful conversations on Earth Day. Government, as well as all of us, must fight to end this false narrative that rural British Columbians do not care about the environment. B.C. is a global leader in pursuing cleaner resource extraction and renewable energy alternatives, but we need to continue the work. With our growing population, B.C. needs to find fast and innovative ways to expand renewable energy. I encourage all members to support these initiatives in their communities.

In fact, I will take a quick opportunity to remind the members of this House that it was the previous B.C. Liberal government that began the Site C project, which would provide a clean source of reliable power for the next 100 years. This dam was designed to be a renewable energy source, and when it was proposed, its estimated cost would have been $8 billion. Unfortunately, as a result of mismanagement, delays and certain stakeholders playing politics with the project, the construction of Site C is now an estimated $16 billion and, regrettably, will not be completed until 2025.

Nevertheless, it is clear, by overwhelming support of the initial Site C project, that rural British Columbians…. We do deeply care about sustainable sources. Together, I truly believe that we can achieve a balance between protecting resource-based jobs and environmental protection through cooperation, reducing the stigmatization, as well as mutual respect.

[11:15 a.m.]

J. Routledge: I am in favour of the motion: “Be it resolved that in recognition of Earth Day, this House reaffirm its commitment to rise to the challenge of climate change and protect our shared environment now, and for future generations.”

The world has been celebrating Earth Day on April 22 since 1970. Fifty-one years ago, inspired by the energy of the student anti-war movement, 20 million Americans — 10 percent of the population at that time — took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to draw attention to the impact of 150 years of industrial development on human health and the environment.

The organizers of the first Earth Day witnessed the ravages of a massive oil spill that occurred in early 1969. That’s what motivated them to take action. To this day, the Santa Barbara, California spill ranks as the third-largest oil spill in North American waters. So in honour of Earth Day, I’d like to talk about our dependence on oil and what it’s doing to our environment. Of course, as the member for Burnaby North, I have a particular concern about the transportation of oil, as do the people of my community.

The federal government is relentless in its intent to build a pipeline that will transport about one million barrels of diluted bitumen a day — about triple the current capacity — from the tar sands in Alberta to the coast right here in Burnaby, where it will be shipped by tanker every day to facilities in other countries, where it will be refined and sold back to Canadians at a higher price than if it were refined here in Canada. As this highly toxic and flammable substance pours into my community to await shipment, it will be stored in tanks on the side of a mountain, in an earthquake zone surrounded by ever drier forests, in what is one of the most populated areas of British Columbia.

There is a lot wrong with this scenario, but let’s start with climate change. The production of synthetic crude from the tar sands releases about three times the greenhouse gas emissions per barrel than does the production of conventional oil. Furthermore, it takes about 2.2 barrels of fresh water to extract each barrel of bitumen. So if one million barrels of diluted bitumen will be coming to Burnaby every day, does that mean that another community is losing the equivalent of 2.2 million barrels of drinking water every day?

Already, the extraction of bitumen has created 170 kilometres of toxic lakes of waste material. That’s half the size of Okanagan Lake. More than one quarter of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the oil and gas sector. Making it easier to export diluted bitumen will only make climate change worse.

So how did we get here? Let’s not forget that the government of Christy Clark endorsed the pipeline. Some critics have said they were bought off to the tune of almost $800,000 in campaign donations and the promise of close to $1 billion, which would, of course, have helped them create the illusion that they were balancing the provincial budget. That sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Those who oppose this pipeline were not and still are not deterred. We were winning in the court of public opinion, and then Justin Trudeau and the federal Liberals bought the pipeline, further entrenching their vested interest. Are we to conclude that in Canada, a political party that has the word “Liberal” in its name is telegraphing that it exists to serve the rich and powerful? Wasn’t that confirmed last week when a federal parliamentary secretary publicly admitted that exorbitant housing prices is a deliberate policy of his government to attract rich foreign investors?

Our government has a different relationship with the people of British Columbia. We defended our right to protect the environment within our borders all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ruled that, constitutionally, the federal government has the exclusive right to regulate interprovincial transportation.

I would ask the people of Burnaby not to give up. There is too much at stake. You’ve won in the court of public opinion before, and you can do it again. Together, we can make the TMX pipeline expansion a defining issue in the upcoming federal election.

[11:20 a.m.]

J. Sturdy: On behalf of the constituents of West Vancouver–Sea to Sky, I’m pleased to take this opportunity to provide a local perspective on the recognition of Earth Day and the affirmation of our commitment to rise to the challenge of climate change and protect our shared environment, coming from those who live in some of the most spectacular and special places in the world, the Sea to Sky.

It’s important to recognize all the resources that we make use of and the impacts we have on a daily basis just in order to sustain our lives. That’s why we take Earth Day so seriously. It’s because of the importance of our natural environment and the natural systems that sustain us: water cleaned and cycled by ecosystems, and life-sustaining oxygen produced by plants.

That being said, it’s equally important that we examine all the challenges that we face moving forward as a society. What binds us together is our commitment to our society, our families and our future and what kind of environment surrounds us. The old maxim remains valid, of thinking globally and acting locally.

One of the most significant sectors in terms of our impact on the natural environment is transportation. Transportation generates 40 percent of our carbon emissions in British Columbia, and in the Sea to Sky, this statistic is no different. We rely on our backbone roadway: the fabled Sea to Sky Highway.

Over the last decade, once the Sea to Sky Highway upgrade was completed in 2009, we have recognized both the opportunities and the limitations of this infrastructure. Opportunities that allow businesses like my farming operation in the Pemberton Valley to develop a customer base in Vancouver because we can travel, deliver to multiple customers and return to the farm all in a day, what would have been only reasonable as an overnight trip in the past — and on what was a narrow, windy, torturous drive.

For the first years after the upgrade, it was glorious, cutting hours from the trip, even when conditions were suboptimal. But as time went on, we began to realize that we’re still only a two-lane highway, albeit with some passing lanes and much safer. The mountainous terrain sandwiched between ocean and towering cliffs and often a rail line dictate that we have the upgrade that we can reasonably expect, and our priority needs to be to steward the capacity that we do have.

While trains have some remote, long-term, albeit expensive, potential, buses currently are the low-hanging fruit that can keep people moving with the lowest social and environmental costs. In 2015, the province commissioned the Sea to Sky 25-year Transit Future Plan. After much community consultation and dialogue and a collective vision of Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, the Squamish-Lillooet regional district, the Squamish Nation and the Líl̓wat Nation it resulted in a plan that connected Mount Currie with Pemberton and with Whistler, with Squamish and with Metro Vancouver under the guidance and leadership of B.C. Transit.

The region was excited. Collectively, the decision was to form a transit commission, and a funding model was agreed upon that was fair and equitable with all partners, including First Nations, contributing to a system that would support community members, workers, school kids, health care, recreation and commuters with an alternative to the car and ensure that the capacity that we have will be safeguarded. Funding tools that were expanded and extended for TransLink, and B.C. Transit in the capital regional district, were requested and, not unreasonably, expected, especially as Greyhound had left the scene. The alternative to the car was only the thumb. But there was delay.

For some reason, the NDP-Green coalition did not see the need to act. They did not appreciate what effort it takes to bring a region together on so many levels. Meetings with Minister Trevena yielded prevarication and a suggestion to “be more creative” — whatever that means. Meetings with the Premier yielded an expression of confidence that his minister had it well in hand, which I take to mean that the Premier’s office didn’t support a public regional transit system for the Sea to Sky, or at least, that was my takeaway.

Meanwhile, the federal government creates a program to fund regional transit services where Greyhound has left a void. No action from the province, and the opportunity is lost. Five years after the transit plan is complete, four years after local government and First Nations unite behind a great initiative, and now into a second term of this government, and we’re still at a loss.

[11:25 a.m.]

Will regional transit ever be a reality for the Sea to Sky? Will we do the right thing and give people options, to cars and all the costs, both environmentally and financially, to go with them? Will the new Transportation Minister be supportive and see the future and value of regional transit to the environment, to the housing crisis, to the employment opportunities and the beleaguered tourism industry? It remains to be seen. In the Sea to Sky, we know it’s the future and the right thing to do.

R. Glumac: Every year on Earth Day, we take a moment to pause and reflect on the place where we live — our planet, our Mother Earth, a place that we’ve taken for granted for far too long. But things are changing. People, businesses and governments around the world are taking action on climate change. Our government’s own CleanBC plan is a leading example of this.

At the same time, we know we need to do more. It’s troubling when B.C. Liberals are making statements about how CO₂ is great for growing plants, dismissing the fact that growing levels of CO₂ will cause devastation across our planet in the years to come.

When questioned if levels of CO₂ are healthy, the B.C. Liberal MLA responded: “I don’t know what’s healthy. I’m not a scientist.” Yes, that’s true. He’s not a scientist. But there are lots of scientists out there, climate scientists, and their voices are united about how serious the problem is.

Prof. Martin Siegert of the Grantham Institute says that it took over 200 years to increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 25 percent above pre-industrial levels and just 30 years to reach 50 percent. This dramatic change is like a human meteorite hitting earth. He said that if countries make plans now to put society on a path of sustained, dramatic cuts to cut emissions, from today we can avoid ever-rising emissions and the dangerously accelerating impacts of climate change.

Many countries are listening to the scientists and taking action. Over 60 jurisdictions around the world have implemented a carbon tax, which covers about 13 percent of worldwide emissions. We need to do more.

B.C. has one of the highest carbon taxes and, at the same time, one of the strongest economies. Some of the revenues that we generate go toward CleanBC, an economic plan based on carbon reduction that helps us move toward a cleaner and more sustainable future.

Transportation makes up over 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in B.C. Through CleanBC, we’re cutting those emissions. B.C. is the first jurisdiction in the world to legislate 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2040. We’ve already almost achieved our 2025 targets of 10 percent. We’re at 9.4 percent. That’s the highest in North America. We also have 2,500 public charging stations, which is one of the largest networks in Canada. This will grow even further with the launch of our CleanBC go electric public charger program, launched last year.

Homeowners, condo buildings and workplaces can also get rebates through the CleanBC EV charger rebate program toward installation of level 2 charging stations. And last December, we started the EV Ready rebates.

This is not only reducing emissions; this is growing our economy. The zero-emission vehicle sector already employs over 6,000 British Columbians and generates over $1 billion of economic output. That’s just one sector.

CleanBC also targets emission reduction in industry. The industrial sector produces almost 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions provincewide. We have carbon tax reductions for companies that are doing the best job of reducing emissions, but we need to go further. That’s why we’re funding an innovation accelerator to support cutting-edge tech solutions, clean tech solutions, for the toughest-to-solve emission problems.

That’s just one example in CleanBC of the funding available for emission reduction projects. These projects are not only reducing emissions; they’re creating jobs. They’re strengthening our economy. Our province is already recognized as a leader in clean tech and clean energy innovation.

[11:30 a.m.]

While some people are arguing about whether climate change is man-made, we are taking action to reduce emissions. We are making opportunities for British Columbians. We are leading the world in growing a sustainable economy of the future.

K. Kirkpatrick: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to speak in support of this motion regarding Earth Day.

The theme for Earth Day 2021 is “Restore our earth.” We’re talking about the restoration of our climate, not simply the mitigation and the adaptation. We are looking at natural resources, emerging green resources and innovative thinking. These are all things that British Columbia has in abundance.

I was honoured to have an opportunity, ahead of the Paris Conference of the Parties, to do a project with the United Nations framework convention on climate change. What we looked at was how we use global trade and trade levers for encouragement of adoption of green technology, such as solar panels, wind-generated energy. There’s a lot going on, and there’s a lot that we can do in this province to be part of that change.

As an industrialized nation, we have an obligation to the developing world to take action on the real and clear impacts of climate change. We have been speaking recently in this House about the importance of committing to take action against systemic racism, and we know that the low-income, Indigenous and communities of colour are already bearing the biggest brunt of climate change and are disproportionately impacted by environmental disasters.

Now, I continue to worry that all too frequently, we make commitments to help fight climate change, to protect our environment, and then we don’t follow up with them — with the brave and difficult decisions that need to be made to truly make a difference. When a government reduces its CO₂ emission reduction targets, it becomes a slippery slope. I’m glad to support this motion, and I am confident that although we have different paths to get there, we all want a healthy planet and a healthy future for our children and their children.

It’s easy this year to feel a bit beaten down after more than a year of stay-at-home orders, isolation away from family and friends and the inability to move around freely. Now, for a short time when pandemic measures first came into play, we could see the blue sky above cities that had not seen it for quite a while, but a pandemic is not the way to fight climate change, and for the most part, those emissions have returned to close to pre-pandemic times.

In my community of West Vancouver, we have community groups working on issues of climate change at home to promote and address how we can live our lives more responsibly at the community level. This week, this Friday, I’ll be participating in the Mayor’s Community Cleanup Challenge in West Vancouver, an initiative that encourages residents, businesses, schools and community groups to get involved, get outside, socially distanced, and help clean up West Vancouver.

There are wonderful groups doing work in our community, such as For Our Kids, a network of parents and grandparents advocating for a cleaner future for our children, and Streamkeepers, restoring local fish and aquatic stocks by fostering and coordinating environmental stewardship among public, corporate and private stakeholders, doing this through education and hands-on experience with young people in the community.

I’m optimistic that across the aisles, governments are committing to acting. I would ask all members of this House to consider making a commitment today to changing one thing about the way that they live. Collectively, everything we do makes a difference.

So fix or repurpose something in your home, instead of replacing it. Consider buying clothes and other items from secondhand stores. It’s a lot of fun, with your kids, to do that. Plant a garden, put lettuce on your deck, or plant a tree. Practice active transportation. Go for a walk. Ride a bike. Walk to the store that five minutes away; don’t drive there. It may sound trite against the global problem that we face, but small change adds up to big change.

[11:35 a.m.]

Inaction happens when we think an issue is too big or too complex to tackle, but if we take steps to change those small things in our lives, it also helps us to begin to understand the bigger things that we can do.

M. Elmore: I’m very pleased to rise and speak in favour of the motion from the member for Richmond-Steveston: “Be it resolved that in recognition of Earth Day, this House reaffirm its commitment to rise to the challenge of climate change and protect our shared environment now, and for future generations.”

I grew up in northern Manitoba, The Pas, Manitoba. Across the back lane of my home was a forest. As a kid, I loved building forts and fishing in the Saskatchewan River. As a university student, my summer jobs included tree planting, fighting forest fires and working on a fishing boat out of Prince Rupert.

At that time, I thought I might have a career working in the outdoors, but today, I find myself indoors, speaking here. I think all of us can’t disagree just how incredibly lucky we are to live in this extraordinary province, with our beautiful mountains, pristine wilderness, rivers and lakes, and wild coastline. I know we know that we all have a shared responsibility to ensure our children and grandchildren can also enjoy these natural riches in our environment.

The challenges of climate change are global, but the impact here in B.C. is clear. To meet these challenges, our province is taking action. In 2018, our government launched the CleanBC climate action plan. It’s North America’s most progressive plan to reduce carbon pollution, while creating good, new, family-supporting jobs, with our goal to reach net zero by 2050.

Managing our land base and forests is critical. Back to my days as a student planting trees…. I was impressed to hear that we planted a record 300 million trees last year and plan to plant another 300 million this year. Also, to make up for a deficit, I’ll note the neglect by the previous B.C. Liberal government.

Look, we need a vision for the future. We need new innovations to prioritize, and our government is prioritizing value-added processing and manufacturing of our natural resources. We’re promoting the use of mass timber as a low-carbon building material. We also have plans in transportation. We’ve launched the Move, Commute, Connect plan, our strategy to encourage more active transportation by 2030.

We have a climate ready plan for B.C. to support local communities to prepare and respond to the impacts of climate change and adaptation. We have EfficiencyBC to retrofit our home and commercial buildings. We have the clean coast, clean waters initiative to clean marine debris from our coasts.

We have a plan, and we’re taking action, for a made-in-B.C. wild salmon strategy. We have a plan to address and protect wildlife in our together for wildlife plan, putting an end to the grizzly bear hunt. We have a record that all British Columbians can be proud of: B.C. having the highest percentage of land protected, compared to all other provinces and territories.

We have watershed and wetland restoration projects and a watershed security strategy. We’re phasing out single-use plastics provincewide, and we’re also developing a new provincial coastal marine strategy. Centre and critical to all these efforts is the importance of centring equity, and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act does that. In addition to recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ histories and cultures in provincial parks and wilderness areas, it really centres the important priority for reconciling the impact of colonization and working in partnership with our Indigenous Peoples.

Our government has a vision, demonstrated by leadership through action, bringing accountability for a regulatory framework, and also facilitating democratic participation, which is what we need to face this incredible challenge of our time. We need to recognize the importance of centring equity, to be effective.

[11:40 a.m.]

To conclude, humans do not rule over nature; we belong to nature. We must recognize our fundamental relationship to nature, our place within the biosphere and our interaction with it. To fully tackle climate change and protect our environment, we must take steps to end the exploitation of nature and the exploitation of humanity.

Every day is Earth Day.

I. Paton: I rise today to respond to this motion, which means a great deal to me as a third-generation farmer. It’s an exciting time for the agriculture industry, as many farmers are increasingly looking to technology to not only improve the efficiency of their operations but to help to the environment as well.

Luckily, under the B.C. Liberal government, we created the B.C. environmental farm plan program, which supports farm operations to complete their agri-environmental risk assessment. This is a plan that enhances our use of water and resources and reduces the possibility of accidental harm to soil, water, air and biodiversity values. In many cases, the outcomes of improved water and nutrient management will also be profitable. Protecting riparian areas can improve water quality as well as enhance fish and wildlife habitat.

Seabreeze Farm in my riding of Delta South is a prime example of helping mitigate methane and organics from entering our landfills. They’ve made a huge investment in an anaerobic digester that converts food waste, cooking oils, off-farm organics and cattle manure into natural gas and resulting dry matter for bedding and fibre to put back onto the fields. The biogas produced will be cleaned, sold and injected into a nearby existing gas pipeline.

It also assists with water recovery. There is good nutritional value in the water recovered from the digester, as the solids are separated from the liquid and the nitrogen-enriched water can then be irrigated onto the farm fields as an excellent fertilizer.

Projects like the one at Seabreeze Farm show that farmers can indeed be proactive in addressing climate change challenges. They have been doing it with local support from groups like the Delta Farmers Institute and Delta city council, which have been working together for years to tackle the issues of improving Delta’s irritation system and dealing with rising salt content in our irrigation and drainage canals.

My riding is also home to Enviro-Smart Organics, which takes Metro Vancouver’s green waste and food waste and composts it into topsoil, also providing Delta residents with free dumping of branches, lawn clippings and garden waste. Once again, we have an example of a Delta company keeping organic material out of our landfill and providing an excellent finished product of rich, black compost soil that goes back to owners of farmland as well as garden centres, parks and golf courses. To improve community relations and to keep our airspace clean, the owners have recently completed a $50 million enclosed building that will mitigate any odours from the facility.

Another green operation in my riding of Delta South is the B.C. division of Liberty Tire Recycling, a scrap recycling facility in Tilbury Industrial Park. They repurpose hundreds of thousands of discarded tires into molded rubber goods, rubber flooring, rubberized asphalt and shock-absorbing athletic surfaces, as well as playground and landscape mulch. They also offer remediation services to scrap tire dump sites to manage end-of-life [audio interrupted.]

These are just of a few of the local companies and organizations with a green focus that Delta is home to. But I have to say there are a number of individuals in the community as well who are doing so much to help preserve and protect our environment.

In my own Delta South constituency office, we have made an effort to involve local youth not only in the issues and policies that we tackle but in events and initiatives that benefit our community. One of those initiatives is our regular beach cleanup.

As my farm is situated merely metres away from the dike along Boundary Bay, it became the obvious location to create a community event of environmental stewardship. Students from across the riding have been crucial in organizing and executing this event, which, unfortunately, remains on pause due to the pandemic this year.

In previous cleanups, we have found our shoreline littered with items that we’ve worked to remove — everything from plastics and bottles to Styrofoam, old tires, fishing nets and even discarded appliances. It is truly a family event. I have met so many new people who are passionate about protecting our environment and maintaining a clean community.

[11:45 a.m.]

I also want to highlight some of the other local groups who organize beach cleanups in other parts of the community. The Becir family, in conjunction with 505-Junk, has organized another beach cleanup by foot and by boat to help maintain a happy and healthy environment for all. Earthwise Society puts members in the community who in touch with food, where it comes from and how it grows. The society operates in Boundary Bay and organic Earthwise farms in Tsawwassen. They model sustainable practices and provide opportunities for active learning and stewardship.

Indeed, there are plenty of ways for people of all ages in Delta and beyond to learn more about how to help our environment and to put that knowledge into action. I wish a happy Earth Day to them and to all members of this House.

A. Singh: I rise, of course, in support of this motion. People shall come and go, but Earth abides.

Thursday marks, as people have spoken today, 51 years since the first Earth Day. Primarily aimed at pointing out the lack of regulations and rules concerning the environment, it has come to symbolize an international movement to urge all of humanity not to take for granted this planet that we live on.

The realities of climate change — climate catastrophe, I call it — are evident with warming climates, more forest fires, extreme weather occurrences, diminishing biodiversity, decades of mismanagement of our natural resources and with the old norm being that any environmental concerns are secondary or, actually more accurately, negligent compared to economic interests.

My friend, earlier, from Burnaby North spoke so eloquently about the impact of a bitumen pipeline that would be coming. The challenges that we face are many, but what is obvious is that we have to take a drastic look at ourselves and really change our relationship with Mother Earth. This is, singularly, the one thing that creates anxiety for the coming generations: what kind of world would they live in? Yet there are some on the other side that still deny the threat of climate change. This is dangerous and irresponsible.

I’ve had the good fortune in my new role as representative for the people of Richmond-Queensborough to meet and have conversations, virtually, of course, with a few school classes. When it comes to questions, the overwhelming majority of them are about stewardship of our environment. What are we doing to address the issue? The issue is of vital urgency to those that we will leave this world to.

And it’s of supreme concern to me. It always has been and even more so now. I have a 19-month-old daughter. I want to be able to be proud and to be able to say that, beytey — that’s child in Punjabi — I did what was in my power to leave your world with clean air, clean water and abundant trees and wolves and bears and orcas.

We live in an incredible place. You just have to look out of a window to see we’re surrounded by majestic snow-capped mountains and clean water and air that fills our lungs with life. We’re so lucky. Many in the world are not. They suffocate daily, breathing polluted air. Diseases abound with polluted water. We have a responsibility to make sure that all that we enjoy today is there for our children and our grandchildren and generations to come.

Our province has taken concrete action. We have emission reduction targets that are among the strongest in the world, backed by an aggressive climate action strategy. My friends have spoken about it earlier. CleanBC, our climate action plan, is North America’s most progressive plan to reduce carbon pollution while creating good, new family-supporting jobs.

CleanBC puts British Columbia on the path to a cleaner, better future by building a low-carbon economy with new clean energy jobs and opportunities, protecting our air, our land, our water and supporting communities to prepare for climate impacts. It outlines action to reduce emissions from three key sectors: transportation, buildings and industry. Electrification of these sectors will help the province reach the reduction targets of the CleanBC plan.

One of the biggest ways that we, as individuals, can make a difference is in our relationship with transportation. That’s why we’ve launched the Move, Commute, Connect plan. It’s B.C.’s new strategy for cleaner, more active transportation which aims to double the percentage of trips taken with active transportation by 2030.

We’ll also be requiring the sale of all new light-duty cars and trucks in British Columbia to be zero-emission vehicles by the year 2040, removing a major source of air pollution and climate change. In partnership with the federal government and B.C. Transit, we’ve invested in new buses to replace older, higher-emission buses to meet the demand for growing public transportation. There are subsidies for the purchase or lease of a new battery vehicle, hybrid vehicle or a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

As my friend spoke earlier, we’ve also got the retrofit plan, EfficiencyBC, home and commercial retrofit program that saves households and businesses money by reducing energy bills and increasing energy efficiency.

[11:50 a.m.]

This is just a fraction of the work done. We’re also working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by shifting away from fossil fuels and, as I said, towards clean and renewable energy.

We’ve created the clean coast and clean waters initiative fund to help small ship tour operators, Indigenous Nations, local communities and others to participate in the $3½ million cleanup of the shores of the Central Coast. Our ecosystem, wildlife and species protection plan, ending the grizzly bear hunt, creating the Wild Salmon Advisory Council and much, much more will contribute to a better world.

I started with the saying that people may come and go, but Earth abides. Whatever we do, the Earth will be here. It’s up to us to make sure that it’s an earth where our children and their children and generations to come can breathe the air we breathe and drink the clean, crisp water that we drink.

E. Ross: This morning we’ve heard a number of views on how to best address climate change in an effective and meaningful manner.

As I will be the closing speaker on this side of the House, I’ll be addressing the following motion in a manner that speaks to sustainable development: “Be it resolved that in recognition of Earth Day, this House reaffirm its commitment to rise to the challenge of climate change and protect our shared environment now, and for future generations.”

When I was elected to Haisla Nation chief and council in 2003, I agreed to support resource development under two specific conditions. The first condition was that any development would be done with the highest environmental standards. The second condition was that it would embrace the promise to uplift people and set us all on a path to more meaningful futures.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

As for the first condition, I was very naive in thinking that I was the only person who truly cared for the environment, when I quickly discovered that for decades, my council had already been fighting not only to mitigate future impacts, but also to remediate past and present impacts. I also realized that the province of B.C. was changing policies towards the environment in key sectors as well. It made sense to form a Haisla-B.C. province alliance in this regard.

My council had started an environmental agenda in other areas, but mainly around the cleanup of the Kitimat valley as far back as the 1970s, when the eulachon run in the Kitimat River was decimated. Anything left was tainted so badly it was rendered unfit for human consumption. So it wasn’t a difficult transition for me to carry on that fight that my ancestors had started. Fortunately at the time, a decision by the court confirmed the obligation of the Crown to consult First Nations and an obligation to investigate infringements that came into existence in 2004.

I was also fortunate to be part of a very progressive council that not only wanted to engage in the economy, but wanted to engage in environmental and permitting processes, firstly to learn, and then, in turn, to help higher those standards for projects like LNG Canada’s $40 billion LNG project and Chevron’s $32 billion LNG project. Our approach to anything that came across our table was, and still is, quite simple: answer and approve on environmental questions before you talk economics.

It was my band that opted for an environmental agenda with Rio Tinto Alcan for their $4.8 billion upgrade for their 60-year-old aluminum smelter, mainly because we just wanted a cleaner operation. We also viewed environmental impacts in all forms that included air, land and water. Water, to this day, is an especially difficult topic to address, whether it be our fresh or salt waters.

Our collaboration with Canada’s TERMPOL process ensured that shipping in and out of Douglas Channel would be done safely, would avoid sensitive areas and confirm that no bilge or ballast waters would be dumped in our regions. As for rivers, we tried to stop all contaminants, including sewage, from being dumped into our rivers and oceans without primary, secondary or tertiary treatment. It’s a fight we continue with today.

I think that the issues around raw sewage being dumped into our waters is turning into a provincial, national and international fight. The notion that it is somehow okay to dump raw sewage because the currents sweep it out to sea is delusional. The mere fact that Vancouver beaches have to close due to high E. coli levels should be worrying enough for all of us to pay attention and look for cost-effective solutions.

In all these cases, we point out that these standards are only the floor and not the ceiling in terms of addressing environmental impacts, mainly because bands like mine, a long time ago, reaffirmed their commitment to rise to the challenge of climate change and protect our shared environment for future generations.

[11:55 a.m.]

F. Donnelly: Earth Day happens every April 22, which gives us an opportunity to recognize just how amazing our blue-green planet really is. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on the collective impact we’re having on the planet and its life-supporting services. That’s why I’m pleased to join my colleagues in support of the member for Richmond-Steveston’s motion.

The challenges threatening the health of the planet are considerable but not insurmountable. We need to transition to a low-carbon future, shift to a restoration economy, and conserve, protect and restore wild salmon in B.C. watersheds. And we need to act now.

Our government is taking action. We have adopted some of the strongest emission reduction targets in the world. In 2018, we launched CleanBC, one of North America’s most progressive climate change action plans. We’re leading the country in conserving, protecting and restoring a robust network of parks and protected areas and conservation measures. We have the highest percentage of protected land in Canada.

We have created the Wild Salmon Advisory Council, which developed a made-in-B.C. wild salmon strategy as part of our government’s commitment to support restoring wild salmon populations. We have supported 42 B.C. salmon restoration and innovation fund projects with $71 million of funding in partnership with the federal government. We’re investing in more than 60 projects to restore diverse ecosystems and conserve fish, wildlife and habitat through partnerships with Indigenous Nations, environmental groups, universities and local stewardship agencies.

We’re investing in another 70 watershed and wetland restoration projects to ensure that B.C. water sources and habitat remain healthy in adapting to climate change.

I have a long history of taking action for the environment and promoting the need for better stewardship, whether of our oceans, rivers, forests, watersheds or salmon. From 1990 to 2000, I made 14 environmental marathon swims, covering more than 3,200 kilometres in B.C. rivers, lakes and oceans. I swam the Georgia Strait, Juan de Fuca Strait, Quesnel Lake, Williams Lake, Pitt Lake and the upper Raush River. In 1995, I swam the 1,400-kilometre length of the Fraser River to draw attention to the declining health of this great salmon river and to encourage needed stewardship and advocacy.

Since 1995, I’ve spoken to more than 65,000 people in hundreds of B.C. schools and communities about sustainable living. In 1997 I was honoured by the Squamish Nation for my stewardship work. They gave me the name Iyim Yewyews, which means “orca,” which I wear proudly.

Our government knows we must do more work for wild salmon. That’s why the Premier has asked me to take the lead working with the federal and Indigenous governments to protect and revitalize wild salmon populations. We’re going to do that by doubling the size of the B.C. salmon restoration and innovation fund, implementing the recommendations of the Wild Salmon Advisory Council, and we’re going to ensure local processing of B.C.-caught fish. The Premier also asked me to assist with the development of a watershed security strategy and fund, a biodiversity strategy and a coastal marine strategy.

There is no better time to recommit to tackling these tough challenges than on Earth Day. That’s why I’m happy to support this motion so we can continue to take action and create the conditions for a healthy, sustainable planet so future generations will be proud of the work we’re doing here in Parliament.

F. Donnelly moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. J. Osborne moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m.

The House adjourned at 12 noon.