Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

ACCESSABILITY WEEK

S. Chant: Thank you for the opportunities that I continue to have to address the members of this House and to speak to the people of British Columbia.

Before I begin my remarks, I would like to acknowledge I am currently working and staying on the lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən, specifically the Songhees and Esquimalt people.

North Vancouver–Seymour, my riding, where I live and work, is in the territory of the Coast Salish, specifically the Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish Nations. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work and learn with these Indigenous communities.

The month of May is all about people. The 29th of May through the fourth of June is AccessAbility Week, May is care providers month, and this week we remember and celebrate nursing.

Today my remarks will be about AccessAbility Week. Many achievements have occurred since the accessibility legislation was passed in 2021. Of course, there is much more to be done in working towards a barrier-free British Columbia.

As an example, let’s look at some basic poverty rate information that comes from a baseline of 2016 and looks at the data from 2020. During that time, TogetherBC, an anti-poverty program, was implemented. The key performance indicators were to reduce overall poverty by 25 percent and child poverty by 50 percent, with a target date of 2024. As of 2019, these targets had been met, and as of 2020, they had been exceeded.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

As the members in this House will be well aware, the correlation between poverty and inaccessibility of the basics of housing, food security, steady and stable employment, with reasonable pay and other social determinants, is high. Having a visible or invisible condition makes accessing these basics that much more challenging, not to mention more time- and energy-consuming. It’s also highly correlated with poverty.

Indigenous peoples experience higher rates of disability, and people with disability are twice as likely to live in poverty. Through coordination and partnerships with all orders of government, organizations, businesses, communities and individuals, some progress has been made in connecting people with the services that they need. In addition, work has been ongoing in building a culture of empathy, understanding and respect that supports everyone in moving forward.

[10:30 a.m.]

Some of that work has been through increasing income assistance and disability assistance rates, three times since 2017. Additionally, earning exemptions for those on income or disability assistance have been increased, and a benefit for those who are on assistance and are unhoused has been restored. And 102 WorkBC centres have been providing employment services that include training and work experience, many through community-based projects that are funded by community and employment partnerships.

The B.C. family benefit, reduced ferry rates, building affordable homes, free transit for under-12s, the expansion of $10-a-day child care are also ways, amongst others, that help the people of B.C. make their money go further.

In British Columbia, we have over 926,000 people who live with a disability, and our government is continuing to develop laws, standards and policies that support these folks to live with dignity and participate meaningfully in their communities. That means utilizing their diversity of interests, talents and experiences to enrich our overall society, culture and economy, which is beneficial to all.

The Accessible B.C. Act creates a path to breaking down barriers, promoting fairness and equity and creating a culture of inclusion. This is done through identifying, removing and preventing barriers, to support full and equal participation.

An example of barriers is readily found in the area of employment, where physical, systemic and attitudinal barriers have been identified that reduce or deny entry to the workforce or contribute to people leaving the workforce prematurely. Experience has demonstrated that diverse and inclusive work spaces have better business outcomes, including being two times more likely to meet or exceed their financial targets.

Our government is committed to support organizations to integrate inclusion and accessibility into every aspect of our lives. Collaboration with valued partners, such as the Presidents Group, promotes the knowledge and awareness of the many values of inclusive and diverse workplaces. I have met with this group, which is a network of 25 B.C. business leaders from large, medium and small businesses who are champions for increased accessibility and inclusivity of workplaces.

In 2022, they did a Pledge to Measure campaign which surveyed over 48,000 B.C. employees, and 2,567 responded and self-identified as having a disability, 76 of whom were senior leaders. They found the staff retention rate is 72 percent higher amongst employees with disabilities. Organizations benefit from this survey, as it helps understand how many of their staff have a disability, establishes a baseline for tracking progress, measures the success of diversity initiatives, demonstrates a commitment to diversity and supports improvement of organizational culture.

Within the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, significant work is being undertaken in supporting the development of employment standards which clearly articulate the role of employers in ensuring that disability is not a barrier to achieving meaningful and fulfilling employment. Work is also being done toward ensuring that access to public service is barrier free.

Again, service accessibility standards are being developed, a framework that incorporates the broad spectrum of possible challenges: mobility, cognitive, mental health, physical health, low or no vision, low or no hearing, computer literacy or access, just to name a few.

The Ministry of Citizens’ Services is improving the government’s digital tools and services in order to make them more fully accessible. Many public sector organizations are expected to have struck dedicated accessibility committees by the fall of 2023, and I’m happy to report many of those have already done that and are working on plans to improve as employers and service providers.

D. Davies: It’s a pleasure to rise today and respond to the member for North Vancouver–Seymour on the important occasion of National AccessAbility Week.

Too often many of us take for granted the ability to move through our neighbourhoods or our communities with ease. We may not see or consider the physical obstacles that pose significant challenges to other people: the lack of a proper sidewalk, a telephone pole blocking part of the sidewalk, or possibly the crosswalk button in an inconvenient place.

[10:35 a.m.]

I was lucky enough a few years back, when I was on city council in Fort St. John, to tour around with an accessibility advocate group. We were put in wheelchairs for an afternoon and toured throughout the community and got to experience the challenges that many of our folks with disabilities face every day. It’s as simple as going to get a coffee or visiting our cultural centre. That little, tiny lip when you go onto a sidewalk poses significant challenges.

Then there are the barriers that are less visible, like stigma, judgment or fear. There can also be financial, emotional, social and economic barriers as well. We must do more to break down these barriers to ensure a more accessible and inclusive society for all. But it’s not just about removing barriers; it’s about preventing them from being there in the first place. One area that comes to mind is housing. B.C. housing is in a crisis, and many people are struggling to purchase or rent a home that meets their needs.

When we talk about this, we often only focus on the affordability issue, which is, indeed, a huge component of this crisis. But just as much as we need to focus on affordable housing, we need to focus on accessible housing. People living with disabilities or those wishing to age in place often have an incredibly difficult time to find a home. Too often housing is built with no thought or little thought of accessibility or adaptability.

I’ll remind the House that we do have an opportunity to be better in this regard. In fact, the former member for Surrey South, Stephanie Cadieux, brought forward ideas that would require all new multi-unit housing to consider accessibility and require that a certain percentage of all new housing meets the criteria for accessibility. New dwellings would have at least one accessible entrance and an accessible bathroom. As she pointed out, it’s critical that action is taken to ensure housing is more inclusive in our province — not that it’s just available but that it’s accessible, adaptable and visitable. That is just one example.

We also need to take a look at our workforce, especially as we continue to grapple with our labour shortage. People with disabilities have a lot to offer workplaces, yet are significantly less likely to be employed. The Institute for Work and Health says nationally 795,000 people with disabilities are unemployed despite being willing to work.

Some of the barriers that they face include discrimination and bias, employers’ concern about the costs and productivity and the lack of knowledge about accommodation. It’s important that employers have the information to make their workplaces more inclusive. Oftentimes, employers are unaware that requested accommodations are quite easy to manage.

Finally, I think we all need to challenge our own biases and stereotypes and the language we might use as British Columbians face barriers that are not only physical but attitudinal. Regardless of our ability, disability, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or other factors, we all should have the same rights.

This is a human rights issue and dignity issue. We need to work together to ensure that everyone can engage equally in society, whether it’s improving the built environment or putting an accessibility lens on policies that are debated in this very chamber. It’s critical that we consider the perspectives of those who are too often overlooked and work to address those issues.

As I conclude my remarks, I also want to thank the many organizations across British Columbia that provide programs, services and advocacy for people living with disabilities. In my riding, the Association for Community Living, the Child Development Centre. People like Kristi Leer, with StepuP, who has done an incredible amount of advocacy throughout the region and across the province. Lori Slater, a longtime advocate who has worked with many organizations across the province and also spearheaded taking the city council around Fort St. John to see what it was like to live with a wheelchair.

They and other agencies in each and every one of our communities continue to do great work, and it’s important that we recognize them as part of AccessAbility Week.

S. Chant: Thank you to my colleague from Peace River North for his comments. Yes, we can all work together. This is work we all need to do.

[10:40 a.m.]

AccessAbility Week highlights the progress and ac­knowledges the outstanding work that is needed towards a barrier-free B.C. It runs from the 29th of May through June 4 this year, which is the sixth year that is has been celebrated.

Again, we recognize the amazing contributions that have been made by people with disabilities and those who work with them towards making B.C. much more accessible. Identifying, removing and preventing barriers to inclusion is work that all of us need to be part of.

Toward that end, I have written letters to all of our ministries outlining suggestions of what could be done by their staff to increase awareness, support diversity and inclusion in their work and their workplace. This will include an accessibility panel opportunity for staff to get information and ask questions.

Several organizations will have public funding an­nouncements, funds that will support their continued work throughout the province. ICBC is holding an internal workshop with B.C. WiN, recognizing gains achieved over the past year.

June is also deafblindness month, raising awareness of this multisensory loss of information-gathering capacity. TransLink will be holding an event that highlights their successes of 2022, and the provincial accessibility committee, also known as PAC, and the two technical committees of employment and service access will be meeting on June 2 to share their progress. The BCAA is holding an event and hosting a webinar during that week.

ICBC, TransLink and BCAA are all members of the Presidents Group, which is the network of 25 business leaders from large, medium and small businesses, champions for increased accessibility and inclusivity of workplaces. They have a number of members who represent medium and small businesses and bring a broad base of both lived and learned experience to the challenge of ensuring workplace inclusiveness.

Accessibility is something many people take for granted, not recognizing the impact of actions, attitudes, structures and systems that deny others basics of housing, food security, employment, transportation, housing, health care and other needs. During AccessAbility Week, we recognize and honour the work that many people in British Columbia have done over the past year to identify, remove and prevent barriers to inclusion and diversity — work that we all need to do.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

B. Banman: As the official opposition’s shadow minister for Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, I am pleased to rise and speak on a subject that impacts many British Columbian communities: emergency preparedness — or, may I say, the lack thereof.

It has been 677 days since a fire essentially wiped out the community of Lytton right off the map. While commendable community spirit, public support and local leadership have pursued the slow rebuilding of a once-thriving village, business, health services, housing and many other necessities are far from complete.

What many would argue is missing here is actually the provincial government. Two years later, as the member for Fraser-Nicola reminded members of this House last week, Lytton is still waiting to reopen while they wait for the promised support and development from the government.

Meanwhile, not a single home has been rebuilt. Folks are still waiting to go back home, as we heard last week. Some, sadly, passed before they could rejoice at the idea of going back home.

To quote the member for Fraser-Nicola: “It seems once the emergency is over, government forgets until the next time.” That time is now.

As you all should know by now, heavy rains and spring snow melt threaten several B.C. communities with flooding and mudslides. Some, like Cache Creek and the Okanagan Indian Band territory, are already facing the devastating impacts of this natural disaster. Folks are being evacuated, infrastructure is being damaged, major transportation networks shut down and emergency services, such as fire halls, are being wrecked.

I fear that some people living in the impacted areas, such as Grand Forks and the rest of the interior of B.C., will have to face the same consequences that Lytton has been experiencing for the past 677 days.

Firstly, we see the current government’s lack of preparedness.

Deputy Speaker: Member, Member.

Member was here last week. Member knows the rules in private members’ time. We do not….

B. Banman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Deputy Speaker: Member, if you’ll take a moment. It is not the time for throwing charges at government or government throwing charges at opposition. The member knows this well, so I’d ask him to reframe his comments in that regard.

[10:45 a.m.]

B. Banman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

However, those in rural parts of our province are looking for help. They’re seeking government right now to help them, to be there for them.

We heard from the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, who mentioned a flood mitigation plan that was first brought forward in 2020. While it may sound proactive, in fact, three years before these floods, communities facing devastation on the ground learned the hard way that the plan is actually only being implemented now, three years later, after the flood started.

It is a similar story with fires. As I speak, there is a fire burning through Charlie Lake, along the Alaska Highway, that had grown to over 70 hectares when I last checked. We all know that fires are not new to B.C. I certainly know that because my son, as this House has heard, is a firefighter.

Yet, news reports show that a helicopter that was purposely built to fight wildfires with equipment with life-saving night-vision technology, amongst other tools, the only one of its kind in British Columbia, was just contracted out by the government of Alberta for a multi-month deal to fight fires in that province.

This is B.C. technology, owned by Talon Helicopters, that could be used to fight fires here, could save lives here and protect our environment here in British Columbia. Instead it was scooped up by the neighbouring province, which, for some reason, was able to act in a more timely manner and put more resources towards its emergency preparedness than our own province could.

It is offensive and insulting to all communities in British Columbia that have faced fire and devastation that this would have been avoidable or mitigated had we made the right decisions to protect all British Columbians with this equipment.

I am sure that all members in this House would agree that it is unacceptable for us as a province to move forward in a direction that prioritizes reacting to issues when it’s too late instead of effectively preparing for these disasters.

Floods, fires and other emergencies are not new to British Columbia. As this House knows, my riding was underwater. My riding was underwater, and we were not prepared for it. We have seen time and time again for the past six years that this lacklustre response causes more damage than good.

We shouldn’t be sending the only helicopter in British Columbia with night vision to other provinces when we have fires of our own to fight just because we have failed to fund it. We should be empowering, now more than ever, to put this valuable equipment to use. We shouldn’t be implementing a flood mitigation plan from three years ago after floods again ravaged through a B.C. community.

Rural communities deserve better. British Columbia deserves better. Quite frankly, better is possible.

R. Russell: I appreciate the opportunity to speak to this. I wish I was there with you all.

To be honest, it’s hard to know where to begin with correcting the pieces of the previous member’s comments that are incorrect. I guess I will jump in by saying, maybe initially, that he made reference to the fact that the province has been missing in the recovery process for the community of Lytton.

I think if he took the time to speak to the mayor and council and speak to the community, he would understand just how much the province, through the public service, has been doing to help support that community navigate, with them in the lead, what their challenges are and find resourcing to help support that. We are at $56 million that has been committed from the province to support that community’s recovery, of which $36 million has already been transferred.

I will leave it at that, perhaps, for now and maybe also share with him a story of my own community here, where I am now. Forty-eight hours ago we were in the midst of what would have been, probably half a dozen years ago, a very dramatic and traumatic flood event.

[10:50 a.m.]

Probably, initial estimates would be that this would be one of the top-ten floods this community has seen in recorded history. Interestingly to note, four of those have taken place over the last few years.

In the conversations I’ve had with the community here…. In talking with a floodplain resident on Thursday evening, for example, he said: “I’ve pulled my furnace out of the basement. I’m feeling pretty ready. I’m prepared and comfortable.” Similarly, last night I had a chance to speak with my family doctor. He told me about the fact…. He had installed some water removal equipment in the basement of his mother-in-law’s place. She weathered the flood over the last few days, so far, pretty painlessly.

On top of that, the community here, the city of Grand Forks as well as the regional district, has put an enormous amount of energy, with the support of the province, into reducing future impacts through things like flood walls, disaster planning, dikes, riparian restoration, planned retreats, bank armouring, tiger dam deployment strategies and so much more. That has meant that the pre-flood anxiety, the preparedness of this community and the real risk exposure of people who live here are much lower than they were six years ago.

This is preparedness. This is how we help move forward and put ourselves in a better position than we have been in the past in enormously emotionally and physically painful situations, especially given the last few years of natural disasters.

It’s, in fact, why I’m here in the Legislature — having to navigate climate disasters on a local level. The local level is the one that is closest to the mud and closest to the tears of those people that are impacted.

It was very apparent to me, even with all the political will of the government of the day, in 2018, that the legal and policy framework for us to be able to actually deliver on the solutions we need was insufficient, inadequate or absent. Three examples of that would be paying attention to more than just response, as the member had mentioned there, delivering creative solutions with some agility or wraparound supports for the community and people. There’s an enormous amount of work to do there.

This government has embraced these challenges head-on. It committed to the UN Sendai framework, which focuses our attention on all the pillars of disaster risk reduction, including preparedness. That hadn’t been done before. It recognizes the shared responsibility, from individuals through to the federal government and all points in between.

We are in the process right now of tackling the sticky problems that had been neglected by the previous government. We’re working on…

Deputy Speaker: Member. Caution, Member.

R. Russell: …rewriting, with partners, the Emergency Program Act so that it works better for all of us. Actions like this mean individuals in this province are less likely to be harmed and more likely to be prepared.

Examples would be investing $145 million in more than 380 flood risk reduction projects since 2017. It would be partnering to map flood hazard risks across the province. It would be the community emergency preparedness fund; Alert Ready, which has been expanded; climate ready B.C., a one-stop online hub to help communities and people mitigate these risks; and the creation of a stand-alone ministry. These are the kinds of actions that do make a difference on the ground.

Twenty years ago we were in a very different world than we are today. I can’t help but think that the members of this government, at that time, would’ve seen how shortsighted and siloed the government’s toolkit was previously.

Deputy Speaker: Member, this is not the time for partisan debate. It is the time for both sides to state their opinions about what should happen going forward, not attack previous to that.

B. Banman: I’m thrilled that things seem to be going well in the member’s riding. That, sadly, is not the case in many ridings in British Columbia.

I’m glad that we can agree that emergency preparedness is essential for British Columbia. I hope we can also agree that we need to start putting our money where our mouth is.

Emergency preparedness is a critical issue that affects all British Columbians. The recent flooding and ongoing wildfires have highlighted the urgent need for proactive measures and adequate resources to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters. However, the current government’s lack of preparedness and inadequate response to emergencies have put many communities at risk, as we are seeing in live time right now.

Deputy Speaker: Member, again, this is not the time for a partisan attack. The member knows that.

[10:55 a.m.]

B. Banman: The failure to provide timely, adequate support to Lytton and other affected communities just is not acceptable. Two years after the devastating fire, not a single home has been rebuilt in Lytton, leaving residents in a state of limbo. Moreover, the government’s decision to contract out the only helicopter in British Columbia….

Deputy Speaker: Member, again, this is not the time for naming each other and for throwing barbs. If the member wants to make the point, he can make the point in a different way.

B. Banman: Fair enough.

The fact remains that that vital piece of equipment is now operating in another province. It is the only one in the world, and it should be here in British Columbia. That technology should be used right here, fighting wildfires in B.C., to protect the environment of B.C. and to protect the lives of those in those affected areas. We need to prioritize the resource, and we need to make sure that we are doing what we can in this province.

The interior of B.C. is watching. They’re experiencing it in places like Grand Forks, Cache Creek and Lytton. They understand what happens when the response is too late. I would ask that we don’t put other communities in British Columbia in the same situation.

We have consistently called on the government to take action on emergency preparedness. The response is what is needed. As the summer heats up, the risk of natural disasters increases.

The time for action is now. The current flooding and wildfires show that we cannot afford to wait for the next disaster before taking action. We need to prioritize emergency preparedness and provide adequate resources for the community in need on the ground now.

It is time to take responsibility now. It’s time to take responsibility for the failures and commit to proactive measures to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.

As the opposition, we will continue to hold government accountable and advocate for the safety and well-being of all British Columbians. We have to work together to ensure that our communities are safe and resilient and prepared for emergencies both now and in the future.

PERIOD POVERTY

K. Paddon: Today I rise to talk about period poverty. Over 50 percent of the population has had or will have a monthly period, yet many of them, including right here in British Columbia, do not have access to reliable, affordable menstrual health products such as pads, tampons, menstrual cups, period underwear or other options. There are some, for example, on worksites or evacuees who may not even have access to clean water that they can use to appropriately cleanse or wash.

A lack of menstrual hygiene products means that many of these people will miss school, lose work hours, not be able to participate in sports or other social activities or even not be comfortable accessing community. According to the United Way, 26 percent of people who menstruate in B.C. have gone through a period without having menstrual products available to them. This is period poverty.

I would ask us all to imagine, together, what it might be like to find ourselves here at work and needing to use the restroom, only to find that there is no toilet paper, none in the whole building. One might suggest that the issue could be solved simply by bringing our own toilet paper. Maybe ask a friend under the stall to use some of theirs if you’ve forgotten. After all, as Elmo says, everybody does it, so surely there will be somebody who can help.

If you find yourself with no option, however, you’d have to go home, hopefully before there is any embarrassment, for the natural but stigmatized biological function that requires hygiene products to be made available, readily and freely, in order for everyone here to be healthy, hygienic and able to carry on participating in their day.

It would be ridiculous to have to go home for a natural and common bodily function, especially where it is so easy to ensure that everyone in the building has access to toilet paper, with no stigma attached to its use. It would be unthinkable to let someone go without a basic hygiene need, let alone over 50 percent of the population.

Period poverty is about more than just pads. Period poverty is also about feelings of shame and the stigma that surrounds menstruation. This stigma makes it difficult to advocate for yourself or ask for assistance if you need it. This stigma means people who menstruate end up going to work, even with debilitating cramps and other symptoms, often afraid to mention the pain and discomfort they may be feeling. There are just so many jokes and so many comments that minimize the reality that many have to live with every 21 to 28 days.

[11:00 a.m.]

This stigma, shame, turns a natural bodily function that occurs for most of us who have a uterus into something to be feared or to dread, which, let’s be blunt, would not be the case if the other 50 percent of the population were experiencing it.

[J. Tegart in the chair.]

Period poverty takes away choice. While it is becoming more common to have free menstrual products in public bathrooms, they are often higher up on the counter or in pre-existing dispensers, making it unclear that they are free and available. Very rarely are they in washrooms that aren’t specifically designated as for women, and there is usually no variety within the available products.

In 2019, the then Minister of Education issued a ministerial order to require all public K-to-12 schools in British Columbia to provide stigma-free access to menstrual products for students in all school washrooms. This means that every school in this province must have menstrual products available for free in a way that protects privacy, is easily accessible and barrier-free, is consistently available and is non-stigmatizing.

Despite this, there are still many schools who offer the products only in the principal’s office or by going to another staff. I’ve heard from middle school and high school students about this. They share with me that the reasons they’re given for the restriction on access is because “the guys are messing around” or “people took more than one.”

This is not barrier-free. This is not stigma-free. This means additional class time missed. For students who struggle with the stigma, it results in going without or, even worse, in going home. Students should not have to miss school sports or extracurricular activities due to the cost of menstrual products. We need to do better.

Another area where period poverty affects people is when emergencies and natural disasters occur. During the atmospheric river in 2021, Chilliwack was essentially cut off from the rest of the province. And while we heard about the issues in getting fuel and groceries and toilet paper, what many may not have thought about was another essential hygiene need — menstrual products. Thankfully, organizations such as United Way, the Red Cross and Project AIM, who are here today with us, helped to provide emergency support.

With the increase in natural disasters in our province and around the world, the rate of people being evacuated has also increased. In emergencies, we have seen people forced from their home with very little notice, and access to many essential supplies, including menstrual products, is drastically limited.

People who menstruate who are experiencing gender-based violence face further difficulty in being able to leave their situation. Going to a transition home, potentially losing your income and all of the unknowns that come with leaving an unsafe situation are even more difficult if you are worrying about affording menstrual products or unsure when you will have a private space with access to clean water.

People don’t want to talk about menstruation. It’s often a taboo topic, but I’m here to talk about it. Even standing in this place and saying “tampon,” “period,” “uterus” may cause some discomfort for some. I think we need to acknowledge that, recognize it and move forward together.

Our government is here to talk about it. That’s why in May 2022, the then Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction established the multisector Period Poverty Task Force to explore all these factors and more. I was honoured to join their most recent meeting, this past Friday, where there were several very informative presentations. Their final report will be submitted by March 31, 2024, and I’m looking forward to seeing their recommendations. This is currently the only task force on period poverty globally.

In October 2022, we also announced funding for pilot projects that will test models for increased access to free menstrual products across the province. All this work is part of TogetherBC, the poverty reduction strategy.

United Way British Columbia has a Period Promise campaign to increase access to free menstrual products in communities across the province. Over 40 businesses, organizations and cities are signatories, including our B.C. NDP caucus. This means they are committing to having free menstrual products in washrooms in our constituency offices. I call on all parties as well as businesses and organizations across the province to sign on to this campaign as well. For more information, you can visit uwbc.ca/periodpromise.

R. Merrifield: It’s a privilege for me to rise today in this House and bring attention to such an important topic, and I thank the member opposite for highlighting period poverty and our responsibility as legislators to address this problem head-on.

[11:05 a.m.]

As we work to bring an end to gender inequality that still remains in our society, it’s vital that we tackle this issue of access to affordable menstrual products and less frequently discussed barriers that many women and gender-diverse people face every single day.

Despite the fact that approximately half of our population menstruates or will menstruate in their lifetime, it remains an incredibly taboo topic, one that comes with a great deal of stigma. However, having open and frank conversations about menstruation, particularly in places like this Legislature, will help to break down that stigma and the shame that is so often associated with it.

Menstruation is simply a reality of life as a woman and for many non-binary and trans people. We are expected to go about our day as if nothing is out of the ordinary and to carry the costs, burdens, pain and interruption of it without anyone noticing and without complaining.

Many of us are taught from a young age to hide our menstrual hygiene products when we go into the bathroom, to make up excuses for absences and to avoid discussing our periods in nearly all settings. It adds to the feeling that there is something that we should be ashamed of. It’s part of the reason why it’s difficult for people to ask for help when they need it and why the mental toll, in addition to physical practicalities of not being able to afford products, can be so great.

It’s estimated that half of the people who menstruate in B.C. have struggled to buy period products at some point in their life. The same survey revealed that 26 percent of respondents had gone through a period without having menstrual products available to them. As inflation and other affordability pressures continue to skyrocket and increase, with the cost of personal care items like tampons and pads up 6.2 percent in the last year, even more people in our province could begin to struggle with period poverty.

No one should have to choose between buying groceries to feed their family and their menstrual products that they need. We have to work together in this place to do everything we can to prevent people from having to make this devastating choice. It’s an issue of equality, of human dignity, and it’s simply the right thing to do.

I want to thank the United Way B.C.’s Period Promise campaign and the incredible work that they’ve done over the past few years on this issue. From their important research and advocacy to their work to break the stigma and to distribute hundreds of thousands of period products every year, we all are grateful.

I also have to acknowledge the important work the province has done to support these efforts, including their decision in 2019 to make menstrual products free and available in K-through-12 schools in B.C. These are vital steps for improving access and furthering equality in our province. But there is still so much more to do.

We can all take part in small ways, whether by working to break the stigma around menstruation or by supporting the work of organizations that provide free menstrual products to those that need them. Additionally, we need to think of what we as legislators can do to further the cause.

There are growing examples of other jurisdictions around the world taking innovative steps to end period poverty and further gender equality. For example, in 2021, Scotland became the first jurisdiction to make it a legal right for people to access free menstrual products in all public buildings.

We cannot forget that right now there are people in our province who have had to miss out on work, school, appointments and other opportunities because they do not have access to the period products that they need. It shouldn’t be this way, and it’s in our power to make a real difference.

I hope that today and every day in this House we can commit to working together to once and for all end period poverty.

K. Paddon: Access to menstrual health products should not be a barrier to participation, and people who menstruate should not have to choose between buying menstrual products or food.

The realities of period poverty show up in many additional ways to financial cost, including the stigma and shame that surrounds menstruating, how it’s viewed through various cultural lenses, within emergencies and natural disasters. These issues include age and gender.

Menstruation is seen differently in different cultures and world views. Some view it as sacred moon time when it is a time to connect and learn and share. Some are forced to miss school or work or other activities because they can’t access or afford products. For some, it is a very difficult time that adds to gender dysphoria, which is further exacerbated when we make menstruation gendered.

Everyone has a unique experience with their period, and that experience is, all too often, not a positive one.

[11:10 a.m.]

In Chilliwack-Kent, there is a fantastic organization called Project AIM, access to incontinence and menstrual products. The founders, Miel Bernstein and Tiffany Francis, recently attended a city council meeting and asked Chilliwack mayor Ken Popove if there were menstrual products in the washroom at city hall. After looking to staff for an answer, he was told that no, there were not. AIM then called on the mayor and council to take the first steps in making that change and provide menstrual products in not just city hall but all public buildings across the city.

I am so pleased to have Miel and Tiffany here at the Legislature today and that they are here with us in the gallery listening to our comments. We had the chance to meet this morning with the Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development and Non-profits to share and discuss the works and areas of opportunity in continuing to move forward together.

AIM is a grassroots, volunteer-run non-profit in Chilliwack-Kent that was started in 2020. They work with donations to make menstrual and incontinence products barrier-free and accessible across the Fraser Valley. In 2020, they distributed $800 worth of products in their first year. Last year, just two years after starting, they distributed $35,000 in products with the support of volunteers and community partners. Their vision is that everyone, regardless of gender or economic status, should have barrier-free access to support for menstrual and incontinence needs.

Project AIM has expanded to also offer product education. I’m very excited to be partnering with them and the United Way to host four conversation events about period education and menstruation products over the next couple of months. These are free, inclusive and safe events, and we are inviting anyone in or near Chilliwack-Kent to join us for these conversations. If you’re interested in attending, you can register at www.projectaimcommunity.com.

I want to finish by inviting all businesses, organizations and governments across British Columbia to join me in United Way’s Period Promise. I look forward to hearing from you about your good news.

SKILLS TRAINING

G. Kyllo: I rise in the House today to express my concerns for all British Columbians, especially future British Columbians, in the province that we will be building for our children and grandchildren.

People in B.C. are facing a health care crisis, a public safety crisis and skyrocketing costs of living that are completely unaffordable. It’s simply not good enough for us to continually speak about how British Columbians are struggling. Our constituents need action. Young people have been hit hard by the housing crisis, as many lose hope of ever being able to own their own place.

Despite the rising number of young people attending post-secondary education, the availability of student housing is limited, with only less than 10 percent of the promised housing units delivered by the current government. This has created a precarious situation for students who are already struggling to pay for tuition and the rising costs of everyday living. We must recognize that housing is a basic necessity, and we need to ensure that our students have access to affordable, safe and stable housing that will enable them to pursue their education and to contribute to the workforce.

The only type of reprieve we are seeing is that students can now double the amount of debt they hold. No one should be forced to start their adult life burdened with these huge amounts of debt. Doubling the availability of student debt maximums does nothing to offset the costs students are already facing.

These young workers need hope that they can get more financial relief without also having to spend an arm and a leg in order to move out of their parents’ place. This issue is especially pressing for students who don’t have access to higher education in their home communities and are forced to leave to pursue their education.

Now, let’s look at the $58 million being spent over three years for the streamlined foreign credential recognition program and the B.C. provincial nominee program. As recently announced, B.C. aims to have 30 percent of nominees residing outside of Metro Vancouver by ’25-26. This goal is interesting, given that a large amount of B.C.’s tech sector resides within the Metro Vancouver area.

The 2019 Don Wright economic plan specifically mentioned that immigration and temporary foreign workers are a significant driver to B.C.’s technology growth, which adds pressure to the availability and cost of housing in Vancouver. The situation has gotten so bad that we now need to resort to a plan that has one in three immigrant workers living outside of Metro Vancouver.

[11:15 a.m.]

On the topic of rural B.C., I can’t help but focus on the complete failure to help the struggling forest sector. Instead of supporting workers in their current jobs, $30 million is being utilized to transition workers out of their current jobs. Many of these workers feel as though it’s too late for them to go back to school or simply don’t want to leave their current profession. It cannot be expected that forest workers in B.C. transition to a completely different field.

While students are facing an affordability crisis and our natural resource workers are being forced to transition to other sectors, we’re also seeing a downturn in investments made to increasing the number of trades-training spaces for the trades sector in British Columbia. Despite the introduction of heavy red tape and regulation to the trades in B.C., such as the skilled trades certification program, which calls for more journeymen and trades-training seats than we have in B.C., I continue to hear from stakeholders who are concerned about the lack of available training seats and funding to meet demand.

We appreciate that government has the opportunity to establish policies similar to the trades certification program. However, it’s imperative that government actually provide the funding to ensure that the trades-training seats are there in advance of the certification requirements coming into effect. We don’t have enough seats to train British Columbians in the trades. There are massive backlogs at the employment standards branch, and workers in almost all sectors are being left in the dark. This does not sound like a plan that the future is ready.

I’m a grandfather of 12 amazing, talented young grandchildren, and I want them to grow up in a British Columbia that supports their interests and ensures their future will be attainable. Many parents are worried for the future of their children and families as affordability, health care and public safety continue to worsen.

We need to provide them with the hope that the future will be better, because it can be. If the necessary steps are taken, we can alter the current direction the province is going in and ensure that our labour market is resilient and that support for workers will be there. We need action, not empty promises for British Columbians today and in the future. Better is possible.

R. Leonard: Thank you to the member for Shuswap for introducing the topic of future skills to this House. What do we mean by future skills? I’d like to just set the stage through a timeline.

My Uncle Charlie was born in 1914. His father, my grandfather, was a farmer from Poland. Going to school and growing up in a new world, Uncle Charlie learned new ways to farm. They butted heads, but gradually the new ways won out. For 99 years, Uncle Charlie was a lifelong learner and enjoyed every new thing he was introduced to.

I’d also like to reflect on the progress during the life of a baby boomer, me being one of those many. As a youth, the discovery of DNA was just beginning to unfold. The notion of a computer in every household was only in the fantasy world of science fiction. The fast pace of progress made for an uneasy world. All that was certain was uncertainty. The world of work was definitely changing over the decades.

Today we’re experiencing exponential changes as we unlock more understanding of the world. With all the new challenges of today and tomorrow, we must meet the challenges of building a strong, well-trained workforce to support businesses for all of us.

What are the big changes? Demographics. There are more people retiring, with fewer young people to replace them. Technology keeps advancing, and workers need the education to match those new understandings and to continue to innovate. Climate change is impacting our workforce too.

Since day one, from investing in affordable housing and child care, from closing the digital divide and increasing the participation of underrepresented groups like women, Indigenous people and others, our government has focused on building a strong foundation, eliminating barriers to education and participation in the workforce.

[11:20 a.m.]

Today’s Future Ready action plan shows how we are taking on the challenges now so that we’re ready for the future. B.C.’s labour market outlook helps guide us with what is needed in a ten-year forecast. Certainly, we’re feeling the tight labour market already. Coming out of the pandemic, we’ve begun to experience what it means to have more people retiring than can fill the positions they’ve left. As we age, we rely more on our health care system, which means we need more qualified people.

That’s why we’ve added more spaces for post-secondary students throughout B.C. and for student housing. We know that where you train means a greater likelihood that you will remain in your new career. We are making post-secondary training more affordable for more people. We’re improving the B.C. provincial nominee program, and we’ve streamed foreign credential recognition, unlocking the training and skills that immigrants to B.C. arrive with, to better serve the people of B.C.

By honouring self-determination and building capacity to address First Nations’ workforce priorities, we’re casting our net farther, capturing more workers who heretofore have faced barriers to employment.

The same holds true for others. Former youth in care whose tuition has been waived have already brought benefit to themselves and to us with their training. We’re now expanding the waiver for all ages, which unlocks even more potential. Others who face multiple barriers have expanded skills training available to them that they will bring to the workforce.

When some jobs diminish within our economy, we are creating space for new workplaces like the growing manufacturing sector. Technology is exploding, and we in B.C. need to be part of it, or the world will leave us behind. Future skills training and support for innovation mean that we will see clean and inclusive growth with high-care, low-carbon goods and services.

Around the globe, success comes with strong environmental, social and governance credentials. In all respects, we are prepared to be leaders. It is an exciting time to be a British Columbian. With a $480 million, over three years, Future Ready action plan, we will all be a part of a stronger B.C.

G. Kyllo: I do appreciate the member opposite for their remarks. I believe all of us in this House can recognize the incredible impact that workers across the province have on our economy and our communities, but more must be done to ensure that these workers are optimistic about the future of our province. They need to be able to afford to live here, and they deserve opportunities to succeed.

I mentioned before, and I’ll continue to speak of some of the concerns around even government policy, picking winners and losers. I’m reminded of the community benefits….

Deputy Speaker: Member, I’d remind you that it is non-partisan.

G. Kyllo: Thank you very much, hon. Speaker.

Policies create significant challenges for workers, as an example, and for small business owners, in their inability to bid and compete on contracts, due to some of these discriminatory policies. I think all British Columbians certainly deserve the opportunity to find econ­omic opportunity and work within the province of B.C. However, the current policies of this government are not supportive of that.

We’ve heard serious concerns raised about the Cowichan Hospital project. It has caused considerable challenges within the community of Cowichan. We still see no changes for this particular project. Other similar challenges only fail local communities and Indigenous economic reconciliation. CBAs have also been shown to significantly increase and drive up costs, almost doubling costs of projects in some areas.

British Columbians need more action. Our business owners need support to offset the costs that are associated with the rise in theft and vandalism. Our students need more than an increase in allowable debt. They need funding and support with the affordable housing crisis.

Workers in the natural resource sector continue to have questions, with few answers. They are struggling, yet we see nothing to combat their increasing challenges, specifically within forestry, as we see mill closures, curtailments and the loss of shifts. A transition to other specialized skills is simply not always doable for everyone in these fields.

I am concerned about how B.C. expects to fill the 81,000 skilled-trades shortages that are expected over the next decade, according to the Labour Market Outlook. Much more needs to be done to ensure training seats and learning opportunities are available for future generations. In our current state, we are far from future-ready. British Columbians deserve more when it comes to their future. We need to work to ensure that everyone is supported and that we have a place for everyone in our labour force, going forward.

[11:25 a.m.]

Hon. J. Whiteside: Hon. Speaker, I ask the House to consider proceeding with Motion 47, standing in the name of the member for Coquitlam–Burke Mountain.

Deputy Speaker: Members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed to Motion 47 without disturbing the priorities of the motions preceding it on the order paper. If any member is opposed to the request for leave, please indicate now.

Leave granted.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 47 — WATERSHED SECURITY

F. Donnelly: I move:

[Be it resolved that this House supports this government’s actions to secure B.C.’s watersheds so that safe, clean, abundant water and healthy functioning ecosystems are available to communities, nations and wildlife for generations to come.]

The watershed sector is a major employer in B.C., contributing billions to our province’s economy every year. In fact, according to the Delphi report, in 2019 the watershed sector, broadly, supported jobs for 47,900 British Columbians, contributing an estimated $5 billion to the province’s GDP.

The watershed sector supports a diverse spectrum of jobs from entry-level to skilled, seasonal to permanent, and in all regions of our province — urban, suburban, coastal and rural. When you compare the watershed sector to other sectors in B.C., it’s on par with agriculture, mining and oil and gas.

Whether it’s a restoration worker replanting native wetland species, a planner developing an urban water conservation strategy, a labourer installing stormwater infrastructure or a software engineer designing a new water monitoring technology, the watershed sector supports British Columbians at all career stages.

The watershed sector consists of five subsectors: watershed management and restoration; industrial water management and infrastructure; urban water management and infrastructure; regulatory and public administration; and education, training and capacity-building.

Securing our watersheds has co-benefits too. Water is an essential aspect of tourism. B.C.’s abundant lakes, rivers and creeks are a large part of its super, natural draw. Growing food is simply not possible without clean, abundant, fresh water. Fresh water is a vital ingredient to B.C.’s booming, high-value, specialty beverage industry, such as wineries, distilleries and craft breweries.

Under StrongerBC, the healthy watersheds initiative generated over 1,500 jobs in 18 months, with a return on investment including training and skills development; cross-sector benefits for ag, forestry, fisheries and tourism; cost savings for municipalities, through reduced climate impacts on infrastructure; drinking water protection; and water supply for businesses, First Nations and communities.

The HWI demonstrated the tip of the iceberg for opportunities in watershed restoration, Indigenous stewardship, water tech and innovation, industrial and urban water management, planning and monitoring. Growth in the watershed sector is not only needed to meet the growing watershed and climate challenges in B.C., but B.C. can also position itself as a global leader in water solutions, where global demand is predicted to be over $1.5 trillion by 2028.

Everyone lives in a watershed, and everyone relies on water. A watershed is land, from its heights, like a mountaintop, hill or ridge, drained by a common system of waterways — like rivers, creeks, lakes and aquifers — to a single point, usually the ocean, a lake or a big river. Fresh water is precious. It means life, and there is a limited amount of it.

Watersheds come in all sizes. Just to give a bit of context, I live in the Coquitlam watershed, one of 34 main watersheds that make up the Fraser watershed, one of B.C.’s largest. Specifically, I live near Hoy Creek, which drains into the Coquitlam River, which drains into the Fraser River, which drains into the Pacific Ocean.

Watersheds are useful for measuring ecosystem impacts and determining a region’s health. They’re often similar to First Nations’ traditional hunting and fishing territories. Without efforts to improve watershed security, B.C.’s watersheds are at risk from droughts, floods, wildfires, urban development, drinking water and industrial demand, food production and resource extraction.

[11:30 a.m.]

Our government is building the watershed sector and growing the restoration economy. We’re co-developing a watershed security strategy in partnership with First Nations. The final strategy will be out this fall.

In March, we announced $100 million in a new watershed security fund that will also be co-developed and co-managed. This fund will optimize the sector’s growth and yield significant employment and economic returns. This builds on our $27 million under the HWI and $30 million under Budget 2022 and over $85 million under the B.C. salmon restoration and innovation fund. We encourage the federal government and others to contribute to this fund so that the fund continues to grow.

Healthy watersheds support local economies and resilient communities. That’s why we need to secure B.C.’s watersheds so that safe, clean, abundant water and healthy, functioning ecosystems are available to communities, First Nations, wild salmon and other wildlife for future generations.

R. Merrifield: I rise today to speak to this motion and the critical need to secure B.C.’s watersheds. Our province’s rivers and streams are the lifeblood of our communities, supporting wildlife, fisheries, human health and well-being. Yet despite their importance, as spoken about by the last member, our watersheds face significant threats from a range of human activities, urbanization, but also climate change.

As the MLA for Kelowna-Mission and shadow minister for environment and climate change, I’m acutely aware of the challenges facing our local watersheds, including the Okanagan River, Kettle River and Mission Creek just in my riding alone.

Unfortunately, human activities and natural disasters have taken a toll on Kelowna’s watersheds in recent years. Yes, there are forestry practices which can increase erosion, sedimentation and the disruption of natural water flow patterns. The loss of vegetation also makes the land more vulnerable to wildfires, which have become more frequent and severe due to climate change. These wildfires further exacerbate the watersheds’ degradation by burning vegetation, leaving the soil exposed and increasing the risk of erosion and sedimentation. The resulting accumulation of sediment in the creeks raises the creek bed, reducing the capacity to carry water and increasing the likelihood of flooding.

Floods. Fires. It sounds familiar, doesn’t it, as they rage over 50 percent of our British Columbia province today? Floods are a challenge faced by Kelowna’s watersheds. Heavy rainfall events and rapid snow melt have led, this year, to an increase in flooding occurrences. These floods not only damage the watersheds but also cause widespread destruction to homes, farmland and infrastructure. The combined effects of all of these human-caused fires and floods have had disastrous consequences for both the environment and the people of Kelowna.

And then there are Mother Earth’s naturalized fires and floods. Flooding can lead to the destruction of homes, businesses and vital infrastructure, causing significant economic losses and displacing residents. Farmland is also severely impacted, with floods causing soil erosion, crop damage and reduced agricultural productivity.

Over the last two years, I’ve toured many of the areas of our local watersheds to see these aspects of the changes in water patterns and how they have occurred. Recently in my own riding, I toured McMillan Farms, and I could see how tertiary streams were no longer active, as sediment prevents the water from entering.

This blockage causes the water levels in Mission Creek to rise and floods the farm’s valuable farmable lands. Additionally, the floodwaters threaten the homes along Mission Creek in the KLO area more times, in recent years, than not. This same creek is the one that washes out Highway 33 because of no barriers to the water.

The creek bed has risen so much through sediment deposits that the capacity of the creek’s flow is diminished. With nowhere to go, the waters flood the entire area. There are places along the creek where I used to be able to walk under the bridges just 20 years ago, and now I couldn’t even crawl. Additionally, the degradation of watersheds poses a significant threat to Kelowna’s wildlife, particularly the Okanagan salmon. The increased sedimentation to the waterways disrupts their spawning habitats, which can lead to a decline in our fish populations.

[11:35 a.m.]

We need this government to take action and prioritize the watershed mapping and contribute funds for mitigation. We need this to happen now, while working with the various stakeholders to bring forward a united voice. Without it, we can see that the degradation of Kelowna’s watersheds is just an example of the lack of coordination among various layers of government.

Between the provincial and municipal authorities all having jurisdiction over different aspects of watershed management, the lack of adherence to a cohesive strategy has resulted in a stagnation of critical watershed-mapping efforts. This paralysis has hindered the development and implementation of effective programs and policies that could actually help mitigate the impacts of forestry, fires and floods on the region’s watersheds.

To achieve meaningful progress in protecting and restoring all of our watersheds, it’s important and imperative that all levels of government work collaboratively to develop a comprehensive and coordinated approach that prioritizes watershed health and resilience before it’s too late.

B. Anderson: I would like to thank the member for Coquitlam–Burke Mountain for all of his work on watersheds and salmon, and I rise here today to enthusiastically support this motion.

Water is life. Watersheds are the lifeblood of our province. Healthy watersheds are at the forefront of climate resiliency and are the foundation to all social, environmental and economic systems. In rural areas, people are intimately connected with their watersheds and are directly affected when issues with water arise. I’ve had many discussions with folks in the Kootenays about watershed security and their desire to have a more direct involvement and input regarding what happens in their watersheds.

During the summer of 2021, B.C. experienced record-breaking temperatures, massive wildfire events and prolonged droughts throughout the province. In Creston that summer, I had an entire residential water system that had run dry. Some of these folks had grown up on that property and they were elders now, and this is something they had never experienced before.

It was extremely emotional for them as they were trucking water in. This one woman described, you know, having to go around and teach her husband how to flush the toilets with buckets. It was very distressing for all of them and very emotional.

Subsequently, in the fall of 2021, we had extreme rainfall and flooding events that impacted our communities profoundly. Just over the weekend, we had rising water levels and rain that was in the weather forecast. In my riding, the village of Salmo and the surrounding areas, as well as the Duhamel Creek area at Lower 6 Mile Road near Nelson, were both placed on evacuation alerts on Friday, with the entire regional district on flood watch. Thankfully, both alerts have been rescinded.

Research shows that climate change amplifies not only extreme events like heatwaves and wildfires but also floods. This is threatening the health of watersheds and, by extension, the well-being of all living things. Watershed security is absolutely necessary, and I am grateful that our government is committed to developing and implementing a watershed security strategy and fund with Indigenous peoples and in collaboration with local and federal governments.

I’ve had dozens of conversations about watershed security in my riding, and I know that folks from Argenta to Ymir and everywhere in between want to be a part of watershed solutions. Protecting B.C.’s water and watersheds is a top priority for our government. We are working with local governments, interest groups and industry to take a holistic approach to stewarding B.C.’s watersheds and ensuring that they are healthy and resilient for the long term.

As outlined in the intentions paper, our government is committed to enabling new approaches to watershed governments through inclusion, capacity-building and collaboration; pursue legislative change, policy development and alignment of the laws and policy to be consistent with the UN declaration; build a strong foundation of watershed science and knowledge that is accessible for use by Indigenous peoples, local governments and communities; apply a holistic approach to watershed management and ecosystem protection; and balance water supply and demand, quality and quantity at the watershed scale to address the needs of people, the environment and the economy.

[11:40 a.m.]

Watershed security means the availability of good-quality water for healthy ecosystems and communities. Watershed security will look different from watershed to watershed, so it is best that we define it locally.

Now, zooming in from the macro to the micro, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and congratulate one person, Gerry Nellestijn, for being named a recipient of the 2023 Community Award. Gerry is a trail-blazing force behind the Salmo Watershed Streamkeepers Society working tirelessly to promote research, awareness and restoration of threatened fish and wildlife, and their habitat in the Salmo Watershed and beyond.

Gerry is just one member of our community that’s doing this work. There are several other organizations and countless people committed to protecting our watersheds in the Kootenays. I would like to thank them for their vital work. Water is life.

H. Yao: I seek leave to make a quick introduction.

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

H. Yao: I’ll take a moment to welcome the Sacrament School, led by teacher Terry Brennan, and of course, all the grade 4 and grade 5 students.

Welcome to our chamber. I hope you guys had a lovely time observing our debate.

Debate Continued

L. Doerkson: It’s certainly a great opportunity to rise today in this House and talk about such an important issue, one that impacts everyone in this province probably much more than we actually realize.

I know that my B.C. United colleagues and I are proud to support B.C.’s watersheds and efforts to keep them safe and healthy for generations. Watersheds are, of course, vital, interconnected ecosystems. They are home to thousands of organisms. They provide us with food and other resources. As much as we are dependent on them, they too are deeply impacted by our actions. As such, we have a responsibility to maintain them for future generations.

I’m lucky to live in the Fraser Basin, a region spanning a massive area of the province. In fact, it’s B.C.’s largest watershed and the fifth largest in the country. The Fraser River Basin is itself composed of numerous smaller watersheds — for instance, like the Chilcotin in my constituency — that all drain into, of course, the Fraser.

The fact that so much of our province is dependent on the Fraser River highlights that our actions have consequences that go far beyond the immediate vicinity. Changes at the mouth of the river can have significant consequences for the rest of the system. And in the same way that something like a rock slide in a tributary far upriver can have consequences far downstream.

We saw this just a few years ago, with the Big Bar landslide up near Lillooet, which created a barrier that deeply affected the migration of Fraser River salmon. It required a significant response from all levels of government to help mitigate the damage and work to restore it to its original condition.

A similar kind of coordinated response is needed on a more general scale for the health of all species dependent on our watersheds. The Fraser is the largest salmon-producing river in the world, yet many populations are in decline. Other species are also at risk, notably steelhead trout. The number of steelhead returning to the Thompson and Chilcotin watersheds is the lowest ever recorded, according to a spring 2022 spawning population estimate from the province. Both populations were classified as an extreme conservation concern and are at risk of extirpation.

The state of steelhead populations in the Fraser Basin, particularly within my constituency, is dire. Last year, the steelhead spawning population for the Chilcotin watershed was estimated to be at just 19 individuals, down from 3,149 in 1985. It’s certainly clear that further action needs to be taken to protect this vital species.

Issues like habitat destruction, pollution and climate change are some of the most serious challenges facing fish populations as well as watersheds as a whole. It’s worth noting that all of these are largely related to human influence. The explosion of growth in industry along the Fraser River corridor over the last century has had significant impacts on the environment, but it’s not out of our power to take positive steps to restore and protect our watersheds and all that depend on them.

[11:45 a.m.]

Investments in habitat restoration projects, controls on pollution and further measures to address climate change will all have positive impacts on the ecosystem. The health and the future of our communities depend on this kind of leadership. It’s certainly within everyone’s best interest to slow the progression of climate change; to ensure we have clean, safe water available for us; and to have healthy wildlife populations.

Healthy ecosystems are more resilient to natural disasters. They can support industry and economic activity. They have a value in simply existing. I’m encouraged that the government has brought a motion forward like this in the Legislature today and took the time to talk about these important issues. Now I look forward to members opposite delivering on actual results, because words alone are not enough to protect our watersheds for generations to come.

J. Routledge: I rise to speak in favour of the motion: “Be it resolved that this House supports this government’s actions to secure B.C.’s watersheds so that safe, clean, abundant water and healthy functioning ecosystems are available to communities, nations and wildlife for generations to come.”

Two years ago, like a lot of people, I didn’t really know much about watersheds. Then I was appointed to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. One of the central functions of that committee is to seek public input about what items should be included in the next provincial budget.

During the 2021 public consultations, we heard from many organizations who raised the alarm about water security. These organizations included Living Lakes Canada, Okanagan Basin Water Board, B.C. Watershed Security Coalition, Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C., B.C. freshwater legacy initiative, Lake Windermere Ambassadors and Rivershed Society of B.C.

They told us that climate change is increasing the necessity to monitor our water supply. To do so, we need to increase our monitoring capabilities. They warned that if we don’t do so, B.C. will run out of clean water, and we will have to start making hard choices about how and where to limit water usage.

To illustrate the point, the Lake Windermere Ambassadors informed us that the glacier that resupplies the Columbia water basin will be gone in 20 years. The Okanagan Basin Water Board told us that the water levels in the lake fluctuate more than they did in the past, and the current infrastructure is no longer adequate. The Real Estate Foundation of B.C. and Watersheds B.C. suggested that developing and funding a watershed security strategy would create jobs, boost local economies, protect drinking water, protect critical salmon habitat and strengthen relationships with Indigenous partners.

In our conclusions, the committee noted that water has long been considered a limitless resource but that in the face of climate change, the abundance of water can no longer be taken for granted. We agreed that water security is vital to health, to the environment and to economic growth. To that end, this bipartisan committee unanimously recommended that funding for watershed security be increased.

Watershed security became an even greater presence during the public consultation the following year. Two themes ran through the more than 20 submissions. One was the importance of watershed planning.

The Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance highlighted that in the face of the previous year’s climate disasters, watersheds provide natural defenses against drought, fire and floods. Organizing for Change explained that in a decades-long absence of planning, many of our watersheds have become degraded. The B.C. Dairy Association noted that farmers have begun working together to schedule watering, and that without water planning, our food security is in jeopardy.

The other theme that struck me, as a member of the committee, was that so many of our watersheds in B.C. are privately owned. Cumberland Community Forest Society explained that the watershed that supplies the town of Cumberland had been privately owned until it was purchased to create a watershed and biodiversity conservation area.

They also drew our attention to the fact that the majority of land containing watersheds in southern Vancouver Island is privately owned and that, therefore, the water supply of surrounding communities is vulnerable to profit-based resource extraction companies. Living Lakes Canada expressed similar concerns regarding other parts of the province.

[11:50 a.m.]

The First Nations Fisheries Council of B.C. explained that accelerated development and climate change is infringing upon First Nations’ rights, livelihood, health outcomes and food security. The committee learned that the only protected watershed in B.C. is the one that feeds the Metro Vancouver water system.

In our conclusions, the committee acknowledged that the province is at risk of reaching a dangerous point of water insecurity. We expressed considerable concern about the prospects of failing to address this issue now. We noted that B.C. is lagging behind other jurisdictions when it comes to water conservation. We noted that we need to do a better job of monitoring all bodies of water to ensure usage and extraction is sustainable. Our sense of urgency was reflected in our recommendations.

In conclusion, I want to thank the many individuals and organizations throughout the province who are working hard to protect this valuable yet underappreciated resource. They motivated me to teach myself that refreshing water that comes out of my tap and my home in Burnaby is part of 115 million litres that come through our pipes every day.

I. Paton: I’m glad to have the opportunity to speak to this motion before the House today. Watersheds play a vital role in our province, providing clean air, regulating water supply and maintaining pristine water for consumption. The water that everyday British Columbians drink is almost all from surface water, which becomes groundwater into lakes, creeks, rivers and streams, meaning it is integral that we take care of these watersheds to ensure they continue to be viable for the future.

Not only are they very important, moving forward, but they’ve also played a significant role historically. In my riding of Delta South, I have one of the major watersheds in B.C., the Fraser River. Historically, this river played a large part in the livelihood of the Indigenous population on the Lower Mainland. It was a significant transportation route and a source of food for the Indigenous people of the region for a very long time, with many First Nations dependent on it.

As significant a role as the Fraser River played in the past, its importance holds the same value today. As the longest-running river in British Columbia, it is a major waterway and extremely important to our local economy. Unfortunately, there is a significant risk of flooding further upriver, where the shallow riverbank is very susceptible and could cause major disruptions. This could lead to water contamination, hurt the ecosystem and have negative effects, impacts on the local economy and residents.

A process that can help prevent flood risk is dredging, which would remove sand, dirt and mud from the secondary channels of the Fraser River. Sediment in the Fraser River is a natural phenomenon, occurring mainly during late spring and early summer with the melting of the snow-packed mountains. The dirt clogs up not just the main channel but the secondary channels that house marinas and businesses, making the water dangerously low and impassable in spots during low tide.

We have a major float home community in and around Ladner. Where it’s low tide, these float homes are sitting on an angle, which compromises their natural gas connections, their sewage connections and their water lines, not to mention major recreational marinas where people can’t even get their boats out of the marinas on low tide. These concerns have been consistently brought up by the local municipalities, but surprisingly, the NDP government chose to only invest money in dredging for the NDP-held riding in Richmond.

The Delta-Ladner side of the Fraser, a B.C. United riding, has conveniently not received any funding to prevent flooding risk and minimize safety hazards. Steveston’s commercial fishing harbour is one of the largest in Canada, with more than 400 vessels. However, Ladner is not far behind, including major seafood processing businesses like Lions Gate Fisheries and S.M. halibut products.

Twenty million tons of sediment washes down the Fraser River annually as it drains one-quarter of the province. The drainage basin of the river is the size of Great Britain, and with the intensive rainfalls last fall and winter, there is more sediment coming down the river than ever before. In my riding, at the end of the drainage journey, there are secondary channels, including Ladner Reach and Canoe Pass, that are home to fishing marinas, float home communities, recreational boating and commercial businesses that all use the river to maintain their way of life.

In 2013, the cities of Delta and Richmond and the Vancouver Port Authority and the province came together with an unprecedented $10 million collaboration to dredge the secondary channels around Ladner and Steveston.

[11:55 a.m.]

Since then, there has been little attention paid to dredging, and the silt has risen to dangerous levels in Delta South. Richmond, a few weeks ago, received $2.1 million of dredge funding for Steveston harbour, but the issues remain in the secondary channels of Delta South, even though a recent Port of Vancouver report graded the need for dredging to be the same in both areas.

These kinds of antics are expected when it comes to this government, which is blatantly gifting money to a riding they hold while withholding much-needed funding to the other side facing the same dredging risk. While Richmond has safety issues, so do the individuals in my riding who will be put in precarious situations while this government refuses to fund this dredging project.

To highlight the need for this funding, I tabled a petition last week with more than 900 signatures from citizens in my riding along the Fraser who are worried about how not taking care of this watershed can severely damage their livelihoods. I hope this government makes the right decision and prioritizes British Columbians, not just those in their ridings.

Noting the hour, I move adjournment of the morning debate.

I. Paton moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Hon. J. Whiteside moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

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

The House adjourned at 11:56 a.m.