Hansard - Tuesday, February 25, 2025 Morning, Issue No. 8

Hon. Mike Farnworth: In the gallery today, we have a number of really amazing people. I know the official opposition and the Greens have done their introductions of the interns, who are amazing young people who are assisting our caucus.

Today I’d like to introduce the interns for the government side.

We have Henry Waatainen, a UBC BA in honours political science, majored in history; Chris Camasco, from the University of Victoria, who has a BA in political science and minor in global development studies; Anabella McElroy, also from UBC, sciences and a BA in political science from Paris.

As well, Myriam Devlin, from Simon Fraser University, studied in political science, French and Indigenous studies; and Ewa Bozerocka, from McGill, bachelor in honours political science and a major in international development studies.

These amazing young people are going to be assisting our caucus.

I would ask the House to make them most welcome.

[10:05 a.m.]

Hon. Adrian Dix: Joining us in the west gallery this morning are 16 diplomats of the Groupe des ambassadeurs et ambassadrices francophones d’Ottawa.

The ambassadors and high commissioners are based in Ottawa, primarily representing francophone countries and regions in the world.

Aujourd’hui nous avons le plaisir d’accueiller leurs excellences représentant le Maroc, le Rwanda, la Côte d’Ivoire, la Belgique, la Macédoine du Nord, le Sénégal, la Grèce, le Chili, le Congo, le Cameroun, le Chypre, le Luxembourg, le Gabon, le Costa Rica, la Wallonie-Bruxelles et le Ghana.

They are here to promote trade in these times when trade is so important around the world — especially the diversification of trade, culture and tourism — and meet with B.C. francophone communities.

Cette Assemblée pourrait-elle leur souhaiter une chaleureuse bienvenue.

Would this House please extend a warm welcome to our guests.

[French text provided by Hon. Adrian Dix.]

Claire Rattée: I would like to take a moment to welcome my sister, Rebecca. She is my little sister, one of many, and she’s been there for me through a lot of really difficult times and a lot of good ones as well. I really appreciate her coming to watch me here today.

I just would ask that everybody would make her feel really welcome.

Hon. Garry Begg: I rise today to introduce the leadership of the Automotive Retailers Association of British Columbia.

Present in the gallery today are Adrian Scovell, president and CEO of the retailers association; Ronald Tremblay, chair of the Automotive Retailers Association; Scott Waddle, board of directors at the Automotive Retailers Association; Wade Bartok, a proud North Vancouver resident, board of directors at the Automotive Retailers Association; Dena Parke is on the board of directors at the Automotive Retailers Association; and Mark Greenberg, vice-president of business development at Craftsman Collision.

May the House please make them all welcome.

Peter Milobar: On behalf of the member for Kamloops–North Thompson and myself, we have a few visitors here from Kamloops.

We have Wayne and Norma Watts.

We have a gentleman who was a former school trustee, a former board chair, was on city council with myself and then actually succeeded me in the mayor’s chair as well and has now figured out that retirement and grandkids are a lot more enjoyable than municipal government — Ken and Brenda Christian.

Will the House please make them welcome.

Hon. Bowinn Ma: You know, it often feels like we age an entire year for every day that we are in this House. But for at least one member of the chamber today, that might actually be true. I understand that it is the birthday of the member for Surrey-Cloverdale today.

While I’m not going to make you all sing happy birthday to her, I do want to acknowledge that as members of this chamber and our commitment to our community and this province often takes us away from family and loved ones during special days.

Would the House please join me in wishing the member for Surrey-Cloverdale a very happy birthday.

Hon. Randene Neill: Today in the gallery, watching QP in person for her first time, is my brand-new admin assistant, Bella Lindsay. After a long career in teaching, she decided to do something much simpler, and we could not be happier to have her on the team.

We really want her to stick around, so please, everyone, give a warm welcome to Bella.

[10:10 a.m.]

Misty Van Popta: Friends, in the gallery today is my constituency assistant, Leda Omid. She came to me highly recommended but is also new in this role herself. As many of us new MLAs can understand, we are learning our job as we go along, and we’re quite often paired up with constituency assistants who are also learning the job as they go along, with little oversight from us.

I just really want to send a hearty welcome into this chamber for her and to say, publicly, thank you for really making my job easier and the communications with my constituency even better.

If we can welcome Leda, please.

Hon. George Chow: I have a new admin assistant joining my ministry, and she’s looking for some excitement on the job. So I told her to come to question period.

Would the House please join me and welcome Carly Bernays to the House.

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

Bill 4 — Business Practices and
Consumer Protection
Amendment Act, 2025

Hon. Niki Sharma presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor: a bill intituled Business Practices and Consumer Protection Amendment Act, 2025.

Hon. Niki Sharma: I move that the bill be introduced and read a first time now.

I am pleased to introduce the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Amendment Act. This bill makes amendments to the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act to modernize consumer contract provisions. The amendments will establish transparency requirements for contracts and target certain contracts restricting access to justice and providing for a more transparent system that helps people keep costs down and avoid fraud.

The Speaker: Members, the question is first reading of the bill.

Motion approved.

Hon. Niki Sharma: I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Motion approved.

Members’ Statements

Bus Rapid Transit System
in Maple Ridge–Langley Area

Lawrence Mok: I rise to briefly talk about the coming new bus rapid transit system that TransLink is bringing to the Maple Ridge area. When completed in 2029, it will be the first BRT project in British Columbia.

The bus rapid transit system is a quick and affordable public transit option to Maple Ridge from Langley city. This initiative by TransLink is to provide an additional transit option rather than replacing existing routes. The BRT will elevate congestion on localized bus routes, while at the same time, shortening the travel time by 40 minutes going from Langley to Maple Ridge. That is half the current commute time on public transit.

The proposed BRT project will have a total of 13 bus stations, five in Maple Ridge and eight in Langley. The cost of this project is also very, very much cheaper than other public transit options like the SkyTrain.

The project is currently in its second phase, focusing mainly on community outreach and attaining more funding through open houses and an online survey. They have received over 1,200 responses with a 90 percent approval rating. I think that’s awesome. TransLink sees 40 percent of the funding coming from the federal government, 40 percent from the provincial government and 20 percent from the municipalities.

I am very excited about this new BRT initiative that TransLink is bringing to the people of Maple Ridge and Langley.

[10:15 a.m.]

Esquimalt Military Family
Resource Centre

Darlene Rotchford: I would like to acknowledge the Songhees and the Esquimalt peoples whose traditional territory I stand on today and thank them for allowing me to not only live but raise my children on their lands.

Today I want to recognize an outstanding organization in my community, the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre, or as we call them, the MFRC. This exceptional non-profit and charitable organization provides critical support to military families in my riding of Esquimalt-Colwood.

The MFRC assists military families before, during and after deployments, especially helping after deployments with reintegration, which may sound silly to anyone who has never been in the military, but trust me, those can be some challenging months when someone comes back, even though we loved and missed them dearly.

In addition, they offer services related to housing, employment, education and health care for families relocating to our communities, just like every other British Columbian. For those who don’t know, military families have their own weird set of rules.

The vital work is made possible through a dedicated board of directors of individuals with military connections and is then run by executive director Jackie Carlé. Jackie is a strong advocate for military families. I only point her out because during my time in local government, I frequently saw her talking about the passionate need for more housing and child care in my community for military families.

The MFRC does collaborate closely with the commander of Maritime Forces Pacific, the base commander and the director of military family service as partners. They ensure that the CAF members deployed overseas can focus on their mission without worrying about the well-being of our families at home. As a military spouse, I can’t tell you how good it is to know that I have a family at home when our partners are sailing.

I just want to thank the Esquimalt MFRC for their unwavering commitment to those who are serving our country, to ensuring that we’re all taking care so our military can do their jobs.

City of Abbotsford

Korky Neufeld: It’s an honour to speak about the city of Abbotsford this morning, a community that stands as the economic and agricultural heart of the Fraser Valley, a shining example of generosity, diversity and innovation in Canada.

Known as “the city in the country,” Abbotsford is a powerhouse in Canada’s agricultural sector. With farm-gate sales more than double that of any of those farms in any community in B.C. and the highest farm sales per hectare in the country, its agricultural strength is unmatched. In 2022 alone, Abbotsford’s farms generated $3.83 billion in economic activity, feeding families across the province and beyond. From dairy and poultry to berries to greenhouse vegetables, this city is the backbone of Canadian food production.

But Abbotsford’s impact extends far beyond its fields. For 18 consecutive years, it has ranked as Canada’s most generous metropolitan area. Whether supporting local charities, youth programs or international relief efforts, the people of Abbotsford define the spirit of giving.

Diversity is another defining strength. Home to one of Canada’s largest South Asian communities and over 80 spoken languages, Abbotsford is a vibrant, multicultural hub where faith, traditions, ideas and innovation thrive. With nearly 28 percent of residents born outside of Canada, the city continues to attract talent, investment and cultural richness from around the world.

Beyond agriculture, Abbotsford is a growing centre for business, manufacturing and aerospace. From aviation to film production, its industries create thousands of jobs and drive economic growth across British Columbia.

And of course, it’s the raspberry capital of Canada, which adds a sweet touch to its agricultural lore.

From the fields to the factories, from generosity to diversity, Abbotsford’s impact is felt from the region to the province to the country. It is my privilege to represent Abbotsford in Victoria, as they so proudly represent Abbotsford to the nation.

Abbotsford, the city in the country.

Invictus Games
and Proposal for Hosting in Korea

Paul Choi: As we all know, the Invictus Games were held recently here in Vancouver. It’s a celebration of resilience, camaraderie and indomitable spirit of our veterans.

During this extraordinary event, I had the pleasure of meeting with the vice-minister of Korean veterans affairs. His visit to B.C. was part of ongoing discussions with Prince Harry about the possibility of hosting the next Invictus Games in Daejeon province, in Korea.

Now, for me, this dialogue was particularly meaningful, because Daejeon is my hometown, the place where I was born, so the prospect of seeing the Invictus Games held here filled me with immense pride.

[10:20 a.m.]

It also speaks to deep bonds between B.C. and Korea, bonds forged during the Korean War when our nations stood shoulder to shoulder and reinforced by decades of trade and diplomatic cooperation ever since.

The Invictus Games provide us not only an opportunity to honour the sacrifices of our veterans but also a chance to build new connections with other nations. This spirit of cooperation is vital, especially now, as we know, as we seek to further diversify trade relationships and navigate the economic challenge ahead of our time.

Hosting the next Invictus Games game in Daejeon would be a powerful tribute to Korean-Canadian friendship and a testament to the resilience of veterans everywhere. It would also build on the momentum of our shared history, reinforcing the unity between Canada and Korea in both remembrance and forward-looking development to keep us north strong.

Lunar New Year

Teresa Wat: It is a great honour for me to rise in the House today to take note of one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other communities. This year’s lunar new year began on January 29 and is celebrated for the whole month of January in the lunar calendar.

And 2025 is the Year of the Snake, which symbolizes renewal and wisdom. This is a time of renewal, a time to give thanks, to prepare for the challenges ahead and to celebrate the successes of the year behind us, to join with friends and family and wish prosperity and good fortune to those around us.

My colleagues and I were thrilled to join local communities in welcoming the new year, including the countdown night and golden dragon and lion dance celebration at Aberdeen Centre in my beautiful riding of Richmond-Bridgeport, as well as the Vancouver Chinatown Parade, which attracted thousands of spectators even though it was snowing that day. It was great seeing multi-ethnic groups get together to observe and join the celebration.

Canada is a country of immigrants. In particular, almost 1.3 million or 28.3 percent of British Columbians are immigrants, the majority of which were born in Asia.

I would like to take this opportunity to call for strengthening understanding and harmony between different ethnic groups and communities. Let’s not let ways define us. Let’s learn to appreciate and embrace diversity. We can start by being interested in how other cultures celebrate their festivals, such as the lunar new year, and then take part and learn about it.

To everyone celebrating the lunar new year, I wish you happiness and prosperity in the year ahead.

Gong xi fa cai.

Gung hay fat choy.

Island Crisis Care Society
and Fundraising Walk

Stephanie Higginson: Today I rise to express my gratitude to the Island Crisis Care Society for hosting me at the incredibly successful Coldest Night of the Year walk in Oceanside last weekend.

Island Crisis Care Society is a registered non-profit society that operates in the Oceanside and Nanaimo area. They offer eight housing sites and 13 programs and provide housing and supports to over 250 people daily. Island Crisis Care aims to offer more than just shelter. They provide their clients with a wide range of supports for their growth and development, not just to survive but to thrive.

This year the funds raised through the Coldest Night of the Year will support Island Crisis Care’s community-based programs that provide essential skill-building for their clients. It is these programs that bridge the gap between surviving and thriving. These life skills programs cover topics such as healthy eating, literacy, job readiness training, communication and cultural learning, and continue to have a major impact on the residents’ journey to independence.

In 2018, Island Crisis Care, B.C. Housing, and the city of Parksville faced relentless push-back in their efforts to create supportive housing in the area of Oceanside. Rather than fold at this push-back, Island Crisis Care worked with the opponents of the project and addressed concerns one by one with the same methodical care that they use to run their programming.

[10:25 a.m.]

Today Orca Place is seamlessly operating at 222 Corfield Street in Parksville. It looks and feels like any other apartment building on the block and runs integrative programming with the neighbouring residents, often the same people who fiercely objected the project.

I was honoured to attend the Coldest Night of the Year and support this incredible service provider and the programs they offer their clients.

Oral Questions

Government Policies on
Substance Use and Funding of
Advocacy Organizations

John Rustad: An exposé in the New West Times draws some shocking conclusions about money flowing from the B.C. government to radical drug organizations. These organizations use the money to promote the NDP’s safe supply agenda while people are dying in record numbers from addictions.

We’re talking about taxpayer money being spent on partisan NDP policies. This is shocking, and quite frankly, it’s destroying the trust in government programs.

To the Premier: will you implement a full independent inquiry into your safe supply scandal and all of its tentacles, or will you continue to dole out taxpayers’ money to out-of-touch, pro-drug regimes?

Hon. David Eby: Thank you to the member for the question.

There are thousands and thousands of British Columbians who have lost loved ones as a result of the toxic drug crisis. Our commitment to them and to all British Columbians is to do our best to keep people alive, that they have the opportunity to get into treatment and rebuild their lives.

That’s why we’re opening more treatment beds. That’s why we’re making sure that they have access to detox and a chance to rebuild their lives. I think of the new facility serving youth, Orca Lelum, on the Island. Then interventions for people who are struggling in our streets with mental health and addiction issues. They can’t care for themselves. So it’s building those services out.

What the member says is not correct. We had a very clear issue with an organization in Vancouver that took it upon themselves to break the law and distribute drugs. We cut off funding to that group, sent out messages to all of the organizations, including peer organizations, that we fund, that help deliver health care to individuals.

We will not tolerate the law being broken. If you do so, your funding will be cut off, and we’ll support police in any prosecutions.

It’s a very bright line. It’ll continue to be a bright line.

The Speaker: Leader of the Official Opposition, supplemental.

John Rustad: Let’s have a look at just what some of these organizations are. For example, an organization called the Coalition of Peers Dismantling the Drug War received $60,000 from this government through the community action initiative.

What was their goal? Repeal the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Release all charged under this act. Defund the police, and expand non-described drug programs.

Let’s look at another organization called SUSTAIN, which stands for Substance Users Society Teaching Advocacy Instead of Neglect. They received $60,000 as well to fund their goal of decriminalizing all drugs, including fentanyl. These are just two organizations funded to promote the NDP’s drug agenda in 2024.

To the Premier: given your abject failure of harm reduction, will you start an inquiry, demand our money back and actually start investing in recovery, things like abstinence-based recovery?

The Speaker: All questions through the Chair, Member.

Hon. David Eby: It was the hope of many people, myself included, and we had the support of the chiefs of police, that if we removed the criminal sanction from people, if we stopped arresting them and putting them in jail — those who are struggling with addiction — they might take that opportunity to speak to friends and loved ones, to ask for help and be more likely to enter into treatment.

Unfortunately, that’s not what happened, or at least for a significant group of people, that’s not what happened. What we saw was increased public use. What we saw was people feeling unsafe in their communities. What we saw was people who were in recovery feeling triggered seeing public drug use. We had to step back from the decriminalization initiative and recriminalize public drug use.

We’re going to make sure that…. We’re going to try everything we can to support people getting into treatment and saving their lives.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

Please continue.

[10:30 a.m.]

Hon. David Eby: If it’s not consistent with our values, if it’s not resulting in the outcomes that British Columbians are looking for, then we’re going to move in a different direction. It is an incredibly challenging issue, and we’re going to do the work that’s necessary.

Illicit Drug Trade Activities
and Enforcement Response

Elenore Sturko: Free shipping, 10 percent off your first order, is supposed to be the promotion for buying chocolate from a local store, not for buying ultra-premium cocaine. Online stores like Delics are following the Premier’s example of normalizing drugs and pushing safe supply. They will ship cocaine, MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin direct to your door.

They are going to ship it via Canada Xpresspost, disguised as a box of chocolates. All you need is a credit card — no questions asked, no proof of age.

Years of NDP drug legalization activism running roughshod through this province has emboldened criminals and has increased the demand for illicit drugs.

When will the Premier show some real concern for the health and safety of British Columbians and intervene?

Hon. Garry Begg: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

I appreciate the member’s passion on this issue, but if the member opposite wants to talk about drugs and safe supply, I think we should talk about results.

We’re talking about taking the fight directly to organized crime.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh. Members.

Hon. Garry Begg: We have expanded police resources, enhanced drug seizures and invested in intelligence-led enforcement.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members. Let’s hear the answer, please.

Hon. Garry Begg: Just this past October RCMP federal drug policing dismantled the largest fentanyl and methamphetamine superlab in Canadian history, preventing over 95 million lethal doses of this drug flooding our streets. This is the kind of action that saves lives.

We will continue to work…

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members. Let the minister finish his answer, please.

Hon. Garry Begg: …with police to ensure that organized criminals are disrupted wherever they may be. This government will not play political games with people’s lives.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members. Members, come to order.

Members. Order.

Hon. Garry Begg: We will continue to support enforcement crackdowns on drug traffickers and bad actors wherever they may be in British Columbia.

The Speaker: Surrey-Cloverdale, supplemental.

Government Policies on
Substance Use and Funding of
Advocacy Organizations

Elenore Sturko: Let’s do talk results. More than 16,000 British Columbians dead, primarily from fentanyl overdose, and a recent criminal intelligence report saying that B.C. and Ontario are the worst for cartel fentanyl production in the entire country.

Our Premier has been a champion of legalization of drugs for years. When he started his dangerous safe supply experiment, he said that the aim was to get government between people addicted to drugs and their dealer. The part that he left out was that the government would be the drug dealer.

This government has normalized drug use. It uses tax dollars to fund anti-police activists who are fighting to legalize drugs. They continue to run online websites that will deliver crack pipes and snorting kits right to your door, instead of removing financial barriers to all treatment.

Will the Premier stand up today and commit to defunding his beloved anti-police organizations that are fighting to legalize drugs and instead fund treatment, addiction and mental health?

Hon. Garry Begg: The toxic drug crisis and the violence in our streets are the result of money laundering and organized crime. We’re taking action every day to dismantle these criminal organizations…

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh.

Hon. Garry Begg: …sending the message to the very top of the organizations that these crimes do not pay.

We passed, as you know, unexplained wealth orders, legislation that goes beyond merely arresting people. It takes the thrill out of the fast cars, luxury goods of high-level organized criminals.

[10:35 a.m.]

We’re sending, every day, a clear message that our government will continue to take decisive action against suspected proceeds of unlawful activity.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members, shhh. Members, let’s hear the answer, please.

The minister will conclude.

Hon. Garry Begg: The member opposite will know that we’ve seized the property of Hell’s Angels in British Columbia in three specific locations in this province.

Our commitment to this House is we will continue to seize illegal obtained assets brick by brick. We will demolish organized crime and punish those who profit from it.

Government Action on Homelessness

Rob Botterell: Street sweeps continue across the province. This ongoing displacement of unhoused members of our communities is often dehumanizing, violent. In far too many parts of British Columbia, we’ve seen people displaced, dispossessed of their belongings and left with nowhere safe to go.

B.C. spent millions on the police enforcement of shelter bans yet continues to make woefully inadequate investments in dignified and safe housing. And this is one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the world.

To the Premier: when will your government make the investments needed to end homelessness once and for all through dignified, safe housing that meets people’s needs?

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: I want to thank the member for the question.

We on this side of the House agree fully that everyone deserves to have a roof over their head. Everyone deserves to have a safe place that they call home. What worries me, and…

Interjection.

The Speaker: Shhh.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: …I think what worries the member across the way, is too often people see the problem as homeless people themselves, when the problem actually is the lack of housing available in our communities.

We have made the largest investment in affordable housing in B.C.’s history. Just to put it in context, 32 times more affordable housing that is ongoing right now…

Interjection.

The Speaker: Members.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: …than when the previous government was in — 32 times more. We are making up for lost time, and we’re seeing some results.

In Kelowna, 120 new units of supportive housing that we’ve launched. The mayor has informed me, and the members from Kelowna will know, that they’re seeing success. In the first six months, 40 people have already moved to temporary housing and found their way back to connecting with family, employment, to stable housing.

I can go on with all the communities where we’re seeing this progress, but I appreciate the member’s passion for this important issue. We’re going to fight every single day to make sure everyone has a roof over their head.

The Speaker: Member, supplemental.

Rob Botterell: It’s clear that the existing housing and sheltering options are not meeting people’s needs. There’s lots more to do. Each MLA in this House sees it daily. Emergency shelters are often unable to remain open consistently. Only rarely is there dedicated space for people to store their belongings.

We must not forget that people experiencing homelessness are members of our community too. They deserve safe housing just as much as you and I.

To the Minister of Housing: how are you consulting people with lived experience to ensure all housing and shelter solutions meet their needs?

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: I agree with the member that people with lived experience need to be at the table, and we engage with people who have lived experience daily. We engage with them all the time.

I want to highlight to the member another community. Prince George had a real challenging issue with Moccasin Flats and an encampment there. Working with local government….

Interjection.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: Oh, the Leader of the Opposition has some comments on this. This is good news. He used to represent part of the community. He should know.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members, shhh.

Let’s focus on the question and answer, please.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Moccasin Flats had close to 100 people there that were homeless, struggling for housing. What did we do? We went to the local government. We went to our local Indigenous partners and said let’s create one table, let’s find solutions — 140 brand new units of housing coming online.

[10:40 a.m.]

We have one person left at Moccasin Flats. Soon we’ll be able to get that last individual into housing.

That’s how you do it. You work with communities. You make some tough decisions.

I appreciate what the member is saying. We need to make sure that people who have lived experience are in the centre of our conversation. I can assure the member that they are, on this side of the House.

Addiction Treatment and
Recovery Services in Terrace

Claire Rattée: The city of Terrace has one of the highest overdose rates in B.C. Indigenous people in the North are nearly six times more likely to die from drugs, yet this government continues to pour millions into its so-called safe supply experiment. Meanwhile, my community is still waiting for a fully funded detox and treatment centre.

Detox without supports is a death sentence. It leaves people physically sober, but mentally and emotionally in the same place, making them highly vulnerable to relapse and overdose.

Why has this government abandoned the people in the North by not funding a detox and treatment centre?

Hon. Josie Osborne: Thank you very much to the member, the critic for mental health and addictions, for raising a really important question around supports for people who live in communities that are farther from urban centres and often farther from the supports that they need.

It’s so important that we pay particular attention to remote, rural communities, Indigenous communities, because connecting people to the supports that they need is a core priority for this government, for the entire health care system and particularly in this, the toxic drug crisis that has touched so many people.

The hon. member is absolutely correct that we need to connect people to the services that they need, and that is the priority of this government. Over the previous years, we have funded over 700 publicly funded new treatment beds. We are supporting communities through the establishment of withdrawal management…

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh. Shhh.

Hon. Josie Osborne: …and connecting people to care, sobering and assessment, transition homes, supporting people with the supports that they need to tackle this crisis. We are not going to stop that work.

I appreciate so much the intervention from the member and look forward to working with her to help resolve issues in her community and communities broadly in the North.

The Speaker: Member for Skeena, supplemental.

Claire Rattée: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Through you, respectfully, that does not answer my question.

Terrace has been asking for this detox and treatment centre for over a decade. Terrace has a population of about 12,000 people, plus all of the outlying areas that do not have access. Indigenous leaders in the Northern First Nations Alliance have been clear. They need culturally sensitive treatments that include wraparound supports. The closest accessible treatment centre for people in my riding is a six- to eight-hour drive away. That is unacceptable.

The success rate of detox alone is only about 10 percent. That seems to be the only investment we can get in my riding. This government’s harm reduction model is meaningless if people don’t have access to the treatment and recovery that they need to escape addiction. This government has made safe supply widely available while failing to provide a clear path to recovery.

If this government is serious about reconciliation and saving lives, why hasn’t it delivered Indigenous-led treatment and recovery services in my community? How much longer will my community have to wait before a fully funded detox and treatment centre is operational?

Hon. Josie Osborne: Thank you again, to the member, for this line of questioning.

Our government is committing to do everything that we can to continue to expand the full continuum of supports and services for people, from intervention and prevention through to withdrawal management, detox, establishing treatment beds and recovery programs for people.

I know there’s a lot more work to do. We are going to continue to do this work, supporting Indigenous communities with Indigenous-led treatment centres as are now being established in places around British Columbia, but there is more work to do to reach communities.

In the meantime, we are going to continue this work, offering centralized phone lines for opioid treatment, for example, and continuing with the investments in mental health for youth to help prevent these problems from beginning in the very first place.

[10:45 a.m.]

Again, there is an incredible amount of work to do, and I look forward to working with the member to get this work done.

Management of Supportive
Housing Site in Kelowna

Kristina Loewen: B.C. Housing funds Stephen Village, which is a wet supportive housing facility in Kelowna, making them responsible for the residents. But instead of keeping the peace, everyone is frustrated.

Aaron Wells of Flaman Fitness, a neighbouring business, had his store and vehicles broken into. Other constituents have come to me with concerns about assaults, drug deals and lewd behaviour frightening them and their children.

When will this government provide the support to fix the neighbourhood while helping those in need get off the street?

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: I thank the member for the question. The member would have heard my answer previously about the success we’re seeing in Kelowna with unhoused populations.

It’s always concerning when you hear of a situation where there are people in the community that feel that better protections need to be put in place. We work closely with our not-for-profit providers to ensure that they are putting additional supports and safety measures in, whether it’s fencing, whether it’s cameras, etc.

The member raises a specific site. I will have B.C. Housing look into that and get back to the member.

The Speaker: Kelowna Centre, supplemental.

Kristina Loewen: Stephen Village is a wet facility, meaning it’s low barrier and it allows residents to engage in illegal substances, substances that this government has been peddling on B.C. streets. Even the staff know they are being abandoned, left to burn out without being able to help those in need or to evict those causing the problems.

Stephen Village is failing its residents and the community.

Will this government listen to them and provide them with the supports they need and make Stephen Village a dry facility?

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: Just for the members’ knowledge, whenever a community comes forward with needs and requests for housing, the first thing we do is engage with them, the people with lived experience, the not-for-profits, to identify what the needs are in communities.

We do have some locations that are dry locations. We have some locations that are lower barrier, because that’s what’s needed.

Interjection.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: If the member has got a question, she could get up and ask a question. But the consistent heckling from this member, hon. Speaker….

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members. Members.

Members, let the minister complete his answer, please.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: It’s a serious question. It’s about vulnerable people.

We meet with community leaders. We meet with not-for-profits all the time to discuss what type of housing is needed. The reality is that both are needed. We need to make sure that there’s low barrier housing to get people indoors, to get them the stability that they need to get them the additional supports, whether it’s health care, mental health, or connecting with family. We need both.

Again, this site I can’t speak to specifically. But I will follow up with the member after question period.

Supervised Drug Use Sites
Near Health Care Facilities

Harman Bhangu: This NDP government promised British Columbians that open drug use near hospitals and long-term-care homes would end, yet right beside Langley Memorial’s senior long-term-care facility, there is a tent where people openly use fentanyl, crack and other hard drugs. This is not just reckless; this is dangerous for seniors, patients and front-line health care workers.

Why is this government allowing a so-called safe drug site to operate right next to a health facility meant for the vulnerable?

Hon. Josie Osborne: Thank you to the member for the question.

I want to be absolutely clear. When it comes to illicit drug use on hospital sites, in particular, that is not permitted, and our government has been very clear around that, outside of designated — designated — overdose prevention service sites. This is because the safety of people who use drugs, of staff who work in sites and of patients around are of utmost priority.

We have established clear provincial policy to this effect, and we are working to establish minimum service standards around overdose prevention sites or safe consumption sites on hospital properties.

[10:50 a.m.]

We’re going to continue to move forward with that work so that we can ensure that we have a way of connecting people, the human contact of a person working with community service organizations and care providers, to ensure that they get the connection to the supports that they need.

The Speaker: Langley-Abbotsford, supplemental.

Harman Bhangu: The Premier and the Health Minister assured British Columbians that these sites would be shut down. Sadly, this was just another election stunt by the Premier to desperately cling to power and willing to say anything to keep it.

These sites are still operating, exposing seniors, families and staff to toxic drugs and their fumes, just steps away from hospital windows — steps. This government has lost control and completely lost the plot.

Does this Premier take pride in this, or will the Premier take action to shut this down, or is this yet another broken promise to add to the growing list of government failures?

Hon. Josie Osborne: It is absolutely no stunt to take this crisis incredibly seriously, to know that the toxic drug crisis has impacted so many people across British Columbia. We will continue to use every tool in our toolbox, all through the spectrum of prevention and treatment and recovery, to help people, to connect them to the supports and services that they need and to keep them alive on that journey.

We have been very clear around the policy of overdose prevention sites. We expect health authorities, whose jurisdiction it is to enforce this policy, to do that work. We are going to continue to work with people, with health care providers, with community support organizations to connect people to the supports that they need…

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

Hon. Josie Osborne: …and to continue to build out a seamless system of care for people who are struggling with substance use disorders. We are not going to stop on this work.

Access to Cancer Care Services
in Kootenay Area

Pete Davis: Cancer — a word that sends a chill down the spine of every British Columbian. A word that has touched every community, shattered countless families and taken far too many lives. You would be hard-pressed to walk through even these halls to find a single person that hasn’t lost a loved one, a parent, a sibling, a friend to this relentless disease.

Radiation therapy is not an optional; it is an essential. It is vital. It is a life-saving component of cancer treatment. Yet, despite approving a new oncology treatment building at East Kootenay Regional Hospital, this government has shockingly excluded radiation therapy.

How could this government justify excluding this crucial life-saving treatment from this new build?

This decision is not just disappointing; it is unacceptable. Cancer patients in the Kootenays deserve better. This facility has the power to save lives, yet this government is choosing to deny them the care that they need.

Hon. Josie Osborne: Thank you to the member for his question and for his clear and obvious compassion for people who are suffering from cancer. It is a diagnosis that none of us would ever wish to face, yet I am certain that everyone in this House has had a family member, a loved one, a friend,or even themselves have to face this terrible diagnosis.

Everybody deserves and needs that access to care, and we are committed to building out a cancer care system across this province that is one of excellence. That includes investments, including hiring more than 140 new cancer doctors, for example, 93 new oncologists, opening cancer care clinics in places like Kelowna.

I recognize that that is a distance, but I’ve had the opportunity to speak with the regional hospital district director about this subject many times and explaining and talking with local community members about the importance of supporting people to get the best cancer care they can closest to home and that in time, when the space and the numbers of people who are facing this warrant it, these kinds of services can be added.

This door is not closed. We will continue to support people facing this terrible disease.

[10:55 a.m.]

The Speaker: Member for Kootenay-Rockies, supplemental.

Pete Davis: The minister’s answer is to take a seven-hour drive. That’s not a very good answer. The demand for radiation services in East Kootenays isn’t just urgent; it’s at the breaking point. Over 3,600 cancer treatments are needed in that area every single year, and that number is just climbing, yet this government refuses to provide the care that the Kootenay families desperately need.

Instead, cancer patients are forced to travel six hours over two mountain passes to Kelowna for radiation — an impossible, exhausting and sometimes dangerous journey for those already battling for their lives. This is ridiculous.

Does this Health Minister seriously expect families already facing the chaos and trauma of a cancer diagnosis to uproot their lives and endure treacherous travels just to receive the basic life care that they should have close to home? Will this government reconsider and ensure that radiation treatment is available in the Kootenays before we lose more lives?

Hon. Josie Osborne: Thank you again to the member for the question.

I recognize, coming from a small, rural community myself, that travel for cancer care is a burden for people. It is difficult to face, and it is one that is inequitably faced by people who live in smaller communities across this province, which is why we have worked to invest in assisting people in those travel costs, in overnight costs, for certain kinds of cancer care, because we know that people need that help.

We are committed to continue building out our ten-year cancer plan, including the addition of four new cancer centres across this province that are helping people from rural communities across B.C. who face these challenges to overcome them and get cancer care closer to home. We will continue this work, and we will not stop.

[End of question period.]

Tabling Documents

The Speaker: Hon. Members, I have the honour to table the Auditor General’s report B.C. Public Sector Boards: Oversight of the Appointment Process.

Orders of the Day

Hon. Mike Farnworth: I seek leave.

Leave granted.

The Speaker: Please proceed.

Motions Without Notice

Pink Shirt Day

Hon. Mike Farnworth: I move:

[That, notwithstanding Standing Order 17B, Members be permitted to wear a pink shirt in the House on February 26, 2025, being Pink Shirt Day.]

Pink Shirt Day tomorrow is an important day of acknowledgement of the trauma that is associated with bullying in this province. It is an opportunity for members to show the public that we stand united against bullying in all its forms.

The ability to wear a pink shirt — recognizing that, in this chamber — would send a strong message to the public on our views that bullying is not acceptable in this chamber, in this province, or anywhere in our great nation of Canada.

The Speaker: Any further speakers on this issue?

If not, you have heard the motion.

Motion approved.

Hon. Mike Farnworth: I call continued second reading on Bill 3.

[11:00 a.m.]

[Mable Elmore in the chair.]

Second Reading of Bills

Bill 3 — Protected Areas of
British Columbia Amendment Act, 2025
(continued)

Hon. Mike Farnworth: It’s my pleasure today to rise to speak to Bill 3, the Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2025.

This is a piece of legislation that, as members have spoken to, comes on a fairly regular basis to make amendments to park boundaries in British Columbia, either by expanding them or perhaps, in some cases, some pieces are being removed for particular purposes. But it’s done here in this House.

When you read this particular piece of legislation, it is really interesting in the kinds of parks that are being approached. One of these parks is something that I find…. Often the name tells you a lot about the park. It tells you, maybe, where it is or the fact that there’s a strong Indigenous connection to it, by the name.

But in one of these parks, it speaks to two interesting plants. They are Rhododendron macrophyllum and Rhododendron groenlandicum. Members may wonder what is so special about these two particular species of plants. There is something quite special about them.

One, Rhododendron groenlandicum, is actually quite common and is found in much of British Columbia — indeed, much of Canada, in terms of the boreal forests of this country. It was a plant that was particularly important to Indigenous nations in our country, as well as early settlers, because its leaves provided and made a very health-giving tea in terms of providing vitamin C.

It is still used to this day. If you were to find yourself without coffee or tea on a camping trip, you could easily use the leaves for that. As I said, it is found throughout much of British Columbia and, indeed, Canada.

The other one, Rhododendron macrophyllum, is the most interesting of the two in the fact that it is only found here in British Columbia. It is only found on southern Vancouver Island and in parts of the southwest coast of British Columbia, Manning Park being one of those, but also in one of the parks mentioned in this particular bill, the Skagit River Rhododendron Ecological Reserve.

It is an example of the kind of diversity of the parks that we have in this province. We’re not just looking after majestic landscapes. We’re not just looking after critical wildlife populations or the ability for people to take advantage of our natural beauty in this province to go hiking and camping but also ensuring that our native flora are protected.

That’s what’s so important about this particular park, because this is one of the few places where you can find the species of rhododendron known as Rhododendron macrophyllum, which is unique in Canada to being found here in British Columbia.

What is also fascinating about this…. I always remember it, because I remember a previous government, back in the early 2000s, that decided to embark on regulation cutting. They cut all kinds of regulations that they said were outdated.

The one that I always remember was when the former leader of the B.C. Liberal then United Party…. He’s the one that threw all his colleagues under the bus the day after he held a big fundraiser at the home of the member for Delta South, saying that they were going to fight the election right through to the end, and then the next day, he throws all his colleagues under the bus. He happened to be the minister that introduced this package of, quote, “deregulation.”

The one that he championed the most was the one that said you can’t cut down rhododendrons.

[11:05 a.m.]

What was fascinating was that the regulation was in place to protect, funnily enough, the particular species of rhododendron that is found in Skagit River Rhododendron Ecological Reserve. Just an interesting footnote to this park but also to the history of what, sometimes, people think are outdated regulations. They actually do serve a particular purpose.

That being said, it’s also my pleasure, when looking at this particular bill, to look at some of the other parks that are impacted or are part and parcel of this. One is the Fraser River Ecological Reserve.

Again, when you look at the name, Fraser River Ecological Reserve, it seems pretty straightforward. The fact is that it’s more complex than that, because as we know, the Fraser River, which is the lifeblood of much of the province in terms of the salmon fishery and the salmon habitat in British Columbia extending from the mouth all the way right up into the interior of this province, is the largest watershed in the province of British Columbia.

This particular ecological reserve is very much focused on the New Westminster land district, in terms of the survey. That’s very much the mouth and coming up the river to my neck of the woods in Port Coquitlam and beyond. Why that’s important is because we know that’s the area of greatest settlement density in our province, both historically and in modern terms, and the challenge has been so much has been lost.

Those riparian areas and the waterfront areas have had to balance that combination of industrial development, residential development and, at the same time, ensuring that habitat is there for our fish species, whether it be the species of salmon that migrate up the Fraser — the sockeye, the chum, the chinook, the pink salmon, for example; the steelhead that go up there, the cutthroat trout that use it, the oolichan runs which our Indigenous nations depended on for so long. All use the Fraser River as that major highway.

What’s critical is that we are able to ensure that key areas are protected and preserved so that they don’t become degraded, they don’t become developed, because we have to ensure that that critical habitat is there. That’s, again, what this deals with.

I particularly focused on this because one of the things that during my time as MLA and being the MLA for Port Coquitlam was to advocate and has been to advocate for these particular areas.

One of the ones that comes to mind is an island just in the middle of the Fraser River, just past the junction of the Pitt River and the Fraser River called Douglas Island. It is an uninhabited island. It is actually the largest undiked island on the Lower Fraser River. So it is subject at highwater to flooding, and there are natural levees on there. It is forested. It has important habitat considerations, not just in terms of the fish habitat around it but also for wildlife such as bear, deer, birds, and whatnot.

But there was, at one time, a proposal to build a bridge from Port Coquitlam to this island and develop it for housing, which made absolutely no sense. It was privately held at that time by one of the forest companies, and it made absolutely no sense to do that kind of development on something that is right…. Silt, floodplain…. Just the cost would have been absolutely ridiculous. We just had an earthquake the other day. That is an area that would have been highly impacted by a significant earthquake.

Anyway, we entered into negotiations back then with the forest company, and we got…. The island became part of the protected area in the Lower Fraser, and it was done in a win-win situation.

[11:10 a.m.]

The forest company in question was more than willing to ensure that the province got it. They also weren’t thrilled about the idea of potential development on it, because they had something that was of economic value to them that they wanted to see remain in place. That was the ability to boom logs around it because it is fresh water, so you didn’t have to worry about degradation of logs.

The province and the forest company came to an agreement. The land, the island, is now part of the protected area on that lower Fraser, the Fraser River ecological reserve, and the forest company gets to continue to use the water surrounding it for log-booming. So it’s a win-win. That’s why this is, to me, one of the things that I….

I look to the changes that are made in this kind of legislation when it comes up. What’s happening? Why are the boundaries being adjusted? Sometimes it could be because when the original survey was done, it wasn’t done to exactly how it’s supposed to be. We know that with the latest technologies that we have we can be far more accurate in plotting where boundaries are supposed to be.

Sometimes, as I said at the beginning of my remarks, it may be removing a piece of land, and that may involve my ministry. There’s something we have to do, but as much as possible, we then try and put additional land back into that park area.

The parks of our province are very much a public asset, and they serve a variety of purposes. Obviously, there’s the habitat protection, the wildlife protection, the flora and fauna values that are so critically important in this province. We have an immense range of different ecosystems and wildlife habitats in British Columbia, probably more than just about any other province in the country.

Parts of it are very much endangered. One only has to think of the Garry oak meadows here on southern Vancouver Island and on the Gulf Islands. One can go to the interior of British Columbia, the Osoyoos area, the most northerly extension of the Sonoran Desert. Again, it’s critical habitat that’s found nowhere else in Canada. It’s represented here in British Columbia, and we have parks in place to ensure that those areas and their unique species are protected.

Part and parcel over the number of years, particularly related to UNDRIP, has been to ensure that Indigenous reconciliation is a significant part of parks, ensuring that in many cases they’re involved in the stewardship that takes place in our provincial parks. That’s important in terms of reconciliation today but also into the future.

It’s also important to recognize these are provincial parks. Those are different than national parks, which is the purview of the federal government, and I’m sure that they do federal legislation like this from time to time. It’s something that we as British Columbians are incredibly proud of, which is why I find it particularly disconcerting when I see organizations outside of Canada — Google is the one — that refer to them as state parks.

I don’t know whether this is some…. I don’t want to go down the conspiracy-hole theory, rabbit-hole theory, that this is just another Trumpian, Elon Musk–ish type of thing.

The reality is British Columbians know they are provincial parks. Canadians know that that they’re provincial parks. The world…. When tourists come to British Columbia, they’re looking for directions to our provincial parks. They are not state parks. They never will be state parks. They are our parks, British Columbia parks, and we’re very proud of them.

I touched on the tourism aspect, because the one thing our parks are also is significant economic drivers. They are one of the most affordable ways in which people and families in this province can have a family vacation. I remember as a kid we’d be loaded into the back of the family station wagon, the five of us. My parents would drive to a destination somewhere in British Columbia, the Okanagan or up into the Cariboo.

[11:15 a.m.]

We used to love going up to Sheridan Lake. My brother takes his kids and grandkids up there to this day to go fishing, to enjoy the outdoors in British Columbia. Whether it’s in a tent or whether you’re renting a cabin, people just instinctively know that there’s something grounding. There’s something in terms of familial bonding. When the weather’s right, you can have a campfire and you can roast marshmallows and you can tell stories and you can share family time together.

Our parks allow that. You don’t have to fly down to Disneyland and spend a huge amount of money with an exorbitant exchange rate. You can get in a car. You can go to amazing parts of our province.

Whether on the Island and go to the beach, go to Tofino or drive up the east coast of the Island…. You can go to the Gulf Islands. You can go to parks in the Interior and the Kootenays at different times of the year, whether it’s spring, summer, fall, winter. There are activities for everyone. That’s what our parks do, and that’s why they’re so very important.

They’re also important — and again, why adding areas to parks is one of the things that’s often done in this particular piece of legislation — because we are a growing province. The population growth in this province has been incredible, and that places pressure on infrastructure. It places pressure to ensure that we’ve got the parks that we need, that we’re able to do the development that allows parks to be utilized. It’s about building for the future.

One of the parks in my particular area — and again, it was one that I was very much involved with when I became an MLA and still am to this day — is the Pinecone Burke Mountain provincial park.

For many in the Lower Mainland, Golden Ears Provincial Park, that first May long weekend, is the start of camping season. I remember going to Golden Ears Park as a kid. I know it’s in my colleague’s riding, Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows. It’s a hugely, hugely popular park. There are campgrounds, but often you have to book early because it’s so popular it gets filled up.

That’s one of my hopes, that we have got this amazing park right next door on the other side of the Pitt River — the Burke Mountain Golden Ears Park, which is an amazing park that starts on Burke Mountain. It used to be in my riding but is now just on the border. It’s an area I’m very familiar with. I used to go hiking up there, camping up there, when I was in Scouts, when I was much, much younger.

In fact, it’s a combination of examples of different kinds of topography: mountain terrain, second-growth forest, primary forest in the Boise Creek area, which is part and parcel of the park. It goes all the way up to connect with Garibaldi up in the Sea to Sky area. So you have this massive protected area. It’s becoming very popular.

I remember as a kid, you’d go up there, and there’d be nobody up there. Now you go up on the weekend or even during the week — you can drive your car up to the rod and gun club, which is the entranceway to that park — and there are cars all lined up. People are going mountain biking. They’re going hiking. They’re taking advantage of this incredible natural resource that we have right on our doorstep.

That’s what this legislation is about. It’s ensuring that those natural places that we have on our doorstep that provide a place to go out for a walk, get fresh air, see nature outdoors, to be able to just enjoy the natural beauty that is this province….

I will take this opportunity, while talking about our incredible parks in this province…. Our parks are not just for people. Well, they’re for a lot, but very much for young people. I would ask the House to recognize that we have students from James Bay Elementary School, grade 5, up in the gallery.

If the House would make them welcome, that would be really great.

Just to let them know: we’re talking about a parks bill and why parks are so important, because of the opportunity they place for your parents to take you on a holiday when you’re not in school to enjoy or to go explore with friends.

[11:20 a.m.]

I know that I have other colleagues who are going to speak, so I will say thank you for this opportunity to talk on a bill, which I think is a great bill, and to make some comments on some of the amazing parks, and my experiences with them, in our province.

With that, I take my seat.

Hon. Josie Osborne: It is a privilege to rise today and speak to Bill 3 on the protected areas of British Columbia.

Once or sometimes twice a year, this House considers legislation that creates, expands and amends protected areas. Increasingly, the names of protected areas are being amended or changed to better reflect that these places have been significant and valued since time immemorial, not just since lines were drawn on a map.

Though Bill 3 contemplates the expansion of three parks and the renaming of two, my comments today are focused on one park in particular, a park in my riding of Mid Island–Pacific Rim, a park that will soon be formerly known as Maquinna Marine provincial park as it transforms to be known as Nism̓aakqin, meaning “our land that we care for” in the nuučaan̓uɫ language.

I want to quickly attempt to paint a picture in words of this place, and I will do that by describing my first visit in February 1999. I was just three months into my job as a fisheries biologist working for the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations when I had the opportunity to travel up to Hesquiaht Harbour to check for herring spawn.

I stepped off the dock into a Zodiac. I was wearing a Mustang floater suit. I was ready for the misty, grey, cool weather out in Clayoquot Sound. We sped off for a 90-minute journey on our way up to Hesquiaht Harbour, but we stopped in Hot Springs Cove. We arrived at a small dock and peeled off these floater suits.

We walked 1.7 kilometres down a very slick boardwalk to arrive at literally a crack in the rock where steam was rising. These are geothermal springs that are not built up in the way that we see in some hot springs with concrete or berms. These are totally natural, and the only way you know that they’re there, as you’re driving in on a boat, is you see that steam rising.

Sitting in these hot springs at the right tide height means you have the experience of having hot water rush over your shoulders at the same time that icy cold seawater is coming up at your feet as the tide rises. It is an absolutely magical experience, and it’s easy to understand why this place has been so important to the ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ people, to the Nuu-chah-nulth people, for thousands and thousands of years.

Even in the late ’90s, when I had my first visit, thousands of people were already visiting the hot springs every single year.

In my job working with the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, I had the opportunity to attend a lot of community meetings, leadership meetings and meetings with different ministries and departments of the federal and provincial governments, including B.C. Parks.

I heard time and time again the tension as Elders and leaders would speak about the fact that almost the entire fringe of Clayoquot Sound was encompassed in provincial parks and protected areas that were largely established in the 1950s without their involvement, without consideration of their values and, in the case of Maquinna Marine provincial park, even without permission of the name Maquinna, the name of a highly respected Hereditary Chief.

By 2017, over 20,000 people a year were visiting the springs. And 2017 is also the year that the ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ First Nation entered into a ten-year agreement with B.C. Parks around park operations. This was taking on the management of the park, collecting park visitor data, collecting the park use fee and caring for the park.

This agreement really signified a change in the relationship between ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ and B.C. Parks. It opened up an opportunity for them to learn about each other, and, most importantly, for B.C. Parks to begin to increase its awareness around the traditional values of the ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ First Nation and how they had cared for and stewarded this place for so long. It gave them the opportunity to explore chances for economic development and co-management.

[11:25 a.m.]

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, upwards of 30,000 people a year were visiting the park. It all suddenly stopped as the provincial park system was closed to the public while we all grappled with how to stay safe by staying close to home and discouraging travel.

As difficult as this was, there was a silver lining, in that the Nuu-chah-nulth people were able to visit this sacred space without hordes of visitors and able to reconnect with a place that is healing in more ways than just physical ones, a place that has held enormous significance for the Nuu-chah-nulth people since time immemorial. These springs are called Mux̣šiƛa, meaning “steaming from rock.”

Even more opportunity arose from the $1.1 million StrongerBC investment to replace the aging boardwalk, a project that saw two crews of three carpenters each from ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ working from week to week through the first six months of 2021, in snow and in rain and occasionally in sun, but always with mud, to replace 50 percent of the boards, to build new stairs, to build new foundations — hard, heavy work.

The park didn’t reopen to the public until 2022 because this pause and visitation also gave time to the ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ First Nation and B.C. Parks to undertake deeper discussions about how to incorporate the traditional values, principles and teachings of the ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ people to create a more sustainable experience for visitors that would not lead to overcrowding, that would preserve times for Nuu-chah-nulth people to visit the springs on their own terms and would enable employment and economic development opportunities to support the ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ people.

Today the ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ First Nation and B.C. Parks are developing a visitor use management strategy. They’re engaging neighbouring nations, ecotourism operators in Tofino and the public to set out a vision and guidance for protecting ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ values and providing incredible experiences for visitors at this really special, magical place.

Nism̓aakqin, “our land that we care for,” is a better name for this jewel of a protected area, one that is transforming from a provincial park established with little to no consideration of its meaning to Indigenous peoples to one that teaches visitors about the value of ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ guiding principles of respecting one another, teaching one another, caring for one another and helping one another.

This is just part of the story of what’s in a name. I’m proud to be part of a government that is listening, learning, evolving and changing the way that parks like Nism̓aakqin are stewarded and managed. There is more work to do with provincial parks in Hesquiaht, ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ and Tla-o-qui-aht territories in Clayoquot Sound, and I’m confident that B.C. Parks is charting a better course forward.

In closing, I want to express my profound gratitude to the Ha’wiiḥ, the hereditary Chiefs of the ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ First Nation, for stewarding their Ha-Hoothlee, their chiefly territories, for thousands of years so that we may all benefit today.

To B.C. Parks, and particularly to area supervisor Michael Grandbois and his team for their commitment to this new relationship. To the community of Tofino, including Tourism Tofino and the many dedicated eco-tourism operators whose livelihoods depend on the stewardship of the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples, and to the Minister of Environment and Parks for introducing this important legislation.

Deputy Speaker: Seeing no further speakers, I call the Minister of Environment and Parks to close debate.

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson: I thank the members of this House for their comments on Bill 3, the Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act. I want to reflect just for a few minutes on some of the good words, that we heard in this House over the past few days.

I was reminded about how important our public service is in meeting the needs of the communities and the local Indigenous communities. It’s such a great way to look forward to a future where Indigenous communities’ voices are heard and respected. It’s also great to hear that the public service is building such strong, trusted relationships with the communities.

It’s also important that we talk about British Columbian families, having access to these B.C. parks and meeting the needs of their families for affordable vacations in B.C. parks all over our province.

[11:30 a.m.]

I come from a very remote, rural area and community, and I can assure you that we use a lot of our recreation sites, our B.C. parks, as families, as community members. We go there to picnic, we go there to camp, and we go there to enjoy a meal together.

It’s a safe place for many people, and especially women and children, who want to be able to take the time away from their busy lives to be able to reconnect with nature and to reconnect with each other. These are really important values that come through in this Bill 3.

I also wanted to just reflect a little bit on something that one of my colleagues shared about the return of certain species coming back into different areas. That’s really important as we talk about the protection within the B.C. Parks system — the protection of the environment and also maybe, possibly, changing the environment to encourage those species to come back. That’s an important part of learning about what’s involved in protection and what’s involved in making sure that we’re meeting the needs.

It also means that we have to look at invasive species in our B.C. parks, and that’s also part of the environmental protection that we have to continue on meeting the needs of.

One of my colleagues also talked about learning the proper pronunciation of the B.C. parks. It was a family event that they could do together, to learn the Indigenous name of the park, how to pronounce it, practising it together and then talking with that community, or community members, to learn what the proper pronunciation is. She talked about the importance of trying — the importance of trying to pronounce the proper Indigenous name.

I also wanted to just reflect for a few minutes on the importance of mental health, of going and visiting the B.C. parks: hiking, camping, getting away from the busyness of our lives and from a lot of the threats and pressures that we feel when we’re at home or at work, having the time to go and really sit in nature and reflect on what’s important for each of us as we do this important work not just here in the House but in each of our communities.

I’m sure that all of the MLAs will agree that they have B.C. parks in their ridings and that they’re an important part of what they’re working with in their constituencies to protect, preserve and possibly expand, as we’re doing in this bill today.

It was also uplifting to hear about all the memories that have been built by some of the colleagues here in the House. It was uplifting to hear that it wasn’t just about summertime; it was talking about all four seasons — accessing parks during the winter, the spring, the summer, the fall, and all of those activities that they could do during that time.

I especially enjoyed hearing about some recipes around campfires. I enjoyed hearing about connecting not just with daughters and sons, but nephews and nieces. I enjoyed also hearing about some of the community organizations that worked closely together to bring forward their community needs, reflected in this Bill 3.

As we look back to the bill and look at the purposes of some of the amendments, I just want to highlight again that the proposed additions consist of private land acquisitions and Crown land that is going to add approximately 143 hectares to three parks.

One is in Naikoon Park on Haida Gwaii, 104 hectares of land that’s already surrounded by the existing park. The land will provide further protection of wildlife habitat.

Also, Wells Gray Park near Clearwater will have 33 hectares of land to protect wetland and forest that is surrounded by the existing park on three sides.

And finally, Cinnemousun Narrows, near Sicamous, three hectares of land and three hectares of adjacent lakeshore.

As part of the amendments as well, we talked about Kilby Park near Harrison Mills, which will be formally transferred to the province’s heritage branch, which has managed the park and adjacent Kilby Historic Site since 2003.

[11:35 a.m.]

We also wanted to amend certain names of parks to reflect the Indigenous names that better serve the needs of the local Indigenous communities. These communities came forward and put forward the request to our office. This is us listening, working with our Indigenous partners and also consulting with local government and local constituents.

Through the proposed amendments to the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act, Enderby Cliffs near Salmon Arm will be renamed to Tplaqín/Enderby Cliffs Park, and Maquinna Marine Park near Tofino will be renamed Nism̓aakqin Park.

As I’ve said before, Indigenous people have been stewards of the waters, land and wildlife for millennia. Renaming these parts to traditional Indigenous names recognizes the significant cultural values and supports ongoing reconciliation with First Nations.

Expanding B.C. parks and protected area systems enhances protection of important ecological, recreational, cultural and historical values that make these places special. This bill adds lands and waters to three existing parks. It also improves the boundary descriptions and makes administrative changes.

The bill contains amendments that will allow and show our continued commitment to improve our B.C. Parks protected area system. These amendments that are contained within Bill 3 will also allow our government to move forward with ongoing reconciliation efforts with Indigenous peoples by renaming two parks to include their Indigenous place names.

I would also just like to take a moment and really talk about the ongoing history and culture of our province that support reconciliation with Indigenous people.

It’s so important when we look at the Indigenous names that have been listed here today in Bill 3. One of the First Nations that came forward to us talked about the need to not have the park named after a chief. That was really important for the community to know, that when we changed the name and they made their recommendation about what that name change should be, it was important that we sat, we had respectful dialogue, and we really listened to what they were bringing forward.

I’m really proud to see how hard the public service works to have that in place.

I’m also happy to talk about the Naikoon Park expansion, which is in my home riding of Haida Gwaii. The land that will be added are two parcels of land, and the land was purchased by the ministry.

As I shared earlier, Naikoon Park is a very special place on Haida Gwaii. Myself and my family have used that park many, many times. I’m so happy to have really strong memories with my family, whether it be going there to picnic or whether it be having my nieces in their graduation dresses taking photos with family or my other niece who actually got married there. It’s such a special place, and it’s such a special time for families to be building those.

Interjection.

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson: The wedding was really beautiful, and my niece — she was so proud to be able to host her husband’s German family on the beach. She also had three of our Hereditary Chiefs that stood beside her as family, and that was just such a special moment. The photos were incredible. The ceremony was so beautiful, and to be able to have it outside and taking place on a beach was just incredible.

I’m also reminded about a time when we were out there as a family and going on a hike. My daughter happened to spot a plant that she had learned about and had shown me what the uses were that the Haida people had used since time immemorial.

[11:40 a.m.]

I was really surprised that she not only recognized the plant but was able to tell me about the special uses of the plant that our family and our ancestors had used since time immemorial. That was a memory that I will never forget.

All of these parks have special meaning to different community members. I’m so proud of the work that we put into this ministry and put into this bill. We’re so happy because B.C. Parks…. We manage over 1,000 provincial parks, recreation areas, conservancies and ecological reserves.

As my colleague talked about this morning, we did have an issue that came up recently in talking about how Google has been labelling the different parks. We’ve talked to Google about this, that they don’t have the proper category, which is provincial park. Our ministry staff have been working hard to try and alleviate that issue and correct that error by at least going in and calling it “park.”

We’re working with Google, and we’ve requested that they include the provincial park as one of their categories on their mapping. They’re more than willing to work with us on that, and I’m happy to hear that.

One of the other things that I just wanted to mention before we move on this is that when we’re looking at different areas of parks, we want to make sure that any of the administrative changes and improvements that we make, that we’re ensuring we’re doing it in the proper way.

For example, Kiskatinaw Park near Dawson Creek. We have amendments that are needed because they need to correct the map location of an existing statutory way for B.C. Hydro. We had to make sure that we had the proper legal descriptions, because it’s really important, when we’re looking at B.C. Parks, when we’re looking at statutory rights-of-way, and when we’re working with B.C. Hydro, that they have the correct location.

We also, within this bill, continue our work of moving forward from a metes and bounds or lot and parcel descriptions to mapped boundaries called official plans. For those of you who may not know, I worked in the federal government for many years, and actually, one of my jobs was to sign off on official plans for different boundaries of Indian reserves. So I’m very familiar with the practice of field surveying and ensuring that the proper boundaries and descriptions are within the official plans.

We’ve had many improvements over the years to data and mapping techniques that are used to represent the features on the land base, and these official plans are going to be very good in helping us determine the correct boundaries.

With that, I move second reading.

Deputy Speaker: Members, the question is second reading of Bill 3, Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2025.

Motion approved.

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson: I move that the bill be referred to a Committee of the Whole House to be considered at the next sitting of the House after today.

Motion approved.

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Deputy Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. this afternoon.

The House adjourned at 11:44 a.m.

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