The House met at 10:02 a.m.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: Sunita Dhir.

[10:05 a.m.]

Introductions by Members

Jody Toor: Today I have the privilege and honour to introduce three very important people in my life. I begin with my husband, Charn Toor. He’s my backbone. He’s the reason why I’m able to do what I do. He’s holding our fort down, taking care of our two beautiful daughters while I’m away.

To my two beautiful daughters, Nya and Jaya, they are my purpose and my drive, my reason for what I am doing, and I am blessed to be their mother.

Can the House please welcome them.

Darlene Rotchford: I would like to take a moment to recognize some very important firefighters that are going to be here today. Brian Catinus, the secretary-treasurer for IAFF B.C.; as well as Andrew Zado, the regional VP for the Island and, more importantly, a firefighter in the best part of the province, I will say of Esquimalt; Capt. Jordan Sparrow, president of IAFF 4550; Capt. Brad Wegesser, secretary, IAFF 4550; Jason de Roy, fire chief, township of Langley fire department; Cory Parker, deputy fire chief, township of Langley fire department.

On behalf of the Ministry of Labour, I would like to welcome them all today in the House.

Misty Van Popta: Yes, I will reiterate the member for Esquimalt’s introduction to very important people in my life and in my community. They are here for the second reading of Bill M214, and I’m so thankful for their support.

Would the House make the following gentlemen feel welcome: township of Langley Fire Chief Jason de Roy; township of Langley Deputy Fire Chief Cory Parker; president of IAFF 4550 Capt. Jordan Sparrow; and secretary of IAFF 4550, Capt. Brad Wegesser.

Private Members’ Statements

Silverlynn Apartments Fire
and Support for Displaced Residents

Susie Chant: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to speak about a dreadful event in my community that highlighted the amazing ability of people to come together and help.

[Mable Elmore in the chair.]

Before I begin, I acknowledge that I’m speaking on the lands of the Coast Salish people, the lək̓ʷəŋən here in Victoria, known as the Songhees and the xʷsepsəm, and the səlilwətaɬ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nations when I am at home. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities I continue to have listening and learning about the cultures that have been here for millennia.

Saturday morning, May 10, I was outside my home and saw clouds of heavy grey and then black smoke billowing nearby. I made a couple of phone calls and found out that it was at Silverlynn and planned to meet our mayor at that site. When I got there, the fire was still burning hard, the residents evacuated to a nearby church, and work was being done to sort out interim housing and other needs.

It was remarkable to see the outpouring of compassion, care and professionalism that was exhibited as each resident was assessed. The emergency management team was there, assisted by a group of people from the church who spoke a variety of languages, including Russian, Cantonese, Farsi and Spanish, all of which were needed. Firefighters from three departments were there, as were support such as fuel trucks and heavy equipment.

The Silverlynn Apartments fire in North Vancouver has left a profound impact on the community, displacing dozens of seniors and prompting an outpouring of support. The devastating blaze, which occurred on May 10, was the second fire in the complex in three years — with the previous fire, in 2022, claiming one life and displacing around 70 residents. This latest incident has once again raised concerns about affordable housing for seniors and the challenges of rebuilding after such tragedies.

The fire broke out in the morning, engulfing the building in flames and sending thick smoke billowing across the region. Firefighters from three departments responded swiftly, rescuing ten people from balconies while battling the intense heat. Despite the severity of the fire, all residents were accounted for, with two individuals taken to the hospital in stable condition. The fire chief noted that the flames had spread rapidly due to the ongoing construction in parts of the building, which lacked drywall to contain the fire.

[10:10 a.m.]

In the aftermath, the North Van community has rallied to support the displaced seniors. Organizations such as the Lynn Valley Lions, Lynn Valley Community Association and the district of North Vancouver Fire Fighters Charitable Society have launched fundraising campaigns, collectively raising over $36,000 to assist evacuees. The Lynn Valley Lions have pledged to match donations up to $20,000, emphasizing the community’s commitment to help those affected.

Among the displaced residents is a friend of mine, 92-year-old Peter Phelan, who lost everything in the fire, including cherished family photos and books. His daughter Kerry has been actively promoting fundraising efforts to support the other evacuees, recognizing the immense challenges they face in rebuilding their lives. While Peter has found refuge with family, many others are still searching for permanent housing solutions.

The fire has reignited discussions about the urgent need for affordable senior housing in North Vancouver. The mayor has acknowledged the growing crisis, emphasizing that the displacement of seniors due to repeated fires underscores the necessity of long-term housing solutions. With emergency support services providing temporary relief, the focus now shifts to ensuring that affected residents have stable housing options as they move forward.

The resilience of the North Van community has been evident in the wake of this tragedy. From the first responders who risked their lives to save residents to neighbours who have donated funds and essential items, the collective effort to support the evacuees has been remarkable.

As fundraising campaigns continue and the discussions about senior housing gains momentum, the hope is that those affected by the Silverlynn fire will find the stability and security they need to rebuild their lives.

I want to say thank you to the North Van district firefighters. They are remarkable, they are professional, and they take care of us every day.

Tony Luck: Today I rise to speak briefly but firmly and with deep conviction about the importance of democracy and the solemn responsibility that each of us as elected legislators holds in preserving it.

Winston Churchill said: “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

Churchill’s statement acknowledges the imperfections of the democratic system but also affirms that despite its flaws, democracy remains the best available option for governance when compared to alternatives like dictatorship, autocracy or authoritarianism. And while democracy can be messy, inefficient and frustrating, it provides the greatest protection for liberty, accountability and the rule of law.

Democracy is not self-sustaining. It does not endure by accident or inertia. It survives and thrives only because citizens demand it, institutions protect it and elected leaders like us work tirelessly to uphold it. When we are sworn into office, we are not merely given authority; we are entrusted with a duty, a trust that has been earned through centuries of struggle, debate, reform and sacrifice.

Around the world today, we are witnessing what happens when that trust is broken. Democratic norms are eroding. The institutions that hold leaders accountable are being ignored, weakened and dismantled. We are seeing how quickly democratic systems can unravel when those in power place political convenience above constitutional principle and when control becomes more important than accountability.

And we must be honest: Canada and specifically British Columbia are not immune to this trend. As journalist and foreign correspondent Jonathan Manthorpe warned: “Democracy in Canada is not in good health. Power has been drained from parliament and accumulated in the offices of party leaders and the Prime Minister. If this trend continues, Canada will cease to be a functioning parliamentary democracy in any meaningful sense.”

This is not hyperbole; it is a sober warning to all of us. And it is our duty to heed it. If we allow our democratic institutions to atrophy, if we let accountability become an afterthought and centralize power in the executive branch, we risk losing the very system we were elected to serve and uphold.

We were not sent here simply to pass legislation, Members. We were sent here to defend the system that makes legislation possible. A system built on debate, transparent process, meaningful checks and balances, the separation of power — these are not abstract ideas. These are the guardrails of democracy.

[10:15 a.m.]

Accountability is not optional; it is essential. And accountability starts with all of us. It starts with asking hard questions, with challenging decisions that seem expedient but erode public trust. It starts with ensuring that no government, regardless of its political stripe, can act without oversight, bypass legislative scrutiny or shut down dissent.

All of us have a duty to ensure that minority voices are heard in public, that resources are managed transparently and that the democratic process is not treated as a formality to be sidestepped. History reminds us of what happens when democracies fail. They often do not fall with a crash. They fade quietly, worn down by neglect and undermined from within. That’s why we must remain vigilant.

But let’s also remember that democracy has been paid for in blood. Men and women have given their lives to defend these freedoms — soldiers who stormed beaches, journalists who uncovered corruption, civil rights leaders who marched and bled, Indigenous land defenders who stood their ground, whistleblowers who exposed abuse of power. They stood up because they believed democracy was worth fighting for, and many paid with their lives because of that belief.

Are we living up to their sacrifices? Are we honouring their sacrifices? Are we holding ourselves to the standard that democracy demands of us, not just in the spotlight but in the quiet details of how we legislate, how we consult and how we respect opposing views? Democracy is not something we possess; it is something we practise every day. And if we stop practising it, if we stop fighting for it, it will disappear.

The Czech dissident and statesman Vaclav Havel once said: “Democracy is not only the right to vote, it is the right to live in dignity.” That dignity comes from knowing that our institutions are accountable, our leaders are answerable and our voices matter. This is what we are here to protect.

So let us not be passive stewards of this system. Let us all be active guardians of it. Let us resist the quiet corrosion of democratic norms. Let us reject the creeping expansion of executive powers. Let us put parliament before party, principal before politics and the public good before personal gain.

Because once democracy is lost, it is not easy to regain. But if we honour it, we defend it and fight for it every day in every decision, then we can ensure that this system, so hard-won and so fragile, endures the generations to come.

Rohini Arora: On May 17, British Columbia joined the rest of the world in observing International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. This day is dedicated to celebrating and uplifting 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and raising awareness about the discrimination and challenges they continue to face.

The day began in recognition of the World Health Organization’s 1990 decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental illness. While we’ve seen great progress since then, 2SLGBTQIA+ people still experience stigma and discrimination that harm mental health and contribute to exclusion.

According to the Canadian trans and non-binary youth health survey, 23 percent of trans and non-binary youth in B.C. don’t feel safe at home, and only 42 percent feel that their parents care about them very much. Those numbers are heartbreaking. Everyone deserves a safe, loving home and acceptance from those around them.

That’s why it’s so important this year and every year to reaffirm our support for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. The theme of this year is the “Power of communities.” It’s about finding hope and strength together, even in the face of rising regressive policies in the U.K., the U.S. and parts of Canada — policies that disproportionately target trans people.

But queer and trans communities have always existed. Across the globe and across time, gender and sexual diversity has been recognized and respected. In India, the trans community has a history stretching back thousands of years. In pre-colonial Punjab, transgender women were seen as divine, entrusted with sewing wedding garments for the ultimate blessing. In Sikhi, the creator has no gender.

I’ve found that the queer community, especially non-binary and trans folks, bring up powerful authenticity in a rigid world. And in my interactions with them, I’m often reminded of the limitlessness of the divine.

[10:20 a.m.]

Indigenous communities across B.C. and Turtle Island recognize two-spirit people as embodying both masculine and feminine spirits, and they have always held essential cultural and spiritual roles within their communities.

Gender and sexual diversity has always been with us. It’s not new. It’s just that the broader society has either missed the connection or been taught to fear what it doesn’t understand. But at the end of the day, queer people are just that: people. We need to move past fear and focus on what truly matters.

I’ll paraphrase Alok, a non-binary activist, poet and comedian. Transphobia is merely a distraction from our shared humanity. The real biological truth that’s being erased isn’t gender; it’s that we die. Will you really be freaking out on your deathbed because someone used they/them pronouns? Why should we waste our finite and precious moments on earth hating other people?

Their words remind us that hate and discrimination are distractions from the urgent challenges our province is facing: housing, affordability, reconciliation, the climate crisis, mental health and economic justice. Why waste time and energy trying to legislate sexuality and gender? How does that ensure food in the fridge, a roof over your heads, a good job and saving this beautiful planet we all call home?

Let’s build a future rooted in curiosity, empathy and a shared understanding of our equal humanity. We may be different, but as Alok says, we are all beautifully and biologically mortal. We can choose love, inclusion and dignity for a better world for us all.

Kiel Giddens: I rise today to speak about a topic that is a real tragedy and harm to communities. Human trafficking is horrific, and it strips people of their dignity. This serious problem is a gross violation of human rights, and I daresay that all members could join me in denouncing this crime.

The Canadian Criminal Code describes human trafficking as recruiting, transporting, transferring, receiving, holding, concealing or harbouring a person or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of a person to exploit them or to assist in facilitating their exploitation.

Unfortunately, this global problem is felt right here in B.C., in my riding and likely in yours as well. That’s why we as elected officials should do what we can to condemn this crime as the crime that it is. We can also seek ways to support victims and ways to prevent our community members from falling into this terrible cycle of exploitation.

For members’ awareness, former Lieutenant Governor the Hon. Janet Austin was patron of the Human Trafficking Prevention Network. This was a partnership with a number of B.C. businesses and non-profit leaders who committed to raising awareness and education about the subject as well as supporting organizations combatting human trafficking.

Susannah Pierce, who has recently stepped down as Shell Canada president and country chair, has been the chair of the network. I have worked with Susannah in the past and know that she is a force to be reckoned with. When she sets her mind to something, she can make big things happen. I want to thank Her Honour Janet Austin, Ms. Pierce and all the original signatories.

I also want to share with the House a significant milestone in Prince George that I witnessed a couple of weeks ago. On May 16, the city of Prince George became the first local government to join the Human Trafficking Prevention Network. This will follow up from work last July as city council passed a motion declaring both intimate-partner violence and human trafficking as local epidemics. They wanted to take steps to put this motion into action, and I attended the signing ceremony along with non-profits who are helping to combat human trafficking and supporting survivors.

The Elizabeth Fry Society is a community-based registered charity that supports women and their children who have experienced violence, abuse, marginalization and criminalization. They’ve been operating in Prince George for over 40 years. The Prince George Sexual Assault Centre provides counselling, advocacy, education and support services in a safe and supportive environment for those who have experienced violence.

[10:25 a.m.]

Last but not least, AWAC, the association advocating for women and children, is committed to empowering those dealing with homelessness, fighting against drug addiction and facing similar adversities. Their core mission is to offer support, resources and a glimmer of hope to individuals in need. This includes operating a 24-hour emergency women’s shelter in Prince George.

All of these groups are doing critical work, and our community is grateful for them. At the signing, the city held a round table with these non-profits, and there was a commitment to better collaboration. We heard a firsthand account from someone who was the victim of human trafficking, and it was difficult to hear what this individual went through. She is now helping other victims to escape, with her lived experience as background to support them.

It is meaningful and very symbolic for Prince George to show leadership on this issue as a community along the Highway of Tears. The Prince George Airport also recognized this and recently partnered with #NotInMyCity, which is another organization dedicated to raising awareness and driving action to end human trafficking and sexual exploitation across various industries, including transportation and hospitality.

According to the International Air Transport Association, airports are one of the most frequently used hubs for international sex trafficking. More than 93 percent of reported victims domestically are Canadians being trafficked to other provinces. Globally, 98 percent of sex trafficking victims are women and girls, and 26 percent of human trafficking victims in Canada are under the age of 18.

Now my challenge to all of you as colleagues representing communities across the province: please talk to your municipalities about taking on similar commitments that Prince George has taken on. Ask them to join the Human Trafficking Prevention Network, and let’s all try to take a more coordinated action to create safer, more resilient communities free from the harms of human trafficking.

For anyone watching at home, if you or someone you know is a victim, a survivor of human trafficking, or you think someone might be, call the Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.

Darlene Rotchford: I rise today in this House with deep gratitude and respect to recognize the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. Each year on May 29, the world pauses to honour the bravery, sacrifice and dedication of peacekeepers who serve in some of the most challenging and dangerous regions on earth. This is not just a global story; it is a local one, a British Columbia one and a Canadian one.

In my riding of Esquimalt-Colwood, we are home to CFB Esquimalt, one of the oldest military establishments on the west coast. Thousands of military personnel and their families live, serve and contribute to our community. Many of these individuals have answered the call to serve in peacekeeping missions across the globe. They wore the blue helmet or armband of the United Nations and went into regions torn by war, hatred and devastation — not to conquer but to calm, not to escalate but to protect, not to dominate but to bring dignity back to places where it had been stripped away.

British Columbia has a proud history of contributing to these missions, not only through our service members but through the expertise of civilians: engineers, logicians, human rights monitors and medical personnel who have helped rebuild shattered nations. Right here in communities like mine, we continue to support peacekeeping through institutions like Royal Roads, which provides training and research on conflict resolutions, diplomacy and post-conflict rebuilding.

Canada’s leadership in peacekeeping has been a cornerstone of our international identity. Former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, a British Columbian by honourary adoption, received the Nobel Prize in 1957 for proposing the largest-scale UN peacekeeping force to de-escalate the Suez Crisis. The vision of Canada as a nation of peace, of negotiation and unwavering commitment to human rights has guided us through decades of global service.

But hon. Members, I think we also need to look at why. Why do we continue to send Canadians to serve in places most of us will never see? Why do we stop today to remember them?

Because the pursuit of peace is not passive. Peace is not the absence of conflict. It is an active presence of justice, of stability, of hope. Peacekeepers do the hard, sometimes thankless work of planting those seeds, often knowing they may never live to see the harvest.

[10:30 a.m.]

This day reminds us of the thousands of Canadians who have deployed under the UN flag, and the more than 120 who have paid the ultimate price while wearing it. Their sacrifices should never be invisible.

In this moment, when Canada is grappling with questions about its role in the world, about its values, about its identity, the story of our peacekeepers offers us something deeply grounding. It offers us a model of what “Elbows up” leadership really looks like. The elbows up movement across Canada right now is about getting involved. It’s about standing up, showing up and pushing back against indifference. Whether it’s fighting for climate action, racial justice, economic equity or safer communities, it’s about action.

Our peacekeepers have always lived this ethic. They go to the front lines of the world’s most entrenched problems. They roll up their sleeves, and yes, they put their elbows up to help rebuild what’s broken. So when we speak of elbows up, let’s not forget those who have quietly embodied this spirit long before it became a slogan.

Let’s remember the veterans in our communities who carry the scars of missions that most of us only read about in history books and see on the news. Let’s remember the families like those in Esquimalt-Colwood who endure long absences, missed birthdays and the ache of worry every time the news breaks about violence in faraway places. And let’s remember the fallen. In Esquimalt, at Memorial Park, and across our province, monuments bear the names of peacekeepers who will never come home. Their legacies live on in the lives they saved, the children they protected and the fragile hope they helped restore.

So what can we do in this chamber to honour them? We can commit to recognizing this day, not just with the ceremony but with substance. We can support the transition from military to civilian life, ensuring veterans have housing, mental health supports and meaningful opportunities. We can invest in education and public awareness so that every student in British Columbia knows what the blue helmet stands for. We can fight to ensure Canada never turns away from its responsibility to the world, not in moments of comfort but in moments of crisis.

In a time when peace can feel increasingly fragile, let us remember that it is people, real people like those from Esquimalt-Colwood and across British Columbia, across Canada, who stand between chaos, stability, war and reconciliation. Let us carry their legacy forward with pride, not just today but every day.

Rosalyn Bird: Today it’s my privilege to share the remarkable journey of the Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society, an organization rooted in compassion, shaped by community and committed to dignity in life’s final chapter. In 1987, Dr. Staniland and Esther DeWit, a physician and nurse at the Prince George Hospital, recognized a profound gap in care: the need for a palliative approach to end-of-life support. That same year, the national hospice palliative care association was formed, marking a broader shift in how Canada began to think about care at the end of life.

In Prince George, Esther helped train and lead a group of dedicated volunteers, bringing comfort and support to individuals and families in their homes. Backed by community generosity and vision, especially from the Prince George Rotary club, who raised the funds for a dedicated facility, the first stand-alone hospice in British Columbia opened its doors in 1995. Rotary Hospice House welcomed its first guest in May of that year, ushering in a new era of compassionate care.

Since then the Prince George hospice society has grown to offer a full spectrum of services, grief and bereavement programs, caregiver support and community education. Their spaces reflect the needs of the whole person and their loved ones, with offerings like a family suite, a kitchen, a fitness room, a children’s playroom. Programs like grief and grub for guys and their award-winning caregiver initiatives have become models of innovation in the field.

In 2021, to reflect their broadened scope, they became the Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society. When the pandemic hit, they responded with agility and heart, creating the only COVID long-hauler support group in the province and expanding their reach virtually across northern B.C.

In 2023, they launched their Home Hospice program, ensuring that individuals could receive the same compassionate care in their own homes, because dignity and comfort should be available whenever one chooses or wherever one chooses to live out their final days.

[10:35 a.m.]

In recent years, much of this growth has been guided by a truly remarkable leader, Donna Flood, the executive director of the Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society. Donna is a distinguished health care leader with over 40 years of experience, whose impact spans the globe. She worked alongside Mother Teresa in her hospice in Calcutta, and she served as the director of care in Nunavut.

Under Donna’s leadership, her Prince George team has expanded beyond residential care to include in-home hospice services and province-wide community programming. She fosters innovation, collaboration, financial sustainability, ensuring that their mission grows stronger with each passing year.

Donna has been honoured with both the Queen’s Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals and has served as the president of the B.C. Hospice Palliative Care Association and a director of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. Her published work on caregiving and end-of-life preparedness continues to inform the field nationally. Her four-decade journey reflects a profound and unwavering commitment to compassionate care.

On April 30, 2025, Prince George Hospice House took another significant step forward in their mission. The board of directors unanimously agreed to waive all government-imposed per diem fees for guests staying at the Rotary Hospice House. This decision was rooted in their values of dignity, compassion and accessibility. They understand that the journey to hospice is often filled with both emotional and financial hardship. By removing these fees they lift one more burden, allowing families to focus fully on what matters the most: peace, presence and time.

Further, the board recognized the toll financial conversations can have on the care teams. This change strengthens the therapeutic relationship at the heart of hospice work and allows the staff to focus entirely on care and connection.

They are proud to be the first hospice outside Ontario to be accredited with Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, a milestone that affirms their commitment to excellence and innovation in the hospice services. This achievement, like every milestone before it, is only possible because of the generosity of the Prince George community.

Thank you Hospice House, thank you to the residents of Prince George. Your support, generosity and belief in this work have made all of this possible. Together we are ensuring that every individual has the right to die with dignity, comfort and compassion. As Dame Cicely Saunders, the founder of the modern hospice movement, said: “You matter because you are. You matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully but also to live until you die.”

Reporting of Bills

Bill M204 — Perinatal and Postnatal
Mental Health Strategy Act

Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, according to the order paper, we will consider Bill No. M204, intituled Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act, as reported complete with amendment from the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Bills.

Jody Toor: I move that Bill M204, entitled Prenatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act, as amended, be concurred in at report stage.

I rise today with deep gratitude to see the progression being done in this House. Bill M204, the Prenatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act, returns to the House at report stage.

This bill has now completed committee stage where it was carefully reviewed and returned with a single amendment. That amendment included two modest but constructive refinements, a wording adjustment to section 2 to ensure clarity and consistency and the addition of a standard clause confirming that section 5 of the Offence Act does not apply. These are technical adjustments that align the bill with the legislative norms. They do not alter its purpose or objective. I was pleased to support them.

I want to begin by sincerely thanking the members and committee on all sides for their thoughtful contributions, their respectful engagement, sharing personal experiences, and their overwhelming support of this bill. I also want to extend my appreciation to Dr. Daisy Singla from SUMMIT research and the University of Toronto; Dr. Sarah Horn from UBC; Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, Canada research chair in mental health from UBC and B.C. Women’s, B.C. Midwives; MP Mike Lake, the B.C. Association of Clinical Counsellors; and Michelle Mollineaux.

Thank you to all the individuals and organizations that provided their valuable submissions, including the presenters from Apple Tree Maternity, Rebecca Gosney, Pacific Post Partum Support Society, as well as the Clerk’s office. Your contributions have been instrumental in this process.

[10:40 a.m.]

The attention taken throughout was very clear. The tone of collaboration has been a testament to what we can achieve when we set aside partisanship and focus on the people we serve.

Across British Columbia, families are navigating the massive challenges of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. For many, it is a joyful time, but for far too many, it is also a time of anxiety, depression, trauma and isolation.

The truth is simple. There is a major gap in our health care system when it comes to prenatal and postnatal mental health. The fact that this bill has moved forward with such broad support tells me one thing: we all recognize it. We’ve heard the stories. We’ve seen the data. We know that when new parents are left without support, the impacts are lasting, not just for them but for their children, their families and communities.

This bill does not solve every problem, but it takes a meaningful, measurable step forward. It mandates the creation of a provincial strategy, a strategy rooted in access, equality, compassion and care. It ensures that prenatal and postnatal mental health is not treated as an afterthought but as an essential part of our health care system. We are one step closer to helping women and families across British Columbia get the support they deserve. We hope we can help those currently suffering and prevent future generations from suffering.

As we prepare to vote on report stage, I sincerely hope we will see the same level of unity and support that has brought us to this point. The vote will determine whether this bill moves forward to third reading and, with it, the chance to turn the strategy into real change for real families.

I look forward to continuing this conversation at the report stage, and once again, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to every member who helped bring this to this moment.

Darlene Rotchford: Again, I’d like to be to begin by acknowledging that I’m speaking today on the traditional territories of the Songhees and Esquimalt peoples. I want to express my gratitude to them for allowing me to work, live and raise my kids on their land.

I’d like to start by thanking the committee for looking at this bill, with their minimal adjustments, and reporting back to us. I’d also like to thank the member for bringing this forward. I know this bill also brings a lot of feelings up for people, and it’s not always easy to stand in this House and put ourselves out there. So for everyone who spoke and the member, I will just say thank you very much, not only from this side of the House but just for myself personally.

In the previous stage, I talked about all the good work that we’re doing and recognizing that we still have good work to do, and I think this bill is a great example of how we’re working to continue that work. We’ve taken important steps to do that. In 2024, the longitudinal family physician incentives were extended to family physicians providing maternity care. It’s a good first step in what we’re doing.

We expanded primary care network team-based care and introduced nurse-in-practice resources for maternity clinics. Additionally, the Minister of Health directed prenatal services in B.C. to collaborate with partners across the province to develop a refreshed maternity strategy. I think hearing these stories, hearing the bills and through…. Again, the importance of continuing to do this work.

I talked, again, about my own struggles, in regard to this topic, with postpartum and prenatal care, beginning my — not going to cry — journey into motherhood. Sitting us all here today, we talk about non-partisan work, and we talk about the good work we’re doing. It’s not always easy, because we all have a job to do. I think we can talk about issues like this and the work we are doing and working with our fellow member who brought this bill forward.

It’s another great example of the work we can do together to ensure that British Columbians are getting the support for post- and prenatal care for mental health, because these are the people raising our next generations, and we need the children to see their parents being taken care of. We’re doing that work and continuing to do that work. So I will leave that there and take a breath.

It’s funny, because when we were talking about this bill, I hadn’t actually…. I think it was so long ago. I can’t remember if I had had baby Jo yet. I can joke about that because now, as I have a next generation here, it brings home even more the importance of making sure we’re supporting these people.

I could sit here and I could give you stats all day, but I think British Columbians just like to see that we are working together and that our government is doing good work. I think that’s more important, with this topic, than ever. Coming from the health care sector, I’ve seen firsthand when we invest in health care….

The Chair: Thank you, Member.

Darlene Rotchford: Thank you.

[10:45 a.m.]

Hon. Ravi Parmar: Good morning to everyone. I’m just wondering if I could seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

Hon. Ravi Parmar: Happy Valley is in the House. They are taking over the Legislature. Yes, Members, I represent Happy Valley.

We’ve got Mrs. Park’s grade 4/5 class that are joining us. I had a chance to be able to visit them at Happy Valley not too long ago.

There’s another group that are going to be making their way into the chamber in a little bit. I won’t get a chance to be able to introduce them, but we’ve had a lot of fun. They got a chance to be able to learn about the Legislature. Happy Valley passed its first bill. Dogs are better than cats at Happy Valley. I would like to say it was close, but it wasn’t.

It’s a real pleasure, so would the House please join me in making Happy Valley feel very welcome here today.

Debate Continued

Reann Gasper: I am so honoured today to speak about the Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act, a timely and needed initiative brought forward by my colleague, MLA Jody Toor. I want to sincerely thank her for championing this important bill.

Motherhood is one of the most profound and life-altering journeys a person can walk through. But for countless mothers, it can be also a season marked by emotional and mental strain. The realities of postpartum depression, anxiety and perinatal mental illness are more common than we realize, and this bill acknowledges that. It says: you are not alone and your health matters.

My own motherhood journey has been a rollercoaster ride, starting with being told that I may not be able to have kids. But, thank God, we defied the odds and had our first daughter. We lost our second baby. And our third pregnancy, we welcomed our son. Just two years ago, I was called a geriatric pregnancy and welcomed our littlest Gasper.

All that to say that I’m forever grateful for the support of my friends and my family and my doctors to help see me through the joys and the losses of starting a family.

This bill recognizes that mental health is family health. When we support mothers, we support their children, support their partners, support the foundation of strong and healthy communities. So once again, thank you to the member for presenting this bill. It is practical, it is needed, and it is valued.

Deputy Speaker: Recognizing the member from Abbotsford-Mission. Oh, sorry, Kelowna-Mission. I’ve got it here. I got it right here. There we go.

Gavin Dew: Thank you, Speaker. I am a friend of Abbotsford but Kelowna-Mission.

As a husband, a father and a son, I am proud to support the Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act. Mental health is central to the health of our families and the future of our society. How we care for the most vulnerable – newborns, mothers in crisis and families struggling to adjust – reflects who we are as a society. The arrival of a new life should be a moment of hope, not fear.

Yet, in one of the most vulnerable and life-altering periods, pregnancy and early parenthood, too many mothers are left without the support they need. There are still no specialized psychiatric units where mothers can stay with their newborns while receiving care. Wait-lists are months long, and three-quarters of those struggling with perinatal mental illness don’t get the help they need. One in five women in B.C. experience postpartum depression or anxiety. For Indigenous women, the rate is at least twice that.

Tragically, suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the perinatal period. These are not just statistics. Each loss is a family torn apart, just as a new life begins. This bill gives hope to the givers of life.

In my volunteer work as president of the Veterans Transition Network, we work with veterans returning to civilian life, who often battle PTSD, depression and anxiety. We’ve seen the power of well-designed, trauma-informed care to help end stigma and change lives. And we’ve seen what happens when systems fail to show up.

The same principle applies here. When mothers suffer in silence, children and families suffer too. When we support mental health at its earliest, we support stronger bonds, healthier kids and more resilient communities.

[10:50 a.m.]

This bill is about valuing both lives, the life of the mother and the life of the child, by ensuring that no one walks alone through the hardest days of early parenthood. This is our chance to do better, not just for the mothers who are struggling but for the fathers who feel helpless, for the children who need their parents at their best and for every future generation.

Deputy Speaker: Recognizing the member for Surrey City Centre.

We’re just cutting close to time, so you’ve got about a minute.

Amna Shah: I’m very pleased to go ahead and support this bill. I want to note that it is quite a treat to be here, speaking together on this bill, in alignment with each other, while there are viewers in the gallery.

I hope that you’re all taking this in.

I just want to say I’m so appreciative of the work that was done during the committee stage, with collaboration from members across the aisle and the presentations from the groups and organizations, and also the Ministry of Health. I also appreciate the member for bringing this bill forward. Thank you.

Deputy Speaker: The member for Langley-Willowbrook closes debate.

Jody Toor: As we conclude report stage debate on Bill M204, the Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act, I want to offer my sincere thanks to the members who spoke today and contributed thoughtful, heartfelt reflections on this debate, especially sharing their personal stories — the members for Esquimalt-Colwood, Abbotsford-Mission and Kelowna-Mission.

Whether it was a personal story, policy insights or simply a confirmation of support, each voice added value. Your remarks reminded us of why this bill matters and who it is for: parents, caregivers and families across this province, who need us to do better when it comes to mental health care.

Whether it was a personal story, a policy insight, a note of caution or an extent of support, each offering today added value. Your words reminded us of why this bill matters and, more importantly, who it is for: the parents navigating anxiety and depression after giving birth, the families grieving in silence after loss, the caregivers doing their best with little support and the communities, especially in rural and remote areas, who are seeking for help and deserve to be heard.

We have already done important work through committee, where members from all sides came together to improve the clarity of this bill while preserving its full intent. The collective efforts were evident then, and I hope it continues today, not only through this debate but into the vote that lies ahead.

This bill doesn’t attempt to do everything, but what it does, it does with intention. It says that perinatal and postnatal mental health is not just a private burden; it’s a public responsibility. It is not just an afterthought; it is an essential health care. It must be supported by a coordinated provincewide strategy that meets families where they are.

We know there is more work to do. We know this bill alone will not fill every gap or remove every barrier, but it lays a foundation, one that is built on equality, on compassion and on a commitment to listen to the people this system is meant to serve. That is why I am so grateful for the tone and spirit of today’s debate. Every voice mattered; every word moved us forward.

I hope that this chamber, with the same care and attention, will help us take the next step. As we now prepare to vote on report stage, I truly hope that the level of collaboration we’ve seen today will continue and that this bill will move one step closer to becoming law.

Thank you again to all members who have taken part in this process, in committee and in this chamber today. I’m proud to carry this bill forward on behalf of so many who are counting on us.

Deputy Speaker: Members, the question is that Bill M204, intituled Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act, be concurred in at report stage.

Motion approved.

Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, the House will now proceed to third reading of Bill M204, intituled Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act.

Third Reading of Bills

Bill M204 — Perinatal and Postnatal
Mental Health Strategy Act

Jody Toor: I move third reading of Bill M204, the Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act.

[10:55 a.m.]

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a full heart and deep gratitude as we reach third reading of Bill M204, the Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act. This is a milestone moment for families across British Columbia and for an issue that, for far too long, has remained in the margins of our health care system.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge how smoothly and collectively this bill has moved through the House. From introductions to third reading, members from all sides have come together to engage with the content, strengthen the language and advance it through each stage with a shared sense of purpose. That kind of momentum, especially for a private member’s bill, is rare, and I believe it speaks volumes.

It speaks to the fact that this is not a partisan issue. It’s not even a health care issue. It’s a human issue. It affects mothers, birthing individuals, partners, families and communities in every corner of this province. And every member in this House, no matter where we sit, has come together to share their stories by expressing their personal stories and anybody that has been affected by it.

The stories that brought this bill to life are not just unique…. And sadly, they’re not rare. They are stories of mothers struggling with depression and anxiety in silence. Stories of grief after pregnancy loss met with minimum support. Stories of rural parents unable to access even the most basic services. Stories of care providers doing everything they can but lacking the tools, time or training to help. This bill responds to those stories with action.

I introduced this bill as both a legislator and a mother, but the voice behind this bill is not mine alone. It belongs to many people who shared this experience with me, often for the first time, and asked simply for a system that could meet them with dignity and understanding and timely support.

So today I rise not just with pride but with genuine hope. Hope that we will continue to see that kind of cross-party support that brought us to this moment. Hope that we will send a strong message to the families of B.C. that their voices have been heard and that we are ready to act. This is our chance to take that final step.

I respectfully ask all members to support Bill M204 at third reading and help us move this bill to the next stage, because lives depend on it and because leadership at its best looks exactly like this: working together to meet people where they are and building a better path forward.

Deputy Speaker: Seeing no further speakers….

Members, the question is third reading of the bill.

Motion approved.

Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, Bill M204, intituled Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act, has been read a third time and has passed.

Reporting of Bills

Bill M205 — Mental Health
Amendment Act, 2025

Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, the next item on the order paper is report stage of Bill M205, Mental Health Amendment Act, 2025.

Elenore Sturko: I move that Bill M205, intituled Mental Health Amendment Act, 2025, be concurred at the report stage.

Hon. Chair, it’s not a surprise to me that we’re talking this morning about back-to-back mental health bills. I think that’s because of the seriousness that this entire House takes mental health with. It’s been evident in listening to my colleagues discuss and pass M204 this morning, which is momentous and something to be celebrated.

Something that I’m doing this morning is actually withdrawing my mental health bill — something that might come as a surprise, not to the committee members that I presented to but perhaps to the public. I wanted to take these couple of minutes here to explain that this is actually another story about collaboration.

[11:00 a.m.]

After the Lapu-Lapu tragedy and reading, of course, all the public input on M205, it was clear that more public consultation was needed, particularly with Indigenous communities but also that we need something to be done more urgently than perhaps would be available by looking at this amendment to the Mental Health Act. We know that the Premier has asked for a review of the entire Mental Health Act.

Keeping that in mind, I engaged with the Minister of Health and held a couple of different meetings alone with the minister but also with staff. We concurred. We agreed that this is a priority, that we do need to improve communication between families and individuals receiving care under the Mental Health Act, both upon admission and when they’re being released. We need this work to start right away.

Keeping in mind that the Mental Health Act will be reviewed in B.C., the government has agreed to move forward immediately with two steps that can be implemented in the near term. Those steps are creating a standalone policy document to support the involvement of families in admission and discharge of patients under the Mental Health Act. This will include consultation with First Nations and relevant stakeholders. The second is to work with health authorities to improve and standardize Mental Health Act education and training for staff interacting with patients under the Mental Health Act.

I’m really happy that it has gone this way, and I want to thank members on all sides for sharing their very personal stories. But most of all, after more than two and a half years of advocacy to get these changes to improve communication between families, I want to thank the families who courageously came forward to share their stories in this House, to talk about loved ones who died by suicide after some failures of communication in our health care system.

It is very, very heartfelt when I say thank you to every member of this House that worked to get this to happen. And yes, it didn’t come through my private member’s bill amendment. That’s okay because the spirit and intent of what we wanted to achieve has been done.

Thank you to all members and the families who’ve made this change a reality in British Columbia.

Amna Shah: I want to thank the member across the way for bringing forth this bill. This is just another example of the collaboration that can happen not just in this House but beyond this House as well.

I’m so pleased that all of us in this House share the vision and the commitment to those who are struggling with mental health challenges and how we can make the system better, how we can provide the supports that are necessary for individuals, especially in unique circumstances, because we know that not every single situation is the same as the next. We need to have better support systems to reflect that.

I’m pleased that the Minister of Health has committed to working with the member. I know that during second reading in this House, I had gotten up to speak about sharing the values that the member brings through this bill but at the same time having concerns around how that would roll out. Even though we have not gotten a chance to do that at committee stage, I know that that will be thoroughly done as the member continues to work with the minister.

Once again, I appreciate the collaboration from members across the aisle in spirit and in commitment to providing services for people across this province who need it. Really, we all know, in light of some of the most tragic events that we’ve seen recently, that the effects of instances like that and trauma reverberate in our communities not just in the time period immediately after but for even generations.

Once again, thank you.

Deputy Speaker: Seeing no further speakers, the member for Surrey-Cloverdale closes debate, if you wish.

Elenore Sturko: Oh, I don’t have to speak, but I will. The member for Surrey-Cloverdale will not pass up a chance with an open microphone.

Again, just thank you to all the members on both sides. What a great process. Really pleased to see M204 conclude with this third reading passing today.

[11:05 a.m.]

Happy to see the government moving ahead immediately with this improvement to communication for individuals getting help under the Mental Health Act and their families. I think that this is something that will drastically improve the lives of people who are living with mental illness in British Columbia.

I just want to reiterate as well, on behalf of some of our stakeholders, that not…. I think we need to remember when it comes to incidents like we saw at the end of last month that the vast majority of people in this province who have mental illness are not violent. They don’t pose a risk to public safety, but they are people that need our help.

We have a duty and commitment to care for each one of those people, regardless of who they are or their background. And yes, decisions that I, in particular, made…. In the communications with the minister, we did talk about a violent incident, but it’s not reflective of the majority of people living in this province with mental illness.

I hope that we can help all people as we move forward. Thanks again for the opportunity. Thanks for the open mic and take care.

Deputy Speaker: Members, the question is that the bill be concurred in at report stage.

Motion approved.

Deputy Speaker: Bill M205, Mental Health Amendment Act, 2025, will not proceed further and will be removed from the order paper.

Second Reading of Bills

Bill M210 —Korean Heritage
Month Act
(continued)

Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, according to the order paper, the House will continue second reading of Bill M210, intituled Korean Heritage Month Act.

Jessie Sunner: I rise today to support the bill put forth by my colleague for Burnaby South–Metrotown to recognize Korean Heritage Month in British Columbia each and every October.

This bill is an opportunity to recognize the invaluable contributions of the Korean community and to honour their cultural heritage, their immigrant journey and the strength they have shown in building vibrant, thriving communities throughout our province.

The Korean community across British Columbia and Canada has enriched our province in countless ways. From the small businesses and cultural events to the delicious food and rich traditions, Korean Canadians have made a significant mark on our province. Their entrepreneurial spirit has led to the creation of Korean-owned businesses throughout the province, like my personal favourites in Surrey, including Bon Ga Korean Restaurant as well as the Hannam Supermarket, which brings gems like Korean skincare, fruits and many different Korean specialties to the Canadian market.

The Korean community has also contributed deeply to the cultural fabric of B.C. by creating spaces where all residents can experience the richness of Korean traditions, whether it’s through food, music, arts or at community gatherings like our annual Surrey Fusion Festival.

However, to truly understand the contributions of Korean Canadians, we must also recognize their immigrant experience. Many of the Korean community’s early members came to British Columbia seeking a better life, often facing difficult challenges such as language barriers, discrimination and the hardships of adjusting to a new country. Yet despite these obstacles and the hardships, they have persevered and thrived. They have built communities, raised families and created businesses that now serve as pillars of strength and support to all of us and all of our communities.

This resilience is a powerful nod to the immigrant spirit that has shaped not only the Korean community but the history of British Columbia itself. Their experiences mirror the experiences of many immigrant groups who have come to our province seeking refuge and opportunity, and their success is a testament to the power of perseverance, hard work and community.

But as we celebrate these contributions, we must acknowledge that there is still work to be done. Racism and discrimination continue to persist in our society, and it is essential that we use this opportunity to combat those injustices. Korean Canadians, like many other racialized communities, have faced prejudice and exclusion throughout our history.

As Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism, I see firsthand how formal recognition through heritage months and public education can be a powerful tool in fighting systemic racism and promoting inclusivity and belonging in our communities.

It is our role as legislators to ensure that all people — regardless of their race, background or heritage — feel that they belong in this province. By recognizing Korean Heritage Month, we show the Korean community, and indeed all communities, that their culture, their history and their contributions are valued. We show them that they are an essential part of what makes British Columbia such a rich, diverse and dynamic place to live.

[11:10 a.m.]

Just last month, I had the honour of rising in this House to speak about Sikh Heritage Month. That moment was truly special for me. It allowed me to reflect on the generations of contribution, struggle and resilience within my own community, while giving people, especially young people, a sense of pride and visibility in their own background.

In recognizing Korean Heritage Month, we can offer the same opportunity to Korean Canadians, an opportunity to honour the legacy of those that came before them, elevate the voices in their community and acknowledge the barriers that they have faced and overcome.

This is also a moment of pride to recognize my colleague, who is only the second Korean-Canadian MLA in B.C.’s history, with the first being former NDP MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed, Dr. Jane Shin.

Deputy Speaker: Member, we’re just running to the conclusion of the time allotted for this period, so I’ll ask you to please wrap your remarks.

Jessie Sunner: Absolutely.

This is in itself a significant accomplishment, a reflection of how far we’ve come and a reminder of how much representation matters and continues to break barriers.

I wholeheartedly support this bill, and I urge all members in this House to do the same. By recognizing Korean Heritage Month, we take an important step forward in fostering an inclusive and welcoming society for all people.

Paul Choi: Members, today we are voting on more than a title in the calendar. We’re voting on whether every child who speaks with an accent, every entrepreneur who shares the taste of a home-cooked meal and every senior who still thinks in another language can look into this chamber and say: “I belong here.”

I know what that moment feels like. I came to B.C. as a kid from Korea, stocking shelves in my parents’ corner store. Later, as a police officer, I translated for Korean elders who were too afraid or too embarrassed to report crimes because no one spoke their language. Those experiences taught me that inclusion is not automatic. It is built policy by policy, hand by hand.

This bill is one more brick in that foundation. The Korean-Canadian community has walked a remarkable road in our province, from the handful of students who arrived after the Korean War to nearly 70,000 British Columbians today, including Korean trail-blazers such as Sen. Yonah Martin, former MLA Dr. Jane Shin and councillor Steve Kim, and thousands of small business owners who’ve turned North Road into a vibrant Korea-town. Their resilience reflects the very best of B.C., and it deserves formal recognition.

But let me be clear, proclaiming October as Korean Heritage Month is not meant for one group. It is a beacon for all. If we can honour Korean heritage, we can and must honour the stories of Thai, Vietnamese, Singaporean, Malaysian, Indonesian and Laotian, just to name a few, as well.

Recognition is not a finite pie. The more we share it, the more we all gain. Heritage Month will also strengthen our global ties when we need them the most. As Parliamentary Secretary for Asia-Pacific Trade, I’m keenly aware that diversifying beyond the U.S. market is no longer optional, given tariff threats.

B.C.’s unique sister province agreement with South Korea’s Gyeonggi-do links us to the world’s cutting edge battery and semiconductor industries. Cultural diplomacy, language, food and festivals pave the road on which investment trucks drive.

Finally, the bill underlines a truth that I learned while patrolling our streets as a police officer. People call 911 for help only when they believe help will answer. Likewise, communities share their talents when they believe the Legislature is listening. By putting Korean Heritage Month into law, we reassure every visible minority resident that their government not only sees them but celebrates them.

Members, inclusion cannot remain a well-meaning speech. It must be written into the statutes of this province. A yes vote today turns decades of Korean perseverance into a standing invitation for every culture to help shape B.C.’s future.

[11:15 a.m.]

So let us pass this bill unanimously. Let us light October with Hangul colours and shared dreams, and let us keep building a B.C. where diversity is not merely tolerated but legislated, celebrated and leveraged for the common good.

Gamsahamnida. Thank you very much.

Deputy Speaker: Members, the question is second reading for Bill M210, intituled Korean Heritage Month Act.

Motion approved.

Deputy Speaker: Pursuant to Standing Order 84A(1), the bill stands committed to the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Bills.

Hon. Members, according to the order paper, we will look to the member for Langley–Walnut Grove to move second reading of Bill M214, intituled Firefighters’ Health Act.

Hon. Lisa Beare: I seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

Hon. Lisa Beare: In the House, we have our second group of Happy Valley School students here with us today, grades 4 and 5. They’re accompanied by their teacher Emily Belchos, along with some amazing parent volunteers.

Thank you so much for joining us today. The member for Langford-Highlands was in here earlier, but he can’t be here now to welcome you. So the Minister of Education gets to do it for him. Thank you. Nice to see you all.

Second Reading of Bills

Bill M214 — Firefighters’ Health Act

Misty Van Popta: I move that Bill M214 be now read a second time.

Nobody prepares you for the momentous privilege it is to bring legislation to this chamber. I am here today to speak to Bill 214, the Firefighters’ Health Act. As announced earlier, in this chamber today to witness this event are four members of the Township of Langley Fire Department — four men whom I hold extreme respect and esteem for.

Bill 214 was born of personal stories from my community, which are not unlike the many stories from every community in British Columbia, about the men and women who serve us and protect us, who are also disadvantaged with health implications due to their job.

Now, I’m going to tell you a bit of how the concept of this bill came to be. It is not political but a carry-through of deep and consistent commitment to the TLFD that has already been underway in my community for years. I will let others here speak to stories of why this bill is important to them, and there are many. But the following is mine, and hopefully, at the committee stage, there will be more.

Capt. Jordan Sparrow is someone who I’ve known since we were kids. He was, for many years, the little brother I never had, while being part of a family which was as close to me as mine was during those formative years. Even as life has moved on, in a once small town, as Langley used to be, he is someone who, throughout my community, is known as the president of our local IAFF.

Our paths continually cross in his role as a first responder and in mine as a municipal councillor — something that seems to be unfairly controversial in this chamber. When Captain Sparrow and our IAFF secretary, Capt. Brad Wegesser, came to Victoria a few months ago, they talked at great lengths about different needs of firefighters, which was out of my jurisdiction at the local level.

You see, when they advocated for me at the municipal level, it was for what I could accomplish there. That was a big investment. That was being part of a mayor and council team that has invested over $50 million in a 2½-year period to the needs of our fire department.

First responders and community safety are the biggest draws of your property taxes, which explains the chronic lack of investments to fire departments throughout this province, because no politician wants to deal with the blowback on the ever-increasing property tax.

[11:20 a.m.]

However, my teammates and I made the bold decision to put money into action and not just speak about supporting firefighters. In a 2½-year period, we have approved 33 new firefighters, approved and financed a new fire hall, made a $10 million advance purchase of new fire trucks and equipment and renovated multiple existing halls — and on and on we go.

So when my Local 4550 came to me as an MLA, there was a pre-existing relationship of trust and understanding that my work in supporting firefighters didn’t stop at the local level. Captain Sparrow is 46. Captain Sparrow’s family has a history of colon cancer. He is two to four times higher to die of cancer than I am just because of being a firefighter. However, now it’s even higher due to family history.

When meeting with Captain Sparrow and Captain Wegesser, it was there that they advocated for supporting firefighters in their need for advance and regular health screenings and to make improvements to the Workers Compensation Act regarding presumptive cancers and the length of service required to qualify. Currently the act requires lengths of service anywhere from five to 20 years and only a limited number of types of cancer.

But more research has been done since the last revision of the act, which is why this bill is here today. It needs to be updated. It needs to be expanded. It was a no-brainer to use my one opportunity in this parliamentary session to advance a bill that would not only increase my friends’ health outcomes but also those of the 13,000 other firefighters in this province.

It’s not lost on me — the irony that this is most likely the last time I will be able to speak as both an MLA and a local elected official while presenting a bill that is a direct result of wearing both those hats. For those in this chamber, I encourage you to look up to the balcony and know that our actions have a direct effect on my community.

The work of further advancing my firefighters is not done. The advanced protection of my ever-growing community is not complete. Progressive councils like ours are hard to come by but are paving the way and being noticed for the big investments in firefighters’ health and well-being in their communities. This bill is a direct example of how and why closer relations with local governments benefits those we serve.

Bill 214 is not a new concept. It’s been floating around this building for years, knowing these changes needed to be made, while at the same time having neither past governments bold enough to take the step to accomplish it in a timely manner. Bill 214 was written to be collaborative, to take the politics out of doing the right thing. It is a starting point for a comprehensive health screening plan to be put into motion but with a reasonable timeline, open for amendments as input comes in. I welcome that.

But we can no longer punt this bill down the road. We can no longer ask those who risk their lives for us to wait longer for earlier health screening legislation and to work longer to qualify for coverage. The scientific evidence is there. Cancer kills, and it kills firefighters indiscriminately faster and earlier.

All you need to do is go to your local fire hall and ask this question of any member there: do you know a colleague battling cancer? The answer will be yes, and that is why you must say yes to supporting Bill 214.

Inside this chamber and the Fraser River Presentation Theatre at city hall, I will address you as Chief de Roy, Deputy Chief Parker, Captain Sparrow, Captain Wegesser. Outside those chambers, it’s Jason, Cory, Jordan and Brad. This is for you and your service to our community, and this bill is my service to you in response. Thank you.

Susie Chant: Thank you for the opportunity to speak to Bill M214, the Firefighters’ Health Act.

As always, I will begin by acknowledging I’m speaking from the lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən people, specifically those of the Songhees and xʷsepsəm Nations. When I’m in North Vancouver, I work, live, and learn in the territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səlilwətaɬ Nations. I’m grateful to all for helping me to learn the many meanings and practices of reconciliation.

[11:25 a.m.]

I rise to speak today to the health concerns of firefighters in British Columbia. I, too, honour and respect firefighters throughout our province for the work they do in structural, industrial and wildfire fighting, because it is a job that the rest of us could not even conceive. I say thank you to them, and I recognize the amazing stress that it puts on the mind, the body and the soul when you are doing that work ongoing.

Firefighters in British Columbia play a crucial role in protecting lives, property and the environment. While their work is essential to public safety, it also exposes them to a variety of health risks. These health concerns span physical injuries, chronic illness, mental health disorders and occupational disease, many of which stem from the demanding and hazardous nature of the job.

Understanding and addressing these health challenges is essential for safeguarding the well-being of firefighters and ensuring the sustainability of the firefighters in the province. I’ve had many conversations with the firefighters from our district and throughout the province around health concerns. They know I’m a nurse. They know I get it. We talk about these things, and they know that this work is ongoing and that it will prove to be impactful.

One of the most obvious dangers that firefighters face is the risk of burns and heat-related illnesses. Fighting fires exposes them to extreme temperatures, which can lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke and dehydration. While the protective gear, such as turnout gear and self-contained breathing apparatus, helps mitigate these risks, it cannot completely eliminate them, especially during prolonged firefighting efforts or in wildland-urban-interface fires, which are common in B.C. due to the province’s vast forested areas.

In my community, we are at the interface. The area that I live in is residential right up to the forest. We are so reliant on the skills of our firefighters to keep us safe and the skills of the community to take steps to keep themselves safe so that we can protect ourselves and each other.

The musculoskeletal injuries that are associated with the physical demands of firefighting will often lead to acute injuries, such as sprains, strains and fractures. Lifting heavy equipment, climbing ladders and carrying victims out of hazardous situations puts immense strain on the body. Repetitive movements and awkward postures can also contribute to chronic musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain, joint degeneration and tendonitis. According to WorkSafeBC, musculoskeletal injuries are one of the leading causes of time loss claims among firefighters in the province.

Occupational disease and long-term health effects are some of the most alarming health concerns facing firefighters in B.C. and globally, as they face the elevated risk of cancer. Firefighters are regularly exposed to toxic chemicals, including carcinogens such as benzene, formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and asbestos. These substances are released during the combustion of building materials, household items and industrial chemicals.

Studies have shown that firefighters have higher rates of certain cancers, including bladder, brain, testicular, colon and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Added to this list now are issues that affect the female firefighters, such as ovarian cancer. Those are also being watched and recognized.

Recognizing this risk, the B.C. government has included multiple types of cancer in the Workers Compensation Act under what is called presumptive legislation, which means that if a firefighter develops a listed cancer after a certain period of employment, it is presumed to be work-related unless proven otherwise, allowing for faster access to compensation and support.

The B.C. Professional Firefighters Association has been to Victoria, providing legislators with information and data about the cancer risks and the benefits to be gained through access to early screening. This has prompted the Minister of Health to request a full review of the issue by the B.C. Cancer Agency, with a report expected back later this summer.

Respiratory issues. Despite using respiratory equipment while fighting fires, firefighters may still be exposed to smoke, soot and airborne particulates during overhaul operations or in poorly ventilated environments. Prolonged exposure can lead to chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and reduced lung function. This risk is compounded in wildland firefighting, where the duration of exposure is longer and the use of respiratory protection is less consistent due to physical demands and environmental conditions.

[11:30 a.m.]

Firefighting is physically and emotionally stressful, often requiring sudden exertion under life-threatening conditions. This combination can precipitate cardiac events, especially in older or susceptible individuals. Sudden cardiac death is one of the leading causes of an on-duty fire fatality in North America. The high incidence of cardiovascular events is linked to factors such as heat stress, dehydration, smoke exposure and underlying health conditions.

The mental health conditions that firefighters are frequently exposed to can be related to traumatic events, including fatalities, severe injuries and devastating property loss. Over time, this repeated exposure can lead to mental health issues, such as PTSD, anxiety and depression. The cumulative impact of trauma is often underestimated, especially in a culture that traditionally values toughness and resilience.

In 2018, B.C. amended the Workers Compensation Act to include a presumption of PTSD for first responders, including firefighters. This change allows them to receive quicker access to mental health treatment, without the burden of proving that their condition is work-related.

Mental health concerns extend beyond PTSD. Studies have shown that firefighters experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and suicide compared to the general population. The stigma associated with seeking help, combined with the demands of the job and the irregular work hours, often prevent firefighters from accessing the support they need.

B.C. firefighter services, municipalities and unions have started implementing peer support programs and mental health awareness campaigns to combat these issues. The barriers such as the availability of specialized mental health professionals and confidentiality concerns continue to persist.

The other concern is shift work and sleep disruption. Firefighters in B.C. typically work long shifts, including overnight and rotating schedules. Irregular sleep patterns can lead to chronic fatigue, impaired cognitive function and a weakened immune system. Sleep deprivation is associated with a higher risk of accidents, slower reaction times and increased irritability, all of which can jeopardize safety during emergency operations and safety at home. Chronic sleep disruption is also linked to long-term health consequences such as metabolic disorders, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Fire departments are beginning to recognize the need for better sleep hygiene education and station design improvements to support better rest during downtime. We are lucky in North Van; we have a brand-new training facility and station that has a really good sleep environment for people, so that they can sleep when the opportunity presents itself.

In recent years, firefighters — especially those involved in medical first response — have faced increasing exposure to volatile situations, including aggressive patients, overdoses and domestic violence calls. These encounters can be unpredictable and stressful, adding another layer of risk to their daily duties.

B.C. has been proactive in recognizing and addressing firefighter health risks through WorkSafe and Workers Compensation Act. The inclusion of cancers, PTSD and other occupational diseases under presumptive legislation is a significant step in providing timely support and reducing the administrative burden on affected firefighters.

Many B.C. municipalities and fire departments have introduced wellness and fitness programs designed to monitor and improve the health of their personnel. This includes annual medical exams, fitness assessments, mental health training and return-to-work programs.

The B.C. Professional Fire Fighters Association also advocates for improved access to occupational health resources and continued research into firefighter safety.

By continuing to prioritize firefighter health, our government not only honours the service and sacrifice of these essential workers but also ensures the resilience and effectiveness of its emergency response system. Ongoing support, research and collaboration between government agencies, fire departments and firefighter associations….

Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member.

Kiel Giddens: It’s an honour this morning to speak to Bill M214, the Firefighters’ Health Act. I want to thank the member from Langley–Walnut Grove for bringing this forward. And thank you to the previous member for speaking on this topic as well.

[11:35 a.m.]

It’s a timely topic that I’ve been reflecting on, particularly, in the last week. Last Thursday in Prince George, I heard the news early in the morning that there was an apartment building on fire. Immediately, there were photos flooding Prince George social media. This was in a densely populated neighbourhood, and 19 firefighters attended the scene to evacuate the 79 residents and extinguish this fire. These folks, the 79 residents, are now displaced, but people and property were protected. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. All of the residents are receiving ESS supports at this time.

But really, everyone in Prince George is grateful for the service of our firefighters. The day of the fire, I dropped my kids off at school and drove to my constituency office. I was driving, and a thick blanket of harsh black smoke blanketed a portion of the city. I thought about the fact that those firefighters were risking their own safety to help others.

I previously worked for B.C.’s Labour Minister back in 2010-2011 and worked on the legislation to add esophageal cancer to the list of cancer presumptions under the Workers Compensation Act. This act, as has been noted by the previous speaker, has been one that has been updated over time. It has been done in sometimes a piecemeal way. Much of this is because that has been updated as cancer research has improved over time as we learn more.

There is more we can do. We can improve our legislation. We can improve the way we look at these issues. We should be listening directly to health professionals, to firefighters. And decisions should be rooted in science and health-based decision-making. That is why Bill M214 is really a unique bill. We really need to look at the early detection screening for cancer, which this bill will consider as we develop a new plan forward for this Workers Compensation Act and for the way we treat firefighters’ health across the province.

Let’s ensure that our firefighters who are there for us when we need them get the comprehensive physician examinations that they need on a regular and timely basis. That includes lab tests and making sure that the individual’s overall health and well-being is looked after. That includes mental health, as has been previously talked about.

Those firefighters who were evacuating the building last week may have signed up for a more dangerous career than most, but we owe them our gratitude. Not only did they have to go into the building while others rushed out but they also had to endure that thick black smoke that I talked about, and that brings its own serious long-term health challenges.

A few months ago, I toured Fire Hall No. 1 in Prince George and learned about how far policies and procedures have come to improve firefighters’ long-term health. So the handling of gear matters, for example.

There is only so much that occupational health and safety procedures can accomplish in this case. There are inherent risks to the work, and our workers compensation system needs to reflect the fact that some of these dangers can’t actually be prevented. That’s why I want to thank firefighters across the province for their work.

The B.C. Professional Firefighters Association is comprised of 56 locals serving in communities across the B.C. and Yukon. They represent over 4,600 professional men and women firefighters, dispatchers, prevention officers and support members. In my own riding this past Saturday, the Mackenzie Fire Department opened a brand-new Fire Hall No. 1, and the community is very proud.

I also want to thank all the volunteer firefighters in the regional district of Fraser–Fort George for all they do to keep our rural communities safe.

And a very special thank you to all of the members of Prince George Local 1372 for the heroism that they showed our community last week and each and every day that they go to their work on the job. It was my honour just last month to attend the retirement dinner for a number of the Local 1372 members. I sincerely want to congratulate Captain Dean Aussem, Assistant Chief Fred Wilkinson, Captain Colin Groeneveld, Captain Jim Litke, Captain Kevin Pigeon and Captain Dennis Toninato. All of them have been serving the city of Prince George for many years, and we’re very grateful.

So let’s commit together in this House to updating the Workers Compensation Act eventually to cover more of the occupational diseases that firefighters face, including more of the cancer presumptions that we need to do to support those firefighters for the long term.

[11:40 a.m.]

I know in recent years, forest fire fighters and volunteer firefighters have had increased coverage, and this would apply as well under this bill after ten years of continuous service. We thank all of them.

I don’t consider this a political issue. In my mind, it’s only about doing the right thing. As Labour critic for the Official Opposition, I wholeheartedly endorse Bill M214, because it’s the right thing to do.

Cancer is a terrible disease that affects so many British Columbians, and unfortunately, firefighters are overrepresented in the statistics for cancer in our province. Recently, many of us here in the Legislature attended the Biennial Fallen Firefighter Memorial, and we heard the firefighters’ prayer. I’ll repeat the final sentences because they’re pretty powerful.

“I want to fill my calling and give the best in me,

to guard my neighbour and protect his property.

And if, according to your will I have to lose my life,

bless with your protecting hand, my loving family from strife.”

We have an opportunity to support firefighters and their loving families with this bill. I think it’s time for all of us in the Legislature to get this done. I would hope and encourage that all members at second reading here help to move this bill forward.

Thank you very much for the time, Madam Speaker.

Deputy Speaker: Minister for Education and Child Care.

Hon. Lisa Beare: Thank you very much, Speaker.

Joining us today in the gallery, we have 26 students and some adults joining us from Gordon Head Middle School. Our MLA from….

Deputy Speaker: Sorry. I forgot to ask for leave. So you’re requesting?

Hon. Lisa Beare: May I request leave to make an introduction?

Leave granted.

Deputy Speaker: Okay, continue. Here we go. You’re official.

Introductions by Members

Hon. Lisa Beare: I get a do-over here, everyone.

We have Gordon Bay, Gordon Head Middle School. Now I’m mixing it up. We have Gordon Head Middle School joining us today in the gallery, 26 students accompanied by their teacher and some wonderful parent volunteers.

The Minister of Jobs couldn’t be in here to welcome you, so I get to do it on her behalf.

Would the whole House please make them feel very welcome.

Debate Continued

Darlene Rotchford: I’m pleased to rise today to respond to Bill M214.

I wish to begin by commending the service of British Columbia’s courageous firefighters. They’re the people who put themselves in the path of danger when others would run from it. They save lives and property on a daily basis at the risk of their own health and safety. They deserve our respect, our support and our gratitude every single day.

I applaud the advocacy by the members of the township of Langley IAFF Local 4550 who have joined us today.

I would be amiss if I also didn’t give a shout-out to my local firefighters. Within the riding of Esquimalt-Colwood, I have the pleasure of having five fire locals: IAFF 730 Victoria, Esquimalt IAFF 4264, View Royal IAFF 5419, Colwood IAFF 5420. And just to be different, we also have federal firefighters, UNDE 21009.

I just want to also send a thank-you to each and every one of them and their families for everything they do every day.

I also will start on my journey in regards to this bill. For anyone who doesn’t know me, I’m the Parliamentary Secretary for Labour, and I also have quite a labour background. I was the Victoria Labour Council president during COVID-19. I’ve had the honour and privilege of sitting on the B.C. Federation of Labour, as well as the Canadian Labour Congress. So when I say an injury to one is an injury to all, I take that very seriously.

As the member for Langley–Walnut Grove has said, both our government and the opposition party committed to increasing supports for firefighters during the recent campaign election. I have no doubt that the purpose of this bill is well intentioned. The work that firefighters do is dangerous and can have serious impacts on their physical and mental health. We must do everything we can to protect and support them.

That is what we, on the side of the House, are actively working on. In fact, it’s what we have been working on from the first day of the NDP government. It is also why I chose to run with this government, because as a worker who has advocated for workers’ rights and making sure that workers go to work safe and come home safe, I take that to heart.

[11:45 a.m.]

When the NDP formed government in 2017, there were a limited number of illnesses that were listed as presumptive for firefighters: heart injuries and diseases and ten types of cancer. For those here who do not know what that refers to, it means that if a firefighter is diagnosed with one of those illnesses, it is presumed to have been caused by the work they do, instead of them having to provide that it’s a work-related illness. The difference being that, unless there is evidence to the contrary, their workers compensation claim would be automatically accepted as job-related, and they would get the supports and care they need throughout WorkSafeBC as quickly as possible.

The illnesses recognized in 2017 were all well and good but not good enough. Thanks to the tireless effort of the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters Association, who’ve advocated to government and opposition members alike, our government was very aware that firefighters are at much greater risk of many kinds of serious illness. I’m sure, like myself and many of my colleagues across the floor, this past session we got to meet with firefighters who came and talked about the importance of these issues. It was a priority for our government early on to expand the list of presumptive illnesses for firefighters.

In 2018, we amended the Workers Compensation Act to add a new presumption for PTSD and other mental health disorders for firefighters, as well as other first responders, such as police and paramedics. It recognized the potential for devastating impacts of exposure to traumatic events on the job. Those amendments also expanded the cancer presumptions to include federal firefighters on military bases.

This was followed in 2019 by changes to expand the cancer, heart disease and mental health disorder presumptions to wildfire firefighters, fire investigators and firefighters working in First Nations and Indigenous organizations.

Our government has continued to listen to the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters Association and their concerns about the other types of cancer. In 2022, several more cancers were added in the list of presumptions for firefighters. There are now 18 types of cancer, along with heart disease and diseases listed. They are recognized in British Columbia as illnesses that firefighters have increased risk of developing.

While we’ve made great strides to dramatically increase support to our firefighters, the work of our government continues, and we undertake this work in close partnership with the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters Association and all of our locals. During the recent election campaign, we made the commitment to further expand the presumptions for firefighters. That commitment is being actively pursued as we speak and led by the Ministry of Labour, who will have more to say on that in the future.

I want to stress that our government has also made numerous significant improvements to the Workers Compensation Act and WorkSafeBC. These changes are focused on ensuring an effective work-centred compensation system that supports all workers, including firefighters and other emergency responders. We will continue to look at where further changes can be made to ensure the health and well-being of all workers.

As I said before, I’m sure this bill is well-intentioned, but I believe it’s missing the mark. It calls for a plan for health screening and a report with potential recommendations, if any, on prescribed occupational diseases that is then tabled in the Legislative Assembly. We, quite frankly, don’t need another report. The Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Health are actively engaging in this work.

In the Ministry of Labour, the work has led to the changes I have mentioned, and it will continue to lead to more changes in the near future.

The Minister of Health has already directed B.C. Cancer to review the issue of early screening criteria for firefighters, recognizing the unique risks that they all face, and to report back to the Ministry of Health as soon as possible. This review is currently underway and is being led by senior scientists at B.C. Cancer.

Legislating a report is not a practical approach, and it is not necessary. Government already has the regulatory power to engage in the work needed to make these potential amendments directly. It is the direct action to working consultation and approximate experts, workers, employers and others that will help us reach the common goal faster.

While I appreciate the efforts of the member across the House and fully agree with her on the need to support all of our firefighters, I do not see how the bill will achieve the desired results. Therefore, I will not be voting for Bill M214 to move forward.

[11:50 a.m.]

Bruce Banman: I rise in support of Bill M214, the Firefighters’ Health Act, and I want to thank my colleague from Langley–Walnut Grove for bringing it forward.

I have to say I’m saddened to hear one of the members from government not support this bill. This bill is more than just public policy. It’s about a moral duty and a responsibility to support our heroes. This House has heard me talk at great length about my son who is a battalion chief for Vancouver. I know many firefighters, both full-time and on-call, and even those that go out into our woods and protect from wildfires. We’ve heard an awful lot about the risks of heart disease, the risks of cancer, the risks of musculoskeletal, low back, neck, joint pain. I know my son’s shoulders are messed up.

What we have not heard about is the mental aspect, the PTSD. I want to relay a story to this House. When my son was on call, an on-call firefighter, an explosion happened within half a block of our house. He was home that day. This goes back to when they still had pagers. He was first on scene. And for those of you that are at home right now, you may want to turn your volume off if you have young ones or you are triggered.

There were two small children that were involved in this gas explosion. The ambulance attendants, the paramedics, said they knew where they were going because they could hear the screams over a block away. These children were burnt severely. My son’s training kicked in, and he did everything right. He had them outside. He had sheets on them, and they were hosing them down with water to try and cool the burns down. The reason they used sheets is because had they used the hoses, it literally would have washed their skin off.

Sadly, one of the children did not make it. Died later. The other one was severely burnt. My son was never the same after that day. These are children. The trauma that he suffered was pale in comparison to the trauma of the family and the children that were burnt. But the psychological damage that he went through and suffered silently lasts to this day.

That is only one incident that firefighters and first responders witness in their career. They are usually first on scene. If a loved one is having a heart attack or there is a horrific car accident or industrial accident, what they see firsthand has a mental impact. So I am fully in support of this bill.

I remember Gord Ditchburn talking to the Select Standing Committee on Finance. And I will spare the actual words he said because they’re unparliamentary. Basically he said he was a bit of a horse’s patootie — but because he went through counselling, his wife will tell you that he is a lot less of a horse’s patootie — because what happens with firefighters and other first responders, for that matter, is they take this trauma home with them.

If they’re lucky, they get the counselling they need. If they’re unlucky, they choose to self-medicate, or their families end up having to suffer with the fact that even though they’re gone on shift work and they don’t know if they’re going to get home, when they are actually home, they’re MIA — even when they are home.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

Now this shoule left for individual municipalities to sort out. As it was mentioned by the member for Langley–Walnut Grove, municipalities spend an awful lot of money on firefighters now, actually doing a lot of provincial work. They’re involved as first responders. When you have a heart attack or you need some form of health emergency, they’re there.

[11:55 a.m.]

When government asks British Columbians to put their lives on the line daily for public safety, the government must step up with support when the job takes its toll, be that physical or mental.

If we do not support this bill, neglect sends a message that the health of our first responders is not a priority to this government. As Conservatives, we believe in honouring British Columbian sacrifices. We believe in upholding firefighters’ public duty and respecting their service. Bill M214 does exactly that and reflects that.

Government must do what it can to support those who serve the public with courage. They need to know we’ve got their backs, because they have our backs when we need them. Just as we invest in equipment and training, we must invest in firefighter health and recovery. This is not a human issue. A firefighter diagnosed with cancer shouldn’t be fighting red tape and bureaucracy when they should have our full support behind them.

Let’s honour them, honour their service, their sacrifices, with the full support of this House. No bill is perfect. But to delay this into red tape and further waiting…. How many more individuals are going to suffer and die from cancer that could have been prevented? Let’s pass Bill M214, because supporting those who protect us is our duty.

Misty Van Popta moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

The Speaker: This House is adjourned until 1.30 p.m. today.

The House adjourned at 11:57 a.m.