ORDERS OF THE DAY — Continued
No. 43 — Wednesday, April 16, 2025 — 1.30 p.m.
2 Macklin McCall to ask the Hon. Minister of Forests the following questions: —
Wildfire Preparedness and Response
1. Given that wildfires since 2016 have burned an area larger than Vancouver Island, devastating timber supplies and ecosystems, why does Budget 2025 allocate only a modest $8 million increase for wildfire management? What is the Ministry’s plan to bridge this gap given the record-breaking costs of wildfires (over $1 billion spent in 2023)?
2. How will the Ministry ensure robust wildfire pre-season planning when Budget 2025 funds focus predominantly on reactive firefighting measures? Specifically, what proactive strategies (e.g., fire breaks, equipment, training) are being funded to prevent megafires rather than merely respond to them?
3. With B.C. having spent a record $1.1 billion on fire management in 2023 (exceeding the budget by $401 million), what safeguards does the Ministry propose to avoid such under-budgeting in 2025? Does the Ministry anticipate relying on the $10-billion contingency fund for wildfire costs, or will core budgets be adjusted to reflect true firefighting expenditures?
4. Budget 2025 shows the Forests Ministry’s spending falling from $1.4 billion to $891 million, partly due to lower forecast wildfire expenses. How can the Ministry justify this reduction after 2023’s worst wildfire season, and what risk assessments support the assumption of significantly lower firefighting costs in 2025–26?
5. In light of year-round wildfire threats, how is BC Wildfire Service’s staffing and training being enhanced? Specifically, given record recruitment interest (1,700 applicants for ~200 crew jobs in 2025), will Budget 2025 accommodate more full-time positions or training programs to leverage this surge and improve wildfire response capacity?
Controlled Burns and Wildfire Mitigation
6. Experts note B.C. must “revolutionize forest practices” by reinstating preventive burns and forest thinning. What dedicated funding in Budget 2025 (beyond the $20 million/year noted for prevention) is earmarked for controlled burns, fuel management, and cultural burning initiatives, especially near high-risk communities?
7. The Tyee highlighted that New Jersey, with <1% of B.C.’s area, conducts more preventive burns than B.C. How does the Ministry intend to “up its fire mitigation game” in 2025? Are there new targets or inter-jurisdictional partnerships planned to scale up prescribed burns and firebreak projects to match best practices in regions like Australia and the U.S.?
8. Given that each $1 invested in wildfire mitigation can yield $7 in benefits (especially by protecting watersheds and communities), why does Budget 2025 continue under-investing in prevention relative to suppression? How will the Ministry measure the cost-effectiveness of any FireSmart and Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction (CLWRR) projects funded this year?
9. After the catastrophic 2023 fire season, many communities have millions of dollars in unmet wildfire prevention needs. How is the Ministry addressing the funding shortfall, for local mitigation projects (e.g., fuel removal, prescribed burns)? Will Budget 2025 increase Community Resiliency Investment grants, given one fire chief’s comment that current funding covers only “one-fifth” of needed work?
10. Cultural burns are a proven tool to reduce wildfire risk and involve Indigenous expertise. What progress will Budget 2025 enable for the Cultural and Prescribed Fire Program, and how many hectares are expected to be treated through cultural burns in 2025? Are any First Nations partnerships or training programs expanding to integrate these traditional practices more broadly?
Timber Loss and Supply
11. As major wildfires sterilize soils and increase erosion, reforestation becomes more urgent and complex. What earmarked funding or programs in Budget 2025 will tackle post-wildfire replanting, land rehabilitation, and erosion control in severely burned areas? Please detail any specific allocations (or the lack thereof) for such recovery work in response to the 2023 wildfires in places like the Okanagan (Westside complex).
Water Quality in Wildfire Zones
12. Experts warn that burned watersheds lead to debris torrents and sediment in drinking water. In Budget 2025, what resources are allocated to protect water quality after wildfires? Is there funding for catchment rehabilitation (e.g., reseeding ground cover, installing silt traps) in areas like the Shuswap or Cariboo where community water systems were affected by 2023 fires?
13. Given that smaller communities and First Nations without big filtration plants are “starting to see boil water advisories” post-fires, how will the Ministry work with Emergency Management and Health to address these risks? Are there inter-ministerial funds or programs in 2025 to assist in upgrading water infrastructure or providing interim clean water supplies in wildfire-affected areas?
14. The Forests Ministry’s mandate includes land-based recovery. Does Budget 2025 fund any wildfire land-based recovery program pilots aimed at maintaining or restoring water quality (for instance, replanting stream buffers, stabilizing slopes to prevent ash runoff)? If yes, please detail; if not, why was this critical aspect overlooked despite known wildfire impacts on fisheries and drinking water?
15. In 2024, a one-time recovery uplift of $100,000 was offered to six local governments for post-wildfire debris clearing and rebuilding. Will this Recovery Uplift Program continue or expand in 2025, and will its scope include measures to specifically safeguard water sources (like removing charred debris around reservoirs or repairing damaged water intakes)?
Staffing, Permitting and Bureaucracy
16. With extensive staff demands from wildfire seasons (hundreds of BC Wildfire Service personnel and support staff in emergency operations) and simultaneous needs to advance policy (old-growth deferrals, landscape planning), is the Ministry properly resourced in terms of staffing levels? Did Budget 2025 authorize any increase in full-time equivalents (FTEs) for the Ministry of Forests or the BC Wildfire Service to manage these dual pressures? If not, how will the Ministry avoid burnout and ensure both emergency response and strategic planning mandates are met?
17. In summary, does the Minister believe the 2025 NDP Budget failed the forestry portfolio? Please address how this budget “shortchanges” the Ministry’s ability to prepare for climate impacts (wildfires, floods) and to support an industry in crisis. What commitments can the Ministry of Forests make to British Columbians that, despite the limited new funding, it will innovatively leverage every tool available to protect communities, sustain our forests, and preserve jobs in the year ahead?
3 Korky Neufeld to ask the Hon. Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills the following questions: —
1. Is there a loan forgiveness program for physicians from rural British Columbia studying at UNBC that decide to remain to serve in that community?
2. Does a nurse who is studying at the College of New Caledonia, the University of Northern British Columbia or the North Cariboo Community Campus receive loan forgiveness?
3. Would the medical students from a smaller interior community that are studying at these local institutions receive loan forgiveness?
4. In light of the federal international student policy changes, what impacts does the Minister believe they will have on B.C. institutions?
5. How many institutions will file a deficit with the government in 2025?
6. What is the approximate dollar amount of the total shortfall?
7. What controls does the Minister have over the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of B.C.?
8. Does the Minister know how many programs will no longer be offered to students across this province?
9. Will the Minister give assurances that programs and degrees that are employment-ready will not be dropped?
10. Is the Ministry tracking the negative impact of the federal government’s international student policy changes on B.C. institutions?
11. Back in 2021, the Minister mentioned that the government was working on the “International Education Framework,” has that Framework been completed?
12. If so, has that Framework been made public?
13. Can the Minister give an update on how the Framework will support institutions today?
14. What was the total amount collected by institutions from international student tuition in the school year 2023–2024?
15. Now that many institutions will have financial shortfalls, how will this government assure British Columbians that our post-secondary institutions will remain fiscally viable (specially the smaller, interior institutions)?
16. How many institutions have submitted debt mitigation letters through treasury?
17. How many of those institutions have submitted letters through treasury three years in a row?
18. Has this Minister looked at what all these layoffs will do to institutions’ FTE targets?
19. Does the Minister have a plan about the direction she is providing to post-secondary institutions?
20. How is the Minister tracking the total negative impact across the province?
21. How will we meet the job market targets set by this government when our institutions are not fiscally viable?
22. Regarding Don Wright’s “Funding Formula Review,” has this report been released to the participants and the public by this government?
23. In your understanding, what are the factors why post-secondary education costs for students have become less affordable in the past eight years?
24. What is the Minister doing to work with the federal government for additional student support for B.C. students?
25. Students are being used for translation work in many of our institutions without any compensation. Can the Minister work with B.C. institutions to guarantee students are receiving applicable compensation for their work?
26. How much funding for student service programs is in this year’s budget?
27. B.C. students have been calling for increased action by this government to address sexualized violence at post-secondary institutions. How much money in this year’s budget is going to be allocated towards ending sexualized violence on post-secondary campuses?
28. What is this government doing to address the threats of sexualized violence, harassment and misogyny directed at individuals at our post-secondary campuses via electronic means?
29. Why would a woman or individual want to step forward and put themselves in a position when they are going to receive the level of absolute disregard that some of our young women have been subjected to in our post-secondary institutions?
30. B.C.’s Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy Act requires that all public secondary institutions establish sexual violence and misconduct policies and procedures with a focus on prevention and response. Can the Minister confirm this work has been completed?
31. What has the Minister done to ensure that the guidelines are being properly implemented?
32. Mental well-being for students and staff is crucial; what can the Minister share about any programs that this government funds?
33. What measurements, if any, can the Minister share of their positive impact on students and staff?
34. Where does the government stand on racism, bullying and harassment?
35. Is there funding in this year’s budget to support institutions to help address antisemitism on our B.C. campuses?
36. What specific interventions have been put in place for Jewish students on our B.C. campuses?
37. Has the Minister visited and discussed antisemitism concerns with the Hillel House on the UBC campus?
38. Does the Minister believe it is okay for a university staff member to publicly condemn and harass Jewish students by leading anti-Jewish rallies on B.C. campuses?
39. Has the Minister met with Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, Deborah Lyons, to address antisemitism on B.C. post-secondary campuses?
40. Is there money in this year’s budget to address the significant concerns students have for their safety on B.C. campuses?
41. Will the Minister follow up with the Premier and the Minister of Finance regarding the student unions’ egregious concerns at both Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Langara College and advocate for the recommendations below?
[Recommendations available from the Office of the Clerk.]
4 Lynne Block to ask the Hon. Minister of Education and Child Care the following questions: —
1. Transfers: Could you please provide a written breakdown of the $63,527 million in transfers, specifying each partner organization and the initiatives or services they are funding?
2. B.C. training and education savings program special account: Regarding the $30,001,000 allocated to the B.C. training and education savings program special account, can you please provide a detailed breakdown of what this funding covers and how it impacts training and education?
3. Teachers Act special account: Could you please confirm the accurate net amount for the Teachers Act special account and clarify the reason for the difference between the figures presented on page 63 and the financial overview?
4. EAs for K to 3: Of the $370 million allocated to support K-to-12 education, could you specify the amount earmarked for the commitment of an education assistant in every kindergarten-to-grade-3 classroom, and can you please provide a projected timeline for full implementation across the province?
5. Early intervention and literacy screening: Could you please provide data on the number of children screened to date under the $30 million early intervention program, the number still awaiting screening, and details regarding the government’s commitment to ongoing funding for this program beyond the initial three years? What metrics will be used to evaluate the program’s success over the three-year period to inform decisions about future funding?
6. SOGI resources age-appropriateness: Could you please provide specific details regarding the criteria being developed within the provincial framework to ensure SOGI resources in schools are age-appropriate and focused solely on anti-bullying, and what is the anticipated timeline for the implementation of this SOGI-specific guidance? What will be the consultation process involved in developing this framework and which stakeholders will be involved?
7. The allocation of the $9 billion between Education and Child Care: Could you please provide specific breakdowns of the $9 billion (both for operating expenses and ministry operations) between the Education and Child Care branches in the current budget? How “fluid” is this allocation process and what is the specific criteria used to determine the amounts for different categories?
8. School districts’ budget cuts: As the Minister stated that the budget remained the same, please outline projected impacts the Education Ministry anticipates with the removal of the carbon tax revenue and school districts’ future financial stability.
9. Shift away from letter grades: Has the Ministry collected any data or feedback from parents, teachers, and/or students regarding their understanding and perception of the proficiency scale compared to traditional letter grades? Are there any plans to re-evaluate the effectiveness of the current grading policy?
10. PISA and FSA results: The PISA and FSA results show dips in numeracy and literacy. As the Minister acknowledged these concerns, is the Ministry looking at any specific strategies or interventions that the Ministry may plan to implement to address these declining scores, beyond the existing literacy and numeracy funding?
11. Mental health of children and youth: As the government has committed to a counsellor in every school, please provide a more concrete timeline or targets for achieving this goal. How will the Ministry measure the impact of increased mental health supports on student well-being?
12. Mental health of teachers: Could the Ministry provide specific data regarding teacher burnout and retention, and how the effectiveness of any initiatives in addressing these issues, will be evaluated?
13. MyEdBC: Does the Ministry have any plans for upgrades or improvements to the system to address the ongoing frustrations reported by teachers?
14. Select Standing Committee on Education: Will the Minister support the reinstatement of the standing education committee, which has not met since 2006? If so, what steps would need to be taken to make this happen?
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