Last week, we were shocked and outraged to learn of the assault against an elderly Asian man in East Vancouver, which the police identified as a racially motivated attack. Regrettably, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a rise in anti-Chinese and anti-Asian sentiment throughout Vancouver and the province. Chinese businesses, especially […]
community
Urgent Primary Care Centres: faster, better access to the health care you need
Imagine this. You’re walking to your car after getting off work one evening. It’s been a cold and wintery day and there is a thin sheet of ice beginning to cover the pavement. By this time the sun has already set and in the dark, you lose your balance and fall. You pick yourself up […]
Urgent Primary Care Centres: Getting the care you need, where and when you need it
It can be stressful, even scary, when you or a loved one needs urgent care. It’s even worse if you aren’t sure that care is going to be available when and where you need it. That worry has become a reality for British Columbians everywhere due to overcrowded emergency rooms and not enough family doctors. […]
Celebrating our differences
When I first arrived in Canada the very first job I got was counselling people over the phone. I was nervous to help others tackle complicated issues in my second language but I was thrilled to have the opportunity. Early on in my work, I received a particularly challenging call. While attempting to assist a […]
Loud and Proud: Creating Safe Spaces for All
We are a government for the people, and I mean all people. These are the values we campaigned on and now elected as government, we continue to work for everyone by ensuring that every single person is heard. One community in particular with historic levels of under-representation in politics and other positions of power are […]
CleanBC Supports Affordable, Lower-Carbon Living
On Bowen Road in Nanaimo, there’s a building complex that doesn’t look quite like anything else around it: Nuutsumuut Lelum, a new joint housing project from the Nanaimo Aboriginal Centre and BC Housing, is cedar-sided and built to an internationally recognized ultra-efficient energy use standard called “Passive House”. It’s a new home to 25 Indigenous […]
Making sure you are safe at work
Ensuring the safety of workers was one of the reasons I first became politically active, and it will always be an issue I care about. For decades, farmworkers were left out of any legislated labour protections. Unfortunately, it was common for workers to be severely injured or even killed as a result of unsafe working […]
Heroic SAR Rescue a moment of pride for British Columbians
This past weekend’s dramatic rescue of two American children from Burke Mountain led by Coquitlam’s Search and Rescue group is an important reminder of how fortunate we are to live here in British Columbia, where selfless volunteer-driven Search and Rescue Groups spring into action at a moments’ notice, saving lives. I don’t think I’m the […]
Why healthcare for people in the Tri-Cities is going to get a whole lot better
Back in 2014 my community was facing a big problem. Wait times at Eagle Ridge hospital were stretching for hours. Overcrowding left patients waiting for care from beds in the hallways. Health care providers were stretched thin. It was clear that the Emergency Room was in desperate need of expansion, but the path forward was […]
Improving opportunities for former children and youth in care
This month, young people across B.C. went back to college and university for the spring semester. It’s an exciting time as young adults see new experiences and new opportunities. I’m sure we can all remember thinking about all the things we could be when we grew up. Our families would nurture and support our curiosities […]
Supporting B.C. craft beer grows local jobs, strengthens communities
B.C.’s craft brewing industry is growing by leaps and bounds, enticing visitors to all parts of the province, and bringing economic growth to our communities. This has been especially true along the Sunshine Coast, where many breweries have set the bar for quality, all the while reinvigorating entire neighbourhoods. This October is the eighth-annual B.C. […]