Amended the Workers Compensation Act to allow firefighters, wildfire firefighters, fire investigators, and firefighters working for First Nations and other Indigenous organizations easier access to workers’ compensation.
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Improved and simplified the process by which workers can make complaints to the Employment Standards Branch, and got rid of the BC Liberals’ “self-help kits”.
Made the most significant improvements to the Workers Compensation Act in more than two decades.
better protect children and youth from dangerous work;
make it easier for workers to get help when they feel their rights have been violated;
provide more job protection to people dealing with difficult personal circumstances; and
ensure people are paid the wages they are owed — and that those that violate the law do not have an unfair advantage.
Taking action to bring fairness and predictability to app-based jobs like ride hailing and food delivery with new proposed standards as the sector continues to expand.
Introduced legislation to develop accessibility standards in order to identify, remove and prevent barriers in workplaces, government buildings, and the built environment to ensure all British Columbians can participate more fully in their communities.
Changed hard hat rules to make workplaces more inclusive for people who wear religious head coverings without compromising workplace safety.
Took action to help close the gender pay gap by requiring employers to share transparent wage information on job postings.
Agriculture and Food
Boosted B.C.’s agriculture industry and connected people to products grown and made in B.C. by relaunching Buy BC, and expanded the program to include Grow BC and Feed BC.
Committed $8.3 million over three years to develop the B.C. Food Hub Network, linking food producers and processors with shared technology, research and development, production equipment, expertise and services.
Launched a Regenerative Agriculture and Agritech Network (RAAN) that will help farmers adopt the latest technology to increase profitability and environmental sustainability, while strengthening the provincial food system.
Created a new meat licensing system that supports farm businesses and makes it easier for B.C. families to buy, serve and enjoy meat raised in their own communities.
Helping farmers to prepare for emergencies like fires, floods, or diseases, with an investment of $20 million for the new Food Security Emergency Planning and Preparedness Fund.
Climate Action and Environment
Invested over $1.5-billion in CleanBC, B.C.’s plan to tackle climate change, putting B.C. on the path to a cleaner, brighter, low-carbon future, while creating more jobs and economic opportunities for people, businesses and communities.
Signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the federal government to affirm a joint commitment to power British Columbia’s natural gas production and liquefied natural gas (LNG) sectors with clean electricity.
Launched Move. Commute. Connect.: B.C.’s new strategy for cleaner, more active transportation, which aims to double the percentage of trips taken with active transportation by 2030.
Requiring all new light-duty cars and trucks in sold B.C. to be zero-emission vehicles by the year 2035, removing a major source of air pollution …
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Providing rebates for electric vehicles to make it more affordable for British Columbians to make the switch to an EV.
Created CleanBC Better Homes, Better Buildings, a home and commercial retrofit program that saves households and businesses money by reducing energy bills and increasing energy efficiency.
Announced $36 billion investment in new community and regional infrastructure to deliver clean, affordable electricity to people and businesses, as part of BC Hydro’s 10-Year Capital Plan. The new construction projects are expected to support 10,500-12,500 jobs annually.
Requiring all new buildings in B.C. to be net-zero-energy ready by 2032, and all new government facilities to use 100% clean energy beginning 2022.
Took action to protect our environment, economy, and our coast from the drastic consequence of a diluted bitumen spill.
Created the Clean Coast, Cleans Waters Initiative and invested more than $13 million to fund the largest shoreline and coastal cleanup in BC’s history, removing more than 100 derelict vessels and over 127 tonnes of plastic waste from our natural environment.
Increasing the Climate Action Tax Credit by 14%, putting more money back in the pockets of low and middle-income families.
Created the CleanBC Industry Fund to invest carbon tax revenues in initiatives that will reduce emissions and support good jobs for people throughout British Columbia.
In partnership with the federal government and BC Transit, invested in new buses to replace older, higher-emission buses, and meet the growing demand for public transit in BC.
Protected some of the province’s largest trees as the first step in a new approach to old-growth management.
Put an end to the grizzly bear hunt, ensuring the protection of one of B.C.’s most iconic species.
Took action to help ensure that disasters like the Mount Polley Mine tailings pond spill never happen again, by implementing science-based public oversight in the management of B.C.’s natural resources.
Modernized environmental assessment process to ensure that good projects that respect B.C.’s environment and the public are approved and that First Nations are involved meaningfully through the entire process.
Created the Wild Salmon Advisory Council which developed a made-in-B.C. Wild Salmon Strategy, as part of our government’s commitment to support restoring healthy and abundant wild salmon stocks in B.C. and are partnering with the federal government to fund projects to restore fish habitat and protect vulnerable wild Pacific salmon through the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund.
Mandated better accountability, transparency and more detailed targets for climate action under a new Climate Change Accountability Act – the first of its kind in Canada – to make sure our province is on track for long-term emission reductions.
Engaged with British Columbians to seek feedback on how the Province can reduce and recycle more plastics, including those that would otherwise end up in our landfills, environment and water systems.
Appointed an independent Climate Solutions Council to advise government and track progress on CleanBC initiatives to reduce pollution and create new opportunities for people around the province.
Created Together for Wildlife, a plan for the conservation and stewardship of B.C.’s wildlife, with a governing council to oversee the strategy.
Partnered with the federal and local governments on a new Organics Infrastructure Program, which will help communities divert organic waste away from landfills.
Rolled out a new heavy-duty vehicle efficiency program that will help lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and help commercial truck drivers spend less money on fuel.
Invested $10 million for the construction and operation of 10 hydrogen fuelling stations in the province, as well as three years of support for Hydrogen BC.
Taking action to prevent plastic pollution by regulating and limiting the use of single-use products such as shopping bags, cutlery, plastic straws and polystyrene foam take-out containers.
Promoting access and protecting nature with a historic investment of over $83 million in BC Parks for new campsites, expanded trails and strengthened management of the park system.
Invested $100-million in the Watershed Security Fund
Education, Post Secondary and Future Skills
In 2022-23 we invested $7.4 billion in learning for K-12 students, which is $1.8 billion more than the previous government committed in 2016-17. This includes:
More EAs in classrooms
More funding for students with special needs
Targeted funding to support Indigenous and rural students
Budget 2023 commits $3.4 billion for capital school projects over the next three years – this includes:
New and expanded schools
Seismic upgrades to keep kids safe
Maintenance
Playgrounds
Property purchases for future schools
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Invested $214 million to create and expand local school food programs across the province through Budget 2023. This will help make sure students are fed and ready to learn, and ease inflation pressures on families.
The Student and Family Affordability Fund provided $60 million for the 2022/23 year to help families deal with the rising cost of living. The fund will make sure students have access to meals and have the supplies they need, as well as helping with the cost of field trips and other fees.
Funded 231 new playgrounds at schools across the province since 2017, through an annual fund designed to relieve the fundraising burden on parents.
Negotiated a BC Tripartite Education Agreement (BCTEA) with Indigenous education rights-holders that commits the federal government to provide an additional $100 million over 5 years and guarantees equal per-pupil funding of on-reserve Indigenous students with local school district students – the first and only such agreement of its kind in Canada.
To support a safe return to school for fall 2021, our government provided $43.6 million for enhanced cleaning measures, support for First Nations and Métis students, mental health services, and rapid response teams.
Launched a K-12 Anti-Racism Action Plan to empower students and teachers to identify racism and discrimination and take action.
Became the first jurisdiction in Canada to require all public schools to provide students with equitable, stigma-free access to free menstrual products in school washrooms.
Approved a curriculum for 18 First Nations languages to be taught in B.C. schools, with more in development.
Reestablished needs-based student grants, which were cancelled by the BC Liberals, to make post-secondary education and training more affordable for thousands of students throughout B.C.
Restored tuition-free Adult Basic Education and English Language Learning, removing roadblocks set up by the BC Liberals for people wanting to upgrade and pursue their dreams.
Eliminated interest on British Columbia student loans, helping to ensure that students who have to borrow for their education don’t end up paying more than those who don’t.
Funded 27,000+ apprenticeship and foundation training seats in public and private institutes in Budget 2019 to ensure B.C. has the skilled workers we need.
Launched a new $20 million training program so people can get the skills they need to help them find good jobs as the economy recovers.
Provided emergency funding so students have access to assistance to help them cope with the financial pressures caused by COVID-19.
As part of our commitment to add 2,900 tech seats by 2023 at public post-secondary institutions, we funded 1,900 tech seats in 2020-21 throughout the province.
Eliminated post-secondary tuition and provided additional funding for living expenses for former youth in care, up to age 27. As of March 2021, 1,565 former youth in care have been able to attend post-secondary and work towards their dreams.
Invested nearly $14 million to help thousands of youth, women and under-represented groups to get apprenticeships and employment in the skilled trades.
Investing in more programs for health care workers so people can begin rewarding careers and so that the health care system has the skilled work force it needs to provide care.
Adding 2,900 new tech-related seats at public colleges and universities in new and expanded programs across the province.
Eliminated post-secondary tuition and provided additional funding for living expenses for former youth in care, up to age 27. With this elimination of fees, so far over 1119 former youth in care have been able to attend post-secondary and work towards their dreams.
Invested in open education resources including more open textbooks for students and instructors, reducing the burden of cost and levelling the playing field for students at post-secondary institutions across the province.
Invested funding for new skills training and employment programs for survivors of violence and abuse, older workers, adult learners and people facing multiple barriers to employment to empower people to achieve their educational and professional goals.
Expanded program spaces and bursary funding for those wanting to pursue a career in child care as an early childhood educator (ECE), as part of the Province’s commitment to create a universal child care system in B.C.
Created the first nursing degree program in the Northeast and increased funding to create a number of additional seats in programs such as: occupational and physical therapy, and trades.
More than doubled the number of specialty nurse training opportunities in the province by funding 1,000 seats each year at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT).
The first province in Canada to develop an Electric Vehicle Maintenance Training Program to make sure the province’s workforce has the skills and training needed to support more electric vehicles on the road.
Launched a sexual violence prevention campaign at all of British Columbia’s public post-secondary campuses to educate students, faculty, staff and the broader public about consent, because people deserve to feel safe and free from potential sexual violence.
Provided $9 million to expand co-op and work-integrated learning at post-secondary institutions so students will have more opportunities to gain real-life, relevant work experience that will give them a leg-up in their careers.
Supporting a strong recovery for our vibrant arts and culture economy with more than $47.5 million in funding for artists and art organizations since the beginning of the pandemic.
Revitalizing Chinatown with over $2 million to restore storefronts, historic neon signs, and make lighting upgrades to this neighbourhood.
Providing $3.5 million to help our tourism sector welcome fans to Vancouver during the 111th Grey Cup in 2024.
Helped ensure over 1100 fairs, festivals, and events could recover from the pandemic and continue to bring people together, with over $30 million in funding for events in 2023 and 2024.
Getting more kids into sports with funding for KidSport. This organization offers up to $400 per year, per child, so low-income families can sign their children up for activities.
The $3.6 million RISE Grant Program also helps youth who are in (or are from) government care to participate in sport and cultural activities.
Named B.C.’s official fossil emblem – the elasmosaur, a marine reptile fossil first discovered along the Puntledge River on Vancouver Island.
Housing
Implementing an ambitious 30-point housing plan to tackle the housing crisis and making the largest investment in housing affordability in B.C. history – more than $7 billion over 10 years – so that all British Columbians can find an affordable place to live:
Supporting seniors, families, and low- and middle-income earners with 9,096 new homes through the Building BC: Community Housing Fund.
Funding 4,900 supportive housing units for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, with more than 2,800 of these homes already open in communities across B.C.
Helping women and children leaving violence by funding 966 units of transition housing – the major investment in transition housing in more than two decades.
Making a historic investment in housing for Indigenous peoples by funding more than 1,100 homes both on and off reserve. B.C. was the first province to fund on-reserve housing for Indigenous peoples.
Introduced the Housing Supply Act, to help deliver more good homes for people by establishing housing targets for specified municipalities to meet the critical housing needs of their communities.
Creating a new Building Permit Hub so homeowners and builders can get the local permits they need more quickly.
Taking action to help stabilize B.C.’s overheated real estate market, including:
Introduced the speculation and vacancy tax to, turn empty homes into available housing for people by targeting foreign and domestic speculators who own homes in B.C. but do not pay tax here. This has turned 20,000 vacant units into home for people.
Increasing the foreign buyers tax to 20% and expanding it to other urban areas.
Introduced a home flipping tax to discourage speculation and help more people find a home they can afford.
Taking action to end hidden ownership by requiring more information on beneficial owners and passing legislation to establish a publicly accessible registry of beneficial ownership.
Launching a public inquiry on money laundering in BC, after three independent reviews revealed that each year billions of dollars are laundered through our real estate market and other sectors of the economy.
We capped rent increases in 2023 below inflation to 2%, providing significant savings for renters – more than $800 per year for a renter paying $2,000 a month, stopped illegal renovictions, and improved the dispute resolution process for tenants and landlords.
Took action to end illegal renovictions by requiring landlords to apply for pre-approval before ending a tenancy for this purpose.
Became the first Canadian jurisdiction to offer provincewide rent bank services. Rent banks provide interest-free loans for tenants in urgent circumstances so they do not lose their housing.
Since 2017, over 4,800 people who were homeless, or at risk of being homeless, have moved into new supportive housing units we’ve opened in more than 30 communities across the province.
Our government has invested in new initiatives aimed at helping prevent and reduce homelessness in the province. These investments include:
funding to build and operate more supportive housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness
new complex-care housing units, as well operating funding that will support complex-care services such as enhanced health, mental-health and substance-use services for people who need additional support beyond traditional supportive housing
regional multidisciplinary teams and temporary spaces to support rapid response for communities with substantive encampments in their area
expanding access to temporary modular supportive housing and provide more on-site support for people living in encampments, such as fire prevention, safety and sanitation, while housing gets built
expanding shelter and low-income assistance programs, including emergency shelters so that more people can access these essential supports
for people in temporary leased spaces as part of the Province’s pandemic response, funding to help provide continuing support, and a pathway to permanent housing.
Our Government is implementing Belonging in B.C., a plan to prevent and reduce homelessness. The plan adds 3,900 new supportive housing units and 240 complex-care spaces province-wide, and creates multidisciplinary regional response teams designed to rapidly respond to encampments to better support people sheltering outdoors move inside.
Child Care, Children and Families
Since the launch of Childcare BC in 2018, we’ve invested $2.7 billion in child care to build a strong foundation for the inclusive, universal child care system B.C. families need.
We have funded more than 30,500 new licensed child care spaces since July 2018, and more than 10,500 of these spaces are providing care for children right now.
Providing bursaries of up to $5000 per semester to students completing ECE programs.
Creating 151 student spaces in ECE work-integrated programs, so people can obtain or upgrade their qualifications while working.
Prioritizing ECEs on the path towards permanent residency through the provincial nominee program.
Expanding a dual-credit program that allows Grade 11 and 12 students to earn high school and post-secondary credits while they start their training as ECEs.
Amended the School Act to allow school boards to directly operate before and after school care on school grounds. Having child care on school grounds means smoother pick-ups and drop-offs for parents, and an easier transition for kids.
Introduced legislation that recognizes the value of the child care workforce by creating a stand-alone statute for Early Childhood Educators and provides more transparency and accountability as we continue building on our progress towards an inclusive, universal child care system.
Gave foster parents and other caregivers a boost in support payments – the first increase in a decade – to provide more support to some of B.C.’s most vulnerable children and adults.
Ensured family members get equal pay to foster parents when they care for children through the Extended Family Program so that Indigenous children can be cared for in their communities.
Increased funding and supports for youth from government care transitioning to adulthood by:
Creating a new no-limit earnings exemption that means youth from care will not see a reduction in their benefits for working, gaining skills and earning income.
Hiring Youth Transition Support Workers who will support youth in care starting at age 14 and guide them in accessing services until they are 25.
Expanding the province’s program of respite care for families with children who have support needs, benefiting more than 1,300 additional families.
Health Care, Mental Health and Addictions
Launched our BC Health Workforce Strategy to expand training programs and improve recruitment and retention to build a strong and resilient public healthcare system.
Budget 2023 takes the next steps to strengthen our health and mental-health-care system since the pandemic, with $6.4 billion in new investments over 3 years.
Made it easier for internationally educated nurses to work in B.C.’s health-care system with new financial supports and a faster, more efficient assessment pathway.
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Launched BC’s Cancer Care Action Plan with immediate steps to better prevent, detect and treat cancers, delivering improved care for people now and into the future. Includes an initial investment of $440 million to expand cancer-care teams and attract cancer-care professionals to our province.
Became the first jurisdiction in Canada to make prescription contraception free to all residents, saving people as much as $10,000 over their lifetime
Launched self-screening for HPV to detect cervical cancer sooner, and remove barriers to make testing more comfortable and convenient, compared to traditional pap tests.
Invested more than $1 billion over three years to improve care for seniors, including investments in primary care, home health, long-term care and assisted living.
Building on successful surgical strategy to continue decreasing wait times by increasing operating room hours and hiring more surgeons, nurses and technicians. By December 2022, almost all surgeries postponed by multiple waves of COVID-19 had been completed.
Opening urgent primary care centres and community health centres across B.C.
Launch of Health Human Resources strategy – including 602 new nursing seats and 2,800 nurses on path to have credentials recognized.
Dramatically boosting the number of MRI exams and elective surgeries as part of our Surgical and Diagnostic Imaging Strategy. Since 2016-17, the number of MRI exams has increased by 69% and wait times have been cut by more than half.
Scrapped the “first available bed” policy for seniors looking for long-term care, so that families have more choice, and seniors have the option of waiting at home with additional supports.
Took action to lower drug costs by making record investments in Fair PharmaCare, helping to negotiate a new national generics agreement and expanding the use of biosimilar drugs.
Introduced the most comprehensive regulations in the country on vaping products to protect youth.
Moving forward with a first-of-its-kind children’s complex care transition facility in B.C., to fill gaps in much-needed services and supports for children and young people with complex care needs.
Took action to improve ambulance responses times and better support paramedics and dispatchers so that when British Columbians call for help, they know it’s on its way, quickly.
Expanded travel support for people who need to travel to bigger cities for cancer care
Created a stand-alone Ministry for Mental Health and Addictions to take province-wide action to combat the overdose crisis and help people living with mental illness and addictions.
Since 2017, we have been building a continuum of care for mental-health and substance use services, including more than 360 new adult and youth substance-use beds, and doubling the number of clinicians prescribing medication assisted treatment.
Budget 2023 included the biggest investment in mental health in B.C’s history with more than $1 billion in funding over the fiscal plan to ensure people living with mental health or addiction can find and stay connected to the care they need.
Includes adding more treatment and recovery services using the successful Red Fish Health Centre as a model.
Between the 2017 Budget Update through to 2021/22 this government has provided $608 million, including an additional $30 million in Budget 2019, to combat the overdose crisis, including:
Expanding access to life-saving naloxone kits
Funding pilot programs to help meet the increased demand for paramedics in rural and remote areas of B.C.
Funding 35 Community Action Teams (CAT) to provide on-the-ground support in response to the overdose crisis in the hardest-hit communities.
Supporting First Nations organizations and Indigenous Peoples in addressing the ongoing impacts of the overdose crisis in their communities.
Launched A Pathway to Hope, which lays out the BC government’s 10-year vision for mental health and addiction care that gets people the services they need in order to tackle problems early on and support their well-being.
Created complex-care housing spaces for up to 500 people throughout BC to support people who are facing overlapping mental-health and substance-use challenges, or trauma or brain injuries.
Launched a class action lawsuit against opioid drug companies, whose marketing practices have had devastating impacts on the lives of thousands of British Columbians. In summer 2022, the federal, provincial and territorial governments made a settlement agreement with Purdue Canada of $150 million. Further litigation is ongoing with other drug companies.
Expanded Foundry centres, with a total of 23 centres planned along with the Foundry App, giving young people and their families across B.C. access to a one-stop-shop to support their mental health and wellness.
Taking the lead in Canada by expanding access to safer supply, which will separate more people from the poisoned drug supply and help save lives.
Building a better network of mental health supports for youth including mental health programs in school and expanding the number of integrated child and youth teams. A total of 20 integrated child and youth teams will be implemented across the province by 2024.
Created 10 Community Transition Teams to offer support services for people leaving correctional centres with mental-health and substance-use supports as they transition back into the community.
Invested in each regional health authority to support evidence-based suicide prevention strategies that address unique priorities and gaps in care for people who may be suicidal.
Invested $4.7 million in a therapeutic recovery community in Greater Victoria for men who have repeat experiences with incarceration, homelessness and addiction.
Boosted funding in 2023, with $4.39 million to support 330 people in this program over the next three years.
Launched Here2Talk, a new free mental-health counselling and referral service for post-secondary students, available online or by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Created a new Integrated Gang Homicide Team (IGHT) in the Lower Mainland. The team will focus on investigating gang-related homicides to hold individuals accountable and disrupt gang activity
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Addressed nearly all of the recommendations in the Abbott-Chapman report to improve how BC prevents, prepares for, responds to, and recovers from wildfires and floods.
Added $31 million—a funding increase of nearly 45% — to the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund to support community resiliency in the face of wildfires, floods, and other emergencies.
Allocated $300,000 in funding to community organizations for prevention and intervention programs for perpetrators of domestic violence.
Implemented the most comprehensive and progressive emergency management framework in Canada with the Emergency and Disaster Management Act, which incorporates lessons learned from recent emergencies and reflects modern risks and realities, including climate change and transmissible diseases, such as COVID-19.
Invested $18.6 million in BC Search and Rescue organizations to help with training, equipment and administration—the biggest single investment in SAR in BC history.
Took action against money laundering by moving the Province’s gambling regulator to the new independent gambling control office (IGCO), and provided it with greater independence to set and enforce regulatory gambling policy.
Enhanced regulations and increased fines to improve passenger safety in the party bus industry.
Brought in new regulations on vaping products and advertising to protect youth from risks associated with vaping.
Tasked an all-party legislative committee to review the Police Act, and make recommendations on how it can be modernized to reflect today’s challenges and opportunities for delivering police services with a specific focus on systemic racism.
Implemented the Safer Communities Action Plan, which included a new Virtual Bail Processes and expanded Situation Tables in communities across the province.
Pushed for federal amendments to the Criminal Code to address repeat violent offending.
Passed the Intimate Images Protection Act to help people who have had their intimate images shared without their consent to get the images removed from the internet more quickly.
Raised minimum wage to $17.40 per hour as of June 1, 2024. We’ve passed legislation to ensure that future increases will happen automatically, based on the previous year’s rate of inflation.
Removed unfair tolls on the Port Mann Bridge and Golden Ears Bridge, saving commuters in the lower mainland up to $1,500 a year.
As a result, a family of four earning $60,000 will have their provincial taxes reduced by up to 60% compared to 2016, putting more than $2,500 back into this family’s pocket. A family of four earning $80,000 will have their provincial taxes reduced by up to 43%.
To help families facing rising costs due to global inflation, the BC Family Benefit was permanently increased in 2023, and an additional supplement was created for single-parent families. The benefit is based on income and family size, the average yearly payment is $2,250 per year.
Since summer 2022, BC has provided almost $2.4 billion in cost-of-living benefits, including BC affordability credits, increase in BC Family Benefit, ICBC rebates, BC Hydro credit, and enhanced School Affordability Fund.
Created a new income tested renters’ tax credit that will put as much as $400 annually back into the pockets of B.C. renters with moderate and low incomes.
Increased the climate action tax credit by 70% compared to 2017, to put up to $500 back into the pockets of BC families by 2021 and then in 2020 boosted this tax credit in order to give an additional $450 back to families to support people during the pandemic.
The October 2022 payment will be boosted by up to $164 for eligible individuals and up to $41 per child, to help families with global inflation.
Eliminated interest on British Columbia student loans, helping to ensure that students who have to borrow for their education don’t end up paying more than those who don’t.
At the same time, we are easing repayment by raising the income threshold under which a student does not have to repay their loan – from $25,000 to $40,000.
Took action to lower drug costs by making record investments in Fair PharmaCare, helping to negotiate a new national generics agreement, reducing and eliminating deductibles and expanding the use of biosimilar drugs.
Providing a $600 month rent supplement to help people with low incomes with rental costs in the private market
Made live-event ticket sales fairer, by eliminating ticket bots and mass-buying software, and by bringing in consumer protections and fairer processes for people.
Launched a comprehensive two-phased review of BC Hydro to clean up the mess of the previous BC Liberal government and keep rates low, allowing BC Hydro to reduce rates for the first time in decades.
Brought in greater transparency and accountability to how fuel is priced in B.C.
Made changes to strata insurance regulations to help address the rising cost of strata insurance in B.C. and bring further transparency to the industry.
Supported individuals and families to make ends meet during the pandemic with the B.C. Recovery Benefit, $1,000 for families and $500 for individuals.
Cleaning up the financial mess at ICBC left by the BC Liberals, including transforming ICBC to deliver lower auto-insurance rates by an average of 20% and dramatically improve care benefits for those injured in a crash.
Created the Emerging Economy Task Force that was tasked with charting a long-term economic vision for B.C. The Task Force identified five key strategic priorities:
embracing technology and innovation
leveraging B.C.’s green economy
building a highly skilled and adaptable workforce
ensuring an effective enabling ecosystem
demonstrating public sector leadership
Created the StrongerBC Economic Plan, laying out how we’ll foster clean and inclusive growth for our economy while making life better for people.
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Eliminated B.C.’s operating debt for the first time in 40 years, while delivering some of the strongest economic growth in the country.
Introduced a new, simplified procurement strategy to take advantage of the BC government’s buying power to help grow local economies, create jobs throughout the province, and make good use of made-in-B.C. innovation.
Exploring the feasibility of ultra-high-speed rail service between British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, which could have huge economic benefits, drawing new companies to the region, creating an estimated $355 billion in economic growth and up to 200,000 new jobs.
Created the Food Security Task Force to find new ways to use technology and innovation to strengthen B.C.’s agriculture sector and grow the economy by helping farmers farm and processors become more productive, now and in the future.
Created the annual Buy BC: Eat Drink Local campaign, which connects local farmers, ranchers and growers with restaurateurs and chefs who develop feature menus highlighting locally grown and processed food and drinks, creating interest and growth in BC’s local food and beverage industry.
Established a new B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation at SFU’s Surrey campus. The centre will create more productive, diverse and resilient food supply chains.
Launched BC’s COVID-19 Action Plan: over $8.25 billion in income supports, tax relief and direct funding for people, businesses and services affected by the pandemic.
Supporting local economic recovery through a 10 year/$6 billion joint federal-provincial investment in community infrastructure through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan.
Created the first-of-its-kind $500-million strategic investment fund, InBC, to provide B.C.-based businesses to support startups, help companies scale up, and attract world-class investment, positioning our province as a front-runner in the post-pandemic economy.
Launched the Future Ready Action Plan to help people get training to address British Columbia’s skills gap and help people prepare for a projected one million job openings in the next decade. This includes:
New Future Skills Grant
Increasing student financial aid
Expanding skills training for people facing barriers
Creating 6,000 new seats in technology programs since 2017
Expanding graduate scholarships and internships
Reconciliation
Made Reconciliation a cross-government priority by mandating all ministries to fully adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Led B.C. to become the first province in Canada to enshrine the human rights of Indigenous peoples in law, through legislation that establishes the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the foundational framework for reconciliation in B.C.
Made an historic agreement to share gaming revenue with B.C. First Nations starting in 2019, to ensure Indigenous peoples have the funding they need to invest in their communities.
Ensured Indigenous children and their families have better access to culturally enriched early learning with more than 600 new, free licensed child care spaces and expanded Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) programs in over 30 communities across the province.
Worked to transform treaty negotiations in B.C., to get results in a shorter timeframe that lead to prosperous, healthy and self-determining Indigenous communities.
Together with the federal government, recognized Wet’suwet’en rights and title and set out a process to negotiate an agreement on how to implement them, working towards resolving matters of rights and title outstanding for decades.
Partnered with the First Nations Justice Council to develop an Indigenous Justice Strategy and create Indigenous justice centres throughout B.C., to reduce the over-representation of Indigenous peoples in B.C.’s justice system.
Added a new professional standard that requires teachers to commit to truth, reconciliation and healing to ensure Indigenous students in British Columbia will be better supported and be more connected in school.
Approved curriculum for 18 First Nations languages to be taught in B.C. schools, with more in development.
Renamed four provincial parks and one watershed protected area to include a traditional Indigenous name, to reflect their historic and cultural significance.
Supported the revitalization and preservation of Indigenous languages through a $50 million grant to the First Peoples’ Cultural Council.
Provided dedicated funding to Aboriginal friendship centres for the first time, ensuring the continuity of these critical services for urban Indigenous peoples.
Led a ground-breaking government-to-government process to chart a path forward in the Broughton Archipelago, ensuring the safety of wild salmon and economic opportunities for First Nations and local communities.
Working with Indigenous communities to establish Indigenous courts throughout British Columbia, which offer alternative sentencing options that honour traditional cultural practices, support rehabilitation and acknowledge the impact the person’s actions have had on others.
Supporting the return of ancestral remains and cultural objects to First Nations through $2.5 million in grants and other repatriation activities.
Changing legislation and social work practice to keep families together and reduce the number of Indigenous children and youth in care, including:
Making changes to the Child, Family and Community Service Act to allow for greater information sharing and involvement by Indigenous communities in child welfare matters;
Ensured that family members receive equal pay to foster parents to help keep children in their communities and connected to their culture;
Ended the discriminatory practice of “birth alerts”.
Working with First Nations and the federal government to sign agreements that will ultimately see the Nations exercise their jurisdiction over child and family services.
Ensured Indigenous representation on the board of every public post-secondary institution as of July 2018.
Providing complete cell service along the ‘Highway of Tears’ to improve safety for everyone traveling along this corridor and honour the memory of the Indigenous women and girls that have gone missing along this route.
Supporting First Nations throughout BC with investigative work at former residential school sites through $12 million in funding. This investment will also cover cultural and wellness supports for communities and members experiencing trauma from residential school site findings.
Established the Declaration Act Secretariat, a dedicated group to help support and coordinate government bodies as they work to align B.C.’s laws with the UN Declaration
Implemented a new K-12 curriculum and resources shared with teachers to integrate Indigenous knowledge, perspective, and content into B.C. classrooms, and added a graduation requirement for students to complete Indigenous-focused coursework before achieving their B.C. certificate of graduation.
Launched TogetherBC, the province’s first ever poverty reduction strategy that addresses the disproportionate rate of poverty among Indigenous Peoples
Worked alongside First Nations to create the Indigenous Guardians pilot program to collaboratively manage, and share enforcement and compliance responsibilities within Provincial protected areas
Enshrined the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation into law to mark it as a provincial holiday to honour the residential school survivors, and all those who did not come home from residential schools
Introduced legislation that supports the Haida Nation’s inherent right of governance by recognizing the Council of the Haida Nation (CHN) as the government of the Haida Nation in provincial law.
Introduced new funding to support First Nations participation in implementing the Declaration Act.
Creating tens of thousands of jobs in communities around B.C. with more than $20 billion building hospitals, schools, and transportation projects — the largest infrastructure investment in B.C.’s history.
Ensured good-paying jobs, better training and apprenticeships, and more trades opportunities for Indigenous peoples, women and youth in key public-sector infrastructure projects in B.C. through Community Benefits Agreements.
Building an innovation corridor that will drive economic growth and create good jobs and opportunities for people in Surrey and the Fraser Valley, including establishing a Quantum Algorithms Institute at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus which will position B.C. as a world leader in this emerging field.
Ensuring that more B.C. logs are processed in B.C., creating jobs for British Columbians by applying a new, targeted fee-in-lieu of manufacturing for exported logs harvested from a coastal BC Timber Sales license.
Investing in the development of B.C.’s clean energy vehicle (CEV) sector, creating good jobs and supporting low-carbon innovation through the CleanBC Advanced Research and Commercialization (ARC) program.
Providing 5,000 jobs for youth and young adults in the growing tech sector, environment and natural resource fields through almost $45 million StrongerBC Future Leaders Program.
Secured new shipbuilding contract to support the industry and a strong economy recovery by bringing 1,400 professional and skilled jobs to BC.
Launched the Racist Incident Helpline to support those who witness or experience a racist incident, with support available in 240 languages.
Re-established a B.C. human rights commission after it was dismantled by the BC Liberals in 2002.
Passed the Anti-Racism Data Act to ensure Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour have equal access to government programs and services without systemic barriers.
Co-developed legislation with B.C. First Nations to establish UNDRIP as the framework for reconciliation in British Columbia.
Introduced an X gender option on B.C.-issued identity documents for British Columbians who do not identify as male or female.
Released an 89-point Action Plan for the implementation of UNDRIP in B.C.
All of B.C.’s schools now have SOGI-inclusive codes of conduct in place, ensuring schools are safe and inclusive for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Revamped BC’s Multiculturalism Grants program to help organizations working to improve cultural interactions, reduce barriers and remove discrimination to create a more inclusive province.
Launched Resilience BC, a provincewide, anti-racism network, which will provide greater focus and leadership in identifying and challenging racism across BC.
Invested $10 million to establish the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver – the first in Canada.
Introduced legislation to develop accessibility standards in order to identify, remove and prevent barriers in workplaces, government buildings, and the built environment to ensure all British Columbians can participate more fully in their communities.
Changed hard hat rules to make workplaces more inclusive for people who wear religious head coverings without compromising workplace safety.
Took action to help close the gender pay gap by requiring employers to share transparent wage information on job postings.
Created five new Indigenous Justice Centres in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Surrey and Kelowna, providing Indigenous people with culturally-safe legal support and services.
Used Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) to ensure gender equality is reflected in all budgets, policies, and programs.
Good Government
Banned big money in provincial, municipal, and recall campaigns, ensuring all people are at the centre of democracy, not just the wealthy and well-connected.
Changes to the Election Act will make it easier for voters in BC to cast their ballot, and will also combat disinformation, increase transparency and strengthen third-party advertising rules in the provincial electoral process.
Helped ensure families across the country can celebrate together by moving Family Day to the third week in February.
Created the B.C. financial services authority, a new crown corporation that will more effectively protect people when they use financial services and boost oversight of the sector to support a strong, sustainable economy and make life better for people.
Provided flexibility to local governments and made it easier for people to fully participate in their communities by making the temporary tools made available during the pandemic, like virtual meetings and public hearings, permanent.
Rural Communities and Forestry
Released StrongerBC: Good Lives in Strong Communities, a new vision that outlines investments to help build a brighter future for rural communities and the people who call them home.
Working with the federal government to invest nearly $230 million to build arenas, community centres, and other infrastructure projects in communities across rural and northern BC.
Increasing the value of each log we take out of the forest, by processing more B.C. logs on the coast and redirecting wood waste to B.C.’s pulp and paper mills, as part of the Coast Forest Sector Revitalization Initiative.
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Made changes to the Forest Act to make sure that British Columbians are first in line to benefit from our publicly owned forests, increase wood processing at BC saw mills, and ensure that the First Nations, workers and communities have more say in how our forests are managed.
Launched a regionally driven renewal of the province’s Interior forest industry, aimed at developing a competitive, sustainable future for forest companies, workers and communities.
Allocated $69 million to fund a new series of measures aimed at supporting British Columbia forest workers impacted by mill closures and shift reductions in several B.C. Interior communities.
Creating more jobs across BC with over $27 million in project grants to support 38 projects that will help increase the use of wood fibre that otherwise would have been burned as slash.
Expanded high-speed internet for people living in over 500 rural and remote communities, including 87 Indigenous communities through our Connecting British Columbia program – helping to diversify economic opportunities in rural communities.
Introduced a COVID-19 intake to the Connecting British Columbia program for rapid projects to immediately increase connectivity to underserved rural and indigenous communities. Between April and June, 47 projects increased internet capacity to 123 communities.
Increased jobs and opportunity for BC’s forest communities by proactively adopting building code changes allowing the safe construction of taller wood buildings.
Reinvesting in the northwest with a $100 million grant to address long-standing infrastructure needs in four regional districts (Fraser Fort George, Bulkley Nechako, Kitimat Stikine and North Coast) and their 22 municipalities.
Signed a bilateral agreement with the federal government to provide up to $6 billion in funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan over the next decade for infrastructure projects in BC.
Encouraging more food and beverage processing in B.C. through 6 regional food hubs that will provide local food producers and processors access to the expertise and equipment needed to grow their business
Expanded the Export Navigator initiative to help more rural business owners in B.C. get their goods to international and interprovincial markets.
Working in collaboration with Indigenous peoples to seize new clean energy and economic development opportunities, such as a geothermal energy project permit to the Fort Nelson First Nation.
Collaborating with the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) to provide temporary housing near medical facilities in Prince George and Fort St. John for those who are travelling from remote communities.
Expanded travel support for people who need to travel to bigger cities for cancer care.
Poverty Reduction
Historic investment in food security of more than $200 million to ensure people have better access to an increased supply of affordable, local food.
Increased the minimum wage to $16.75/hour beginning June 1, 2023, benefitting around 400,000 workers – the majority of whom are women, immigrants or youth – and their families.
The minimum wage is now tied to B.C.’s annual inflation rate.
Increased earnings exemptions for people on income and disability assistance, so they can earn more without having their assistance payments reduced.
For the first time since 2007, the shelter rate will increase by $125 per month starting July 2023. This increase will help approximately 160,000 people, including 33,000 children, throughout BC.
Launched TogetherBC, British Columbia’s first poverty reduction strategy, which sets a path to reduce overall poverty in B.C. by 25% and child poverty by 50% by 2024.
Updated income and disability assistance policies to remove barriers and make it easier for people to get help when they need it most. These simple and supportive changes are a move away from the mean-spirited policies of the past and will allow people to access essential services and keep them from falling further and further behind.
As part of TogetherBC, provided $5 million to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) for the Poverty Reduction Planning & Action program to help municipalities and community organizations identify their most pressing local issues and develop local solutions in the fight against poverty.
Increased the daily rates for eligible income assistance clients living at registered or licensed residences for the first time in 10 years.
Provided $6 million to create the Homelessness Community Action grantto help prevent homelessness and support organizations on the ground address homelessness in their communities.
Contributed $10 million to the Vancity Community Foundation to develop a sustainable, province-wide rent bank system to support renters facing financial difficulties to avoid evictions and prevent homelessness.
Provided support for the community social services sector, with $10 million in one-time funding to support recruitment, retention and occupational health and safety training programs for staff.
Provided over $8.4 million to advance reconciliation in the BC community social services sector.
Provided $15 million to the First Nation Well Being Fund, supporting First Nations in their efforts to promote well-being, improve the quality of life for members, and reduce poverty at the community and Nation level.
Transportation
Removed unfair tolls on the Port Mann Bridge and Golden Ears Bridge, saving commuters in the lower mainland up to $1,500 a year.
With the Broadway Subway project, we are bringing SkyTrain access to one of the busiest corridors in Metro Vancouver, reducing congestion while making commuting faster and easier.
The Surrey Langley SkyTrain project, the first rapid transit expansion south of the Fraser River in over 30 years, will extend the Expo Line from King George Station to Langley City Centre, provide high-quality, low-cost transportation for people in Surrey and Langley.
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Funding 40% of the capital costs of the Mayors’ Council 10-Year Vision to ensure we’re investing in a modern, integrated and affordable transit system that is crucial as Metro Vancouver grows, including:
Five new RapidBus routes to serve 11 communities, beginning in January 2020. Two additional RapidBus routes are expected to launch in 2021 to serve Surrey, Delta and Richmond, with five more routes planned for Phase Three.
200 new SkyTrain cars to replace 150 ageing cars and increase capacity, 40,000 additional bus service hours, and 10-minute SeaBus sailings increasing capacity by 50% during peak hours.
Fully funded the Pattullo Bridge replacement, bringing commuters one step closer to a modern, safer crossing. Building with a CBA to provide good-paying jobs to local people and address the skilled trades shortage.
Froze ferry fares on all major BC Ferries routes, reduced fares on smaller routes, and restored the 100% Mon-Thurs seniors discount.
Amended the Coastal Ferries Actto put people at the centre of BC Ferries’ decision-making.
Launched a new BC Bus North service in response to Greyhound’s decision to eliminate service on routes in northern B.C., ensuring people in the North have access to safe, reliable and affordable transportation.
Retained over 83% of Greyhound’s long-haul bus routes by working with local service providers and fast-tracking applications. And we’re continuing to work on addressing service gaps across B.C.
Put ride-hailing regulations in place that will focus on passenger, driver and company safety, and will allow companies to apply to the Passenger Transportation Board in September 2019, with companies expected to be operating by the end of the year.
Six-laning Highway 1 from 216th to 264th St, with new HOV lanes connecting commuters from Aldergrove to Burnaby.
Launched Move. Commute. Connect.: B.C.’s new strategy for cleaner, more active transportation, which aims to double the percentage of trips taken with active transportation by 2030.
Changing the Motor Vehicle Act to allow for the launch of mobility technology pilot projects, like e-scooters, electric unicycles or e-skateboards.
Provided $1 billion in partnership with the federal government to TransLink, BC Transit, and BC Ferries to ensure people continue to have access to safe, reliable and affordable public transportation options despite the decrease in ridership due to the pandemic.
