Office of the PremierOffice of the Premier
care for people with brain injury, mental illness, severe addiction " />
The Province is taking action to make sure people with long-term concurrent mental-health and addiction challenges get secure and dignified care by opening highly secure facilities for people under the Mental Health Act throughout the province, as well as secure treatment within BC Corrections.
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Agriculture and FoodB.C. farmers are getting help with adopting new labour-saving technologies that will enhance their profitability, productivity and efficiency, while helping to improve food security in the province.
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Attorney GeneralNominations for the honorary designation of King’s Counsel (KC) for 2024 will open on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024.
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Children and Family DevelopmentFrom Indigenous Services Canada: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/sts-ailes-canada-and-b-c-celebrate-coordination-agreement-to-support-child-and-family-services-833129120.html
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Citizens' ServicesAs part of British Columbia’s ongoing work to protect government information systems, the Province is entering an agreement with the Government of Canada to enhance collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre).
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Education and Child Care
Families in Surrey will have 915 more elementary seats in their community as part of the B.C. government’s plan to expand schools quicker.
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Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
To help keep people safe and informed during emergencies, the Province is providing funding to communities in B.C. to improve planning for emergency evacuation routes and public notifications.
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Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation
BC Hydro will construct approximately $1 billion worth of capital projects in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission, Hope and Harrison Hot Springs over the next decade to upgrade and expand the electricity grid to provide clean power for homes, businesses and growing transportation needs.
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Environment and Climate Change StrategyFinanceB.C. is negotiating earlier pensions for wildland firefighters helping align their benefits with those of other public-safety occupations while they protect communities from increasingly challenging wildfire activity.
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ForestsB.C. is negotiating earlier pensions for wildland firefighters helping align their benefits with those of other public-safety occupations while they protect communities from increasingly challenging wildfire activity.
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Health
Patients in Kamloops now have improved access to services as upgrades at the Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) are complete, including enhancements to the post-anesthetic recovery (PAR) unit, pediatric unit and ambulance stretcher bays.
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Housing
Families, seniors and individuals in Victoria with low to moderate incomes are moving into 97 new rental homes with the opening of Michigan Square, while another 58 homes for earners with middle incomes are on the way through new BC Builds projects.
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Indigenous Relations and ReconciliationThe Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative (CFN) and the Government of British Columbia are strengthening their decades-long relationship by renewing their commitment to work together through a reconciliation agreement that builds off the success of their 2009 reconciliation protocol and 2020 Pathway to Reconciliation memorandum of understanding (MOU), to continue to benefit all those who live on the north and central coast.
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Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat
The King Charles III Coronation Medal was awarded to outstanding individuals in British Columbia during a ceremony with the lieutenant governor.
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Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
New support for forest-sector manufacturers throughout the province will create jobs, strengthen local economies and promote the transition to high-value, made-in-B.C. forestry products.
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LabourConstruction workers can soon say goodbye to unsanitary portable toilets on most construction sites and say hello to cleaner flush toilets.
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Mental Health and Addictionscare for people with brain injury, mental illness, severe addiction " />
The Province is taking action to make sure people with long-term concurrent mental-health and addiction challenges get secure and dignified care by opening highly secure facilities for people under the Mental Health Act throughout the province, as well as secure treatment within BC Corrections.
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Municipal AffairsPost-Secondary Education and Future Skills
Selkirk College students now have access to new on-campus housing at Castlegar and Nelson-Silver King campuses.
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Public Safety and Solicitor Generalcare for people with brain injury, mental illness, severe addiction " />
The Province is taking action to make sure people with long-term concurrent mental-health and addiction challenges get secure and dignified care by opening highly secure facilities for people under the Mental Health Act throughout the province, as well as secure treatment within BC Corrections.
Read More
Social Development and Poverty Reduction
People facing complex barriers will have better access to employment opportunities with the launch of wraparound services that support the most vulnerable on their path to employment readiness.
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Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
Eighteen people in British Columbia are being honoured with the Province’s Medal of Good Citizenship for their extraordinary contributions to their communities.
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Transportation and Infrastructure
Hundreds of new homes and space for amenities such as grocery stores and child care near transit are coming soon as plans for the future site of the Surrey Langley SkyTrain project move forward.
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Water, Land and Resource StewardshipWater has begun to overflow the landslide blocking the Chilcotin River near Farwell Canyon.
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Minister of Housing and Government House Leader
Housing
Families, seniors and individuals in Victoria with low to moderate incomes are moving into 97 new rental homes with the opening of Michigan Square, while another 58 homes for earners with middle incomes are on the way through new BC Builds projects.
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Families and individuals have begun moving into 90 new affordable rental homes in North Vancouver as construction is complete on the Salal Apartments.
“Salal Apartments will provide families and individuals with a mix of rental rates, including deeply subsidized rates and rent geared to income,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “We’ve made changes to the Local Government Act and Vancouver Charter to make it easier to build non-market housing, so that people have access to affordable housing options, like the Salal Apartments, in their home communities.”
Salal Apartments is located at 267 Orwell St. in Lynn Creek, a walkable, transit-oriented community close to parks, schools, services and other amenities. A new bike lane connects residents with the neighbourhood and the recently upgraded Phibbs Exchange provides access to the region with its 13 bus routes.
“These new homes will go a long way to support members of our community,” said Bowinn Ma, MLA for Vancouver-Lonsdale. “The Salal Apartments will allow families to continue to live and work in their community with housing options that meet the needs of growing families. I’m proud to be part of a government that is investing in affordable housing in the District of North Vancouver.”
Salal Apartments is a six-storey wood frame building owned and operated by Sanford Affordable Housing Society. It offers 52 one-bedroom units, 27 two-bedroom units and 11 three-bedroom units for households with low and middle incomes.
“The availability of affordable housing is a critical issue for our residents,” said Mike Little, mayor, District of North Vancouver. “I am pleased that we were able to work together with our partners, including the Province of B.C. and Sanford Affordable Housing Society, to increase the number of housing options in our community for those with low and moderate incomes.”
To support the development of affordable housing projects, such as the Salal Apartments, the Province has introduced a new regulation for amenity cost charges (ACC), a new development finance tool that was introduced in fall 2023. It allows local governments to collect funds from new developments for amenities that help create complete communities. To make it easier for developers to build non-market affordable housing, certain types of affordable housing will be exempt from paying ACCs, including:
These regulations are part of the Homes for People plan to give local governments the authority and support to increase affordable housing with proactive planning tools.
“These 90 homes will provide affordability, safety and security for thousands of individuals and families over the life course of this building,” said Jill Atkey, CEO of British Columbia Non-Profit Housing Association. “It takes every level of government working together with the non-profit housing sector to deliver buildings like these and we’re looking forward to many more such announcements in the future.”
These changes will support the Province’s affordable housing programs by ensuring that affordable housing projects developed or funded by governments have consistent and predictable financial relief from ACCs, contributing to achieving greater affordability and an increased likelihood that these projects will be built.
This project is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the Province has nearly 80,000 homes that have been delivered or are underway, including more than 1,300 homes on the North Shore.
Quick Facts:
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To learn more about government’s new Homes for People action plan, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HOUS0019-000436
To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for people in British Columbia, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing/
A backgrounder follows.
