BC Today – Daily Report September 21, 2020

Quotation of the day

“The purpose of announcements is to let people know what their ​ government is doing.” ​

Health Minister says the flurry of government news releases sent out over the ​ ​ weekend shows the NDP is “very focused on the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Today in B.C.

On the schedule The house is adjourned until October 5, according to the parliamentary calendar.

Committees this week The Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act has three meetings scheduled this week.

This morning, committee members will receive briefings from officials with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, as well as the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner.

On Tuesday morning, the committee will hear from the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., the RCMP’s Civilian Review and Complaints Commission and the BC Coroners Service.

A third briefing session is set for Friday with presenters still to be determined.

NDP hopeful calls on party to apply equity mandate in Stikine — the popular veteran MP who announced plans to run for the BC NDP’s ​ nomination in Stikine last week — could see his future in provincial politics stall.

Cullen’s competition is calling on the BC NDP to apply its candidate equity mandate to the nomination race in Stikine.

Annita McPhee — a three-term president of the Tahltan Central Government who ran for the ​ federal NDP nomination in Cullen’s former riding of Skeena—Bulkley Valley in 2019 — also announced her intention to run for the Stikine nomination last week.

On Saturday, McPhee’s campaign cited the NDP’s equity mandate, which “requires that the next nominee be a member of an equity-seeking group” when a male MLA vacates a seat — as is the case with Forests Minister in Stikine. Under those conditions, Cullen ​ ​ may not qualify for the nomination.

In a statement, NDP president Craig Keating said that “under certain circumstances” — such ​ ​ ​ ​ as when no other candidates apply for a nomination — “allowances” to the equity mandate can be made.

Surgical backlog to be cleared by end of 2021, health minister says B.C. has made “extraordinary progress” in addressing its surgical backlog since restarting non-urgent procedures in mid-May, according to Health Minister Adrian Dix. ​ ​

During the two-month surgical shut-down — when only urgent and emergency procedures went ahead — a total of 54,000 surgeries were either postponed, unscheduled or not referred to a waitlist.

As of last week, just under 102,600 surgeries had been completed since full surgical services resumed, according to Dix.

“All health authorities are projected to be caught up on surgeries lost to COVID-19 by the end of next year,” he told reporters — starting with Vancouver Island Health in February 2021; Fraser Health is expected to be the last health authority to catch up by December 2021.

The backlog is clearing more quickly than the ministry anticipated — in May, Dix said it could take more than two years to address the ripple of cancelled and unscheduled procedures.

Ministry won’t say how many people died waiting for surgery That’s good news for thousands of British Columbians, but it may be too late for some.

A total of 3,988 people are “unavailable” to reschedule their procedures for “non-COVID-19” reasons, according to Dix.

The health ministry is not providing details as to what “unavailable” means — whether those individuals have requested to defer their procedures due to concerns about going into a hospital during the pandemic, or whether some may have died or had their condition deteriorate, while waiting for their procedure.

Yesterday, Dix maintained it’s “largely” people who have asked to defer because of Covid concerns.

However, the health ministry told BC Today information about the number of British Columbians ​ ​ who may have died awaiting the rescheduling of their cancelled surgeries is “unavailable.”

In Ontario, a University Health Network report estimated the province’s surgical shut down may ​ ​ have resulted in 35 cardiac patients dying between March 15 and early May.

A query to the health minister on why the province is not tracking and reporting deaths related to surgical delays — as well as patients whose condition deteriorated to the point where surgery is no longer an option — went unanswered.

Today’s events

September 21 at 3:30 p.m. — Vancouver ​ Federal Minister of Digital Government Joyce Murray will make a forestry-related ​ ​ announcement in downtown Vancouver as part of National Forest Week.

Topics of conversation

● B.C. reported 139 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. There were 1,803 active cases (up 98) with 59 people in hospital (up two), 20 of them critical (down two). Three new deaths were reported, pushing the provincial total to 223.

○ Last night, the public safety ministry announced the hefty fines for breaching gathering limits also apply to bars, restaurants and other event spaces, effective immediately.

● Transportation and Infrastructure Minister is the seventh NDP cabinet ​ ​ minister to pick retirement over re-election. Trevena was first elected to the North Island riding in 2005. “It is time to move on and take on new challenges,” she said in a statement announcing her retirement from politics.

● The BC Teachers’ Federation filed an application with the Labour Relations Board to address “urgent concerns” about working conditions for teachers under the province’s back-to-school plan. ○ BCTF president Teri Mooring said the provincial government is “taking ​ ​ advantage” of teachers’ professionalism and has not provided adequate protections for teachers who are back in classrooms amid the pandemic.

● If the BC Liberals emerge victorious from the next election, the party has committed to funding a new middle and secondary school in Coquitlam. ○ “The election promise by and in April 2017 to fast ​ ​ ​ ​ track the construction of this school is long overdue,” Liberal Leader Andrew ​ Wilkinson said of his party’s pledge. He accused the NDP of adding “new ​ concept requirements” that have “caused undue delays” for the new school, which would be in the riding currently held by Liberal MLA Joan Isaacs. ​ ​

Nomination rollcall

NDP ● The race for the NDP nomination in Victoria—Beacon Hill may be over before it really got started as outgoing Finance Minister has endorsed election hopeful ​ ​ , a political science lecturer and researcher at the University of Victoria, for ​ ​ ​ the nomination. ○ NDP staffer Stephanie Papik is also seeking the nomination in James’ riding. ​ ​

● Nelson city Councillor “intends to succeed” Jobs Minister Michelle ​ ​ ​ Mungall as the party’s candidate in the Nelson—Creston riding, according to an NDP ​ news release.

● Two women have put their names forward to run for Mental Health Minister Judy ​ Darcy’s riding. ​ ○ Ruby Campbell, Simon Fraser University’s director of advancement and a ​ former manager with the City of New Westminster, and , ​ ​

secretary-business manager for the Hospital Employees' Union, have both launched campaigns to seek the nomination in the solid NDP riding.

Appointments and employments

Ten-member tourism task force named ● Ten business, non-profit and industry leaders will spend the next three months hashing out how to spend $50 million in provincial funding to help B.C.’s tourism industry. ○ The tourism task force will “seek innovative and creative ideas” from stakeholders ​ ​ and experts on how to help B.C.'s tourism industry recover. ○ Its final report is due to the tourism ministry by December 31, 2020. ○ Nine members of the task force have been named. The tenth will be a representative from the labour sector, according to the tourism ministry.

News briefs The BC NDP released dozens of news and funding announcements over the weekend — furthering speculation the government is getting its ducks in a row before an election call. BC ​ Today is covering the most newsworthy items. ​

Babine Lake Nation signs ‘transformative’ agreement with B.C., Canada ● A “landmark new reconciliation agreement” between the Babine Lake Nation and the governments of B.C. and Canada will see the nation receive $43 million in funding and 20,000 hectares of land valued at approximately $150 million. ○ The Foundation Agreement also commits all parties to “further negotiations to recognize and implement” the nation’s rights related to self-determination and Aboriginal title over the next 20 years.

South Island transportation strategy released ● The Transportation Ministry’s strategy for reducing vehicle dependency while managing ​ ​ population growth on southern Vancouver Island was released last week. ○ The strategy aims to promote a variety of travel modes, such as walking, biking, transit and driving by increasing connectivity between towns and cities.

New reconciliation and land transfer agreements with Snuneymuxw First Nation ● A pair of agreements between the province and the Snuneymuxw First Nation will see 3,000 hectares of Crown lands near the City of Nanaimo — including areas near Mount Benson and Mount McKay that are culturally and economically significant to Snuneymuxw — transferred to the First Nation.

New building in Colwood will house Royal BC Museum collections and archives

● A new wooden building in Royal Bay will be home to the Royal BC Museum’s archives and some of its collections by 2024. The 14,000 square metre facility represents the first phase of the museum’s modernization. ​ ​ ○ A design-build team has not yet been selected for the new building, which is expected to create 950 jobs while under construction.

Labour ministry launches consultation on contract tendering in forestry sector ● The labour ministry intends to launch an “industrial inquiry commission” to examine contract tendering in the forestry sector. ○ But before the commission, there will be a “focused engagement” with stakeholders about current contract tendering practices with an eye to whether they are adequately protecting worker wages and job security.

Civil jury trials suspended ● Attorney General has suspended jury trials for civil cases until October 4, ​ ​ 2021, via an amendment to the Rules of Civil Court. The move was made following consultations with the B.C. Supreme Court and is meant to minimize COVID-19-related delays to court proceedings — such as securing alternative locations to accommodate physical distancing and installing physical barriers to keep jurors separate from one another. ○ Criminal jury trials resumed on September 8. ○ Other provinces have struggled to recruit jurors amid the pandemic. ​ ​

Funding announcements

● Translink, BC Transit and BC Ferries will share just over $1 billion in Safe Restart ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ funding — half from Ottawa and half from the B.C. government — to support their operations in the face of significant revenue reductions and increased costs due to the pandemic. ○ Translink will receive $644 million, BC Ferries will get $308 million and BC Transit will receive $83 million. ○ B.C. is also getting $83 million in federal support to fund child-care programs.

● The health ministry has approved a concept plan for a new patient tower at University ​ Hospital of Northern B.C. in Prince George. Health Minister Adrian Dix announced the ​ ​ ​ first step toward the hospital expansion yesterday and said the cost — which will be confirmed when a business plan is unveiled in the next 12 to 18 months — is expected to fall somewhere between $600 million and $700 million.

● The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy plans to pour up to $25.7 ​ ​ million into a new CleanBC program: the Organic Infrastructure and Collection ​ ​ ​ Program will provide Indigenous governing bodies, regional districts and municipalities ​

with funding to support organic waste processing infrastructure projects and curbside ​ collection programs.