B.C. Today – Daily Report March 11, 2019

Quotation of the day

“The single most egregious assault on the rights of citizens that I have seen in 25 years.”

B.C. Liberal MLA reacts to the NDP government’s proposed amendments to the ​ ​ Agricultural Land Commission Act, which he says would mean “people are no longer considered ​ persons” under the law. ​

Today in B.C.

On the schedule The House is now adjourned for a two-week constituency break. MLAs will return to the House at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 25.

Committees this week

The Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations is scheduled to meet via conference call on Tuesday as it continues to deliberate on ridesharing recommendations. The committee’s report to Transportation and Infrastructure Minister is due by the end of the ​ ​ month.

B.C. Builders Code aims to make construction worksites more inclusive

Advanced, Education, Skills and Training Minister unveiled the B.C. Builders ​ ​ ​ Code — the province’s first standard code of conduct for construction sites. ​

Mark also earmarked $1.8 million to support the B.C. Construction Association, the B.C. Federation of Labour and industry partners in developing programs to remove barriers to women’s participation in the construction industry.

The code includes a goal of retaining more tradespeople, especially women, while boosting the number of tradeswomen working in the sector to 10 per cent by 2028. Currently, women account for just 4.7 per cent of construction employees in B.C., and only about half of tradeswomen who start working in construction are still in the industry after one year.

"Advancing women in the construction trades is a key way to address the need for skilled workers throughout the province," Mark said.

While the code does specifically focus on keeping more women working in construction, it also expands the definition of construction safety beyond physical hazards to include stress or distraction caused by discrimination, bullying, hazing or harassment in a bid to provide all construction workers with a workplace free from behaviours that threaten work conditions, including job performance, health, well-being, safety, productivity and efficiency.

Resources to support the realization of the code’s goals will be rolled out over the next year, including a pilot program to educate employers about how jobsite behaviour and better human resource tools can improve employee retention. Employers will have access to policies and training to give them the tools to recognize, address and prevent unsafe worksite behaviour. Exemplary employers will be recognized by an awards program created specifically for the construction industry.

“LNG Canada is pleased to support the Builders Code, which will help the province grow and retain its skilled labour pool,” LNG Canada CEO Andy Calitz said of the announcement, which ​ ​ was made at the company’s offices. “We look forward to working with contractors and suppliers whose commitment to safety and diversity matches ours."

Liberals say legislated changes to Agricultural Land Commission disempower farmers

The B.C. Liberal Party’s agriculture critics are taking issue with proposed changes to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) contained in Bill 15, Agricultural Land Commission ​ ​ Amendment Act, which was introduced by Agriculture Minister on Friday. ​ ​

“The NDP government seems to think it knows how to best manage people’s private property, and in our view that’s an arrogant way to operate,” Liberal agriculture co-critic said in ​ ​ a statement.

Along with restructuring the ALC, the bill removes the ability of farmers to apply to the commission to have land excluded from the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). If the bill passes, only local governments, First Nations and “a prescribed public body” will be able to make exclusion submissions to the ALC.

“The government has decided that for the purpose of this legislation … people are no longer considered persons,” Liberal MLA and former finance minister Mike de Jong told Black Press. ​ ​ ​ ​

In a statement, Popham defended the change, saying it aims to tackle an increasing number of exclusion submissions from individuals seeking to develop ALR land for non-agricultural purposes.

“This volume of applications to review has become burdensome to both local governments and the ALC, particularly since in many cases exclusions are not approved as they are for development purposes,” Popham said in the statement.

Today’s events

March 11 at 8:30 a.m. – North Vancouver ​ NDP MLA and parliamentary secretary for TransLink (North Vancouver—Lonsdale) ​ ​ will provide an overview of Budget 2019 at the John Braithwaite Community Centre.

Topics of conversation

● Speculation and vacancy taxes may be having their intended effect on Vancouver’s ​ ​ rental market. Multi-million dollar mansions are beginning to show up on rental sites now that secondary homeowners are subject to the city’s empty homes tax and the province’s ​ ​ speculation and vacancy tax, which combined can total $100,000 and more per year on pricey, unoccupied properties.

○ As of last week, there were more than 800 mansions — many featuring pools, saunas and other luxury features — listed on Craigslist Vancouver, according to reporting from CTV. Rents range from $700 to $1,500 per room — well below the $1,700 average for a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver. ○ The mansions are often rented out by room to students but a city bylaw prohibits ​ a group of more than three unrelated people from living in a single house.

● B.C.’s unemployment and employment numbers stayed nearly flat in February, according to Statistics Canada. Employment rose by 0.1 per cent over January while ​ unemployment decreased by 0.2 per cent to 4.5 per cent, allowing the province to hold on to the country’s lowest unemployment rate for 18 consecutive months.

● The B.C. Green Party is fundraising on its opposition to the NDP government’s support for liquid natural gas (LNG). Bringing LNG to B.C. puts the province’s future at risk, according to a fundraising email from Green MLA (Saanich North and the ​ ​ Islands). “With the B.C. NDP and B.C. Liberals excitedly pursuing LNG, that leaves our ​ small but mighty BC Green caucus to stand up for the sustainable economy,” Olsen said in the email. “I want to be very clear on this: the B.C. Greens will never support any legislation that aims to expand LNG in B.C.”

● B.C. Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General announced the ​ ​ province has lowered the mandatory reporting threshold for property-damage-only collisions (PDOs). Prior to March 8, police officers were required to complete a written report at any minor collision involving more than $1,000 worth of property damage before any vehicles could be removed from the scene. Increasing the reporting threshold to $10,000, the province hopes to reduce traffic jams in the wake of minor collisions. ○ "Having traffic back up because of a minor collision where nobody was hurt doesn't help anyone," Farnworth said in a statement. "[This] increase in the damage threshold for these kinds of crashes is long overdue and will allow people and police officers to move damaged vehicles out of the way without delay."

● For International Women’s Day, CBC’s Power & Politics invited four female former ​ ​ ​ premiers to discuss the SNC-Lavalin affair, “leading a cabinet through tough times, and ​ ​ the realities of being a woman in Canadian politics.” The four-person panel featured former B.C. premier , former Alberta premier Alison Redford, former ​ ​ ​ ​ Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne and former Newfoundland and Labrador premier ​ ​ Kathy Dunderdale. ​ ○ Clark went to bat for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of the ​ ​ SNC-Lavalin scandal. "At the end of the day if you're talking about 9,000 jobs and the attorney general is refusing to save them. I think that's a pretty good argument to move the attorney general and find somebody who wants to support a growing economy,” Clark said.

○ Meanwhile, freelance journalist James Wilt was quick to point out ties between ​ ​ ​ Clark, the B.C. Liberals and SNC: Gwyn Morgan, who was chair of SNC Lavalin ​ ​ from 2007 to 2013, was an advisor to Clark and donated approximately $250,000 ​ ​ combined to the party and her leadership campaign.

News briefs - Governmental

Ministry of Agriculture B.C.’s forthcoming Wild Salmon Strategy needs to focus on “tangible, achievable, near-term ​ actions” to help preserve wild salmon stocks and habitat while also establishing long-term approach to the issue. That is according to the province’s Wild Salmon Advisory Council, which delivered 13 recommendations to inform the strategy last week. ​ ​

Saving B.C.’s wild salmon will take “ongoing and significant effort" in the near, mid- and long term, according to the council. The recommendations focus on achieving three goals:

● Increasing wild salmon populations; ● Protecting and enhancing the economic, social and cultural benefits that wild salmon and other fisheries bring to communities; and ● Developing mechanisms, processes, practices and structures to engage citizens and governments in the effective stewardship and management of wild salmon.

The recommendations were informed by three months of public consultation that included community meetings and online feedback. Despite not falling within its terms of reference, the council notes in its report that concerns about the impact of fish farms along the B.C. coast were “repeatedly raised” during the consultation.

“The need for incentives and innovation related to transitioning to closed containment or land-based systems was often referenced,” the council wrote. In December, following months of consultations with local First Nations, B.C. announced that 17 open net pen fish farms located in the Broughton Archipelago will have to move or cease operations by 2023.

Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation The province and the Sts'ailes First Nation have signed an economic and community benefit ​ agreement to share revenues from the expansion of the Sasquatch Mountain Resort in the ​ Hemlock Valley. The provincial government approved a master plan to expand the ski area in ​ ​ 2015, and a 60-year master development agreement was signed in April 2016.

The agreement between the Sts’ailes and the province will see the First Nation receive an incremental share of the annual royalties collected from the resort by the province. The Sts’ailes will also be involved in the five-phase expansion plan that will develop the resort into a

year-round recreation area, with the addition of mountain biking, hiking and ATV amenities and the development of a “lakefront Indigenous-themed residential village and small marina.” ​

The first phase of the development is expected to involve $500 million in capital investment and create the equivalent of more than 1,500 full-time jobs.

Appointments and employments

Ministry of Education ● Scott Andrews was appointed a ministerial assistant with the Ministry of Education, ​ effective March 6, 2019. ○ Andrews served as a ministerial assistant with the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources since July 2018.

Ministry of Finance ● Brady Yano was appointed an executive assistant with the Ministry of Finance, effective ​ March 6, 2019.

Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology ● James McNish was appointed a senior ministerial assistant with the Ministry of Jobs, ​ Trade and Technology, effective March 6, 2019, for a term ending November 30, 2019. ○ McNish served as a ministerial assistant with the ministry since July 2018.

● Krystal Thomson was appointed a ministerial assistant with the Ministry of Jobs, Trade ​ and Technology, effective March 6, 2019.

Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General ● Robyn White was appointed acting executive director of the ministry’s Security ​ Programs Division under the Cannabis Licensing Regulation, effective March 7, 2019. ○ White replaces former executive director Dianne Small, who was appointed in ​ ​ January 2019.

Assayers Certification Board of Examiners ● Manzur Chaudry, Elaine Woo and David Tye were appointed to three-year terms as ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ members of the board of examiners, effective February 25, 2019. ○ Chaudry will serve as chair of the board.

College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of B.C. ● Parveen Mangat and John McDermott were appointed as public members of the board ​ ​ ​ for terms ending December 31, 2020, effective February 28, 2019.

Funding announcements

● Citizens’ Services Minister announced $50 million in funding to expand ​ ​ high-speed internet access in 200 rural and Indigenous B.C. communities. The funding for Connecting is the “largest investment in connectivity in the ​ ​ ​ province's history,” according to the ministry.

● Over the next year, the Ministry of Agriculture will invest $350,000 into Feed B.C. to ​ ​ ​ ​ get more B.C.-grown and processed foods into all 55 Interior Health facilities. The funding will support a project facilitator, procurement specialist services and a ​ food-processing specialist to help local food producers meet the product needs of area health-care facilities. ○ Interior Health provides five million meals per year to patients, families and community members.

● Crow’s Nest Lodge, a modular, supportive housing development in Prince Rupert, will ​ see its first residents move in at the end of the month. It features 36 self-contained units and will be operated by the North Coast Transition Society, providing residents with ​ ​ 24/7 on-site staff and support services, including meal programs, life and employment skills training, health and wellness support services, and volunteer opportunities. ○ The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing invested $7.1 million for capital ​ ​ and construction costs and will provide an annual operating subsidy. The City of ​ Prince Rupert provided the site for the development. ​

● A site has been selected for a 40-unit supportive housing development in Gibsons. Ottawa has agreed to transfer the property on School Road to RainCity Housing via the ​ ​ Surplus Federal Real Property for Homelessness Initiative, which makes surplus ​ federal properties available to community housing organizations addressing homelessness for one dollar. B.C.’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is ​ ​ providing $14 million for capital costs and a $1 million annual operating subsidy. ○ Rezoning and redevelopment of the site is set to begin shortly, and a community open house will be held in the coming months. If the project is approved, construction is expected to begin this fall.