BC Today – Daily Report August 13, 2020 Quotation of the day “Parents want a plan. Parents need a plan.” Liberal Education critic Dan Davies says the B.C. government’s back-to-school proposal is ​ ​ “lacking endlessly.” Today in B.C. On the schedule The house will convene at 10 a.m. for the final day of the summer session. Thursday’s debates and proceedings Two Liberal MLAs tabled new private member’s bills. ● Coquitlam—Burke Mountain MLA Joan Isaacs introduced M210, High Dose Influenza ​ ​ ​ ​ Vaccine for Seniors Act, which would eliminate fees for high-dose flu shots for seniors. Isaacs put forward similar legislation in 2018 and 2019. ● Chilliwack—Kent MLA Laurie Throness introduced M211, Land Tax Deferment (Cultus ​ ​ ​ ​ Lake Park) Amendment Act, which would allow homeowners whose property is within the park to defer property taxes (as homeowners elsewhere in the province are able to do). The house spent the afternoon debating the estimates for the Ministry of Finance. Back-to-school plan ‘still very much’ in progress: BCTF There is still a lot of work to be done to get B.C.’s back-to-school plan up to snuff, according to BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) president Teri Mooring. ​ ​ The province has agreed to delay the start of in-class learning to give teachers time to adjust to the logistics of pandemic-era teaching — something the BCTF pushed for from the day the plan was announced. Mooring told BC Today the teachers’ union is now focused on other “critical pieces” to ensure ​ ​ safety during the new school year, such as social distancing, ventilation and masking rules. “There needs to be some thought given to reducing classroom density,” she said, citing B.C. public health officials’ emphasis on physical distancing as “one of the top protective measures” to prevent the spread of the virus. When it comes to ventilation, Mooring said not all classrooms are created equal. Some have no windows, others have windows that don’t open; the question of proper ventilation in portables is also a concern. The issue of where and when teachers, students and staff will be required to wear masks has also yet to be determined. “There wasn’t a fully formed plan released,” Mooring said. “It’s a difficult scenario when you have an announcement at one time ... that needs a lot of work and planning, and you know that answers aren't going to be available for some time.” The province has four working groups tackling various issues related to the school reopening, according to Mooring, with 25 teachers pitching in alongside public health, school district and ministry officials. The back-to-school uncertainty has caused anxiety and drawn criticism, but Mooring said some degree of uncertainty is unavoidable. “Everyone is highly anxious and concerned because we're in a pandemic,” she said. “I anticipate more decisions will be made and communicated along the way [to September]. Once people get more details, then they'll start to feel a little bit better.” Spring school suspension caused stress and impaired learning Data from B.C.’s Covid impact survey, released yesterday, showed 78 per cent of households with school-aged children reported impaired learning following the closure of schools and shift to online learning in April and May. The survey closed in mid-May before limited hybrid learning resumed in June. Among households with school-aged children, 76 per cent struggled with online schooling, 78 per cent reported fewer connections with friends, and 59 per cent reported increased stress. Today’s events August 14 at 9:30 a.m. — Online ​ Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Bruce Ralston will make an announcement ​ ​ relating to the Fuel Price Transparency Act. ​ ​ August 14 at 5:30 p.m. — Online ​ Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Lisa Beare and NDP MLA Bowinn Ma will co-host a virtual ​ ​ ​ ​ pop culture trivia night fundraiser. Weekend events August 15 at 4 p.m. — Online ​ Economic Development Minister Michelle Mungall and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth ​ ​ ​ will host “Mike and Michelle’s Grow Show” — a party fundraiser featuring an “interactive virtual tour of their beautiful gardens” and a nod to cannabis culture. All donation levels are cannabis-themed. Topics of conversation ● B.C. reported 78 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. There were 578 active cases (up 47) with nine people in hospital, four of them critical. No new deaths were reported, leaving the provincial total at 196. A total of 1,878 people have been directed to self-isolate after coming into contact with a confirmed Covid case. ○ A new outbreak was declared at the Okanagan Correctional centre with three staff members diagnosed with Covid. This is the facility’s second outbreak since the pandemic began. ● B.C.’s auditor general has been reviewing the province’s pandemic-related spending and will be releasing a report next month. The document will focus on the NDP government’s $5-billion Covid-19 action plan, as well as tax deferrals, fee waivers and capital expenditures, including the purchase of several hotels to house homeless people. ○ The report is not an audit and “does not assess the value for money of the funding allocations or the effectiveness of the province's response to the pandemic,” according to the auditor general’s office. ○ Instead, the information in the report has been “sourced primarily” from public announcements in an effort to “to minimize the impacts on public servants,” per the office. ● Thirty eight per cent of British Columbians said restrictions put in place by the province “do not go far enough,” according to a poll from Angus Reid. ​ ​ ○ Fourteen per cent of British Columbians said restrictions went too far, while 48 percent said the right balance was struck. ○ Premier John Horgan has done “a good job” handling the pandemic, per 74 per ​ ​ cent of B.C. respondents — tied with Ontario Premier Doug Ford per ​ ​ respondents from that province. Only Quebec residents have a higher opinion of their premier’s response at 75 per cent. ● B.C. employers who want to extend temporary layoffs of employees past the 24 weeks currently allowed must apply for a variance by August 25. The Employment Standards Branch has launched a new application process to streamline applications. Employers ​ ​ who miss the deadline could find themselves on the hook for “significant severance payments,” according to Labour Minister Harry Bains. ​ ​ ○ “While more and more businesses are reopening, we know there are still some businesses that won’t be able to recall staff back to work by the end of August,” Bains said. ○ The online variance application replaces a paper-based system and is intended to keep employers and workers connected while business operations remain curtailed or shut down “so that when businesses are able to scale up their reopening, they have the skilled and experienced workers ready to resume their jobs,” per the minister. News briefs Province still working on issues related to MOU with Wet’suwet’en Nation ● B.C. and the federal government are still “engaged in important dialogue” around Wet’suwet’en rights and title, following the signing of an MOU between both levels of government and the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs in May. ○ The goal is to reach a “negotiators’ understanding” on an “affirmation agreement” on Wet’suwet’en rights and title by mid-October, according to a joint news release. That will “set the stage for further implementation negotiations.” ○ From there, the hope is that a draft agreement — which will “require approval and ratification” by Wet'suwet'en clan members and the provincial and federal governments — can be set by the end of the year. ○ The Wet’suwet’en are still involved in internal discussions around the role and relationship between elected band council members and hereditary chiefs. ○ Engagement with external stakeholders — including local governments, and industry, business and recreation groups as well as neighbouring First Nations — will be done through a regional engagement group and a core advisory council. Both have yet to be set up. Funding announcements ● Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy announced $36 million to create 123 ​ ​ new treatment beds for youth struggling with substance use by 2023. The investment will double the number of substance-use treatment and withdrawal-management beds currently available, including the recently announced 20-bed youth treatment facility in Chilliwack. ○ Details on when the beds will be available and where they will be located is not yet available. ● Ottawa is providing a $500,000 loan to Dispension, a Dartmouth-based company that ​ ​ ​ ​ has developed a machine to safely dispense medical-grade alternatives to street drugs to approved patients. One of the company’s machines — dubbed MySafe — has already been used in a pilot program in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Another five machines will be set up in Vancouver and Victoria, as well as Dartmouth, NS and London, ON. ○ The machine uses “biometric palm vein scanning technology” to identify approved patients and provide their prescription. ○ Safe supply is “a pragmatic and effective way to reduce overdose deaths,” according to a pre-published paper safe supply and harm reduction studies ​ compiled by Dr. Mark Tyndall. The pandemic has made safe supply “even more ​ ​ urgent and compelling,” according to Dr. Tyndall, who brought the first MySafe machine to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Question period During the final question period of the summer session, the Liberals covered a grab-bag of topics — including the NDP government’s lack of economic recovery planning, issues with the back-to-school proposal and continuing concerns about hotels purchased to house homeless people. The Liberals also picked up a thread the Greens pulled at all week — the cost and schedule issues with the Site C dam.