BC Today – Daily Report February 21, 2020 Quotation of the day “We are working as hard as we can to improve the lives of all British Columbians regardless of whether they are in the way of economic development or supportive of it.” Premier John Horgan tells reporters the NDP government is doing its best to respond to the ​ ​ ongoing tensions over resource development in the province. Today in B.C. On the schedule The house is adjourned until 10 a.m. on Monday, February 24. Thursday’s debates and proceedings Liberal Municipal Affairs and Housing critic Todd Stone introduced private member’s Bill M201, ​ ​ ​ ​ Assessment (Split Assessment Classification) Amendment Act, which aims to create a new commercial property subclass that local governments can use to give relief to businesses facing property tax hikes based on the development potential of the airspace above their heads. This is Stone’s second crack at getting the legislation passed. He introduced an identical bill in ​ ​ October 2019. The house spent the afternoon debating Bill 4, Budget Measures Implementation Act. ​ ​ At the legislature Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Selina Robinson introduced members of the Union of ​ ​ B.C. Municipalities executive, who were at the legislature to meet with MLAs this week. Robinson also joined Liberal Mental Health and Addictions critic Jane Thornthwaite in ​ ​ welcoming representatives from the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee to the legislature. Premier puts his faith in Ottawa to find a way to resolve rail blockades Premier John Horgan has been speaking regularly with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Deputy Premier Chrystia Freeland and his fellow premiers about the ongoing rail blockades, ​ ​ while Solicitor General Mike Farnworth has been in communication with federal Public Safety ​ ​ Minister Bill Blair. ​ ​ With the rail blockade near New Hazelton in B.C. resolved — clearing access to the port at Prince Rupert — Ontario is the focus of the federal government’s concern regarding infrastructure disruptions from groups supportive of the hereditary Wet’suwet’en chiefs who oppose the Coastal GasLink pipeline, according to Horgan. But while Ottawa understands the complexity of Indigenous issues in B.C., according to Horgan — “particularly of hereditary versus elected decision-making” — other provincial leaders needed to be “brought up to speed” on the “unique” situation of Indigenous relations in B.C. “They don't have a deep-seated understanding of the complexity of these questions and ... they don't understand how elected band councils could have said yes and other hereditary leaders have said no,” Horgan told reporters. On a call scheduled for yesterday afternoon, he expected an update on the prime minister’s “plan forward” on the ongoing blockades. The premier’s patience for hereditary leaders appears to be somewhat frayed. Horgan said the province has not yet received a response to the open joint letter from B.C. Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Minister Scott Fraser and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn ​ ​ ​ Bennett, offering to meet with the chiefs. ​ “Communication has to be two-way,” Horgan said when asked about a response from the chiefs. As for whether he regrets declining to meet with hereditary Chief Na’moks during his trip across ​ ​ northern B.C. last month, the premier reiterated that the scheduling demands of the trip did not permit a last-minute meeting and suggested Minister Fraser — who the chiefs declined to meet with at the time — would have been a better representative. “I don't believe that I have any more magic in my pocket than Minister Fraser does,” he told reporters, adding that he would “of course” find time for a meeting “if there was a prospect of a positive outcome.” “I've got no shortage of other nations ... within British Columbia that have exciting opportunities, and they want to work with the province and the federal government and their local communities to find the prosperity that we all want for ourselves and our neighbours,” he said. He also suggested that some blame for the current situation lies with the hereditary chiefs. “I'm not going to accept responsibility for the decisions that the hereditary leaders are taking,” he said. “I do accept responsibility as head of the Executive Council in the government of British Columbia, and I stand ready to work with the hereditary leadership to find a peaceful resolution to this issue.” Horgan rejected former treaty negotiator Brian Domney’s assertion that the current situation ​ ​ with the Wet’suwet’en is due to the fact that B.C.’s governments have "picked their Indians" ​ ​ ​ when looking to secure support for resource development projects. Domney spent years as the ​ lead negotiator on the province’s effort to develop a treaty with the Wet’suwet’en First Nation. “I find that offensive,” Horgan said, adding that he was “not aware” of Domney “whoever he is.” “We are working as hard as we can to improve the lives of all British Columbians regardless of whether they are in the way of economic development or supportive of it,” he told reporters. Per the premier, the province is not open to demands that Coastal GasLink leave Wet’suwet’en territory or pause the pipeline project. Yesterday afternoon, the B.C. RCMP offered to pull their mobile command post from the Morice ​ ​ River Forest Service Road and move it to a nearby town. Federal Public Safety Minister Blair hailed the offer as a “significant step” toward resolving the tense situation. Today’s events February 21 at 9 a.m. — Vancouver ​ ​ Premier John Horgan will address the Vancouver Board of Trade at the Fairmont Hotel ​ ​ Vancouver. February 21 at 10 a.m. — Vancouver ​ ​ Federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson will be joined by B.C.’s ​ ​ Natural Resources Minister Doug Donaldson; Environment Minister George Heyman; Energy ​ ​ ​ ​ Minister Bruce Ralston; and representatives from the West Moberly and Saulteau First Nations ​ ​ at the Pan Pacific Hotel for an announcement about Southern Mountain Caribou. February 21 at 10:30 a.m. — Vancouver ​ ​ B.C. Representative for Children and Youth Jennifer Charlesworth will be joined by Katherine ​ ​ ​ McParland, executive director of A Way Home Kamloops, for the release of a report on youth ​ ​ homelessness in British Columbia. February 21 — Vancouver ​ ​ This year’s Adaptation Canada conference wraps up today at the Sheraton Wall Centre. ​ ​ Weekend events February 22 at 1 p.m. — Abbotsford ​ ​ Bruce Banman, the BC Liberal Party’s Abbotsford South candidate for the next provincial ​ election, will be out door-knocking with supporters. February 22 at 2 p.m. — Duncan ​ ​ The BC Green Party’s Cowichan Valley riding association will hold its annual general meeting at The Hub at Cowichan Station. Green Party house leader Sonia Furstenau, who represents the ​ ​ riding, will attend. February 23 at 5 p.m. — Ladysmith ​ ​ The BC Green Party’s Nanaimo—North Cowichan riding association will hold its annual general ​ meeting at the Frank Jameson Community Centre. Topics of conversation ● The man behind Vancouver’s successful bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics wants the city to bid to host the 2030 games. “I think the timing is actually very, very good," John ​ Furlong told the Canadian Press following his address to the Vancouver Board of Trade ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ yesterday. "We have the venues. We could effectively be the only city ever to use exactly the same footprint.” ○ Premier John Horgan isn’t quite so keen on the idea. “It was an overwhelming ​ ​ success at the end of the day, but there were a lot of challenges leading up to the completion of the bid,” he told reporters yesterday. “But I think people by and large, have a fond memory of 2010. And if there's a credible bid, I’ll certainly take a look at it, but this needs to come from Vancouver … it's not something that will be initiating.” ● Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Selina Robinson told reporters she is working ​ ​ with the finance ministry to find a way to address steep increases in insurance costs for ​ ​ stratas in B.C. “I really feel for the people who are looking at these significant increases,” Robinson said. “It's really challenging for people. This is a new issue that's global in nature. It's not just unique to British Columbia.” The minister offered no specifics as to what the solution might be. ○ Asked when her promised “interim business property tax relief” for small ​ ​ ​ ​ businesses struggling with rising property tax burdens might be introduced, Robinson said, “Soon.” ● Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed B.C.’s sixth presumed case of ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ COVID-19 yesterday — a woman in her 30s who recently returned from a trip to Iran but has no recent history of travel to China. “Fraser Health is actively investigating,” Dr. ​ Henry said in a statement. “The patient's close contacts will be identified and contacted by public-health officials. The patient is in isolation at home.” ○ Of the five other cases in the province, one has recovered and the other four are also in isolation at home. ● ICBC has chosen OCTO Telematics, a US-based firm, to provide the technology for its ​ ​ Techpilot initiative, which will reward new drivers for safe driving if they agree to install a ​ telematics device in their vehicle. News briefs - Governmental Two new employment agreements ratified The finance ministry announced the ratification of two new public sector employment agreements: one between Legal Aid BC and the Professional Employees Association — which ​ ​ represents about 30 lawyers who work in nine legal aid offices across the province — and another between Thompson Rivers University and the university’s faculty association, covering ​ ​ approximately 900 faculty members working in Kamloops and Williams Lake. Both agreements are retroactive to 2019, cover three-year terms and include general wage increases of two per cent per year.