Improved healthcare and safer communities for a #BetterBC
  Earlier this week, Premier John Horgan reminded us there is a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. He encouraged all British Columbians to show compassion, and to remember that we’re all in this together.
Thankfully, on the vaccine front, there’s some good news! The province received doses of Pfizer vaccine after a delay due to cold weather. And, pre-registration for vaccines opens in March, although the exact date isn’t available yet. British Columbians will be able to pre-register two to four weeks before their eligibility phase. BC is currently in Phase 1 of the vaccination rollout. Pre-registration will be available online or by phone, and once you are registered you will get contacted with appointment reservation information. In the meantime, health authorities are going to be reaching out to seniors aged 80 and older, Indigenous seniors aged 65 and older, and Indigenous Elders about pre-registration for vaccines. Together, we can continue to protect our loved ones and communities by staying local, staying apart, and taking precautions like wearing a mask and washing our hands.  In 1972, BC elected its first and only Black British Columbians to the legislature: New Democrats Rosemary Brown and Emery Barnes.
Rosemary was the first Black woman elected to any Canadian legislature, and Emery went on to become the first Black person to become speaker of the house in any Canadian legislature. They were both long-serving and talented politicians – Rosemary even ran for the leadership of the federal NDP in 1975. Even while we celebrate the accomplishments of Black British Columbians, we cannot forget that there is significant work remaining to fight racism in our province – which is why our government is developing an anti-racism act, in consultation with communities. Read more about the women and men, like Rosemary and Emery, who made positive changes in their communities on our website.  Our BC NDP government remains committed to improving safety and security in our province.
That’s why, earlier this week, the government announced a new centralized firearms intelligence hub called the BC Provincial Forensic Firearms Laboratory (PFFL). It will be used to analyze illegal firearms that were seized by police, or firearms used in criminal activity. The lab is a key element of the province-wide Gang Suppression Action Plan, and the evidence the lab uncovers will be used to support criminal investigations. “This lab is another step on our government’s effort to address gang activity and gun violence in communities across BC,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.  Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. See you again soon!
New Democratic Party of British Columbia |
