Putting people first for a #BetterBC
  We know people want to make sure they and their loved ones can get their COVID-19 vaccinations as soon as possible.
And thanks to the hard work of our public health teams, our province is a few days ahead of schedule in our vaccination rollout plan. Anyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one by the end of summer, if not sooner. More seniors are now able to make appointments sooner than expected too. Most recently, our government announced that more than 300,000 front-line workers, who include first responders, grocery store employees, teachers and childcare workers, will be eligible for vaccines in April. It’s good news as the vaccination rollout – the largest in BC’s history – continues ahead of schedule.  In the 16 years the BC Liberals were in government, they gutted and privatized long-term care. It left many seniors vulnerable when COVID-19 hit.
That’s why our BC NDP government is in the process of hiring and training 7,000 new healthcare workers for long-term care homes and assisted living facilities. Our elders deserve so much better, and should be able to age with dignity. Do you support our move to improve care and hire more healthcare workers? Add your name to let us know.  Watershed and wetland projects scheduled to be completed by the end of this year are creating 750 new jobs, while restoring critical rivers and land in communities hit hard by COVID-19.
The environmental projects are focussed on supporting the recovery of fish stocks, strengthening natural carbon sinks, restoring watersheds, and providing natural flood management by stabilizing and restoring riparian areas and riverbanks. The projects will take place in rural, urban, and Indigenous communities, and were identified by Watersheds BC and other partner groups. “These projects are vital, not only because they provide good-paying jobs to help people emerge from the pandemic on a stronger footing, but because they also strengthen our crucial watersheds and wetlands for future generations,” said Ravi Kahlon, MLA for Delta North.  Happy new year to members of BC’s Persian community who are celebrating Nowruz! The Persian new year is today, on the first day of spring. Nowruz is marked at the spring equinox, and is typically a two-week celebration full of food, family, and travel. This year, like so many important occasions, it needs to be celebrated safely and with a small circle of friends and family. Premier John Horgan marked Nowruz by celebrating remotely from the Legislature yesterday. Previous Nowruz celebrations, John and some of the BC NDP team joined in on fire jumping, and although we can’t do that this year, we’re looking back fondly at some of the photos from 2019, and looking forward to 2022. We wish our Persian community all the very best for Nowruz.  On Tuesday, Aman Singh, MLA for Richmond-Queensborough, made history. For the first time, he rose to speak at the Legislature – making him the first turbaned Sikh to do so in our province. He spoke about youth mental health during his first official appearance, a topic that is incredibly important to him.
“There are so many barriers to dealing with mental health and addictions – stigma and the fear of asking for help being a huge one. I know that well,” Aman said recently. Our government knows the importance of making mental health services available to British Columbians. That’s why there are plans to focus on mental health programs for youth, and to expand e-health counselling programs so that people in more remote communities have better access to support. Investing in mental health programs is an investment in necessary healthcare.  Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. See you again soon!
New Democratic Party of British Columbia |
