Throne Speech Debate
Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Throne Speech Debate

R. Cantelon: I move, seconded by the member for Richmond-Steveston, that:

    [We, Her Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in session assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech which Your Honour has addressed to us at the opening of the present session.]

And so we begin on Valentine's Day, and if I may, a very quick indulgence. At home, my daughter is 12 today. Happy birthday, Abigail.

           [S. Hawkins in the chair.]

Very sadly, we must all remember that many brave men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces left their loved ones and will never return. They went to a land far away to help that country establish a democracy, to establish the freedoms and the rights and the privileges that we are here today to exercise. We should recognize and be mindful that it's a rare privilege in this world today that we can act and speak so freely here in this assembly and govern our own affairs.

The cares and concerns of our loved ones and indeed all the people of British Columbia are bound up in their hopes and expectations. We are here today to lay forth plans to fulfil the opportunities that will give them a foundation from which they can achieve their goals and hopes. That begins with the programs we initiated some time ago to lay a sound financial foundation with balanced budgets so that we may begin to earn the trust of our citizens and our businessmen so that they will have confidence to continue the investments and the advancements of our economy and that they will have, most importantly, certainty in their affairs so they can move forward knowing that the investments and the risks they take will not be betrayed by backsliding in financial affairs.

We have in the area of certainty — certainly unprecedented in the area of certainty — labour peace. No one would have thought, no one would have dreamed, years ago that we would achieve the certainty we have in labour affairs with the unique and outstanding achievement of labour peace in the public sector and teachers till 2010, with the hope of bonuses to carry that on further. Why shouldn't there be? I would certainly say our public service is loyal, hard-working, and has every expectation to enjoy all of the rich benefits that this strong economy has provided.

This certainly has also increased job creation and investments. British Columbia leads all Canada in new jobs — 315,000 new jobs since 2001 and 65,000 last year alone. That's a 3.1-percent increase, second only to our neighbouring province, Alberta, with whom we of course now have achieved an economic union at no cost to the taxpayers, which gives us a powerful economic engine to move forward into the next decade.

The unemployment stands at a record low 4.9 percent. In my area, Nanaimo-Parksville, the riding that I have the privilege and honour to represent, the unemployment rate dropped to as low as 4.8 percent. I must acknowledge and report that currently it stands at 6.7 percent. This, however, is nearly a 50-percent improvement from where it was at 12.7 percent in 2001, so we've moved forward.

Now, I'm sure some will say that this is an unacceptable level. I'd be astounded if some don't say that. I think they may take the approach that this is a glass half empty. However, I would submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that we're on the way — that we've moved from 12.7 to 6.7 percent, and the glass is half full. In fact, I'm confident, with the optimism and the investment happening in the constituency I represent, that within a few years it will be full to the brim indeed, perhaps overflowing.

We see many indications of that optimism and forward movement in our economy. The Downtown Nanaimo Partnership, which is a very unique organization — it's an amalgam partnership between city council and business people in the downtown core — set about with ambitious programs and plans to turn around what was basically a desolate, empty downtown into a thriving hub and core of the city that welcomes people. In the last few years they have achieved 91 net new businesses in the downtown core. It's a wonderful place to be, and it's an exciting place to be.

These new businesses, these new entrepreneurs, have created over a thousand jobs in the downtown centre. Also, city council committed $72 million for a new Nanaimo centre, which is being built as we speak — on time, I hasten to add happily, and on budget. This $72 million development will have a 50,000-seat conference centre to accommodate conferences from all over the world.

Some would say, and certainly it is true, that one of the partners building the hotel has had some considerations of developing the hotel through financial concerns. However, what we found, having taken this bold step, is that city council has created a great opportunity for hoteliers, and indeed, several have come forward. The list of people who wish to take part in this development is now at seven.

Downtown Nanaimo's face is changing too. The old, derelict Malaspina Hotel, which many people may know and which stood for a long time as a real symbol of the deterioration of the downtown core, has now been reconstructed. Cape Development has come in and built a new highrise condominium development, which greatly adds needed residents into the downtown core. It has also expanded the waterfront parkway with a great new open public space that's to be enjoyed by all the citizens of Nanaimo.

Businesses are thriving too. Coastland Wood Industries, a veneer plant in Nanaimo, is doing extremely well, running full shifts supplying veneers. In fact, they're looking at expanding their operations to meet a growing demand for their products. I recently met with the executives of Pope and Talbot, the pulp mill in Nanaimo, and they've enjoyed not a record year but a year that certainly exceeded their expectations, and they look forward to another good year.

The softwood lumber agreement offers new opportunities and new hope. Some may say that our Minister of Forests and Range is perhaps gruff on the exterior but soft inside, but I think we will shortly learn that we will press forward many advantages that are open to us by the softwood lumber agreement, and you will see new investment and new jobs created on the Island. So many things are moving forward.

Parksville is often regarded as a holiday spot. It's famous for its beaches and beach celebrations. Little is known about the industries there, and some of them are very unique. I'd like to mention a couple of them that are doing exceptionally well.

One group called Detailed Design actually does advance CAD/CAM design for all steel-structure buildings in North America, including the Superdome and other major dome structures that you may know. They have clients right across North America and Europe, and they're employing as many people as they can as fast as they can. This thriving business offers high-paying jobs to highly skilled workers, generally in the 20 to 25 age range. It's a great business.

Another unknown success story is Camtech. This industry, owned by Charles and Jean Robinson in Parksville, reconstructs models of the cabins of 747s. In this small town — this small but very thriving city of Parksville — they do instruction for aeronautical safety and procedures and build these cabins so that people can be taught how to behave in emergencies and be trained in aeronautical safety.

The Island Hall, a familiar landmark to everyone, is also being redeveloped, as residential and construction jobs and the industry thrives and booms in Nanaimo.

So business is good. Opportunities are good in my riding, and it's because of the solid financial foundation that has been put forward. People are optimistic, people are investing, and things are moving forward.

One of the concerns in our riding, of course, with the large population of seniors in the Nanaimo-Parksville constituency, is health care — health care as it relates to seniors. We certainly have — and it was acknowledged that we have — the best-ranked health care system in Canada. In Nanaimo, certainly, and in Parksville, the concerns about seniors are being met by this very forward-thinking health care system. The seniors assisted-living facilities are greatly expanding. VIHA has committed to 215 units in Nanaimo, and 135 residential and 80 assisted-living have been announced. In Parksville I was able to announce another 220 units — being 160 residential-living and 60 assisted-living — that were just recently opened.

Many other things are happening, of course, in the health care system. A review is being undertaken of the emergency facilities with an aim to improve the emergency care in the regional district hospital in Nanaimo. That will involve, particularly, a new psychiatric emergency care unit so that people with mental health issues can be separated from those that have other emergent care needs.

The operating theatres have been completed. This was left. It was really an empty shell that was left for ten years, and the Ministry of Health has finished them off. We have now 12 state-of-the-art operating theatres in Nanaimo.

There's generally a very optimistic attitude, I have to say, in Nanaimo. People are happy with the way things are progressing, and people are happy with what is happening. Nanaimo was the first community to endorse the Winter Olympics in 2010, and just recently, we had many celebrations to build the enthusiasm towards the happy Olympic event.

Many of you, of course, know and remember Allison Forsyth, who was injured. I recently had a meeting with Allison. She's still on crutches, but she's determined to be on the podium in the Olympics. As determined and touching was her mother Marion, who is battling cancer. She intends to be there to watch her daughter succeed, and I'm sure she will.

But there are other Olympic hopefuls. At the recent Spirit of 2010 events last weekend I was fortunate enough to watch Kelsey Ross, a very talented 16-year-old, who at the age of nine was able to do double flip — whatever they are — loops, and she has an amazing talent. She skates with grace and smoothness and power. I'm sure there's another citizen from this area that we'll see on the podium in 2010.

Parksville, of course, moves forward. It won the Communities in Bloom in 2006, competing across Canada for that honour. It's really no surprise that they should win it, being such a wonderful place. They've also hosted the Seniors Lawn Bowling Pairs, where B.C. won first and second. That was also done in 2006.

Nanaimo looks forward to hosting, this year, the B.C. Seniors Games, and I'm sure there will be many participants, if not within this chamber….

[continued]

R. Cantelon: Lots of seniors up there, and it will be a wonderful event. Nanaimo's famous for its volunteerism and its ability to host these events.

This year we celebrated the championship team, the Vancouver Island Raiders, who won the Canadian Junior Football League championships — the first time it ever happened — in what was certainly a heart-stopping fourth quarter achievement.

The Nanaimo Clippers are well on their way to another very, very successful season, and we expect them to do well in the playoffs forthcoming.

We recently — again, as part of ActNow — celebrated the Vancouver Island Raiders championship but also the Grey Cup championship. It was wonderful to see the reaction of people who had never seen the Grey Cup, who had listened to and cheered the B.C. Lions from their inception in '54 when they promised to roar in '54, as some may remember. They had never seen the Grey Cup and were quite thrilled to see it and were happy to have their picture taken with it.

I think we should note that Wally Buono, quite correctly, was named coach of the year for his outstanding achievements. I'm sure we all share in congratulating Wally for his contribution.

Another great thing that is moving forward in our province, and I think a very special one, is the new relationship we are having with first nations. I've had the opportunity to take part and travel where the effects and the hopes and the inspiration that the first nations are now developing and to see that first hand.

I was here in Victoria not long ago at the Empress Hotel and talked with Robert Dennis, chief of the west coast bands, and the joy and the energy in that room was really something to behold. It was really, truly a celebration. You could get the sense that these first nations people felt that something had been lifted from their shoulders, that they were now able to move forward and participate with all British Columbians on an equal footing. But the treaty just lays the foundation, and it's recognized that it is not the complete or full answer to any of the concerns, but it now affords the opportunity for them to move forward. We hope and expect to see many more of these agreements in the future.

I also had the privilege recently to participate in the second aboriginal education enhancement agreement with school district 69. This is the second of the agreements — one of 30 that have been signed with aboriginal peoples across the province — and it's a great partnership between the school district and the first nations. It has achieved some remarkable results.

Since 2001 the completion rate in grade 12 has risen from 31 percent — which I'm sure everyone would acknowledge is terribly low, in fact, dismally low — to 58 percent. Now 58 percent is still not as high as it is for other citizens, other young people, at 79 percent, but that is a significant 27-percent improvement in achievement level. Other achievement levels were equally as impressive.

But the numbers don't tell the whole story, and it's really not about numbers for first nations. It's really about having a sense of hope and opportunity that at last, and I really do mean at last, they can move forward and take part in the opportunities that this thriving economy presents to them, that they can have the hope that they will see their dreams fulfilled in this economy and that the barriers that used to be there for first nations entering the workforce will be removed.

Gordon Bob, who is the brother of the Chief, spoke very eloquently about the sense that this is really a new thing. Right through all my discussions with the various first nations people I had, there's new hope, there's new optimism that they see themselves as partners moving forward with us, and it was a great thing to see.

Ellen White, who is one of the elders of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, spoke. Every time Ellen speaks and gives prayers to whatever group she's speaking to, you feel better afterwards. She lifts everyone up with her words and the depth of her spirituality.

She used a phrase that I thought was quite unique and interesting. She said that these new, young first nations people were going to be raised with a foot in each culture. I think she means to say to us that they're now part of our society in British Columbia in the broadest sense, but they'll always remember their first nations culture and that the two should not be a contradiction in moving forward. They can proudly move forward as aboriginal people but confidently take part in the economy of British Columbia. And that's the way it should be.

I had a recent meeting with Ralph Nilson, the new president of Malaspina College, and he's very rightly proud and enthusiastic about carrying on the tradition of partnerships they have with first nations in a wide variety of educational opportunities that are presented by Malaspina University College.

Also this month I had the privilege of presenting cheques, first to the Inter Tribal Health Authority in Nanaimo — $31,500. This is to the Inter Tribal Health Authority which administers public health to all the coastal bands up and down the coast.

There are two important things about it. Firstly, it is very important, if you think about this, that the people who are providing nursing services to these remote communities are aboriginal. This program and this funding are to support and encourage nurses to become involved first in training and development to supply these public health services. If you're in a remote village and the public health nurse comes to you and she's white or he's white, what that says to them is: they're different. "We're here, and the experts must come and must be white to tell us how to look after our health."

It is one of the key contacts that happens to some of these remote tribal communities. I have to tell you that with my travels on aquaculture, I had no idea how remote some of these villages are. They certainly are. But to have a recognizable first nations face to provide these services sends an entirely different message. It says to these first nations people in these villages, to the young people particularly who are being ministered to, that: "You are part of British Columbia," that "You are welcome," and that "You, too, can move forward, and you, too, can have a career beyond the village and yet still remember and minister to the village."

The other cheque that I was able to present was for $22,000 to Snuneymuxw to support the other side of nursing training. This is to provide tutoring, mentorship and direction so that young first nations, aboriginal women and men, can be encouraged to pursue a career at Malaspina University College, to develop a career in nursing. Certainly we know that throughout our economy we are very short of trained labour, trained specialists in a wide variety of concerns, and we need every first nation that we can encourage and that we can help break the barriers down so that they can participate in our economy.

Another meeting recently. I met with Minister de Jong and with David Bob of the Nanoose First Nation in my constituency. He spoke at some length of the rich history of how all the villages and communities are intertwined. Everybody has someone in another village that is related, and they're all connected in a very unique and cultural way.

But they, too, are moving forward. They, too, have dreams. They expect their dreams will be fulfilled, and I have every indication that they will be. They have moved forward now. They have an extensive shellfish industry which provides employment and income directly to members of the band, and they've done very well with that.

They also have some very ambitious economic development plans which involve what I think is a very unique facility that they want to build. They want to build a seniors residence and care facility that will basically be oriented primarily to first nations — but not exclusively, they hasten to add — so that first nations seniors, as they reach retirement and old age and eventually pass on, can do so in an environment that's sympathetic to their culture, where their traditions are respected and where they're ministered to in the context of the culture that they know. They hope that such a facility will be one that will be used by all first nations on the coastal area. I think it's certainly a very worthwhile project, I encourage them, and I think they'll see their dreams fulfilled.

We also, with the minister, met with Shawn Atleo and Judith Sayers. Again, the mood was positive. The mood was upbeat. Throughout all of these meetings and all of these encounters I've had with first nations groups throughout the province, and some of the aquaculture tours, there really is a mood of hopefulness, of working together, of partnerships — that yes, we need to move through with the treaties, and yet we can step aside with the treaties and move the economic, cultural, personal and social agendas forward at the same time. It needn't be just the legalistic treaty negotiations, which sometimes seem to preoccupy and in some cases might be viewed as a hindrance as much as a help. We can move forward with an agenda through the reconciliation that moves their hopes forward, and that's exactly what's happening.

Finally, I was very fortunate to take part in the hiring program of the new Representative for Children and Youth, who happens to be of direct aboriginal ancestry, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond. Unfortunately, it's true the large portion of children at risk in our society are first nations, and I want to assure this House that we will have an outstanding individual who will champion these causes — a woman of great intelligence, energy and experience, who will move forward the agenda of people and children with concerns, at risk.

All of these things are good. All of these things lay a good foundation as we move forward in the economy, as we move forward with our new relationship with first nations. But all of these will be hollow if we don't preserve the environment in which this economy thrives.

We all love this beautiful country. We all love its lakes and streams. That's our richest heritage that we have. I think that it's incumbent on us to preserve this richest legacy for them. Yes, there must be jobs, but the jobs…. Unless we can manage in an environmentally sustainable way, we will have failed. I want to say that that is not happening. I think the throne speech lays out not only an ambitious but an achievable plan to ensure that our environment will be protected as we move forward.

I was quite astounded when we heard what some of the concerned people have said. One of the authors of the UN report on climate change, University of Victoria professor Andrew Weaver, said that he was taken aback and stunned by the scope and ambition of the program that was laid forward.

His words were: "It's the most progressive plan that I've seen anywhere in North America and one of the best in the world." "This is the way to go," he said: "It's great leadership. It's really super." He even said: "I'm sounding like a party hack." I would say that perhaps someone should approach him about a membership; I don't know. But when you see this…. "If you put my dreams on paper," he said, "everything I wanted was in here. It's amazing." He also pointed out that none of these goals are out of reach.

So we have the best place on earth to live, and it's absolutely important that we preserve it and enhance it for our children and their children. This builds on the progress that we've already made. The targets are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 percent by 2020. These are achievable goals. We have a $25 million innovation fund to prepare and develop new methods of energy production, and 90 percent of all B.C.'s energy will come from clean renewable resources.

This is an approach that is very much in sympathy with the constituents that live in my area. The regional district of Nanaimo has always been very, very concerned about recycling and waste. They've achieved their target — tops in Canada — of 50-percent diversion of material from landfills. It's an outstanding achievement.

They have also added that the organic material from commercial places, restaurants and so forth, now has to be recycled. They're now developing a household organic recycling program that they feel will remove 70 percent of the material from landfills. So we're ahead of the curve, and we plan to stay there in our constituency.

Methane gas from landfill sites is one of the issues addressed in the throne speech. Madam Speaker, I want to tell you again that the regional district of Nanaimo is already capturing it and is about to embark on a pilot program to put that methane gas to productive use.

Water sustainability, of course. Water is a key element in the sustainability of our communities, and the city of Parksville has moved forward and plans to take advantage of the infrastructure grants to improve and make secure their water supply. I certainly will be assisting them heartily to do just that.

It might be seen by some to be restrictive, but to the contrary, new technologies and new industries that direct their attention to the environment open up new opportunities. We have one business in Nanaimo, ICC, that develops an elaborate composting system where it takes all organic material — trees, roots, stumps — and out the other end comes organic untreated topsoil — very good material.

This facility was visited recently when the secretary of state for Asia-Pacific brought a group of investors from China. We'd hoped that they would be interested in investing money in capital projects in the city. They were more interested in the technology that they could export. So I think the new opportunities that are concerned with and are projects for the environment offer new economic opportunities as well.

Moving on to the education field, again I would say and congratulate that our community is moving forward. In school district 69 we just recognized one of our teachers for winning the Prime Minister's teacher's achievement of excellence. I think in recognizing teachers, we're already moving forward to anticipate what was laid out in the throne speech to give more recognition to those teachers that excel.

They also have a new program called Ready, Set, Learn oriented towards young children to bring them into the schools and to read with them. I think they're recognizing that the parents are the first teachers that children have and that they must be encouraged to read with their children to give them a good start in education.

Also, 68 is one of the leaders with their Building Learning Together program. This is a program that involves a community — some 200 volunteers, drivers, seniors. That takes learning right out into the community with their bus — and Munchkin Land and many other exciting and innovative programs to give children a new start. In both school districts from 68 and 69 in Nanaimo there's extensive use of the buildings for community facilities.

Another aspect that the budget turned to was homelessness. Again, I would salute and congratulate the city of Nanaimo for the active approach they take to homeless people, particularly those on the street. We're using some of the tools that this Legislature has put in their hands — the Safe Streets Act, the Trespass Act. But their focus is more on compliance. They're not out to fine anybody. They're there to take them off the street and connect them with resources. They're working with the downtown Nanaimo partnership, with neighbourhood groups, with police, with VIHA.

They've made great use of the new funding that's been put in place by this government, the $139,000 supplied through VIHA to basically connect people on the streets with services. Many of these people have no fixed address, no place to live and many other barriers to obtaining services. Also, many of them are affected with drug abuse, mental issues and basically self-medication. They've moved forward using these tools to remove what they refer to as drug squats, where people basically camp out in a yard or in a campground and use it as a place to gather and distribute drugs. They use the Trespass Act to displace and move these along.

We recognize that these are only short-term solutions. They know it too, but they keep at it, and they keep moving people along. Randy Churchill says it's like pushing the ocean back in some cases, but they are achieving success. Every time they move a drug house or a crack house or close it down — and they've closed some 30 of them down in Nanaimo — they find that when it comes back in another neighbourhood, it comes back with less of a vengeance. Once they've moved a crack house, the neighbourhood comes in and takes the community back. The house is rebuilt and becomes a functioning part of the community again.

It's still a fragile success, but it's moving forward. We certainly look forward to the initiatives that will be presented and fleshed out in the budget as we move forward to implement the plans laid out in the budget.

The city of Nanaimo, too, has taken a great initiative with homelessness with a project they've set on Meredith Road. Never mind DCCs; the city's donating the land, putting up the land, to build the facility on Meredith Road. A group of people that is sometimes maligned, the development community, has said: "Well, we'll build it. You put up the land, and we'll build it." Here's an affordable housing facility that will be at no cost to taxpayers or anyone else. They've now approached B.C. Housing to see if they can expand the concept with their participation.

I had the opportunity to make the minister for forest, lands and housing aware of this. He was an enthusiastic supporter, and we hope to see his announcement in the near future for the participation of the provincial government in this very worthy project.

The communities are ready. They're moving forward. They're working in a spirit and an atmosphere of optimism. They're moving forward to build their economies, to build better places. Certainly, the new emphasis and the great emphasis on the environment is one that's going to be one welcomed by all people in British Columbia.

I want to close with a favourite saying of a dear friend of mine who just recently turned 90, who served long terms on city council and on boards with me, Margaret Strongitharm. She used to say that there are three kinds of people: those who watch it happen, those who wonder what happened and those who make it happen. I'm proud to be part of a government led by a leader who is in the last category, because this government intends to make it happen for the province and for all the people in British Columbia.
© 2007 Government Caucus of British Columbia. All Rights Reserved.