Office of the PremierOffice of the Premier
BC Hydro will construct approximately $1 billion worth of capital projects in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission, Hope and Harrison Hot Springs over the next decade to upgrade and expand the electricity grid to provide clean power for homes, businesses and growing transportation needs.
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Agriculture and FoodB.C. farmers are getting help with adopting new labour-saving technologies that will enhance their profitability, productivity and efficiency, while helping to improve food security in the province.
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Attorney GeneralNominations for the honorary designation of King’s Counsel (KC) for 2024 will open on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024.
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Children and Family DevelopmentFrom Indigenous Services Canada: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/sts-ailes-canada-and-b-c-celebrate-coordination-agreement-to-support-child-and-family-services-833129120.html
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Citizens' ServicesAs part of British Columbia’s ongoing work to protect government information systems, the Province is entering an agreement with the Government of Canada to enhance collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre).
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Education and Child Care
Families in Surrey will have 915 more elementary seats in their community as part of the B.C. government’s plan to expand schools quicker.
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Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
To help keep people safe and informed during emergencies, the Province is providing funding to communities in B.C. to improve planning for emergency evacuation routes and public notifications.
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Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation
BC Hydro will construct approximately $1 billion worth of capital projects in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission, Hope and Harrison Hot Springs over the next decade to upgrade and expand the electricity grid to provide clean power for homes, businesses and growing transportation needs.
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Environment and Climate Change StrategyFinance
B.C.’s First Quarterly Report shows the Province supported growing communities while responding to a major wildfire season, high interest rates across the country and global economic challenges.
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Forests
New support for forest-sector manufacturers throughout the province will create jobs, strengthen local economies and promote the transition to high-value, made-in-B.C. forestry products.
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Health
Patients in Kamloops now have improved access to services as upgrades at the Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) are complete, including enhancements to the post-anesthetic recovery (PAR) unit, pediatric unit and ambulance stretcher bays.
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Housing
Indigenous people on and off reserve in B.C. will have access to approximately 1,600 new affordable rental homes through partnerships between the Province, through BC Housing, and Indigenous non-profit housing providers.
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Indigenous Relations and ReconciliationThe Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative (CFN) and the Government of British Columbia are strengthening their decades-long relationship by renewing their commitment to work together through a reconciliation agreement that builds off the success of their 2009 reconciliation protocol and 2020 Pathway to Reconciliation memorandum of understanding (MOU), to continue to benefit all those who live on the north and central coast.
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Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat
The King Charles III Coronation Medal was awarded to outstanding individuals in British Columbia during a ceremony with the lieutenant governor.
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Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
New support for forest-sector manufacturers throughout the province will create jobs, strengthen local economies and promote the transition to high-value, made-in-B.C. forestry products.
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LabourConstruction workers can soon say goodbye to unsanitary portable toilets on most construction sites and say hello to cleaner flush toilets.
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Mental Health and Addictions
The Province has launched the Opioid Treatment Access Line to make it faster and easier for people to get life-saving medication to treat opioid-use disorder and get connected to same-day care.
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Municipal AffairsPost-Secondary Education and Future Skills
More people will have the opportunity to train for in-demand careers, such as physical therapists, occupational therapists and midwives, at a new state-of-the-art University of British Columbia (UBC) facility in Surrey.
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Public Safety and Solicitor GeneralPolice in B.C. will soon have more tools to enhance their efforts in protecting children online and strengthen abilities to pursue, disrupt and prosecute offenders.
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Social Development and Poverty Reduction
People facing complex barriers will have better access to employment opportunities with the launch of wraparound services that support the most vulnerable on their path to employment readiness.
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Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
Eighteen people in British Columbia are being honoured with the Province’s Medal of Good Citizenship for their extraordinary contributions to their communities.
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Transportation and Infrastructure
Hundreds of new homes and space for amenities such as grocery stores and child care near transit are coming soon as plans for the future site of the Surrey Langley SkyTrain project move forward.
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Water, Land and Resource StewardshipWater has begun to overflow the landslide blocking the Chilcotin River near Farwell Canyon.
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Honourable Mike Farnworth
Public Safety and Solicitor GeneralPolice in B.C. will soon have more tools to enhance their efforts in protecting children online and strengthen abilities to pursue, disrupt and prosecute offenders.
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Changes introduced to the Police Act will improve governance and oversight of policing as part of the Province’s work to make systemic improvements to the policing and public safety landscape in B.C.
“We count on our police to respond in difficult situations to keep us safe and there are ongoing conversations on how to change policing to keep pace with a changing world, particularly for many Black, Indigenous and other people of minority communities who have had negative experiences with the police,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “By focusing on changes to municipal policing, we are setting the foundation for a modern policing system that is fair, equitable and responsive to all communities.”
The legislation makes changes to municipal police governance, oversight and police superintendence. The changes address recommendations from the 2022 Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act and from the 2019 Special Committee to Review the Police Complaint Process, and addresses legislative changes requested by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.
Changes to governance will allow local governments to determine who their representative will be on their police board and will allow members of the police board to elect their chair and vice-chair. Currently, the mayor is automatically the local government representative and the chair of the police board.
The legislation will also strengthen oversight of municipal police with several changes, including allowing the police complaint commissioner to call a public hearing earlier in misconduct investigations, and providing the police complaint commissioner authority to conduct systemic reviews and investigations into the causes and contributors of police complaints.
The Province is continuing to work on other policy and legislative reforms called for by the 2022 Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act, including police training, provincial governance and Indigenous policing models. This work involves broad engagement with Indigenous partners, local governments, policing representatives, police oversight agencies, and community-based and advocacy organizations that will inform the work of further efforts to change policing in the province of B.C.
The work being undertaken in Police Act reform is aligned with Action 3.11 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan. The Province has committed to developing and implementing policing reform that is responsive to the diverse needs of all communities and fosters increased public trust in policing, particularly for Indigenous and racialized communities.
Quotes:
Ronald J. Macdonald, KC, chief civilian director, Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of B.C. –
“The changes made to the Police Act today extend the jurisdiction of the IIO to include examining the actions of jail guards. Up until now, the role a jail guard may have played in the serious harm or death of a person was investigated by police agencies. Moving this responsibility to the IIO enhances the appearance of independence in these important investigations. Given the over-representation of Indigenous and other equity-owed groups in the justice system, this change, in addition to continued work in partnerships with community leadership, will help to contribute to improved treatment and outcomes for all equity-owed groups in B.C.”
Patrick Johnstone, mayor of New Westminster, and chair of the New Westminster Police Board –
“I am glad to see the minister announce this first phase of Police Act changes. I have appreciated the comprehensive consultation with local government and police board leadership through the roundtable model, and the recognition that not only is policing changing, but that public expectations about police oversight are changing as well. These measures are moving us is a good direction.”
Patricia Barnes, president of B.C. Association of Police Boards, and director of Vancouver Police Board –
“On behalf of the British Columbia Association of Police Boards, I am very pleased that the Province is moving forward with Phase 1 changes to the Police Act. We believe that strengthening the governance of independent civilian police boards can only improve policing in the Province and ensure their mandate of public safety is supported in a way that benefits people across British Columbia. We look forward to continuing to work with the Province on further changes and adjustments, as the Special Committee’s recommendations are implemented to support and uphold public trust, safety, police accountability and policing effectiveness.”
Quick Facts:
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For more information about B.C. legislation, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/legislation/
A backgrounder follows.
