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‘Brighter days ahead’: BC throne speech highlights pandemic recovery

Lt. Gov. Jane Austin delivered the Government of British Columbia’s speech from the throne from the parliament buildings in Victoria today.

Just over a year after the onset of COVID-19, many of the highlights from today’s speech focused on getting through the final stretch of the pandemic and how the province will recover.

It included a number of actions the provincial government will take over the next year to ensure BC comes back from the pandemic stronger and more resilient, which includes:

  • Improving health care so BC is better prepared for future challenges by addressing cracks in long-term care that COVID-19 has exposed, reducing surgery wait times and building more hospitals and urgent primary care centres in every part of British Columbia.
  • Making life more affordable through changes to ICBC that will cut car insurance rates by 20%, expanding access to $10-a-day child care spaces and investments to help get thousands of "missing middle" rental homes built throughout the province.
  • Supporting businesses with grants to help them build or expand online stores, and by introducing legislation to support the operations of InBC strategic investment fund, which will help promising BC firms scale up and keep jobs here at home.
  • Building more inclusive communities by developing BC's first anti-racism law, reforming the outdated Police Act, and introducing landmark legislation to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion experienced by British Columbians with disabilities.
  • Protecting the environment by reforming forestry legislation to meet the challenges of the 21st century, continuing to take action on recommendations to protect old growth stands, and improving waste management for plastics.
  • Bridging the digital divide by investing in boosting digital connectivity in rural, remote and Indigenous communities - building on the progress made to bring better internet to thousands of households around the province.

"We have come a long way by looking out for each other and we can finally see the finish line in sight, but in a marathon, the final push is the most difficult,” said Premier John Horgan today.

“The threat of new variants means we cannot let down our guard, not when we are this close to the end. Our top priority will continue to be on keeping British Columbians safe while we get more people vaccinated and plan for brighter days ahead."

The throne speech highlighted the fact that more than one million British Columbians have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to this point.

Thousands more are being added to that list daily, as the largest-ever immunization program in BC history is now ahead of schedule.

It will also be aided by 1,400 former tourism and hospitality workers, who are being trained to work in mass-vaccination clinics.

British Columbians will get an even bigger snapshot into the province’s future next week when the government tables its budget.



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