British Columbia is in the midst of two major public health emergencies. The first is the on-going overdose crisis, and while overall death rates have started to come down, it continues to take a heart-breaking toll on families and communities across B.C. The second, of course, is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has drastically changed all our lives.

As we celebrate Education Week 2020, there’s never been a better time to shine a bright light on the extraordinary work being done throughout our province right now to ensure B.C. kids keep learning.

Budget 2020 ensures B.C.’s education system will have the highest school operating funding ever, investing more than $20 billion for B.C.’s schools over the next three years, with the highest capital funding at $2.8 billion over three years.

Her life unravelled bit by bit. 

For B.C. residents attending public schools, the six-year school completion rate is at a historic high: 88.8%

Every week in British Columbia, an estimated 1,000 women are physically or sexually assaulted. These assaults happen at work, at school and at home. They happen in communities of every kind – urban and rural. And they need to stop.

The Province is investing in programs to put people first. These include:

New classes of products: edibles, topicals and extracts

Watching a young person struggle with mental health or addictions challenges is a parent’s worst nightmare. We all want to see our children thrive. And yet when they need help, families in crisis have had to struggle to navigate a fragmented system that doesn’t get their kids the care they need. There are waitlists to navigate, expensive bills to pay and doors that seemingly lead nowhere.

The people of B.C. work hard, and they expect a government that works hard for them. As we begin a new session of the Legislature – the first for our new government – our focus is on getting results for people.