Housing affordability is the biggest challenge facing people in B.C. every day. For years, the crisis was ignored while prices surged beyond incomes, and hurt people, businesses and communities.

Good health is the foundation of a good life. We trust doctors and health-care professionals to help us get well and be well. And we rest easier knowing that if our loved ones are sick, someone is there to care for them. Every person deserves to know that public health care is there, when and where they need it.

Our government welcomed 2019 by announcing that 240,000 lower-income families will get the help they need with prescription medication costs. It’s part of our work to make life more affordable, and make health care more accessible for people in B.C.

Education is the great equalizer. It opens the door to a good-paying job, and a secure future.

When I think about what child care means for families in B.C., I think of all the patchwork calendars stuck to fridges across the province telling the child care story of each household. The mother-in-law, the uncle and the best friend are on deck this week, and dad will have to leave work early next week. It’s a puzzle of names, dates and times that only the family can understand.

People depend on high-speed internet access to learn, do business, access services and stay in touch with loved ones.

Based on the latest data available from Statistics Canada (2016), British Columbia has the second-worst rate of poverty in Canada with 557,000 people, or 12% of the population, living in poverty.

As we get our kids ready for the school year ahead – adjusting to changing schedules and new routines – I am filled with incredible optimism.

The past year has been an exciting time for our province, our community and our workforce.

AgriService BC connects farmers, food processors and new entrants to agriculture, to the services, programs and information that the B.C. government offers to help them succeed.