Women and children facing domestic violence will have access to new culturally appropriate supports to help get them out of harm’s way and rebuild their lives as the province expands supports in several B.C. cities.

Kelli Paddon, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, has released the following statement in recognition of Prevention of Violence Against Women Week:

Violence prevention counsellors will ensure more children and youth receive information about healthy relationships and connect to critical supports if they witness or experience violence at home.  

Homeowners in designated taxable municipalities covered by the speculation and vacancy tax will soon receive their annual declaration letters, as part of the Province’s work to fight real estate speculation and deliver more homes to people.

The homeowner grant will continue to cover 92% of homes with the threshold set at $2.15 million for 2024.

Amendments introduced to the Business Corporations Act will create a new, public registry for beneficial owners to give British Columbians more confidence that B.C. private companies are not being used for money laundering or other criminal purposes.

Like other jurisdictions, B.C. is expected to see slower economic growth through 2023 because of global inflation and higher interest rates, before steady growth resumes in the medium term, according to projections from private-sector forecasters.