The Governments of Canada and British Columbia, along with community partners, today marked the opening of Mclean Manor, an eight-apartment affordable housing development for seniors and people with disabilities.

Changes to the Business Corporations Act would allow for a new hybrid type of company - the community contribution company - that combines socially beneficial purposes with a restricted ability to distribute profits to shareholders.

The Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia announced a public-private partnership to renovate and restore 13 provincially owned Single Room Occupancy hotels in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to provide access to clean and safe social housing.

A new layer of protection is now in place for sled dogs in British Columbia. The Province, sled dog industry, veterinarians, and the BC SCPA have jointly created Canada's first Sled Dog Code of Practice, and sled dog standards of care regulation to enhance the health and welfare of all sled dogs in B.C.

The value of British Columbia's softwood lumber exports to China jumped 60 per cent in 2011, surpassing the $1-billion mark for the first time. Since 2003, lumber exports to China have risen by more than 1,500 per cent.

The 2011 recipients of the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia (AME BC)'s annual awards include the Britannia Mine and renowned geoscientist Dave Lefebure, former chief geologist with the B.C. Geological Survey, who retired last fall.

The Province is helping employees gain the essential skills they need to succeed while increasing productivity for employers through a $1.5-million investment in essential skills training.