Premier Christy Clark, along with Margaret MacDiarmid, Minister of Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government were joined by local families at the Vancouver Aquarium today to announce that B.C.'s Family Day will take place on the second Monday in February each year, beginning in 2013.

"Creating a Family Day in B.C. was an important priority for me. Today, my government is following through on that commitment and I am proud and delighted to let families across B.C. know that our very first Family Day will be on Monday, Feb. 11, 2013," said Premier Christy Clark. "Having our own unique day in B.C. creates distinctive opportunities for families and local businesses. British Columbians will be able to enjoy all kinds of local attractions with fewer lineups and less out-of-town traffic."

The decision to select the second Monday in February comes after government followed through on a commitment to consult with the public and private sectors, as well as hear from citizens directly.

"We heard a lot of thoughtful points of view from British Columbians about which day they'd prefer. The response we had from the public was outstanding - it's great to see people know we want to hear from them, and that we're listening," said MacDiarmid.

Record numbers of British Columbians participated in online discussions by sharing their thoughts and registering their preference. The web poll component of the Family Day website gathered a total of 31,146 selections, along with 3,069 comments, with the choice of the second Monday registering a total of 18,202 selections, 9,436 selections for the third Monday, and 3,508 selections of no preference.

"The B.C. ski industry would like to thank the provincial government for how it has managed the Family Day consultation. We are very pleased with the outcome and we are confident that this decision will drive significant benefits for the tourism industry, the provincial economy and the people of British Columbia," said David Lynn, president and CEO, Canada's West Ski Areas Association.

"The announcement of Family Day is recognition of the diversity and hard work of families across the province. As an organization that supports families, the B.C. Association of Family Resource Programs applauds the provincial government for making this decision, which we believe will fortify family connections and build community," said Sherry Sinclair, senior board member of the B.C. Association of Family Resource Programs.

For more information on the consultation process and outcome, please visit: www.gov.bc.ca/citz/reports_publications.html

Contacts:

Sara MacIntyre
Director of Communications
Office of the Premier
250 580-7701

Jason Macnaughton
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Labour Citizens' Services and Open Government
250 387-0172