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B.C. moves to increase housing supply, deliver more homes faster

September 18, 2023 9:00 AM
Creating more homes for people
New measures are coming to B.C. that will help create more housing as the Province speeds up permitting and helps build more secondary suites for rent.
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New vision connects rural B.C. to a stronger future

September 22, 2023 11:55 AM
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XY Ranch celebrates 100 years of raising livestock

August 4, 2023 1:15 PM
The Bouffioux family of Fort St. John is being honoured with a Century Farm Award, recognizing its contribution and dedication to agriculture in British Columbia since 1916. 
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B.C., Canada help farmers with climate adaptation, drought

August 2, 2023 2:00 PM
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Sixty-eight organizations receive grants to help shape anti-racism legislation

July 27, 2023 8:00 AM
Sixty-eight organizations receive grants to help shape anti-racism legislation
Racialized people can now share their perspectives in culturally safe spaces as 68 organizations across B.C. receive more than $300,000 to engage community members on the development of new anti-racism legislation.
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New chair appointed to Building Code Appeal Board

August 24, 2023 8:30 AM
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Vancouver Island camp expansion will serve more children with disabilities

July 20, 2023 10:15 AM
Vancouver Island camp expansion will serve more children with disabilities
More children and youth with disabilities will be able to go to camp thanks in part to a $7-million grant from the Province of B.C.
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Newly named SAJE supports offer youth in care a stronger path to adulthood

May 30, 2023 10:30 AM
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More grant recipients promoting BC Demographic Survey

August 25, 2023 11:15 AM
More grant recipients promoting BC Demographic Survey
More community and Indigenous groups are receiving grants to help their communities participate in the BC Demographic Survey. 
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High-speed broadband access expanded to 6 Kootenay communities

August 3, 2023 10:00 AM
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Elementary school expansion provides more classrooms for Nanaimo students

September 11, 2023 9:15 AM
École Hammond Bay Elementary
Students have more space for learning at École Hammond Bay Elementary this fall after the completion of an expansion that added 12 new classrooms to the school. 
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Child care savings make returning to school more affordable for more B.C. families

August 31, 2023 1:30 PM
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State of emergency ends, fire response continues

September 14, 2023 3:43 PM
Based on advice from emergency management and wildfire officials, British Columbia’s provincial state of emergency will expire at the end of the day on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.
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Financial assistance for local governments, First Nations affected by wildfire

September 6, 2023 1:50 PM
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Electric planes, motorcycles, boats showcase B.C. clean-transportation innovation

August 2, 2023 8:30 AM
A high-tech revolution is dramatically changing how British Columbia moves people and goods in the air, on the land and over the water, supported by government funding for companies that specialize in inventing and advancing zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) technologies. 
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Columbia River Treaty talks move forward after constructive Seattle session

August 15, 2023 3:08 PM
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Province sets single-use plastic requirements

July 14, 2023 11:15 AM
Province sets single-use plastic requirements
A new provincial regulation will expand B.C.’s efforts to tackle hard-to-recycle single-use and plastic items.
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Nuxalk, Kitasoo Xai’xais guardians appointed with park ranger authority

July 25, 2023 2:30 PM
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Increased BC Family Benefit here to stay

July 18, 2023 10:15 AM
Increased BC Family Benefit here to stay
More than 285,000 families throughout B.C. will see bigger payments in their bank accounts starting this month, thanks to the permanently increased BC Family Benefit.
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Tax-credit lift puts more money in more people’s pockets

July 5, 2023 8:30 AM
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Use caution, be fire safe this long weekend

August 31, 2023 2:30 PM
Be wildfire safe this long weekend
Residents and travellers are strongly urged to use caution and remain vigilant this Labour Day long weekend as ongoing elevated drought conditions in much of British Columbia increase the potential for wildfires.
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B.C. acts to protect fish in Koksilah, Upper Cowichan rivers

August 24, 2023 11:15 AM
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Second hospital, new cancer centre breaks ground in Surrey

September 12, 2023 10:55 AM
Second hospital, new cancer centre breaks ground in Surrey
People in Surrey are a significant step closer to better access to health care as the Province is breaking ground on a new second hospital in Surrey and new cancer centre.
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BC PharmaCare now covers new drugs for rare diseases

August 18, 2023 12:45 PM
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close menu Housing

B.C. moves to increase housing supply, deliver more homes faster

September 18, 2023 9:00 AM
Creating more homes for people
New measures are coming to B.C. that will help create more housing as the Province speeds up permitting and helps build more secondary suites for rent.
  Read More

Safe housing for women leaving violence opens in Campbell River

September 12, 2023 11:15 AM
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Annual report updates collective efforts to achieve objectives of UN Declaration

June 28, 2023 12:45 PM
Detailed reporting on progress to improve lives of Indigenous Peoples now available
B.C. is providing detailed reporting about progress to achieve the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) through the 2022-23 Declaration Act Annual Report.
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Ts’uubaa-asatx, B.C. reach reconciliation goal

July 7, 2023 12:00 PM
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B.C.’s highest honour recognizes 14 British Columbians

August 7, 2023 6:15 AM
B.C.’s highest honour recognizes 14 British Columbians
Fourteen exceptional people who have made an outstanding provincial, national or international impact will be appointed to the Order of British Columbia, the Province’s highest form of recognition and an official part of the Canadian Honours System.
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Submit a nomination for the Medal of Good Citizenship

July 25, 2023 9:30 AM
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B.C. supports research to protect coastal ecosystem

August 16, 2023 9:15 AM
B.C. supports research to protect coastal ecosystem
New funding for the University of Victoria’s (UVic) Experimental Ocean Climate Change Lab (EXCEL) will support research on the impact of climate change on the environment and the promotion of resilience and sustainability for B.C.’s marine sector.
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Minister’s statement on July Labour Force Survey results

August 4, 2023 8:40 AM
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Minimum wage increases to $16.75 per hour on June 1

April 5, 2023 12:30 PM
Minimum wage increases to $16.75 per hour on June 1
On June 1, 2023, B.C.'s lowest-paid workers will get a pay raise with the general minimum wage increasing from $15.65 to $16.75 an hour.
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Work continues around improved protections for app-based workers

August 3, 2023 11:15 AM
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B.C. secures measures to ensure families feel safe accessing public spaces

September 14, 2023 9:22 AM
Keeping child-focused spaces safe
To help ensure kids and families feel safe in their communities, the Province has received approval from the federal government to prohibit the possession of illegal drugs at playgrounds, spray pools, wading pools and skate parks.
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New recovery beds will support healthier communities in northern B.C.

September 13, 2023 8:30 AM
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close menu Municipal Affairs

New vision connects rural B.C. to a stronger future

September 22, 2023 11:55 AM
StrongerBC: Good Lives in Strong Communities
The B.C. government has released StrongerBC: Good Lives in Strong Communities, a new vision that outlines investments to help build a brighter future for rural communities and the people who call them home.
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Children empowered with lifelong learning through reading

September 22, 2023 9:15 AM
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Provincial Tuition Waiver Program expanded to former youth in care of all ages

September 14, 2023 8:00 AM
Provincial Tuition Waiver Program expanded to former youth in care of all ages
People looking to enrol in post-secondary education, who are former youth in care, will benefit from an expansion of the Provincial Tuition Waiver Program, which has launched for the fall semester.
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Expanded graduate scholarship funding will support students

August 22, 2023 12:00 PM
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Province provides support to strengthen local fire departments

September 22, 2023 11:37 AM
Three firefighters in dirty gear smile at the camera
Communities throughout British Columbia will see improved emergency response from their local fire departments as the Province provides support to strengthen community firefighting capacity.
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Supports expanding for people in mental-health, substance-use crisis

July 17, 2023 10:15 AM
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More people will get nutritious food with new funding

August 24, 2023 10:45 AM
More people will get nutritious food with new funding
People struggling to put food on the table will have better, more reliable access to healthy food with $15 million in funding to Food Banks BC.
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B.C. helps remove barriers for people with disabilities

July 27, 2023 11:15 AM
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B.C., viaSport take steps to make amateur sport safer

June 20, 2023 3:00 PM
B.C., viaSport take steps to make amateur sport safer
The Province and viaSport are improving safety in sports by continuing to provide education about safe sport, and by taking steps toward an independent complaints process for B.C.’s amateur sport sector.
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Submit a nomination for the Medal of Good Citizenship

July 25, 2023 9:30 AM
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West Fraser Road reopens after washout in 2018

August 23, 2023 11:15 AM
West Fraser Road reopens
People in the Quesnel area can now travel a recently completed new section of West Fraser Road after the old road washed out in 2018. 
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Highway 4 reopens two full lanes for travel

August 31, 2023 2:15 PM
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B.C. moves to increase housing supply, deliver more homes faster

September 18, 2023 9:00 AM
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New measures are coming to B.C. that will help create more housing as the Province speeds up permitting and helps build more secondary suites for rent.
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Public input will enhance B.C.’s first-ever coastal marine strategy

August 15, 2023 2:00 PM
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Attorney General

Date set for modernized wills and estate law

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Honourable Niki Sharma

Honourable Niki Sharma

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British Columbia News

Date set for modernized wills and estate law

https://news.gov.bc.ca/04108

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News Release

Victoria
Thursday, March 28, 2013 11:00 AM

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News Release

Victoria

Thursday, March 28, 2013 11:00 AM

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New probate rules and the Wills, Estates and Succession Act (WESA) are providing greater certainty for individuals who put their last wishes into writing and simplifying the process for those in charge of distributing an estate.

WESA will come into force officially on March 31, 2014, modernizing B.C.'s current laws - which have provisions dating back to the 1800s - on inheritance and succession planning. By streamlining seven outdated acts into one single act, the new law will make estate planning easier for the general public to understand.

Government worked in close collaboration with stakeholders and the B.C. Law Institute to adopt this new set of clear, comprehensive laws that relate to the administration of estates and wills.

New probate rules also will come into effect in conjunction with WESA. Probate is the process of applying to the court for its ruling on whether a will is legally valid. The new rules will help to shorten and simplify that process for citizens by establishing provincewide standards for probate court procedures. The new rules also will create new intuitive, standardized forms for the public to use.

Simple and complex cases will each have their own probate application forms. Shorter forms will be used for more simple cases, helping to speed up the probate process for the vast majority of estates. Longer forms will be required for those cases that are more complex, for example, if a page out of the will appears to be missing or the will was not signed properly.

Setting the implementation date for WESA and the new probate rules well in advance of March 2014 provides the public and legal community with an opportunity to learn about and prepare for the broad scope of changes.

Quotes:

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond -

"Our government is continually looking at ways to modernize the justice system, streamline court processes to create efficiency, and make laws clearer for the public. These changes reflect those goals and will reduce the stress of settling estates for many British Columbians."

"Setting the implementation date for the Wills, Estates and Succession Act and probate rules is one of the final steps in replacing outdated legislation that dates back more than 150 years."

"This announcement also serves as a good opportunity to remind British Columbians to review their estate planning, dust off existing wills, or think about their last wishes."

Catherine Romanko, public guardian and trustee -

"I am pleased that the Wills, Estates and Succession Act will soon come into force. The public guardian and trustee plays a major role under B.C.'s succession law in administering the estates of deceased persons and protecting the inheritance rights of children and vulnerable adults."

"Our staff contributed their expertise to the development of the new law and I am hopeful that this modern legal framework for succession will benefit British Columbians."

R.C. (Tino) Di Bella, chair, B.C. Law Institute -

"BCLI enthusiastically welcomes the announcement of the implementation date for WESA and the new probate rules. This body of legislation brings the estate and succession law of B.C. into the 21st century. BCLI is proud of the contribution made by our organization, our volunteers and staff towards its development."

Quick facts:

  • The new legislation will not invalidate any wills made before it came into effect. However, some of the laws governing the interpretation of wills may change, so individuals may wish to review their wills with a lawyer to ensure their wishes are upheld.
  • Succession law governs transmission of property and money to others, usually after death, through a will or testament. The law of succession is among the most archaic areas of law.
  • British Columbia's legislation governing succession law was last comprehensively reviewed in 1920, with the roots of some provisions tracing back to the Wills Act of 1837.
  • The British Columbia Law Institute began the succession law reform project in 2003, with support from the ministry.
  • The probate rules reform project began in 2007. Initial work was done by the British Columbia Law Institute, which was then built upon by the Ministry of Justice.

Learn More:

Information on the Wills, Estates and Succession Act: http://bit.ly/WdvhLQ

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

James Beresford
Communications
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6423

BACKGROUNDER

Highlights of the Wills, Estates and Succession Act

The new Wills, Estates and Succession Act (WESA) will clarify, simplify and streamline processes related to inheritance and the administration of estates. Extensive consultation was done prior to the introduction and passage of the new act. The legislation closely follows recommendations made by the British Columbia Law Institute. Feedback was also garnered from the public, Canadian Bar Association, estate and financial planners, bankers, legal advisors and the public guardian and trustee.

Among its benefits, the new act:

  • Provides the courts with more latitude to ensure a deceased person's last wishes will be respected.
  • Makes the process easier for a person to transfer the title of their spousal home when their spouse dies.
  • Lowers the minimum age at which a person can make a will from 19 to 16 years old.
  • Clarifies the process of inheritance when a person dies without leaving a will.
  • Clarifies obligations relating to property inheritance in the context of Nisga'a and Treaty First Nation lands.

Contact:

James Beresford
Communications
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6423


https://news.gov.bc.ca/04108

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