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close menu Office of the Premier

Premier's statement on five years of delivering results for people

July 18, 2022 10:00 AM
Premier John Horgan has issued the following statement to mark the five-year anniversary of forming a government that puts people first:
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Post-secondary education expanding for students on the Westshore

August 3, 2022 11:00 AM
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Post-secondary education expanding for students on the Westshore

August 3, 2022 11:00 AM
Post-secondary education expanding for students on the Westshore
A new collaborative post-secondary campus will be built in one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities so more students can access education close to home for in-demand jobs.
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Investing in mass timber education supports clean growth

August 15, 2022 8:45 AM
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close menu Agriculture and Food

Pop the cork! Kelowna vineyard wins major national wine award

August 4, 2022 2:30 PM
A family-owned winery with a strong commitment to organic farming is the 2022 WineAlign National Wine Awards winery of the year.
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New funding supports farmers, takes action on climate resiliency

July 27, 2022 9:00 AM
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New Kitimat homes provide safe housing for women, children

August 8, 2022 1:15 PM
Women and children leaving violence will soon have access to safe and secure homes as construction begins on a 44-unit housing development in Kitimat.
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Supportive homes for youth coming to Kamloops

August 4, 2022 1:45 PM
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B.C. expands early childhood education dual-credit programs for high school students

August 4, 2022 8:00 AM
More students in grades 11 and 12 will be able to earn both high school and post-secondary credits toward careers in early childhood education with the introduction of 30 new dual-credit programs at school districts throughout B.C.
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Process begins to select family connections centres

May 10, 2022 4:08 PM
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Expansion of cellular coverage makes driving safer in the Cariboo

August 9, 2022 11:30 AM
Cellular coverage is available for the community of Wells, northwest of Barkerville, bringing safer driving conditions to that section of Highway 26 and the Jack-of-Clubs rest area.
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Fast, reliable internet, cell coverage coming to Nass Valley

July 12, 2022 2:30 PM
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close menu Education and Child Care

Early childhood educator bursaries support career growth for key professionals

August 3, 2022 9:04 AM
Early childhood educator bursaries support career growth for key professionals
More early childhood educators (ECEs) are furthering their education goals with financial support from the ECE Education Support Fund.
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B.C. expands early childhood education dual-credit programs for high school students

August 4, 2022 8:00 AM
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close menu Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation

Rebate improvements make electric vehicles more accessible

August 2, 2022 1:00 PM
The Province is improving accessibility to electric vehicles (EVs) by increasing maximum rebate amounts and ensuring they are going to people who need them most.
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Minister’s statement on Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference 2022

July 6, 2022 7:30 AM
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close menu Environment and Climate Change Strategy

Funding boost gives used plastics new lease on life

August 9, 2022 9:45 AM
Group photo of four people at an announcement
A $10-million investment in the CleanBC Plastics Action Fund will help grow made-in-B.C. solutions to reduce plastic pollution, create new products and increase job opportunities.
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Rebate improvements make electric vehicles more accessible

August 2, 2022 1:00 PM
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Supporting sexual-assault survivors informs work on gender-based violence

August 1, 2022 12:45 PM
As part of the Province’s work to develop an action plan to end gender-based violence, staff at the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre (VSAC) presented its trauma informed, wraparound supports and services available in Greater Victoria.
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B.C. enhances consumer protection for homebuyers

July 21, 2022 9:30 AM
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Wildfire activity in B.C. will continue through August

August 4, 2022 10:45 AM
British Columbians should remain alert to the threat of wildfire throughout August as conditions remain hot and dry.
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B.C., shíshálh Nation will negotiate joint decision-making agreement

August 2, 2022 10:21 AM
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close menu Health

B.C. encourages parents to register children under 5 for COVID-19 vaccine

July 14, 2022 2:05 PM
B.C. encourages parents to register children under 5 for COVID-19 vaccine
Approximately 208,000 eligible infants and children in British Columbia between six months and four years of age will soon be able to receive vaccine protection against COVID-19.
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Vancouver Coastal Health welcomes back 283 hospital food-service workers

July 22, 2022 11:30 AM
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close menu Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation

B.C., shíshálh Nation will negotiate joint decision-making agreement

August 2, 2022 10:21 AM
shíshálh and BC to negotiate landmark shared decision-making agreement
The shíshálh Nation and the Province of British Columbia are starting negotiations on the first joint decision-making agreement to be negotiated under Section 7 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act).
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First Nations clean-energy projects funded on Vancouver Island

July 28, 2022 12:36 PM
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close menu Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat

B.C.’s highest honour recognizes 14 British Columbians

August 1, 2022 6:15 AM
B.C.’s highest honour recognizes 14 British Columbians
Fourteen exceptional people will be appointed to the Order of British Columbia, the Province’s highest form of recognition.
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Outstanding people recognized for service during the pandemic

March 22, 2022 2:30 PM
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close menu Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation

Minister’s statement on July’s Labour Force Survey results

August 5, 2022 8:30 AM
Minister’s statement on July’s Labour Force Survey results
Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation, has issued the following statement on the release of Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for July 2022:
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Province launching new centre for agritech innovation

July 21, 2022 9:35 AM
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B.C. minimum wage increases June 1 for lowest paid workers

May 31, 2022 8:30 AM
B.C. minimum wage increases June 1 for lowest paid workers
As of June 1, 2022, B.C.’s lowest paid workers will get a pay boost as the minimum wage increases from $15.20 to $15.65 per hour, which is the highest of any province.
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Report received on successorship, transfer of timber harvesting rights

July 28, 2022 1:00 PM
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close menu Land, Water and Resource Stewardship

B.C., shíshálh Nation will negotiate joint decision-making agreement

August 2, 2022 10:21 AM
shíshálh and BC to negotiate landmark shared decision-making agreement
The shíshálh Nation and the Province of British Columbia are starting negotiations on the first joint decision-making agreement to be negotiated under Section 7 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act).
  Read More

Conservation Officer Service achieves largest-ever invasive mussels decontamination

July 9, 2022 9:00 AM
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close menu Mental Health and Addictions

Settlement reached with Purdue Pharma (Canada) for opioid damages

June 29, 2022 9:08 AM
Opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma (Canada) (Purdue Canada) has agreed to a first of its kind settlement in Canada resulting from B.C.-led efforts to recover health-care costs related to the sale and marketing of opioid-based pain medicines.
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Investment enhances mental-health services in Greater Victoria

July 28, 2022 12:00 PM
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close menu Municipal Affairs

B.C. provides financial assistance for displaced Ukrainians

June 29, 2022 10:15 AM
B.C. provides financial assistance for displaced Ukrainians
Ukrainian citizens arriving in B.C. under the federal Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) can now apply for hardship assistance from the B.C. government.
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B.C. investing in healthy northern communities

August 3, 2022 8:00 AM
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close menu Public Safety and Solicitor General

Province launches direct payment for evacuees

July 27, 2022 11:00 AM
The Province is launching upgrades to Emergency Support Services (ESS), including direct payment for evacuees to help meet their basic needs, including food and clothing.
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Survey shows significant decrease in illegal cannabis store use

August 2, 2022 8:30 AM
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close menu Social Development and Poverty Reduction

Province recruiting for committees to improve accessibility

August 18, 2022 4:15 PM
Province recruiting for committees to improve accessibility
Applications are open for people who want to help develop the Province’s first two standards for accessibility in order to remove barriers that can restrict people living with disabilities from pursuing the same opportunities as those without disabilities.
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Industrial sewing training will prepare British Columbians for new jobs

August 11, 2022 9:00 AM
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close menu Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport

Province seeks nominees for Medal of Good Citizenship

July 28, 2022 9:30 AM
Province seeks nominees for Medal of Good Citizenship
British Columbians are encouraged to nominate their fellow citizens who have made outstanding contributions through exceptional service to their communities for this year's Medal of Good Citizenship.
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Province, viaSport partner to take abuse out of the game

July 6, 2022 2:00 PM
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close menu Transportation and Infrastructure

Improved transit, connected communities on the way with Surrey Langley SkyTrain

July 14, 2022 10:45 AM
Improved transit, connected communities on the way with Surrey Langley SkyTrain
The first rapid transit project south of the Fraser River in 30 years reached a new milestone with the release of the business case and formal approval of provincial funding for the project.
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Public invited to share input on Taylor Bridge's future

August 9, 2022 8:45 AM
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Transportation and Infrastructure

Traffic reaches new heights under West Pine overhead

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Honourable Rob Fleming

Honourable Rob Fleming

Honourable Rob Fleming

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Email: Minister.Transportation@gov.bc.ca

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Improved transit, connected communities on the way with Surrey Langley SkyTrain

July 14, 2022 10:45 AM
Improved transit, connected communities on the way with Surrey Langley SkyTrain
The first rapid transit project south of the Fraser River in 30 years reached a new milestone with the release of the business case and formal approval of provincial funding for the project.
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Transportation and Infrastructure

British Columbia News

Traffic reaches new heights under West Pine overhead

https://news.gov.bc.ca/03519

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News Release

Prince George
Friday, January 18, 2013 9:00 AM

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News Release

Prince George

Friday, January 18, 2013 9:00 AM

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The project to increase the commercial clearances between Prince George and Chetwynd along Highway 97 is benefiting B.C.'s economy.

In 2011, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure increased the clearance below the West Pine CN Rail overpass by 30 centimetres, bringing the clearance height of the Highway 97 corridor to over five metres.

The new clearance height has opened up new markets to businesses in the Prince George area by allowing industry to move large machinery, trailers and resources in and out of the Peace to supply the growing oil and gas industry, creating the jobs that support Northern B.C. families. Previously, companies in the Peace could source large items only from Alberta. Now they can get those same products in B.C.

Since the project was completed, the ministry's Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement branch has been tracking the number of oversized load permits on the corridor and found an increase of 210 per cent - from 41 permits issued in 2010-11 to 127 permits in 2011-12 - clearly indicating the demand for this route by the trucking industry.

This improvement was a result of feedback from the local trucking industry and an economic assessment conducted in partnership with the Northern Development Initiative Trust.

Quotes:

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Mary Polak -

"B.C.'s oil and gas industry is growing, so it's important that we continue to improve and maintain our highway network to accommodate the increase in industrial traffic, and provide safe and reliable highways and roads for all travellers."

"Since increasing the clearance at the West Pine overhead on Highway 97, we've seen a dramatic jump in the number of truckers using this route."

Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour Pat Bell -

"The Northern Development Initiative Trust's economic assessment was instrumental in providing the impetus for these infrastructure improvements. This is a fantastic example of what can be accomplished when government and industry work together to grow the economy."

MLA for Prince George-Valemount Shirley Bond -

"This work was done in response to a need identified by both the trucking industry and the Northern Development Initiative Trust. Investments in transportation infrastructure are critical as we encourage investment in our resource sector. The increased traffic numbers clearly indicate that this project is already making a difference."

President & CEO, BC Trucking Association Louise Yako -

"The BC Trucking Association applauds the recent work by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to increase the clearance through the West Pine rail overhead. This has had a significant, positive impact on the ability of trucking companies that transport large equipment and other oversize cargo to service the oil and gas industry.

Executive director of the Manufactured Housing Association of B.C. Gord Rattray -

"On behalf of the MHABC membership, we are extremely pleased with the upgrades to the West Pine section of Highway 97 and are looking forward to completion of the next phase of upgrading to the eastern sections. The upgrades have allowed more efficient movement of wider loads into northeastern B.C. from the southern areas of the province, where the majority of manufactured homes are constructed."

Learn More:

Follow the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure online at: http://tranbc.ca

Contact:

Kate Trotter
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241


https://news.gov.bc.ca/03519

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