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close menu Office of the Premier

Upgrades secure drinking water system in Prince Rupert

March 17, 2023 9:38 AM
Upgrades secure drinking water system in Prince Rupert
The Province is providing $65 million to the City of Prince Rupert to replace crucial sections of its aging water-distribution system to ensure reliable water service for the community.
  Read More

B.C. supports stable, expanded transit services in Metro Vancouver

March 15, 2023 1:20 PM
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close menu Agriculture and Food

Historic investment in food security supports British Columbians

March 7, 2023 10:55 AM
Historic investment in food security supports British Columbians
The Province is investing more than $200 million in food security to ensure people have better access to an increased supply of affordable, local food.   
  Read More

Farmers, ranchers, processors supported by new Canada-B.C. partnership

March 15, 2023 9:00 AM
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close menu Attorney General

New legislation will help protect against sharing of intimate images without consent

March 6, 2023 3:00 PM
Sharing intimate images without consent is wrong
To better protect people from the harmful effects of having their intimate images shared without their consent and improve access to justice for survivors of sexualized violence, the Province is introducing the intimate images protection act. 
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Amendments will fight disinformation, make elections more accessible

March 2, 2023 10:15 AM
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close menu Children and Family Development

Access to post-secondary education expanded for former youth in care

March 14, 2023 10:15 AM
Expanding access to post-secondary education and skills training for former youth in care
Former youth in care in B.C. of all ages will have their tuition waived for post-secondary education as government takes action to remove age requirements for the Tuition Waiver Program.
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More children will be supported with inclusive child care

February 3, 2023 8:00 AM
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close menu Citizens' Services

British Columbians will get better highway cell coverage

March 21, 2023 10:45 AM
Safer highways with expanded cell coverage
The Province is supporting new cellular projects that will enable better safety for travellers along key transportation routes across British Columbia.
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High-speed internet access coming to remote Gitanyow, Stewart

March 16, 2023 11:15 AM
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close menu Education and Child Care

B.C. launches anti-racism action plan for K-12 students

January 23, 2023 11:15 AM
B.C. launches anti-racism action plan for K-12 students
Empowering students and educators to identify and take action against racism and discrimination in British Columbia schools is the aim of a new provincial K-12 Anti-Racism Action Plan launched on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023.
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Students get improved air quality in B.C. schools

March 15, 2023 2:30 PM
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close menu Emergency Management and Climate Readiness

Province boosts funding for communities to help tackle climate challenge

February 21, 2023 12:22 PM
Province boosts funding for communities to help tackle climate challenge
Historic provincial investments will support communities in preparing for the risk of natural disasters related to climate change, along with a new one-stop online platform to help people and communities better prepare for, mitigate and understand disaster and climate risks.
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Community emergency response enhanced by Indigenous cultural safety

February 16, 2023 8:00 AM
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close menu Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation

New energy action framework to cap emissions, electrify the clean economy

March 14, 2023 2:50 PM
New energy action framework to cap emissions, electrify the clean economy
The Province’s new energy action framework will ensure oil and gas sector projects fit within B.C.’s climate commitments and create new opportunities for people in clean energy and technology.
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B.C., Haisla move forward on historic development project, commit to reduce emissions

March 14, 2023 1:58 PM
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close menu Environment and Climate Change Strategy

Province improves inclusion, accessibility in B.C. parks

March 22, 2023 10:45 AM
Province improves inclusion, accessibility in B.C. parks
The Province is renewing and expanding its commitment to make B.C. parks more inclusive and accessible with the release of the BC Parks Commitment to Inclusion.
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New energy action framework to cap emissions, electrify the clean economy

March 14, 2023 2:50 PM
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close menu Finance

Budget 2023 takes action on issues that matter most

February 28, 2023 1:40 PM
Budget 2023
Budget 2023 invests in improving health and mental-health care, creating more affordable housing, growing a clean economy and delivering more help with costs – especially for families and British Columbians most affected by global inflation.
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Legislation will help close B.C.’s gender pay gap

March 7, 2023 10:20 AM
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close menu Forests

B.C. introduces new measures on old growth, innovation, forest stewardship

February 15, 2023 1:20 PM
Taking more action to care for B.C. forests
The B.C. government is launching new measures to protect more old growth by fast-tracking innovation and co-developing new local plans with First Nations to better care for B.C.’s forests.
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Updated angling fees increase streams of revenue for fisheries conservation

March 14, 2023 3:45 PM
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close menu Health

New long-term care home coming to Vancouver

March 22, 2023 9:30 AM
New long-term care home coming to Vancouver
People on the Lower Mainland will benefit from improved long-term care and community services as Providence Health Care prepares to build the new St. Vincent’s Heather long-term care home.
  Read More

Sts’ailes will receive improved access to First Nations-led primary care

March 17, 2023 12:00 PM
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close menu Housing

Safe, new homes coming for women, children in B.C.

March 9, 2023 9:15 AM
Safe, new homes coming for women, children in B.C.
More women and children will have an affordable, safe and secure place to go, as 150 homes are either opening or are under construction in four different locations throughout the province.
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More than 130 affordable rental homes open in Langford, Victoria

February 17, 2023 11:00 AM
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close menu Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation

B.C. will formally recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

February 7, 2023 11:35 AM
B.C. will formally recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will be enshrined in B.C. law to honour the strength and resilience of residential school survivors and remember the children who never came home.
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Huu-ay-aht First Nations, Province partner to create Oomiiqsu Mother Centre

November 8, 2022 2:15 PM
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close menu Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat

Nominate an exceptional citizen for B.C.’s highest honour

January 6, 2023 9:30 AM
Nominate an exceptional citizen for B.C.’s highest honour
Nominations are being accepted for the Order of British Columbia, the Province’s highest honour.
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Fifteen British Columbians honoured for dedication to service

December 5, 2022 10:30 AM
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close menu Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation

Minister’s statement on February Labour Force Survey results

March 10, 2023 8:00 AM
Minister’s statement on February Labour Force Survey results
Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, has issued the following statement on the release of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for February 2023:
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New legislation will reduce barriers for people

March 8, 2023 1:55 PM
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close menu Labour

B.C. will formally recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

February 7, 2023 11:35 AM
B.C. will formally recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will be enshrined in B.C. law to honour the strength and resilience of residential school survivors and remember the children who never came home.
  Read More

New funds will bolster supports for workers, businesses

February 23, 2023 11:45 AM
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close menu Mental Health and Addictions

B.C. building historic treatment, recovery services for people struggling with addiction

March 2, 2023 12:15 PM
More addiction treatment and recovery spaces
People struggling with mental health and addiction will have access to more treatment and recovery beds, along with community-based aftercare services through new historic investments through Budget 2023.   
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B.C. takes action to reduce ER wait times for people in mental-health crisis

February 23, 2023 9:52 AM
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close menu Municipal Affairs

Upgrades secure drinking water system in Prince Rupert

March 17, 2023 9:38 AM
Upgrades secure drinking water system in Prince Rupert
The Province is providing $65 million to the City of Prince Rupert to replace crucial sections of its aging water-distribution system to ensure reliable water service for the community.
  Read More

Upgraded wastewater plant will better protect people, environment

March 3, 2023 9:45 AM
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close menu Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills

More veterinarians coming for B.C. pet owners, farmers

March 23, 2023 11:15 AM
More veterinarians in B.C.
The Province is permanently doubling the number of subsidized seats for B.C. veterinary students attending the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan.
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Province cooks up new centre for tourism, culinary arts

March 21, 2023 10:30 AM
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close menu Public Safety and Solicitor General

Repeat violent offending teams strengthen public safety

March 14, 2023 10:45 AM
The Province is creating dedicated police-prosecutor-probation officer teams to help keep communities safe by focusing on repeat violent offending throughout British Columbia.
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Investment in 911 network supports safer communities

March 1, 2023 10:45 AM
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close menu Social Development and Poverty Reduction

Historic investment in food security supports British Columbians

March 7, 2023 10:55 AM
Historic investment in food security supports British Columbians
The Province is investing more than $200 million in food security to ensure people have better access to an increased supply of affordable, local food.   
  Read More

Truck-driving program helps women change gears for new careers

February 17, 2023 8:15 AM
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close menu Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport

Contract awarded for RBCM collections, research building

February 23, 2023 2:30 PM
Contract awarded for RBCM collections, research building
Construction will begin this summer on the Royal BC Museum’s (RBCM) collections and research building as part of a long-term plan to protect the Province’s collections that include more than seven million artifacts and the BC Archives.
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Support to host sport events will benefit B.C. athletes, tourism

March 12, 2023 1:30 PM
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close menu Transportation and Infrastructure

B.C. supports stable, expanded transit services in Metro Vancouver

March 15, 2023 1:20 PM
B.C. supports stable, expanded transit services in Metro Vancouver
The Province is taking action to address TransLink’s urgent financial needs to protect transit service levels and investment plans, while providing reliable, affordable public transit that connects people to jobs, schools and essential services, enabling the transportation authority to plan for the region’s future.
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New funding will keep ferry fares affordable

February 26, 2023 1:46 PM
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close menu Water, Land and Resource Stewardship

Marine Protected Area Network partners endorse plan to protect British Columbia’s North Coast

February 5, 2023 10:45 AM
Marine Protected Area Network partners endorse plan to protect British Columbia’s North Coast
From Fisheries and Oceans Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/fisheries-oceans/news/2023/02/marine-protected-area-network-partners-endorse-plan-to-protect-british-columbias-north-coast.html
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Watershed strategy co-developed with First Nations, $100 million invested

March 6, 2023 9:15 AM
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Health

The year in health - 2014 and beyond

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Honourable Adrian Dix

Honourable Adrian Dix

Minister of Health and Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs

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Email: HLTH.Minister@gov.bc.ca

close menu Health

New long-term care home coming to Vancouver

March 22, 2023 9:30 AM
New long-term care home coming to Vancouver
People on the Lower Mainland will benefit from improved long-term care and community services as Providence Health Care prepares to build the new St. Vincent’s Heather long-term care home.
  Read More

Sts’ailes will receive improved access to First Nations-led primary care

March 17, 2023 12:00 PM
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Health

British Columbia News

The year in health - 2014 and beyond

https://news.gov.bc.ca/07651

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News Release

Victoria
Thursday, January 1, 2015 9:00 AM

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News Release

Victoria

Thursday, January 1, 2015 9:00 AM

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In 2015, health-care funding will again reach a record level - $17.4 billion - more than double the amount spent in 2000-01.

“In B.C., we invest a tremendous amount in our health-care system - nearly half the total provincial budget - to ensure that British Columbians live long, healthy lives,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “We have an incredibly complex system, and are constantly striving to improve it through ongoing investments in health infrastructure, services and programs for patients, and health-care training.”

In 2014, B.C. invested in new and expanded health-care infrastructure, to the tune of $824.1 million in total project costs. This includes $62.2 million on the new HOpe Centre - the Greta & Robert Ho Centre for Psychiatry and Education in North Vancouver, $71 million to complete phase one of the $678-million BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital Redevelopment, and $55 million for a new Lakes District Hospital in Burns Lake.

This past year, the Province also announced a new patient care tower to be built at Penticton Regional Hospital, and kicked off site preparation for the $79.8-million Clinical Services Building at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, where construction on the new building is now well underway.

“As we move into 2015, we continue our strategic focus on ensuring that patients are at the centre of health-care delivery, and that we are continuing to make enhancements to the system that improve overall health outcomes, all while respecting the interests of taxpayers,” added Lake.

“This work will be carried through to the health authorities - for example, Fraser Health recently completed a strategic and operational review, which concluded that their goals to improve patient care closely aligned with the Province’s priorities. I look forward to working with Fraser Health’s new CEO, Michael Marchbank, as he continues to focus on improving care in the region and maintaining the long-term fiscal sustainability of the health authority.”

“We will also keep working to help British Columbians get and stay healthier by highlighting disease-prevention and health-promotion activities, through our Healthy Families BC agenda and programs like the School Fruit and Veggie program, Informed Dining and our partnership with ParticipACTION.”

Increasing access to primary care:

“We know that access to primary and community care is one of the biggest drivers of health,” said Lake. “That is why, as we move forward, one of our main strategic priorities is to continue to put supports in place that help ensure patients have access to care in their communities.”

Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, 2014, Health Match BC filled 159 physician vacancies, including recruiting 32% of their family physicians and 15% of their specialists to rural communities.

To further enhance B.C.’s health-care capacity, medical training in the province continued to expand. By 2015, B.C. will graduate 288 medical students per year - 32 more than previous years. In addition, the Ministry of Health will fund 338 entry-level residency positions in 2014-15, including 50 for international medical graduates.

Training locations throughout the province are also increasing - in 2014, a family practice residency program launched in Kamloops, along with a new emergency medicine residency training site in Kelowna, and a site for family practice residencies in North Vancouver.

“By putting a focused effort into making sure we are training more doctors in B.C., we are providing for the health-care needs of the future,” said Lake.

Mental health and addictions services:

Through a $20-million investment from the Province, all health authorities will create programs and services to help strengthen local services for people struggling with severe addiction and mental health issues.

“One in five Canadians is diagnosed with a mental illness in their lifetime,” said Lake. “That is why, in 2014, we delivered on our Mental Health Action Plan to improve care for patients with severe addiction and mental health needs by launching new services such as an Assertive Outreach Team in Vancouver and opening a new Acute Behavioural Stabilization Unit at St. Paul's Hospital - which was the first of its kind in B.C.”

In the fall of 2014, two additional milestones were achieved under the plan - the opening of 14 new rehabilitation and recovery beds for adults and six new group home beds for youth. The ministry is also providing $2 million in matched funding to each regional health authority to strengthen services for this population. The new services, to be developed in 2015, will include Assertive Community Treatment teams serving Surrey, Delta, Mission, Abbotsford, Kelowna and Kamloops.

In August 2014, the Province announced that it was strengthening primary care support for people struggling with addictions, by providing $3 million to support the work of Dr. Evan Wood.

Savings for British Columbians:

While creating efficiencies in the health-care system and reducing costs is a priority, the Province has also focused on creating health-care savings for British Columbians in their day-to-day lives.

In 2014, B.C. provided an additional $750,000 to the successful farmer’s market coupon program, which provides subsidies in the form of coupons to low-income pregnant women, families with children and seniors to buy select B.C.-produced foods at local farmers’ markets.

The Province also announced an expansion to the insulin pump program for those with Type 1 diabetes, expanding coverage of the pumps to young adults up to the age of 25 years, from 18. The average cost of an insulin pump is about $6,500.

Saving both British Columbians and the Province valuable health-care dollars, the Pharmaceutical Services Act, which was put in place in 2012, allowed government to reduce the price of generic drugs up to 25% of the brand name price. In 2014, that reduction increased to 20%. That move alone has achieved $110 million in savings - exceeding the initial two-year commitment.

“I want British Columbians to feel confident in their health-care system - confident that they are receiving the best care possible, and confident that their valuable tax dollars are being spent wisely,” said Lake. “I know that over the past year we have made great strides, and I look forward to continuing that trajectory for 2015.”

Learn more:

To learn more about government’s priorities for the health system, please visit: http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/2014/Setting-priorities-BC-Health-Feb14.pdf

For an audio clip of Health Minister Terry Lake, please visit: https://soundcloud.com/bcgov/minister-lake-health-accomplishments-for-2014-january-01-2015/s-dMcUq  

Media Contacts:

Kristy Anderson
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)

https://news.gov.bc.ca/07651

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