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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.
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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.   
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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

B.C. boosts payments for children in foster, kinship, out-of-care placements

March 29, 2023 12:30 PM
B.C. boosts payments for children in foster, kinship, out-of-care placements
Foster parents and others who support vulnerable children and youth will soon have more assistance with monthly costs, with an increase to payments that help cover food, clothing and transportation costs for children and youth in their care. 
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Access to post-secondary education expanded for former youth in care

March 14, 2023 10:15 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.
  Read More

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

Fund supports robot marine monitoring, ‘blue’ economy

March 28, 2023 10:15 AM
Fund supports robot marine monitoring, ‘blue’ economy
B.C.-based “blue” technology and innovation is creating jobs for British Columbians, building a sustainable ocean economy, cutting the cost of ocean research and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  
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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 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

Safe money services protect people from money laundering

March 29, 2023 2:05 PM
Safe money services protect people from money laundering
People in B.C. can be confident that money services businesses they use will have greater oversight by the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) as a new provincial regulator.
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Public registry would end hidden ownership in private businesses

March 29, 2023 1:55 PM
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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.
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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

Public libraries see historic funding boost from Province

March 24, 2023 10:45 AM
Public libraries see historic funding boost from Province
Public library users in communities throughout B.C. will benefit from modernized technology, enhanced programs and services, and better access to information through $45 million in provincial funding.
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Upgrades secure drinking water system in Prince Rupert

March 17, 2023 9:38 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

More youth with developmental disabilities get help finding work

March 29, 2023 9:30 AM
Youth with developmental disabilities will get extra help to transition from school to work
Youth with developmental disabilities will get extra help to transition from school to work through a $2-million provincial grant.   
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New training prepares more people to be community support workers

March 28, 2023 11:20 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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Citizens' Services

LED lights to brighten B.C. streets

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Honourable Lisa Beare

Honourable Lisa Beare

Honourable Lisa Beare

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Email: CITZ.Minister@gov.bc.ca

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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LED lights to brighten B.C. streets

https://news.gov.bc.ca/06595

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News Release

Victoria
Thursday, July 17, 2014 9:00 AM

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News Release

Victoria

Thursday, July 17, 2014 9:00 AM

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Shared Services BC is now offering an innovative new procurement program to support the purchase of energy efficient LED street lighting in B.C. communities. Beginning today, B.C. is the first province in Canada to offer municipalities and broader public sector organizations the opportunity to select from a short list of pre-qualified LED street light products.

By switching all 360,000 street lights in the province to LED, the public sector could save about 105 GWh of electricity per year - enough to power about 10,000 homes, or a city like New Westminster for one year.

The voluntary program includes Corporate Supply Arrangements with multiple suppliers that offer a range of functional, technical and price variations to meet individual requirements. The program will create opportunities for British Columbia companies to provide consultation, distribution and installation services.

Communities, big and small, will be able to access a suite of resources including lighting consultants and pre-qualified suppliers to simplify a potentially complex purchase of this new technology.

Benefits include:

  • Co-ordination with BC Hydro’s Power Smart Program that offers incentive funding to assist with conversion costs.
  • Guidance, advice and support for purchasing LED street lights.
  • An online financial tool that will calculate a pay-back period and generate a report for both a business case and a preliminary Power Smart application.
  • Access to pre-qualified lighting consultants. Eligible public sector organizations will have the opportunity to select a professional lighting designer to assist with the procurement and implementation.
  • A choice of LED street lights vetted by lighting specialists and municipal engineers.

LED street lights have many benefits over traditional lights including significant energy savings, lower maintenance costs and a substantially longer lifespan. Installing LED street lights can save enough money to recover the initial cost within eight years. Adopting LED technology can also help reduce light pollution and provide better visibility for pedestrians and motorists, making B.C.’s roadways safer for citizens.

This innovative procurement service is the result of collaboration between Shared Services BC, the Ministry of Environment’s Climate Action Secretariat and BC Hydro’s Power Smart Program. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, LightSavers Canada at the Canadian Urban Institute and the cities of Burnaby, Port Moody, Surrey and Vancouver also provided expertise.

Quotes:

Andrew Wilkinson, Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services -

“This program is a great example of how innovative thinking and working together can not only help us meet the increasing demand for energy efficiency and electricity savings, but also create new opportunities for British Columbia companies involved in the distribution and installation of this new technology.”

Mary Polak, Minister of Environment -

“B.C.’s climate leadership includes partnering with our communities. With local governments owning the majority of street lights, the new LED street light procurement program will help them reduce their GHG emissions and carbon costs.”

Joanna Sofield, general manager of Customer Care and Power Smart, BC Hydro -

“Keeping our streets lit requires a lot of electricity. Street lighting represents the highest electrical cost for most cities and towns in B.C. That’s why we are pleased to partner with local governments and the Province to help municipalities adopt more energy efficient street lighting. Through our Power Smart Program, we offer our business customers, including municipalities and other government agencies, financial incentives for replacing inefficient technology with energy efficient equivalents.”

Phil Jessup, director of the Canadian Urban Institute’s LightSavers Canada program -

“LED streetlights offer many benefits over traditional streetlights. In addition to up to 70% energy savings, LED lamps will also reduce light pollution and improve visibility for pedestrians and motorists, thus making BC’s streets safer.”

Neal Carley, City of Port Moody -

“I am pleased to see the Government of B.C. taking a leadership role with BC Hydro, LightSavers Canada, and local governments in such an innovation green program. The City of Port Moody has plans in its budget this year and the next four years to update our streets with new energy efficient LED street lighting helping brighten up streets making them safer for residents.”

Quick Facts:

  • The current technology used in nearly all of B.C.’s street lights is called high intensity discharge, or HID lighting.
  • Local governments own the majority of B.C.’s street lights, at 241,000, and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure owns 23,000.
  • LEDs last more than 15 years (or three to four times longer) than current technologies.
  • Installing LED street lights saves enough energy that the initial purchase costs can be recovered within eight years.
  • Energy savings can be as high as 70% with use of programmable controls.
  • Switching all of B.C.’s street lights also represents greenhouse gas emissions reductions of about 1,400 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or $35,000 per year in carbon costs.

Learn More:

About Shared Services BC’s new LED Street Lights Across B.C. program: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=1D50F1AB00E441A3989E05049E829D25

Information about LED lighting and technology from BC Hydro: www.bchydro.com/powersmart/residential/guides_tips/green-your-home/lighting_guide/LED_lighting.html

Media Contacts:

Melody Wey
Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services
250 508-5030

https://news.gov.bc.ca/06595

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