Test test test test.
BC government.
Songhees.
BC government.
Test test test.
Sss thank you, premier.
Thank you.
Good morning, everyone.
My name is
Claire Trevana.
And I'm BC's minister
of transportation and
infrastructure
am I would like to acknowledge
we are
gathered on the territory of the
muckium, Sabertooth and Squamish
peoples.
With me today, premier John
Horgan and -- Kennedy Stewart
and
Michelle with the British
operation
company.
Michelle overseas the
skytrain lines and the west
coast
express.
We hear today to talk about
the Broadway subway projects.
That's
about getting people out of
traffic,
cutting pollution with cleaner,
greener and rapid transit.
With more
it's my pleasure to introduce
minister
Joyce Murray.
Good morning, and thank you
minister
Trevena for the kind
introduction.
I'm pleased to be here with
premier
Horgan on the minute
infrastructure
communities and I would also
like to
acknowledge we are on the
traditional
unseeded territories of the
first
nations.
The government of Canada is
working closely with
municipalities,
partners and stakeholders to get
projects built quickly.
Projects that
make a positive difference in
the
lives of Canadians and we are
making
investments in infrastructure to
grow
the economy and create good
jobs,
improving people's quality of
life and
protecting the environment while
doing
So so I am happy to say that the
Broadway subway project will do
just
those things.
It will create jobs
during construction and support
long-term economic development.
And I
understand there has been
average
consultation with the
communities
along the way to make sure that
this
is done in a good way.
It will
improve people's lives by
providing a
fast, reliable and renewable
transportation option along one
of our
busiest corridors, leading right
to my
office, I might add which is
right at
Broadway and Arurbbutus.
So I'm
pleased to be able to welcome
people
to visit me more easily and
quickly.
And help reduce harmful
emissions by
encouraging people to leave
their cars
at home.
Government of Canada has
contributed almost $900 million
to
this pro project.
And I'm thrilled to
be helping celebrate the
important
next step in bringing it to life
for
Vancouverites.
Through our historic
investing in Canada plan, we are
delivering on our promise to
build
sustainable resilient
communities.
Here in BC, we have invested
$4.2
billion through our
infrastructure
plan in 525 projects across the
province.
Projects that are
strengthening the communities
where
you live and raise your families
and
work.
If anything good has come out
of this pandemic it's a high
ended
awareness what have it is to be
a part
of a community.
How crucial it is to
know one another and count on
each
other and protect each other and
see
every day that our community is
what
we choose to make of it
together.
Infrastructure investments
support and
strengthen that process and
support
communities across Canada.
So putting tax dollars to work
in cleaner
transportation options like the
Broadway subway creates good
jobs and
stabilizes the economy and puts
communities back on their feet.
So it's now my great pleasure to
introduce the honorable John
Horgan,
premier of BC.
Thank BC British
Columbia.
Thank you.
>> Thank you, minister Murray.
It's
great to be here in the great
city of
Vancouver with a backdrop that
is
second to none.
I know that all
Canadians when they look to
British
Columbia on a sunny day wish
they too
were citizens of this great city
and this great province.
I want to acknowledge that we
are on the
unseeded territory of the
Squamish,
Musqueam and Sabertooth
territories
and at the municipal level
working in
conjunction with minister
Robinson who
is responsible for minister
affairs
and TransLink.Ing to the federal
and TransLink.Ing to the federal
government, and the provincial
government and the city of
Vancouver
and TransLink and the mayor's
council
have been working diligently to
deliver the type of transit
system
that BC in its major urban
center most
truly deserves.
The mayor's ten-year
vision for transit is being
realized
today with the announcement of a
tender process that will be
beginning
-- I guess when I get to it in a
minute or two.
But before I get to
that point I want to just touch
on
some of the comments that
minister
Murray just touched upon.
That being
of course that he with are in a
global
pandemic.
We are in unprecedented
types.
We are -- all communities,
indigenous communities everyone
has
been affected by COVID-19.
But what
we have seep in BC is
unprecedented
cooperation, between political
entities, whether they be left
or
right, green or brown, federal,
provincial or municipal.
Everybody
pulling together to focus on the
need
of people.
And that's why I'm proud
to announce as part of BC's safe
restart the major infrastructure
projects like the Broadwaysubway
line
are key to our economic
recovery.
When completed the Broadway
Subway
line will transform Vancouver.
Bringing people from one end to
the
other, one side to the other,
culminated at this point -- I
know
mayor Kennedy Stewart will have
something to say about getting
to UBC.
This is a high priority for
phase 3
of the mayor's vision.
But we are
working on getting phase 2
completed
and that starts by making sure
we are
connecting our hubs and job
generators
here in the lower mainland.
So I'm
pleased to announce today that
we have
awarded a contract to Axiona
gazelle
to joint venture, design can
construct
the Broadway Subway construction
this
fall and complete it in 2025.
I'm
proud that this project will
also be a
benefit agreement.
Ensuring that
local hires is the next priority
and
training skilled workers and
women and
indigenous peoples and women who
oftentimes have been taken out
of the
equation when it comes to
apprenticeships will be the
front of
the line to get jobs and
training on
this very, very important
project why.
As we start the economic
recovery
coming out of the pandemic, we
need to
focus on the cooperation and the
partnerships that are
evident today with the
announcement of the Broadway
subway line.
I want to thank the
mayors who came before, and the
mayors
that are here today.
And of course the mayor Nas will
come after us in
making sure that we are
consistent in delivering for the
people of BC and the people of
Vancouver.
It's absolutely critical that we
put aside
politics and focus on the needs
of all
British Columbians at this
important
time and with that as we build
back
better here in BC I would invite
mayor
Kennedy Stewart here to come and
say a
few words in the city of
Vancouver.
A
very key partner in this
undertaking.
>> Good morning, before I begin
I
would like to acknowledge too we
are
on the unseeded territories of
the
Musqueam, Squamish and
Sabertooth
peoples.
I want to thank minister
Miller for her work and our
amazing
city of Vancouver staff team.
What a team we have here.
Okay.
You can believe what is
happening here today?
We are starting on the Broadway
Subway.
This is just totally amazing.
And sometimes it's hard tote go
your
head around.
But this is actually now
rolling out and it's such a
great
thing.
And I'm just so excited about
it.
Because we have been working on
it for a long time.
Mayor's council,
mayors and councils before us
here in
Vancouver.
And it is such a big day.
I also of course want to thank
our
premier more began and more gone
more
gone.
Horgan.
Two days ago I stood
with the minister to deliver
another
450 homes for those struggling
with
homelessness in our city.
City and the provincial
government have
partnered to provide almost 1500
homes
to the vulnerable in Vancouver.
The
largest social housing
investment in
our history.
Now last year I stood
with the premier to announce
another
historic partnership.
An investment
of $33 million to help us build
over
1100 new child care spaces in
city
facilities.
All slated to be covered
within the $10 a day child care
program.
Now that's incredible
partnership.
And today is yet another
great day for Vancouver thanks
to
another great partnership
between the
federal, provincial and
municipal
governments.
The Broadway subway
means less congestion.
Bertrand sit,
more rental housing, thousands
of high
paying construction jobs and it
will
be an important weapon in our
fight
against climate change.
The Broadway
corridor is the second largest
employment center in BC with
more than
85,000 jobs.
But as we all know
growing traffic congestion and
transit
overcrowding and sty immediate
product
negatively impact the growth and
quality of life for its
residence.
That's why in subway project is
so
important.
So many residents are
either stuck in traffic or
waiting for
overcrowded buses.
The Broadway line
will change all of this by
providing
fast and reliable transit that
can get
people to work on time with
fewer
headache.
The people who come to
Broadway every day deserve a
faster
commute with less congestion so
they
can spend more time earning a
living
and more time with the peep they
love.
And that's what it's all about.
Better still the Broadway subway
will
allow many more opportunities to
live
in Vancouver as we build rental
housing along the line.
Much which
will be affordable.
Such as the pilot
project building council just
approved
at Broadway and birch.
The Broadway
line will allow us to preserve
and
build homes that are steps away
from
high quality rapid transit,
helping
create walkable transit oriented
communities.
The project will also
help address the realities of
our
climate emergency.
More people using
transit means fewer people in
cars and
lower carbon emissions.
Get this one,
the Broadway extension means 14
million fewer cars on the road
by the
year 2030.
14 million reduced annually.
And I'm just loving the
thousands of
construction jobs that this
project
creates.
This announcement is the
first concrete step towards
completing
this project.
With construction
starting soon we will soon
realize an
even better Broadway.
With high
quality accessible transit,
Broadway
can become one of the great
streets of
our country.
A place where people can
get to work without worrying
about
overcrowded commutes, a central
hub
overcrowded commutes, a central
hub
connecting people and their
families
to the businesses and services
they
need.
And a neighborhood where
Vancouverites can have a home to
grow
with their loved ones.
We are that
much closer to making this a
reality.
And personally I am so honored
to be
leading a team that is making
all of
this happen at the city.
And I want to thank current and
past councils for
their dedication to this project
as
well as my colleagues at
TransLink
mayor's council.
So thank you so
much.
It's a great day today.
And
now I would like to introduce BC
president Michelle Ladrick.
Thank
you.
>> Thank you, good morning,
everyone.
My name is Michel.
I'm
from sky coast and TransLink
express.
I undersee the maintain of the
millenial line and soon also the
Broadway Subway
extension.
I'm excited to be here at
Vancouver city
hall at this exciting location,
announcing the next big step in
bringing the project to
fruition.
And
being myself a massive fan of
transit.
I know this will be a real game
changer for Vancouver.
Just a few hundred meters away
-- I think it's
over there, we have the Broadway
city
hall station.
Which will give you
access to rapid transit
throughout the
region on the Canada and
millennium
lines.
Located right in the middle of
the extension, Broadway city
hall
station live serve as a major
transit
hub for this busy corridor.
Enabling
fast, frequent and convenient
access
to jobs, services and popular
tourist
destinations.
When the mayor's
outlined the transportation
investment
way back in 2014 we knew
creating
rapid transit along this
corridor was
violating to keeping the region
moving
and it still is.
The Broadway subway
project has seen collaboration
from
all levels of government who
agreed
it's vital to grow the metro
Vancouver
region.
region.
The mayor's worked with the
province and the federal
partners to
secure funding and we've been
working
closely (w) province and the
city of
Vancouver to turn this vision
into
reality.
While our ridership has
vastly changed because of the
pandemic, there's no doubt in my
mind
that we will be looking at a
very
sunny future.
Year after year, before
the pandemic, metro Vancouver
was one
of the fastest growing regions
for
transit ridership in North
America.
And I personally have full
confidence
in the next 30, 50, 20 or 5 or 2
years
the resiliency of metro
Vancouverites
and I -- the demand will come
back.
And it will rebound.
And it will
continue its unprecedented
growth that
we have seen in the past.
I think
this extension will be a major
part of
satisfying the demand and
keeping that
momentum alive.
And when we looking
at the future -- and I think
this is
where the crucial numbers come
in.
The Broadway subway will lighten
the
load of passengers on bus
routes.
And
will ternly lightened the load
on the
Broadway corridor.
To me it was
unheard of that we had 90,000 on
the B
line.
That makes it bigger than -- on
average four BC place every
weekday
last year.
That's a lot of people.
But when built the Broadway
extension
will be able to move over three
times
as many people.
Each hour the sting
will be able to move more than
7,000
people in each direction.
And that's
three and a half times more than
we
can do today.
That extended capacity
is much needed considering that
we
expect 1 million new residents
and
600,000 new jobs in metro
Vancouver
over the next 30 years.
When I'm looking at the benefits
I'm confident
this project will help to keep
the
this project will help to keep
the
region moving.
With fast, frequent,
convenient.
Releft in crowding and
congression in a critical part
of the
region it.
Will innocentize people to
get out of their cars and reduce
transit and helping with
greenhouse
gas emissions and help make
transport
in general more sustainable.
The team
at TransLink.
My team at TransLink
continues to support the
province is
supporting this sting.
We have been working closely
with the province and
the city of Vancouver on a
number of
key pieces in the lead up to
construction this fall.
And that
includes relocating to adjacent
streets to support relocation of
buses
off broad way.
We have done system
power upgrades ask we have the
supportive policies in place
that
further outloins a commitment to
this
important initiative.
TransLink is
tremendously excited for this
important next step in the
project and
the announcement of this
contract
award is only just the
beginning.
We are looking forward to
continuing to
work with all of our partners to
make
this extension an enormous
success.
Thank you.
It was my pleasure -- it's
my pleasure to welcome back
minister
for infrastructure, the
honorable
Claire Trev Trevena, thank you
very
much.
>> Thank you very much.
And I think
the message is loud and clear
that
this Broadway sting to our city
will
be so important for everyone
living
and working in Vancouver.
Whether they are going to
school.
Whether they are going to work.
Whether starting a business or
just going to
family.
It is going to relieve
congestion and make sure people
really
are able to move easily through
one of
the busiest part of Vancouver.
And as
the premier said as we restore
the
economy through BC's restart
plan,
major infrastructure projects
like in
project and services like
transit are
going to be key to our recovery.
And
with that I would like to ask
premier
Horgan back to the podium as we
open
the line for any questions.
>> A reminder to reporters on
the
line please press star 1 to
enter the
cue.
If you have already pressed it
please press it again to enter
the
queue.
We will cue.
We will start
with penny Dofolos.
>> I want to ask about stimulus
spending?
>> Is that from -- to UBC?
Is that the question?
>> Yes, please.
>> Kennedy doesn't miss an
opportunity to raise this
issue with me or with minister
Trevena
and within minister Robinson.
Clearly connecting all of the
important hubs
in the lower mainland is the
objective
of the mayor's council and the
vision
that the mayor started with
their
10-year plan but we need to get
phase
2 started and that's what we are
doing
today, this fall.
And discussions
will continue.
Minister Murray very
much an integral part of the
decision
making processes with the
federal
government here in Vancouver is
very
helpful.
I met with the Prime
Minister yesterday.
We discussed a
range of options including
further
infrastructure investments,
joint
ventured with Ottawa, Victoria
and
other parts of BC.
So I'm confident
that once we get this underway
we will
be starting immediately with the
planning for the extension
beyond
there to UBC.
And also of course it's
And also of course it's
important to remember that when
the
Prime Minister and I announced
the
cooperation between the two
senior
orders of government back -- two
Septembers ago it also included
significant investments in
transportation improvements
south of
the Fraser.
The advent of
LECTURER: S meant that we left
behind the light rail option and
moved
to exploring the skytrain
expansion in
sir Surrey towards Langley, and
those
projects are underway shortly.
>> Do you have a followup,
penny?
>> I do.
Premier you mentioned
elections last time.
How certain are
you that the a federal election
could
happen in the next few months
and put
a lot of that funding with
provinces in jeopardy?
>> I think one of the advantages
for
the public is that when
elections do
happen the last federal
election, for examples was an
opportunity for voters
to ask all political parties
what
their views were on -- for
example,
significant infrastructure
investments
like the Massey replacement
project.
Having all political parties,
all
political stripes acknowledging
the
importance of these
infrastructure
investments certainly tells us
we have
very strong partners today and
I'm
hopeful in the future.
We are going
to continue to build on the
success we
have.
Ensuring we have a dynamic
public transit system here that
is the
envy of North America.
>> Our next
question is from Richard
Sussman.
Go ahead, Richard.
>> I was on mute.
Sorry about.
That
premier just to change topics
quickly
we are expecting to see modeling
numbers later today.
And the
anticipation will be that the
trend
continues that cases of COVID-19
are
growing in this province.
At what
point you can see that people
aren't
getting message around come on,
man or
from Seth Rogenoryian Raynalds
and
Seth Rogen or or Ryan Reynalds
and
there need be a shift about
communicating about the virus.
>> We are working to make sure
the
public fully understands that we
continue to be in the grip of a
global
pandemic.
pandemic.
We see increased caseloads
across Canada.
Just to the south of
us, I spoke with governor Insly
they
had 3500 new cases from this
week to
next week.
There is a responsibility
in the public and that message
need to
get to the public from myself
and
minister Henry.
We double our efforts
to wear masks and double our
efforts
to ensure we keep safe physical
distances and we keep in mind
not just
ourselves but loved ones.
Those within our family units
and those in
our bubble.
And there are vulnerable
people in BC we need to protect.
And it's the responsibility of
all of us
to do.
That I'm not going to concede
anything with respect to the
premises of your question am I
believe that the
good will of BCians will win
out.
British Columbians will win out.
If
it doesn't we will have
significant
fines for those who continue to
not
obey the order.
We will continue
until we get the types of
outcomes
that British Columbia on I
can'ts want
to see.
>> Do you have a followup,
Richard?
Wye do.
One of the next
steps obviously is the return to
school next week.
We anticipate
minister -- minister memberring
will
give us more details later today
about
the federal funding.
But holistically
what would you say to parents,
to
teachers around whether there is
enough time at this point to
maybe the
changes to make people feel
comfortable about returning to
classes
a week from today?
>> Well, I
certainly understand the anxiety
that
parents, teachers and children
are
feeling.
The uncertainty we've had
since Marcor quite franky with a
brief
visit to voluntary classroom
teaching
and virtual teaching in June.
That
gave us a good starting point.
Hi a
long meeting with Terry Mooring
and
her speculative yesterday,
minister
Fleming.
We talked about the range of
options -- the $242 million that
the
federal government has put into
what
is exclusively provincial
jurisdiction.
And when the Prime
Minister made the announcement
of
education funding across the
country
he did so because he understood
the
importance to our economic
well-being
and of course to our children
and our
families that we have a safe
restart
when it comes to our K-12
system.
I believe we have average time
to make
the changes that we will need
going
forward.
And I said to Mr.
Mooring
and I say to parents today that
and I say to parents today that
minister phlegming and this
government
will be focused every day on
making
sure is that children are safe
that,
families are safe and those that
work
inside our school system is
safe.
And
there's no rigid plan other than
the
plan to get started and make
sure we
have in place the physical
distancing
guidelines we need and the
cohorts we
are developing and that was in
concert
with advisory group from
trustees,
parents, teachers and
administrators
all working collaboratively.
We had
6s school districts canvas.
Parents
on average about 08% or better.
Are ready, willing and able to
send their
kids back to school next week.
Teachers will be in class at the
beginning of the week and then
we will
start the process of developing
the plan that will get us
through next week, next month
and into the spring.
And that's how we have to
operate,
Richard.
This is not about here's the
plan, we are sticking with it.
Here's
the start and we will amend the
plan
to meet the needs of safety and
quality enindication for our
kids.
>> Our -- Education for our
kids.
>> Our next question is from
Mary Griffen.
>> Thank you so much for taking
my
question.
Since a camp was shut down.
Another camp is growing and
there's
growing tents and there's a
whack a
mole situation where you close
down
one camp and another one pops up
somewhere else and they are
demanding
the province take immediate
action to
fix it.
I'm wondering what hope you
can give them today that this
problem
can give them today that this
problem
will be immediately addressed?
>> We have been working all
throughout the pandemic.
As we saw
SROs closing down overnight.
Opportunity for cover shutdown
because
of physical distancing
requirements.
We have seen a proliferation of
homelessness, not just in
Victoria, not just in Vancouver.
But indeed across the province.
And we've been working with our
municipal partners in
Victoria in particular, to find
ways
to assist.
Oppenheimer park.
Which was a challenge here for
many, many
years, has been closed down only
to
create another challenge at
Strathcona.
And again the parks
board, the city of Vancouver,
and the
province and the federal
government
are all coordinating efforts to
try to
address those issues.
Mayor Steward
talked about 450 units announced
this
week.
With respect to Victoria, you
will remember we stepped in to
address
the encampments on Pandora
avenue and
topaz avenue.
Some 600 people were
found accommodation.
And yet here we
are continuing to see growth in
our
public spaces.
So we will continue to
work with the city, with the
federal
government.
And other participates to
find space and homes for these
vulnerable populations.
Butby also
want to take clear Vance for
those
taking advantage of people for
vulnerable.
And I give full credit to
the city of Victoria.
The city of
Victoria police for being
compassionate and forward
looking and
addressing significant
challenges with
homelessness and we will keep
going
with.
This it's not something that
just arrived yesterday and not
something that will go away
tomorrow.
But if we all have good will and
we
focus on objectives that will
keep
people safe into the treatment
that
they need or the housing that
they
need, that's our focus and we
will
deal with that.
>> Do you have a
followup, Murray.
>> I do, thanks.
A lot of work has been done and
it's
true that clearly it's not
enough when
you look at the camps at beacon
hill
park and central park.
It's very very much a problem,
as you mentioned.
Is there no way to alleviate the
problem
in the short-term?
Or are we looking
at this as a new reality.
>> Thank you for the question.
I
think citizens in Victoria, my
hometown, can I speak directly
to.
That are aghast once a community
that
had little or no homelessness
now has
significant amounts
homelessness.
These are issues we are
responsible
for.
They are our brothers and our
sisters and our mothers and
fathers
that are displaced through no
fault
their own in most instances and
we
need to offer hands up and help
when
we can.
But we also need to send a
message to those who take
advantage of
those in vulnerable situations
and that's what the city of
Victoria has
done by moving in and dispersing
the
central -- centennial square
encampments and we will continue
to
work with the city and providing
the
services.
services.
Having a dedicated ministry
of mental health and addicts is
very
helpful in this moment in our
history
when we are dealing with the
global
pandemic and an opioid crisis
that
continues to worse enmonth by
month.
We all need to recognize
although we
don't like to see people living
rough
in our neighbors.
We need to be more
compassionate and focus on
making sure
all of those levels of
government and
all of those not-for-profits who
have
all of those not-for-profits who
have
also been compromised because of
COVID-19.
COVID-19.
Their minimal staff.
Many
volunteers that used to be in
place in
healths and healths are
shelters.
This is a complex issue.
And appeal
for patients and I also reach
out to
municipal leaders across the
province.
It's not just Victoria and
Vancouver.
It's Nanaimo and Smithers every
corner of BC has been affected
by a
significant disruption in what
we
would characterize as normal.
It's a
global pandemic.
We can'ting for
that.
But we can't use that as an
excuse for inaction.
We need to
continue to take steps to meet
the
needs of populations right
across the province.
>> Our next question is from
Lisa
Houston.
Go ahead, Lisa.
>> Perhaps
this is more for mayor Kennedy,
regarding the camp in
Strathcona, we
talked the other day with
minister
Robinson about the housing
coming next
year.
Talking to the residents
association.
They are saying it's a
crisis now.
And it's only getting
worse.
The bathrooms are failing.
There's increased conflict
between
people camping there and other
people
living there.
Including conflict with
children which they expect will
only
increase as kids return to
schools and
one of the things they are
suggesting
is perhaps we need the same kind
of
thing we need in Victoria, is
some
emergency -- like a disaster
relief
type.
They are suggesting St.
Paul's.
Is there room for something like
that
when winter is coming.
People are
living in close quarters and we
are in
the middle of a something --
speaking
outside the box for an emergency
type
relief type housing situation.
>> Thank you for the question.
Just to echo -- the premier's
comments is
that we are all in this
together.
And we have to recognize we are
in the
middle of a pandemic which has
forced
physical distancing in our
spaces.
Means that people living in our
SRO
rooms in our city can no longer
have
guests overnight.
So it really has
exaggerated the homelessness
crisis
here in the city.
I do really feel
for the residents of Strathcona
-- in
fact I have been down and met
with a
number of homeowners in the
area.
Local business improvement
associations.
And I do agree that the
And I do agree that the
situation is worsening.
The
announcement two days ago with
Selina
Robinson -- minister Sele in a
he is
Sele in a Selina Robinson.
The emergency modular housing
but we do
have to find a way to bridge
that gap.
I'm working on that this week.
Do I
agree that the situation is now
hit a
different place, and you will be
different place, and you will be
hearing a lot more from me.
I'm just working on exactly the
details and
coordinating with other
agencies.
coordinating with other
agencies.
But you will be hearing
something from me
in the coming days about our
next step
for for Strathcona park.
>> Lisa, do
you have a followup?
>> Thank you.
For the premier and
mayor, people are certainly
excited to
hear what might come next, but
for you
premier is there some sort of
provincial program that can be
done.
Because as you mentioned it's
not just
the two bigger cities.
It's all
across the province.
But using an
emergency response type.
Camps aren't
going to go anywhere.
So putting some
place where people are getting
the
support that they need until
there is
some other support available
that is
more permanent?
>> Yes, that's what we have been
working on.
And the evidence of
success is of course the --
vacating
of Oppenheimer and topaz and
Victoria.
But again the problem has not
diminished significantly as a
result.
And the vulnerable populations.
The people, the brothers and
sisters --
keep that in mind.
These are people who have found
themselves in
situations not necessarily of
their
making.
And we need to find ways to
address these challenges within
the
address these challenges within
the
context of a global pandemic.
So
mayor Kennedy Stewart and I and
other
mayors and minister Robinson
have been
in consultation and discussions
about
next steps.
And we will have more to
say in the weeks ahead.
But we are
certainly not finished.
And we have
much, much more work to.
>> Our next
question is from Dominique.
>> Yes.
Thank you for the question.
Due to
COVID-19, how are we manage
angle
extension like this?
Is it a time to
do this?
Should we wait?
I would
like an answer in French: He
speaks
dutch.
I will give you an English
answer.
answer.
Certainly the time to invest
in infrastructure is now.
Without any
doubt.
The job opportunities are in
the thousands the opportunity to
reduce emissions to meet our gas
targets within the BC programs
is
profound and building the new
infrastructure is critically
important.
Your point that we have
seen a decline in ridership
during the
pandemic is an appropriate one.
And that's why we worked with
the federal
government in the safe restart
plan
that we coordinated to ensure
that the
province and the federal
government is
bringing resources to provide
for the
fair box drops that we have seen
during the pandemic at translink
and
at BC Transit as well as BC
Ferries
and also again working with the
federal government to assist
cities
like Vancouver, Surrey,
Victoria,
Kelowna and small communities
right
across BC, with finding the
resources
to make up for the lost revenue
because of the shutdown and the
disruption in our traditional
economic
patterns.
But those patterns will
return.
They may not be the same.
We are not suggesting that
getting back
to normal is happening any time
soon
and what normal looks light.
We are
all hopeful will be better than
what
we had before.
And in either scenario
we are going to need investments
in
public infrastructure.
Hospitals,
schools and most critically
important
to move people around and major
urban
centers, public transit.
So this is
absolutely the time to make
infrastructure investments in
any
event that over a five-year
period on
this project, I'm very confident
we
will be back to something
resembling
normal or a better build-back
than
what we have expected.
I apologize
for the absence of bilingual --
Joyce
in are you bilingual?
>> I can speak to.
That
>> Do you want to give it a go.
>> The question.
>> Was this the time to make
investments?
>> Yes.
[ Speaking in French ]
>> Dohm Nhek do you have
aDominique
do you have a followup?
>> Merci beaucoup.
>> We will go to Amy Smart next.
>> Hi, premie premier.
I have a
question about pandemic pay.
They
were told June and then August.
And they still haven't been
paid.
What message do you have for
them about
what kinded of a priority the
government puts on this.
>> Certainly
making sure -- and minister
Murray and
I -- and mayor Stewart were
talking
about the importance of CERB the
importance of the rent relief
package
we put in place.
The only province to
do So making sure that those
that
were dislocated because of the
pandemic had resources in their
pockets.
But also ensuring that those
that were putting themselves at
risk
-- the front workers, certainly
in the
-- the front workers, certainly
in the
health care sector but also in
other
endeavors that we came to know
most
acutely during the pandemic were
critical to our well-being.
That
being those that work in the
grocery
sector.
Truckers and a host of
employees.
And if there are examples
of pandemic pay not reaching
those
individuals, I certainly want to
hear
about it.
And welcome anything you
could provide us in writing on
that
Amy.
It's not an issue I've been
briefed on at this point.
>> Do you have a followup, Amy?
>> The BCGU just put out a
release
yesterday about it.
And a couple of
workers but they are looking for
a
date -- when it will be promised
and
potentially a a statement in the
meantime.
>> I will certainly go back and
talk
to the head of the public
service and
get an answer for that question,
and
hopefully we will be able to get
back
to the -- if you are not going
online
right away we will hopefully be
able
to get you an answer before the
deadline.
>> Our last question today is
from Keith Baldrey.
>> Hi, premier.
Thanks for.
This on
Monday, Dr.
Bonnie Henry called on
British Columbians to start
slowing
down as we move into the
respiratory
illness season in the midst of a
COVID-19 pandemic.
Given that advice, how does an
LECTURER: Campaign fit into
something like that?
something like that?
Is that
something that can be done, even
following her vice to slow down?
Certainly my focus every day is
on
making sure we are delivering
the
services that British Columbians
need.
I will continue doing that.
Dr.
Henry's council was wise as we
have
seen an increase in cases.
You know,
Keith, particularly, where the
demographic that is seeing the
greatest increase.
And we need to be
able to better communicate with
people
that we need to take a step back
and a
pause in going all-in and back
to
normal.
And we need to remind
ourselves every day that there
are
vulnerable people in the
community.
Ryan Raynald's mom, David
Suzuki, if I
can go back to dead pool in that
regards we need to modify our
behavior.
With respect to an
LECTURER: Campaign I'm advised
there's an election underway in
New
Brunswick and an election
upcoming in
Saskatchewan and elections BC is
prepared to provide a Safeway to
vote
if that is something that comes
up.
But at this point, my focus is
on making sure we are
providing services for people.
We want to see a good, safe
start to our school year.
And we want to make sure that
everybody understands that we
are all in thissing to.
And we need to be mindful that
it is not back to normal.
We need to ensure that we keep
the physical distancing.
And are warring our hands and we
are wearing a mask when we
can't stay a safe distance from
people that we don't know.
>> Do you have a followup,
Keith?
>> Yes.
Given Dr.
Henry's call to
slow down.
slow down.
You can rule out having a
provincial election?
>> We have been a minority
government
for the past three years, which
is a long, long time for a
minority government.
And we have been prepared for an
election every day of that
three-year period.
I think back,
I think back,
Keith, to three years ago, I
think the
shelf life of John Horgan
government
was supposed to be six weeks,
and then
six months and now apparently we
will
go on forever.
I think that the
public understands the situation
that
we are in.
They understand that the
focus needs to be on making sure
we
are getting the economy back up
and
running.
running.
We are providing the services
people need.
And a key component of that is
the restart of
our K-12 system and our post
secondary as well.
>> Thanks, everyone.
That's all the time we have.
