Dear Community Members, Since February, I’ve been working with Premier David Eby and my BCNDP MLA colleagues in the Legislature to pass legislation that will make a difference to people in B.C. The cost-of-living, health care, and housing – these are the issues I hear about from people like you, constituents and community members and hardworking British Columbians who […]

For many people “bees” means “honeybees” — the prolific insects that flit from flower to flower, collecting nectar and pollen to take back to their hives. They’re important agricultural pollinators and produce honey and wax that humans gather and use. Their utility to people has heightened fears about “colony collapse disorder,” in which various suspected […]

Secret negotiations curtail outdoor recreation Province ignores its own wildlife data Government ignored 98.9 per cent opposition Hunters are being used as bargaining chips Public consultation and management reviews were promised, but never came Every new iteration of the Hunting and Trapping Regulations erodes public access to outdoor recreation, while the government hides its true […]

When the House of Commons passed the Canada Disability Act almost a year ago, my colleagues and I were initially buoyed at this long-overdue action to lift people living with a disability out of poverty once and for all. Like many government announcements, details were slim, and we knew we’d have to fight hard alongside […]

Overall, whether it’s used for fabrics, bioplastics, fuels, paper products or building materials, hemp has many advantages and few disadvantages. Hemp has been promoted as a solution to a wide range of environmental issues — as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics, resource-depleting cotton, polluting fossil fuels, energy-intensive building materials, forest-destroying paper products and more. It’s […]

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”  Genesis, II, v. 7 [King James Bible, 1611] This quotation has been translated into English from ancient Hebrew with notable variations for the last word: soul; being; creature; […]

Starting May 1, almost 2 million seniors were eligible to make appointments and start accessing the new NDP Dental Care Plan. MP, Richard Cannings noted that “after 57 years fighting for dental care to be included in the Canada Health Care Act, the NDP Canada Dental Care Plan is finally here.” The local MP has […]

It was rejuvenating to spend this past week home in the South Okanagan, but also disheartening to see only a glimpse of the April showers we so desperately needed. Between community events I managed to combine some family time with some much-needed yard maintenance and could not help but be worried as I looked over […]

In British Columbia, we know all too well the severity of the toxic drug crisis. On April 14, 2016, it was deemed a public health emergency in British Columbia. Since this time, tragically, more than 14,000 British Columbians have died from accidental overdose: 7 people a day. In recognition of the magnitude of this crisis, […]

The dry facts about increasing water scarcity People can only survive a few days without water. After all, we’re mostly water — basically just liquid blobs with enough organic thickener to keep us from dribbling away. We’re part of nature’s hydrologic cycle of evaporation, condensation and precipitation that cartwheels water around the planet. Given water’s […]