In The Community

Qualicum Beach Farmers Market

It felt good to be back at the wonderful Qualicum Beach Farmers Market on Saturday for last minute shopping before heading back to Ottawa. Now in its twenty-seventh year, this is one of many outstanding farmers market in Courtenay-Alberni and I try to make the rounds to each one each year. Please support our local growers and producers, it's important to our local economies and food security. Thanks to market manager Laurie Elves and president Cheryl Reist and the entire board and all the vendors who show up every Saturday Morning from 8:30am to noon to make this market happen. As they say: As the "Eat Fresh. Buy Local. Be Healthy." 

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 29 Mount Arrowsmith- Veterans appreciation luncheon

Thank you to the board, staff and volunteers of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 49 Mount Arrowsmith in Parksville for such a warm welcome to the veterans appreciation luncheon on Sunday. it was nice to visit with old friends and veterans like three-year past-president Don Levesque, his wife Gwen and their daughter Dawn along with many familiar faces from my years of visiting this outstanding Legion for ceremonies and celebrations. Don has served Canada in in Suez, East Germany, and Cypress and, in his words, has "done every job there is to do” for the Arrowsmith Branch. Thanks to all the veterans and currently serving members of the military for their kind words on Sunday. At the same time, I was reminded of the work that Parliament needs to do, including the repurposing of Crown lands for military housing and better access to mental health supports to tackle operational stress injuries faced by members. Also, the backlog in disability claims for veterans continues and yet there is nothing in last week’s federal budget to identify whether all temporary staff will be retained permanently to help finally address this issue. I will be raising this again during the budget debate.

Horne Lake Intersection long awaited Fuelling Fill-up station

Thanks to Qualicum First Nation Chief Michael Reclama, Council Members, and Kwalicum Crossing crew for inviting me to say a few words at the grand opening of their dream come true last week! The nation has opened its long awaited fueling fill-up station at the Horne Lake intersection along Highway 19 (700 Horne Lake Road). As I told the well-wishers and local dignitaries gathered for this historic occasion, don’t call it a “gas station”, it’s more than that, it’s an "energy station" with EV hook-ups, propane service and a convenience store and soon to be added is an A&W restaurant.

Next to the station is a pond and fountain that doubles as a beautiful water attraction and, importantly, a key water supply for the Bow Horn Bay Fire Department (BHBVFD). The BHBVFD fire chief Mark Taylor told PQB News reporter, Michael Brionnes: “The way they designed it, every bit of rain water that drops on the roof, falls on the pond over here. And this pond is specifically for us to fight fires.” The pond has 55,000 gallons of water the BHVFD will be able to access through a direct connection. "That’s going to take care pretty of much any fire that we have. It’s a fantastic design and we’re happy to have it here,” Chief Taylor told the News. Congratulations to QFN for combining a wonderful economic development opportunity with volunteer firefighting support to your neighboring communities. 

Repair Café in Qualicum Beach

 

Such great energy and community spirit at the Repair Café in Qualicum Beach on Saturday. The idea of repair cafes started in Amsterdam in 2009 and there are now more than 1,100 Cafés in 27 countries on six continents. It’s a free community event to which local residents bring damaged items from home to be repaired by volunteer “fixers”. Also, a chance to learn with like-minded folks who believe in reusing instead of discarding still-useful goods into the landfill. My favourite was 11-years old Alina who was repairing lamps with her assistant and Dad, Rob! If you missed the QB Café, the Cumberland Community Schools Society (CCSS) is hosting a Repair Café again this year at Cumberland Community School, Beaufort Gym on Saturday, April 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thanks to the many “fixers" who come together to make these Café happen in our communities.

Presenting the Governor General's Decoration for Bravery

It was an honour on Saturday to be asked to present the Governor General's Decoration for Bravery to Nick Rivers, a volunteer with Arrowsmith Search and Rescue for his role in saving the life of a man who fell into the frigid, fast-flowing waters of Little Qualicum River in 2020. The medal is awarded for "acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances". Nick said that he felt very privileged to be honoured to receive the medal but gave credit to his fellow SAR volunteers. “It was a total team effort”, he said as he received a standing ovation from the overflowing crowd at the Berwick theatre in Parksville. We are so fortunate to have an all-volunteer professional rescue organization trained and equipped for search and rescue on almost all terrain and in all weather conditions in our community. 

Brant Festival in Oceanside

Earlier this month, I was pleased to drop by to thank the many organizations in oceanside that are supporting this year's Brant Festival. They contribute to the Brant Festival which for the first year since its inception in 2007, is organized and facilitated by the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region. The festival connects the entire community with the spectacular migratory return of Brant Geese to our shores on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island. Great to touch base on my visit with representatives of North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, BC Parks Foundation, Hamilton Wetlands and Forest Preservation Society and local activist, student Teegan Walshe. 

Meet with Mayor of Port Alberni Ken McRae

It is always a pleasure to meet with four-time Mayor of Port Alberni, Ken McRae. I have never come away from our conversations without learning something new about the Alberni Valley. Ken was also a negotiator for the Canadian Paperworkers' Union for a decade and president of the Port Alberni and District Labour Council for five years. Thanks to the Honourable Josie Osborne for joining me. 

Breakfast Meeting with Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce President Terry

Thank you to Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce President Terry Deakin and Executive Director Jolleen Dick for inviting me to speak at its Breakfast Meeting last week. I started with a few words about success of the municipal and regional governments and the business community in attracting federal funding during my eight years in office as Member of Parliament. Federal investment during this period has been historic for the Alberni Valley as compared to the same period of Conservative representation prior to my election. Then, I invited questions from those in attendance. Most of the questions pertained to my work as the NDP critic for mental health and harm reduction and reflected concerns about the toxic drug overdose deaths in the community and the lack of accessible detoxification and treatment services. I continue to advocate for a health-based approach that is balanced with harm reduction services that will keep people alive combined with recovery programs for those who are ready for treatment and prevention and public education services that inform those who are vulnerable about the dangers.

Indigenous Nurses Day

Today, the Province of British Columbia proclaimed "Indigenous Nurses Day" to celebrate and honour Indigenous Nurses for their contributions to supporting the safety, health and well-being of all the people in British Columbia. Last week, I was pleased to meet up with my friend Qualicum Beach resident Marilyn Van Bibber, a founding member of the Registered Nurses of Canadian Indian Ancestry in 1975- since renamed, the Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association. Thank you to all those Indigenous nurses over the generations for being strong advocates and change agents to advance health equity, create culturally safe care environments for Indigenous Peoples and eradicate Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination in our health care system. Happy Indigenous Nurses Day to you all!

National Dental Care Day

Thanks to volunteers who joined me for a National Dental Care Day of Action on Saturday! And thanks especially to the residents of Parksville and Courtenay who greeted us so warmly on their doorstep. Our dental care program is the first major change to Canada's universal health care system in sixty years and such an important benefit for so many. Millions of Canadians have already enrolled and millions more are eligible so it’s important that we get the word out. Please contact my team if you have questions or are having difficulty with the enrolment process: 1-844-620-9924