In The Community

Ballenas Housing Society- 52 Affordable Rental Units for Seniors

Thanks to provincial Minister Ravi Khalon for inviting me to the announcement of the acquisition of 52 affordable rental units for seniors by Ballenas Housing Society at Moilliet Manner in Parksville. Lots of familar faces in attendance including friends who are resident in the buiding. The project was acquired with the assistance of BC's Rental Protection Fund which is armed with $500 million to help non-profits to purchase existing affordable housing across the country. It was great to hear about the Fund's work from CEO Katie Maslechko and resident Sue Foreman who has lived in the building for twenty years. Also, wonderful to run into my friends Ken and Arlene, who also live there. Katie told me her board is waiting for the launch of the federal rent protection initiative in April, which the NDP fought hard to put in place and which couple triple its leverage to acquire and protect buildings like this. Congratulations to Ballenas, City of Parksville and the BC NDP government for protecting this wonderful building. 

Parksville Beach Festival Society- Sand Sculpting Competition

Thanks to Parksville Beach Festival Society Executive Director Cheryl Dill for inviting me to participate in the opening festivities of this year's sand sculpting competition and exhibition on the shores of the wonderful Parksville Community Park on Friday. This year, competitors and visitors have travelled to this wonderful contest from all over the world, including twenty-nine sculptors from Canada, US, Mexico, Netherlands, Germany and Poland. Also known as BeachFest, the sand sculpting competition dates back to 1982 when it attracted 100 people. Today, it is a world class Master Sculptor competition that attracts over 100,000 people annually. Congratulations to everybody involved from the Society Board, staff and legions of hard working volunteers. BeachFest runs until August 18, lots of time to get down there to see masterpieces in sand!

Kackaamin Family Development Centre

Thank you to Kackaamin Family Development Centre Executive Director Lisa Robinson and her team for inviting me to their 50th anniversary celebration last week. Lisa reminded us of the enormous contribution of the Elders who have played such an important role in creating one of only three indigenous family treatment centers in all of Canada, including the late Mary Hayes, Ray Seitcher, and Eileen Charleson. I congratulated the board, staff and clients for their leadership towards a legacy of healing and making such a difference in so many lives. Klecko Klecko for honouring me with the gift of a wonderful painting for the MP's office. Thanks to Ben Grayzel for these great images. 

Peace Train Canada

Thank you to peace activists John and Diana Mayba and Keith and Bernadette Wyton for taking time to brief me on progress towards getting Peace Train Canada on its way next November 15th when a train carrying a group of peacebuilders will leave Vancouver heading for Ottawa. The goal of a Peace Train Canada is to reinvigorate Canada's actions to support non-violent peaceful conflict resolution and the reduction of human suffering. We discussed their trip and calls of action and I agreed to work together to create a petition, help connect them to other MPs and host a reception for them when they arrive in Ottawa. 

Orca Lelum Youth Wellness Centre- Opening Ceremony

Hychka to the Elders, board and staff of Orca Lelum Youth Wellness Centre for the honour of asking me to witness the opening ceremony of their new facility in the territory of Snaw-naw-as First Nation on Wednesday. As Center Director Emmy Manson said, they will strive for a healing legacy not a trauma legacy, providing medically supervised withdrawal management, mental health supports and holistic residential treatment for youth aged 12 to 18. This unique program is the first youth treatment facility on Vancouver Island that is culturally appropriate and was developed by Kw’umut Lelum Child and Family Services under the leadership of Executive Director Bill Yoachim and will help to fill an enormous gap in support services for young people who are ready to take the path to recovery. Thanks to my colleague MP Lisa Marie Barron for inviting me to join her for this momentous occasion and to the Hon. Sheila Malcolmson and the BC NDP government for this important investment in Indigenous-led treatment and recovery services.

Comox Airport Workers BBQ Celebration

Thanks to YQQ CEO Mike Atkins for such a warm welcome to a BBQ celebrating Comox Airport workers and volunteers on Wednesday. Airport workers sometimes have to deal with hostility from stressed passengers and carry out otherwise thankless but essential work. They deserve our gratitude and I was pleased to thank them for their service. Over a great lunch, I learned from them about the efforts of YQQ to become carbon net-zero. Thanks to carbon credit purchases from Great Bear Rainforest, YQQ is already carbon neutral and with new solar panels, a battery-powered belt loader, and new hydroelectric in-ground power for starting the planes, are helping make the airport even more green. Congratulations to Mike and all those that make this airport such a success on Vancouver Island. 

Forty Year Anniversary of the Declaration of Wanačas Hiłhuuʔis (Meares Island) Tribal Park in Tofino.

Yesterday, it was truly an honour to join the celebration of the forty year anniversary of the declaration of wanačas hiłhuuʔis (Meares Island) Tribal Park in Tofino. Klecko klecko to the Tla-o-qui-aht hawiih (hereditary chiefs) for hosting a wonderful day and to Ahousaht hawiih and members for their gift of salmon. It was a privilege to witness the renewal of the hawiih’s 1984 declaration, and the historic agreement to establish Canada's first Tribal Park. It was hard-fought by the hereditary and elected leadership, with First Nations, environmental organizations and activists from across Canada standing united with the Nations. The whole world was watching and important lessons were learned by governments about the rights and resolve of Indigenous people over lands occupied since time immemorial.

It was thrilling to return from Ottawa to this beautiful territory on this National Indigenous Peoples Day and greet old friends on such a joyous occasion, to walk with Tofino Mayor Dan Law and MLA Josie Osborne in the parade and to share memories with Moses Martin and so many others. Congratulations to all and klecko klecko to Tla-o-qui-aht hawiih and Ahousaht hawiih for your stewardship of these lands and waters.

Miners Memorial at Cumberland Cemetry

Saturday was the annual Miners Memorial at Cumberland Cemetery, the resting place of Ginger Goodwin. He was hunted down and assassinated by a Dominion Police special constable in 1918, a labour activist now honoured annually at his graveside. Thanks to the Cumberland Museum and Archives, the Campbell River and Courtenay and District Labour Council, CUPE, BCGEU, the Village of Cumberland and the BC NDP Government, his legacy lives on, more than 100 years after his death. His death sparked Canada's first general strike in Vancouver which was the precursor to the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, a defining moment in Canadian labour history. I took the occasion to pay tribute to the labour movement and its fight for fairness, equity and justice in our country; and, to report on the progress of our caucus towards making life more affordable for Canadians through our national dental and pharmacare plans and towards protecting the rights of works through our success in banning replacement workers on federal worksites. At the same time, we have much work ahead of us to achieve safe, secure and affordable housing for all, climate action, Indigenous justice and living wages for workers.

Oceanside Non-Market Housing Task Force Forum- Society of Organized Services

It was my pleasure to attend the Oceanside Non-Market Housing Task Force Forum, hosted by the Society of Organized Services (SOS) in Parksville on Friday. I very much appreciated the opportunity to listen to constituents, experts and local government representatives share information and ideas about the housing crisis in our communities. I took the occasion to emphasize the importance of collaboration between the private sector, municipalities and community organizations to get shovels in the ground. Since my first election as Member of Parliament for Courtenay-Alberni, more than $140 million in federal funding has been invested into the riding for housing and nationally a new $1.5 billion co-op housing building fund has just been created. Nowhere in the world has market housing alone solved an affordable housing crisis. Having grown up in co-op housing, I feel strongly about this model and continue to advocate for non-market housing that includes this model along with social, supportive and rent-geared-to-income housing. Non-market housing is common throughout Europe but has been in serious decline in Canada since cuts by successive Conservative and Liberal governments beginning in the nineties. It’s past time to restore funding and catch up with the rest of the world. I shared several local BC Models that have had enormous success, including the housing authorities in Cowichan, Tofino, and Whistler.

Mount Aerosmith Biosphere Reserve for the TRANSECTS TILL

Thanks for the warm welcome at the potluck lunch as Parksville's Rathtrevor Beach Park on Friday, hosted by Mount Aerosmith Biosphere Reserve for the TRANSECTS TILL (Transdisciplinary Education Collaboration for Transformation in Sustainability (at the) Transdisiplinary International Learning Laboratory). The lunch was to wish godspeed and a fond farewell to international students learning about this unique biosphere region and had developed relationships with local students towards the shared goal of conservation and environmental learning.