The fight for public education is far from over

It is excellent news that public schools may re-open next week. 

However, it is an absolute outrage that our kids have missed 5 weeks of school in total.

  

This has been the longest province-wide shut-down of schools in BC’s history.  

Teachers will vote today on whether or not to accept the tentative agreement reached between their union and the BC Government.

I offer a heartfelt "thank-you" to the teachers for fighting so hard for public education.

  

Every citizen of this province benefits from a well-educated population.  A sure way to “grow the economy” is to fund a public education system that allows the opportunity for everyone to reach their potential.

In my opinion,  we have a Premier and Education Minister who do not appreciate the value of what public school teachers do and do not understand the importance of public education.

The loss of teaching time has hurt our kids' education and is a shameful mark on the record of the BC Liberal government.

Regardless of the outcome of the current contract negotiations today, the struggle to protect public education in BC is far from over. 

As a parent of a public school student and as a Member of the BC Legislative Assembly, I will continue to fight for a public education system that we can all be proud of. 

Our kids deserve nothing less. 

-
My recent statements on the school shut-down:

Premier, my son wants to go to school

Sep 10, 2014

As the parent of a child in public school (grade 11), I personally understand how unacceptable the current situation is. I am working with my colleagues in the Official Opposition to press the government towards a fair resolution.

We continue to advocate for arbitration. The government is currently rejecting arbitration. It is important to maintain pressure and rally the public to demand the government reconsider its rejection of arbitration ….

Time for Premier Clark to set a new tone with teachers

Sep 04, 2014

Tuesday should have been the first day of school in our province. It should have been the exciting beginning of a new year, but instead, it brought another day of frustration and disappointment for children and their families ….

Opposition Education Critic calls for education minister to step down

Aug 31, 2014

New Democrat education spokesperson Rob Fleming released the following statement on the breakdown of talks in the education dispute:

“With just two days left before the start of school, it is clear Education Minister Peter Fassbender has utterly failed kids and families in B.C. Either he should admit he is not up to the task and step down, or Premier Clark should remove him ....

Inside Saanich South: Public schools are worth fighting for!

Aug 07, 2014

I'm also a parent of a grade eleven student in public school. And I'm a citizen who believes passionately in the importance of accessible high-quality K-12 education for all, regardless of one's ability to pay. That is why I argue ....

Inside Saanich South: Public Education is the foundation of ...

Jun 20, 2014

Instead, we see the government turning away from the breakdown in our public school system. In fact, we know from testimony made under oath in Court by the BC Liberal government's own chief negotiator that the ....

BC Government failing to respect public school teachers

May 27, 2014

I'm also angry at how the BC government is treating our teachers and the school system. Premier Clark and her government have not only failed to negotiate an agreement with teachers, they have escalated the conflict with a ....

Inside Saanich South: School kids used as political pawns

Feb 03, 2014

A child who entered kindergarten when Premier Clark was first made education minister will graduate this year having spent all their years in school in larger classes with fewer supports because of her legislation. Legislation ...

The renaissance of "local food" continues to grow

Post by Lana Popham.

New Residential Care Facility in Saanich South

Almost done: The Heights at Mt View is in the final stages of construction.
An opening ceremony is scheduled for October 16, 2014

Dear Saanich South Residents,

After much hard work, The Heights at Mt View is nearly complete! 

This  facility is located in Saanich South at 3814 Carey Road, will be a tremendous community asset, providing critical housing and complex care for more than 250 seniors. 

Click on the image to the right to see a live-cam of the building in its final stages of construction. 

I would like to congratulate Howard Johnson and his entire team at Baptist Housing. They have put in a million dollar donation and countless hours over the past decade to bring this project to life and will continue on managing the facility and providing care and related services with funding from Island Health. The project is part of a regional effort with excellent contributions from the Capital Regional District, Island Health, Saanich, the Mt. View Colquitz Community Association and the Province of BC. 

The Heights at Mt View will include 2 20-patient houses designed for seniors with early-stage dementia, 55 affordable housing units for seniors, 36 supportive housing units to reduce homelessness and 18 housing units available to middle- to low-income families. This facility will replace suites at Mount Edward's Court and the Central Care Home. 

Lana

Premier, my son wants to go to school

Dear Saanich South,

As the parent of a child in public school (grade 11), I personally understand how unacceptable the current situation is. I am working with my colleagues in the Official Opposition to press the government towards a fair resolution.

We continue to advocate for arbitration. The government is currently rejecting arbitration. It is important to maintain pressure and rally the public to demand the government reconsider its rejection of arbitration.

Accepting arbitration is an excellent compromise by the teachers.  It would allow for a balanced solution and get kids back into the class-room immediately. (School could resume now, while the arbitration process unfolds.)

In my view, the government has been unwilling to compromise to end this dispute and must be held accountable for the longest province-wide shut-down of schools in B.C. history. 

Providing quality public education is a fundamental obligation of the provincial government and the BC Liberal government is obviously failing miserably in that regard. That is why we are calling on Education Minister to resign and for the government to adopt a new approach to this dispute. 

It seems clear to many that the Premier has no compunction about depriving children in the public system of education for weeks or months longer. That would be terrible for many BC families. We will need to work together to bring about a resolution. I encourage you to write (or keep writing) to the Premier (premier@gov.bc.ca).

Lana

Chris Gainor reviews the Summer of 2014 at the Saanich Observatory

Chris Gainor

Check out this great blog post from the indefatigable Chris Gainor. Chris is a well-known writer and historian specializing in the history of space exploration and aeronautics. He is the Second Vice President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society. He has authored four books and has a Ph.D. in the history of technology.


A great summer at the Centre of the Universe

The first summer of public outreach at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory since last year's closure of the Centre of the Universe educational centre has gone in the books as a major success.

Large crowds came out for Saturday night public observing at the DAO, and space camps held for young students were also well supported. Having said that, this year's public outreach was not trouble free, and a lot of work needs to be done in the coming months to ensure that public outreach continues on a more permanent basis.

Local recycling business forced to close after government changes to recycling sector

ANOTHER UPDATE!
Click here to sign my petition calling on the Auditor General to review MMBC.

UPDATE
Both the Times Colonist and the Black Press local papers picked up on this story. Visit the links to read more:

Times Colonist, Sept 9 2014
New provincial recycling program killed Central Saanich firm, says ex-GM

Peninsula News Review, August 30 2014
Starved of Plastics, Syntal Products on Keating closes

Syntal General Manager Brian Burchill and MLA
Lana Popham, August 2014

The provincial government continues to push forward with recycling regulations that are bad for the environment and bad for local business. In fact, the BC Liberals are breaking small businesses in the recycling sector by gifting a monopoly over residential recycling to a handful of mega-corporations. 

Example number one is the recent closure of Syntal Products, located on Keating Cross Road.

Over the last sixteen years Syntal has allowed residents to drop-off used hard plastics at no charge for recycling. Syntal took in thousands of tons of the stuff, diverting it from the Hartland Landfill. The company uses innovative green technology to transform the material into all-plastic lumber, which never rots and, because it is non-toxic, is a more-environmentally responsible product than chemically treated wood.

According to Syntal’s General Manager, Brian Burchill, 60% of their supply of residential plastics was cut off the day the MMBC program started. The company was not longer viable and has now been shut down and sold to a business in another province.

MMBC is demanding that all materials collected are siphoned off to specific big businesses it selects. That is why smaller operations like Syntal are being shut-down and why small businesses across the whole sector are very concerned about being pushed under.

The closure of Syntal is a significant loss: thanks to the monopolistic practices of MMBC, enabled by the provincial government, we have lost good local jobs, a great and green local business and an environmentally-friendly system to locally handle and reuse plastic waste.

I’m extremely concerned for the future of our BC recycling businesses. The BC Liberals claims they are pro-business, but here is an example of them meddling with the free market to ensure large corporations can profit from the residential recycling sector. Ultimately it is the environment and the people of BC who will be worse off.

MMBC, a contentious and much-criticized residential recycling program, was introduced by the BC Liberal Government and came into effect this spring. It is controlled by the Ontario-based Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance’s board of directors, which includes representation from Unilever Canada, Metro, Walmart, Tim Hortons, Loblaw Companies, Coca-Cola Canada and Procter & Gamble.

Please click here for background on this issue.

Lana

Time for Premier Clark to set a new tone with teachers

Here is an Op-Ed from the Leader of the Official Opposition about the shut-down of public schools in BC. -L.

By John Horgan, leader, B.C. New Democrats, Sept 7 2014

Tuesday should have been the first day of school in our province. It should have been the exciting beginning of a new year, but instead, it brought another day of frustration and disappointment for children and their families.

Premier Christy Clark and her education minister have tried to say the things they think people want to hear – like that they are willing to meet 24/7, and that class size and composition issues are important – but their actions speak much louder than words. The premier’s only actions as the education labour dispute have been to inflame the situation further and show disrespect to our province’s teachers.

Don't miss the last Star Party of the year!

Opposition Education Critic calls for education minister to step down

New Democrat education spokesperson Rob Fleming released the following statement on the breakdown of talks in the education dispute:

“With just two days left before the start of school, it is clear Education Minister Peter Fassbender has utterly failed kids and families in B.C. Either he should admit he is not up to the task and step down, or Premier Clark should remove him.

Bill 24 consultations ignore voices of farmers

Dear Saanich South,

I'm writing today from Cranbook, where I am attending another one of the government's sham "consultations" on changes to the Agricultural Land Commission. The consultations were scheduled for the middle of summer – that’s when farmers are farming. I've heard from many in the agriculture community that they just don’t have the time to participate at this time of year so their voices will not be heard.

Let’s not forget that 90 per cent of our ALR lands are now open for development because of Bill 24.

If the B.C. Liberals really wanted an authentic process they wouldn’t have chosen the time of year when participation would be lowest. At a minimum, the Minister of Agriculture should extend the consultation process until the end of the year.

As it stands, this process is deeply flawed, and will result in a report and regulation changes to the ALC that agriculture stakeholders can’t even review before it is final.

Bill 24 removed protections for 90 per cent of ALR land, opening it up for development. The B.C. Liberals failed to consult with farmers before bringing in the bill and pushing it through in the spring legislative session.

Public schools are worth fighting for!

Dear Saanich South,

Check out this video with a message about public education, from John Horgan, MLA and Leader of the Official Opposition – it really speaks to his values and why public schools matter.

As the MLA for Saanich South, I remain actively engaged with efforts to resolve the dispute between the B.C. Liberals and public school teachers.

I’m also a parent of a grade eleven student in public school. And I’m a citizen who believes passionately in the importance of accessible high-quality K-12 education for all, regardless of one’s ability to pay.

That is why I argue strongly that the BC government must pay teachers fairly and address widespread concerns over class size and composition.

It is also why I am disgusted with the BC Liberal’s efforts to undermine public education in this province. Premier Clark is starving our schools and harming the education of a generation of public school students. Diverting funds allocated for public education to off-set the child-care costs for parents is an attack on the foundation of public education and a poisoning of negotiations that will only make it harder to find common ground with teachers.  

There is a sliver of hope in the recent news that another round of negotiations between the parties to this dispute will begin tomorrow. I wish them well. A resolution must be found immediately, the new school year is supposed to start in less than a month.

Public pressure is required to force the government to understand that they will be held to account if they cannot provide fundamental public services, including a vibrant and successful public education system.

Please continue to make your voices heard – in letters and phone calls to the Premier, on social media, by attending rallies and joining teachers on the picket line, and speaking up for public education with your friends, neighbours and colleagues. Public education is a cornerstone of democracy and with the BC Liberals in power we have no choice but to fight to protect it.

Keep in touch: lana.popham.mla@leg.bc.ca or 250 479 4154.

Lana

Lana Popham, MLA Saanich South

Other recent posts on education:

Inside Saanich South: Public Education is the foundation of ...

Jun 20, 2014

Public Education is the foundation of Democracy. Dear Constituents of Saanich South,. As you know, public school teachers across the province are out on strike. They are demanding improved wages, smaller class sizes and ...

BC Government failing to respect public school teachers

May 27, 2014

Premier Clark has been a constant factor in this government's decade of conflict with teachers in B.C. As education minister in 2002, she passed a law that led to larger classes and less support for students with special needs.

Inside Saanich South: School kids used as political pawns

Feb 03, 2014

Dear Saanich South, Last week a BC Supreme Court Judge exposed the rotten underbelly of the BC government's relationship with teachers and the public education system. The BC Supreme Court reviewed secret cabinet ...

Inspiring community effort to help young Dacian!

Dear Friends,

Please join your neighbours in the Lakehill community as they fundraise in support of  Dacian, a wonderful 9 year old boy. 

There are lots of way to help - this Saturday, for example, Dacian's friend, Maia, is hosting a lemonade fundraiser between 11am and 3pm at 935 Ambassador Ave. How inspiring!

Dacian has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This is a rare and very severe type of MD; it is progressive, there is no cure or effective treatment, and the average life expectancy is around 25 years.

Dacian

A wheel-chair adapted van is very important for Dacian to attend school, medical appointments and remain active as his MD progresses.

Dacian’s parents’ income, while modest, is above the cut-off for the kind of charitable and social assistance that he needs. The BC government has refused to help his parents offset the cost of a van. In fact, the BC government recently cut the program which was designed to help in situations like this. 

The Lakehill Community is stepping up. Dacian’s friend Shaya, and her family raised over $1500 with a lemonade stand earlier this month. Check out this Chek TV story about it! 

Please consider encouraging your kids to get involved and do their own fundraiser… or make a donation on your own: http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/a-van-for-dacian/191432

Warm regards, Lana

MLA Saanich South

Star-gazing tops expectations

Reprinted from the Saanich News, by Travis Paterson, July 25, 2014

Saturday night stargazing at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory has taken off with a total of more than 500 people showing up at the last two events.

Nearly 350 visited the Centre of the Universe for a tour of the Plaskett Telescope on July 12, with another 200 braving the windy conditions on July 19 for a super moon viewing.

“Unfortunately the wind kept us from opening the dominion roof, but those who stuck it out and stayed late finally got to peek through the telescope a little before 11 p.m.,” said Lauri Roche, a volunteer with the Victoria Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society.

“Other than being blown off the hill by winds it was another great night,” Roche said.

With wind up to 50 km/h, the Plaskett’s fragile lenses couldn’t be exposed, Roche said.

“It’s safe to say the free admission is drawing big numbers, but as long as we’re around the 200 to 300 mark, we’re okay,” she said.

“Anything over 300 and it does start to get a little crowded with lineups.”

Saanich South MLA Lana Popham – who launched a petition to save the facility’s outreach programs after the federal government announced it was pulling funding last year – said the early turnout has been encouraging.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done in terms of the longevity of the centre, but it’s worth doing. And it’s gathered the community together,” Popham said.

Community Gathering to commemorate the tragedy of the Komagata Maru.

Click to see this photo album

Dear Friends,

More than 100 people gathered last night at the Saanich South Community Office to commemorate the Komagata Maru incident.

It was a truly special evening because there was so much warmth, affection and good-will in the air.

Despite the fact that we had gathered to remember a historic moment of injustice defined by racism and intolerance, people were very happy and in a mood to celebrate.

I think that was because it was undeniable to everyone there just how much has changed in a 100 years and that gave us all so much hope for the future.

Special thanks go out to Samuel Godfrey, James Taylor, Chandar Sundaram, Sonia Manak and Mona Malik.

More info here.

Regards,

Lana

MLA Saanich South

From Expulsion to Embrace: Komagata Maru 100 years later, 1914 - 2014

Dear Saanich South,

You are invited to a community gathering at the Saanich South Constituency Office: 6pm – 8pm, Wednesday July 23, 2014.

On this day, exactly 100 years ago, a steamship called the Komagata Maru left Vancouver Harbour for Calcutta. On board were more than 300 would-be immigrants from India. They had spent the last two months trapped on board the ship in the Burrard Inlet, desperate for food and fresh water, as they tried and failed to get the same right to enter Canada given freely to “white” immigrants.

By learning this history we can appreciate how the Indo-Canadian community has thrived over the last 100 years, and how the restrictions and discrimination of the past have been steadily replaced with opportunities and multiculturalism.

There will be historical displays, Indian food, chai and sweets.

We will celebrate how far we've come and reflect on the challenges which remain.

Hope you can make it!

Please RSVP: rsvp@saanichsouth.ca

Lana

Lana Popham, MLA Saanich South

The Komagata Maru, 100 years ago

1914 – 2014: from Expulsion to Embrace

  

The Komagata Maru was a steamship that sailed from Hong Kong to Vancouver, arriving on May 23, 1914.

On board were 376 passengers, all members of the British Empire. They arrived to start a new life in BC, like hundreds of thousands of other warmly welcomed immigrants in the years before the First World War.

However, these new arrivals received a hostile reception because of who they were: migrants from India. 340 of the passengers were Sikh Punjabis, the rest were Muslims or Hindus from other parts of the sub-continent.

The passengers were unwanted and “illegal” because they were not “White”.

As offensive as this sounds to us today, that was a ‘moral’ position and popular view at the time. Such sentiments were openly stated by everyone from the BC Premier, the local Member of Parliament, the Chief of Police and Military Officials, to the editors of the major newspapers and most in the general public.

Law and regulations were in place to legalize this discrimination. Non-whites must be severely restricted from immigrating to Canada, the logic was, to ensure the dominant culture prospered and the resources and jobs of this bountiful part of the world were reserved for those in power.

For two months a dramatic conflict played out in Victoria, Vancouver and Ottawa. In fact, the story was leading news around the world. It spoke to major world issues of the moment, including the British occupation of India. It led to direct action by the Prime Minister and Members of his Conservative Cabinet …not to mention a dramatic murder and a hanging in Vancouver.

When the Komagata Maru arrived outside the harbour of Vancouver in May 1914, the Canadian government acted aggressively. The Immigration Ministry denied the passengers permission to land and ordered the ship to leave BC waters.

The leader of the passengers was Gurdit Singh,a successful businessman and activist based in Singapore. He believed with good reason that he and his passengers had a legal right to immigrate to Canada as Members of the British Empire. He planned this journey, charted the boat and crew, and sold one-way tickets. In his view this would be put the first of regular such voyages. 

Gurdit Singh refused to leave the Burrard Inlet. However, he had only brought enough water and food for a one-way voyage. As their supplies quickly dwindled, the passengers took stock of their dire predicament. Canada would not let them land. The government refused even to take them into custody on land while while their claims were adjudicated.

After a long and uncomfortable voyage, the passengers found themselves in an anchored and floating prison.

The passengers’ plight brought together a diverse group of supporters, including the nascent Indo-Canadian community and a disparate minority of socialists and progressives.

Funds were raised and a lawyer was hired to fight the government in court. (He later had to flee as his work on behalf of the Komagata Maru generated credible death threats to himself and his wife and child.) The passengers wanted equal treatment with immigrants from other parts of the world, especially north-west Europe, who happened to be welcomed into Canada with open arms by the Canadian Government at the time.

Soon after the Komagata Maru arrived, a rally was organized by Vancouver mayor Truman Baxter in which he and other speakers like Member of Parliament H.H Stevens urged the government to force the ship to leave port immediately. The Immigration Official in charge, Malcolm R.J Reid, worked tirelessly to keep the passengers off-shore.

Meanwhile a "shore committee" was formed which raised funds for the ship and helped hire a lawyer to fight the case in court. Gurdit Singh agreed to file a representative case on behalf of all the passengers in the name of a farmer named Munshi Singh. On July 6th, the full bench of B.C court of appeal gave a unanimous verdict that under new Federal orders-in-council it had no authority to interfere with immigration department.

On July 19, 1914, the ship Sea Lion, with 35 special deputised immigration officers along with 125 Vancouver police officers approached the boat in order to force it from Vancouver harbor. The angry passengers defended themselves by throwing chunks of coal that was onboard as cargo. The Sea Lion was forced to retreat.

On July 21^st, the Federal government mobilized its new Royal Canadian Navy and brought in a warship, the HMCS Rainbow to force the Komagata Maru to leave.

By this time the passengers were close to starving and suffering from a lack of drinking water. On July 23, they chose to leave port peacefully. They were not allowed to take on food and water and other supplies they needed for the return voyage until they were well out to sea.

The passengers of the Komagata Maru struggled non-violently for the chance to live in Canada. After exhausting all legal options they agreed to leave, and set a course for Calcutta India on July 23, 1914. The dramatic story continues in India as many were arrested or killed by British-India police soon after their return. Gurdit Singh escaped and went into hiding. Six years later he voluntarily surrendered to the police on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi and spent five years in prison. 

In Canada, the story of the Komagata Maru resonates deeply with many people, especially the Indo-Canadian Community. In many ways it marked a turning point in the long struggle for equality in Canada. Today this moment is celebrated by many Sikh Punjabis because Canada has truly become their home, a place where they live in freedom and strive for what is good.

100 years after the expulsion of the Komagata Maru much has changed. Canadians have become more pluralistic, welcoming of diversity and respectful of human rights.

  

May this anniversary be celebrated in the spirit of accepting new challenges: we can best honour the Komagata Maru by advancing freedom and justice for all.

Lana Popham

Public Education is the foundation of Democracy

Dear Constituents of Saanich South,

As you know, public school teachers across the province are out on strike. They are demanding improved wages, smaller class sizes and better support for students with special needs.

As a parent of a grade 10 student in the public system I know how urgently improvements are needed in our schools …and I know how harmful this strike is to students, especially those in grades 11 and 12.

It is time for the government to come to the table and negotiate better terms for teachers. 

Instead, we see the government turning away from the breakdown in our public school system. In fact, we know from testimony made under oath in Court by the BC Liberal government’s own chief negotiator that the government’s explicit goal was to provoke the teachers into striking.

They pushed the teachers into this strike in order to create a crisis that they can use to justify forcing teachers back to work through punitive legislation.

No less an authority than the Supreme Court of BC has ruled – not once, but twice -- that the BC Liberals broke the law when negotiating with teachers. In the last ruling, made in January of this year, the Court even fined the BC government two million dollars for acting in bad faith.

This dispute has severely disrupted the school year and schools are now shut down with no end in sight.

That is why BC’s Opposition Leader John Horgan today called on the government to bring in an independent negotiator to help settle this dispute.

If the BC Liberals think teachers will put their tail between their legs and slink back to the classroom they are delusional.

Teachers have tried bargaining patiently for years. They have tried modest job action. They have tried rotating strikes. All of it has been answered by the BC Liberals with hostility and political manoeuvring.

To the BC Liberal Government, inflicting pain on students and parents and teachers in the public school system is better than paying the cost of addressing sub-standard class size and composition.

Thank you BC teachers for fighting for what is right!

With the public’s help, public educators will teach the BC Liberals a lesson:

British Columbians expect their government to fund a healthy public education system.

Email Premier Christy Clark a message and help her learn this lesson.

And join me in speaking out in support of public education. It is the foundation of democracy.

Sincerely,

Lana Popham, MLA Saanich South

7 free Saturday Night Star-Gazing Parties confirmed for 2014!

Guests waiting to enter the Observatory on what was
scheduled to be the final night of public viewing, Aug 24 2013 

Dear Friends,

The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory will be open for public observing on seven Saturday nights this summer.

The grounds of the DAO will open from 8:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. for the Saturday night observing sessions on July 5, 12 and 19, August 2, 9 and 16, and September 6.

On these evenings, volunteers will use their telescopes to show visitors the Moon, planets, stars and other objects in the sky. As well, these evenings will include audio-visual presentations and astronomy lectures inside the historic Plaskett Telescope. These inside activities will take place regardless of the weather conditions.

Gov't revamp of recycling sector should be subject of Auditor General investigation

To Whom it May Concern,

The BC Ministry of Environment has set up a scheme which uses recycling regulation to compel business people to pay over 100 million dollars annually to a corporation that is outside of public accountability mechanisms. The corporation is called MMBC, and is run by three people, two of whom are Vice-Presidents of Loblaws and Unilever respectively.

It is a matter of grave public concern when significant funds are collected through regulatory authority but are diverted outside of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act, the Financial Administration Act and the Auditor General Act.

Last month I laid out my concerns in detail to the Auditor General in a four page letter. My position has been endorsed by successful business-people across industry sectors and across the province, including Mr. Kelvin McCullloch. Mr McCulloch is a former forensic auditor and current Chairman of the Board and CEO of Buckerfields, an award-winning BC
business with eight stores, over 110 employees and annual sales receipts above twenty million dollars.

We all understand that the BC Liberal Government's scheme should trigger action by the Auditor General because it is consistent with other attempts to funnel taxpayer funds outside of public accountability mechanisms that were eventually found to be illegal. The sponsorship scandal in Ottawa and the McKim advertising scandal in BC are just two examples.

Defend our Coast!

Yesterday the Federal Government gave significant approval to the Enbridge pipeline proposal.

This is definitive evidence that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative Government are not acting in the best interests of British Columbia.

The Northern Gateway Pipeline Proposal must not proceed. 

I join millions of others to demand that Premier Christy Clark respect the will of BC and oppose this project. 

It time for her to be true to her word: her “5 conditions” have not been met and therefore this project cannot move forward.

Then the BC Liberals can cancel a few meetings with their Big Oil lobbyist/donor friends and find more time to focus on what will create diverse long-term economic benefits: helping industry create more good-quality jobs that benefit BC communities, respects First Nations and protects our land, air and water. 

BC Government failing to respect public school teachers

Lunch time and locked out at South Park today

Dear Saanich South,

Many of you have contacted me about the current labour dispute impacting public schools. I'm very concerned about this, and the impact of this disruption on hundreds of thousands of kids and their families.

I'm also angry at how the BC government is treating our teachers and the school system. Premier Clark and her government have not only failed to negotiate an agreement with teachers, they have escalated the conflict with a “partial lockout,” that disrupts school activities, including academic field trips, graduation activities, exam marking and report card updates.

Premier Clark has been a constant factor in this government’s decade of conflict with teachers in B.C.  As education minister in 2002, she passed a law that led to larger classes and less support for students with special needs. The B.C. Supreme Court struck down this law in 2011, and when the BC Liberal government introduced virtually identical legislation in 2012, they struck that down as unconstitutional as well.

In the court ruling released earlier this year, the judge chastised the government for bargaining in bad faith and attempting to provoke a full-scale strike in B.C. schools. Regrettably, recent attempts to provoke teachers and escalate tensions show the government has not changed its tactics.

Along with my colleagues, I will continue pressing the government to turn the page on twelve years of political failures that have harmed the education of a generation of kids and worsened the quality of employment of public school teachers. We will continue to support all good-faith efforts to reach a negotiated settlement.

Lana 

Moms like Us

Dear Saanich South,

After years of painfully watching children fall through the cracks in our so-called mental health system in BC, a group of Victoria mothers are advocating for a new approach.

Last week, a group called Moms Like Us hosted an over-flowing meeting about an intriguing new model for community-based mental-health supports.

Moms Like Us invited the Executive Director of Richmond BC's Pathways Clubhouse for a presentation about this ground-breaking organization.

"Clubhouses" offer residences and supportive services to people with mental health challenges. Despite the title of "clubhouse" these facilities are about much more than fun: they offer a structured and safe place with a focus on transitional employment programs and support to help members access the mental health services they need, where such programs exist.

Small Business and MMBC

Dear Saanich South,

As many of you know, I am the Official Opposition Critic for Small Business, Tourism and Arts and Culture.

With respect to Small Business, one issue I have worked hard on is the impact of a ‘red-tape monster’, Multi-Materials BC (MMBC).

MMBC is a registered BC Non-Profit Society that has been given power by the Ministry of Environment to demand over $100 annually from businesses and take over the BC residential recycling sector.

For a balanced analysis of MMBC, see this article by Don Cayo in the Vancouver Sun.

Over the past few months I’ve raised many objections to this program, both within the Legislature and in meetings and correspondence with constituents, business-people, Chambers of Commerce, municipalities, MMBC, and the Auditor General of BC. [See here, and here.]

I’m pleased to note that the government has at last responded to one of the objections raised by myself and others, namely the excessive red-tape and financial burden MMBC would place on small business in BC.

Yesterday, the government finalized changes to the recycling regulations to exempt small producers of packing and printed paper (PPP). An exemption is granted if any one of the following four criteria is met:

• Under one million dollars in annual revenues.
• Under one tonne of packaging and printed paper supplied to B.C. residents.
• Operate as a single point of retail sale and are not supplied by or operated as part of franchise or chain
• Is a registered charity.

According to the BC government, these changes will exempt 99% of businesses in BC from MMBC.

In addition, medium-sized businesses which are not exempt but are still low-volume producers of PPP can now pay an annual fee instead of assuming the cost of detailed PPP accounting and cyclical reporting.

Although these changes are incomplete – many small businesses in BC will still be hit with excessive MMBC red-tape and exorbitant fees collected by an organization which is not financially accountable to the provincial government – they do improve a profoundly flawed system. This change is a great relief to many small businesses. 

I will continue to work on this file. There is much more to be done to ensure that BC has a regulatory residential recycling system in place that includes accountability mechanisms for funds collected through the authority of the government, encourages BC businesses, and protects the environment.

Lana

Community gathers to commemorate the Komagata Maru

On board the Komagata Maru. Front left is the organizer of the 

voyage, Gurdit Singh, who said: “We are British citizens and we 

consider we have a right to visit any part of the Empire.” 

Dear Saanich South,

Today marks the 100 year anniversary of an important moment of our history, the arrival and immediate on-board detention of 376 would-be new Canadians, mostly Sikhs from Punjab in India. This incident is known by the name of the ship they travelled on, the Komagata Maru.

All are invited to the Saanich Commonwealth Place this Wednesday, May 28^th, 11am-12pm for: Echoes of Courage: Komagata Maru 1914-2014.

Community leaders will gather to commemorate the 100 year anniversary with a ceremony and the opening of a week-long educational exhibition. Light refreshments will be served.

This event is being organized by the India-Canada Cultural Association of Victoria with assistance from the municipality of Saanich and my office. I want to note with appreciation the volunteer leadership of Mr. Sabba Sall in organizing this event.

Mr. Sall writes:

The purpose of the exhibit on May 28th is to raise awareness about this incident so that injustices like it can be talked about honestly and so that they do not happen to any race regardless of colour or culture. We must be ever vigilant to ensure equality for all in Canada --our home.  

The Komagata Maru was anchored in the Burrard Inlet, as a fierce public and legal dispute raged over the right of those on board to enter Canada.

The passengers’ treatment was unquestionably defined by the racist sentiments of the time. They were deprived of due process, fair treatment, and even food and water. The ship was eventually forced to leave after a two month stand-off.

The incident marked a unifying moment for the now-vibrant and successful Indo-Canadian community, and it remains an historic event for Canada worthy of study and commemoration.

To learn more about the Komagata Maru incident, visit: http://komagatamaru100.com/

Warm regards, 

Lana

Lana Popham, MLA Saanich South