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Episode 007 – The Public Circle LIVE!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12052RBHOTA[/embedyt] Episode 007 - The Public Circle LIVE! Friday, March 30, 2018 The Public Circle LIVE! is a weekly live broadcast by Adam Olsen from the Saanich North and the Islands Constituency Office in Sidney, BC. Adam discusses various issues in British Columbia politics and the riding of Saanich...
Talking transportation in Saanich North and the Islands
On Saturday March 24, 2018 we hosted our fourth Community Dialogue. Twenty-five community members joined us in our constituency office in Sidney to discuss the transportation needs on the Saanich Peninsula and Southern Gulf Islands. Saanich Peninsula residents bring transportation ideas to MLA Peninsula News Review Hugo Wong Published: March 26,...
Column: MLA seeks input on Region’s transportation networks
Each year millions of people visit Greater Victoria and the vast majority come through the Saanich Peninsula either via our award-winning international airport or though our ferry system. But, it is not just tourism. The peninsula is home to many well-established industrial and commercial enterprises. Our ports also move billions of dollars of...
Speculation tax changed. Now excludes Gulf Islands!
Today the provincial government announced the much anticipated changes to the speculation tax. Here are some initial responses to the removal of the Southern Gulf Islands from the tax. There is a lot more to analyze and I will be commenting further in the future. “Since the government announced the speculation tax, I heard from many concerned...
#MySalmonStory
We woke up at half past four. The Briggs & Stratton powered clinkers were already warming in Brentwood Bay. Guide boats from Jimmy Gilbert’s and Mike Keepence’s marina’s filled with tourists as we stood on the docks quietly chatting about the hotspots in the Saanich Inlet. I have told the story often. I am a Brentwood kid who grew up on the...
Episode 006 – The Public Circle LIVE!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RManFQ8WVKo[/embedyt] Episode 006 - The Public Circle LIVE! Friday, March 23, 2018 The Public Circle LIVE! is a weekly live broadcast by Adam Olsen from the Saanich North and the Islands Constituency Office in Sidney, BC. Adam discusses various issues in British Columbia politics and the riding of Saanich...
19 Labs making medical devices mobile in Brentwood Bay
They work in a second floor space above my 2013 provincial election campaign office in Brentwood Bay. Their footprint is very light, but the work they are doing could revolutionize rural and remote medicine around the world. They are Caffeinated Turtle Enterprises and the Canadian office of 19 Labs, a Silicon Valley tech company. Together they...
Spring Town Hall Series
Following the spring session of the Legislature and the BC NDP's first full budget there is a lot to update. I am excited to announce our Spring town hall series. Throughout the sitting I have had the opportunity in Question Period to press government on their salmon policy, the speculation tax, and a growing advertising budget which still has no...
Statement celebrating the Saanich Peninsula youth health clinic
Following a six-month pilot project for a youth health clinic started by Dr. Kate Evans, it appears it is here to stay! There was need not just for physical but also for mental health support and Dr. Evans' program not only got the support of the South Island Division of Family Practice, Peninsula Medical Clinic, the...
We still need oversight on climbing ad budget
What is up with the advertising spending? During the last four years of the BC Liberals the BC NDP harshly criticized the former government for spending millions of dollars of taxpayers money on what amounted to partisan campaign ads. Well, recent reports have come out that even though we have an NDP government, the...
Taking action on what’s driving the housing crisis
In Budget 2018, the provincial government proposed several measures in an attempt to deal with a massive housing affordability crisis in British Columbia. One of the measures was a "speculation tax" which was part of the BC Green Caucus housing policy announced in earlier this year. There have been many concerns...
Statement on Indigenous language revitalization
I had the opportunity to celebrate the provincial government's commitment to Indigenous language revitalization. I thank BCNDP MLA Bowinn Ma for her powerful response. This is a transformative step in our long journey of reconciliation. [Transcript] Adam Olsen My name is SȾHENEP. I grew up in the WJOȽEȽP village of...
005 – The Public Circle LIVE!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KygnJukXV5o[/embedyt] 005 - The Public Circle LIVE! Friday, March 9, 2018 The Public Circle LIVE! is a weekly live broadcast by Adam Olsen from the Saanich North and the Islands Constituency Office in Sidney, BC. Adam discusses various issues in British Columbia politics and the riding of Saanich North...
Statement on Speculation Tax
Seeking clarity I have heard from many constituents, particularly on the Gulf Islands, on their concerns about how the speculation tax might impact them. The legislation to implement this tax will not come until the Fall. While the government has stated there will be exemptions, they have yet to provide full clarity on what they will look like....
Episode 004 – The Public Circle LIVE!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=natShBEZxDM[/embedyt] Friday, March 1, 2018 The Public Circle LIVE! is a weekly live broadcast by Adam Olsen from the Saanich North and the Islands Constituency Office in Sidney, BC. Adam discusses various issues in British Columbia politics and the riding of Saanich North and the Islands, and interviews...
Time is up! We need to appoint a Wild Salmon Secretariat
For four straight days in Question Period me and my BC Green colleagues have been asking government about their wild fish policy. We have noted that up to six different provincial ministries and one federal department all have responsibility for this file. Essentially, the policy is fractured, leaving wild salmon and...
Statement celebrating the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust
In our ongoing series, about how government plays an essential role in working to support the dedication and passion of people and organizations in our communities, I turn my attention to the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust. Their project called "The Root" received a $100,000 grant from the Rural Dividend Fund last...
Budget 2018 response on investment in transportation
Budget 2018 has some good news on transportation. There are a handful of policy changes that will help decrease the costs for people who live in ferry dependent communities. Commitments were made to invest transit which I welcome in Saanich North and the Islands and the Capital Regional District. [Transcript] This...
Budget 2018 response on investment in Indigenous languages
In Budget 2018, the British Columbia government makes a transformative investment in the restoration of Indigenous languages. Our province is the most linguistically diverse in Canada and many Indigenous languages have been lost or are near extinction. Reconnecting to language is a critical step forward in...
Budget 2018: Adam Olsen’s response to BC NDP Budget
The BCNDP government laid out their priorities in Budget 2018. I have laid out my initial thoughts on the budget, both positive and negative, in this video. Our goal shouldn't be just to simply fix the shortcomings of the last 16 years. As leaders, we need to champion a clear plan for British Columbia. We need a...
Who is protecting the Steelhead?
I remain concerned about the government's response to rapid decline of Steelhead trout in the Thompson and Chilcoten Rivers. These fish have been listed as near extinction with only a few dozen fish returning to spawn. Many Steelhead are caught inadvertently, as by-catch, in the Chum salmon gill-net fishery. In...
Episode 003 – The Public Circle LIVE!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbyKty7mmaY[/embedyt] Friday, February 23, 2018 Episode 003 The Public Circle LIVE! is a weekly live broadcast by Adam Olsen from the Saanich North and the Islands Constituency Office in Sidney, BC. Adam discusses various issues in British Columbia politics and the riding of Saanich North and the Islands,...
Column: Consultations now open on the future of the ALR
I get a lot of questions as your MLA and some of the most challenging have been on the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). In recent weeks we have received a high volume of letters to our office about two ALR issues: the Creating Homefulness Society on Woodwynn Farm, and a proposed cannabis production facility at Stanhope Farm. These are two very...
What’s the goal of the housing policy?
My colleague Andrew Weaver asked the government about the objective of the housing policy announced in Budget 2018. He did not receive a clear answer. I continued to press government through Finance Minister, Hon. Carole James, on the objective of her budget. Is the goal to stabilize demand, bring down the curve of...
Steelhead are going extinct… what are we doing about it?
We need a plan! The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife of Canada has recently initiated a seldom used fast track process and concluded that the Thompson and Chilcoten Steelhead trout are at imminent risk of extinction. I asked the Minister of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural...
Episode 002 – The Public Circle LIVE!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQuOp_eyUbg[/embedyt] Friday, February 16, 2018 The Public Circle LIVE! is a weekly live broadcast by Adam Olsen from the Saanich North and the Islands Constituency Office in Sidney, BC. Adam discusses various issues in British Columbia politics and the riding of Saanich North and the Islands, and...