For the past three weeks I have heard the concerns from Gulf Islanders about the threat that COVID-19 poses to their communities. I’ve received hundreds of emails and phone calls. This concern has dominated every conversation with elected officials from the CRD and Islands Trust. Of course there is cause for significant concern. We have extremely...
Prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency we relied on, and to some extent took for granted, the incredible businesses that support our community in so many ways. I have been publishing a series of blog posts called “Championing Local Business”, highlighting my visits to local businesses as an MLA, and what I have learned about the...
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on every aspect of our society. The social discourse is evolving in so many ways. We are faced with ethical dilemmas as we recognize and acknowledge the fragility of the systems that we have created. There are incredible challenges for frontline medical workers who must make the seemingly impossible...
COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, is spreading quickly. We are in a state of shock as we see the impact of this virus globally and as businesses and institutions continue to announce suspension of operations and indefinite closures.Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix have been exemplary in the handling...
If you are a Facebook friend of my mom (Sylvia Olsen) then you may have seen her post announcing that her partner Tex has tested positive for COVID-19 and she is a presumptive case. The novel coronavirus has disrupted every part of our lives. It’s not just a community state of emergency, it’s global. Up until they received their diagnosis a...
My office has been inundated with emails from constituents on the Southern Gulf Islands who are concerned about the potential impact of a COVID-19 outbreak in one of their communities. They have been advocating for the provincial government to limit the access of non-residents similar to what the elected leaders of Tofino, Ucluelet and Ahousaht...
I delivered the BC Green Caucus response to Premier John Horgan's Ministerial Response to the serious public health and economic disruptions caused by COVID-19. The impact of this virus is unlike anything we have experienced before, the global response is unprecedented. It was a surreal day in the British Columbia...
Are you wondering what to do about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)? There is so much information (and misinformation) online these days that it is creating confusion. The situation with this virus is evolving so quickly I am simply going to provide a few links where you can find the most up to date information for British Columbia. Dr. Bonnie...
Last week the B.C. government took control of a fourth retirement home from Retirement Concepts, British Columbia’s largest chain of for-profit care homes, citing neglect of seniors. The home in Summerland joins homes in Comox, Nanaimo and Victoria that are already under the control of B.C’s health authorities. In...
Is the provincial government committed to public transit? British Columbians are concerned that Budget 2020 appears to be a step backward on public transportation funding. We know that access, reliability and convenience are critical factors to increasing ridership. Once people believe the government is committed to...
This has been an incredibly difficult chapter for British Columbia – and for me personally as an Indigenous Member of the Legislative Assembly.From the exhilaration of being the first jurisdiction in Canada to pass the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into legislation, to the escalating situation in Wet’suwet’en territory, our path...
With a pipeline blockaded in northern British Columbia, trains stopped in their tracks across the country, the proceedings of the legislature in Victoria disrupted, and demonstrations in my riding and communities across the country, the past few weeks have been confusing and frustrating for many Canadians. Despite all...
Yesterday I was hoping to get an answer to a straightforward question about the BC NDP's commitment to innovation, technology and the knowledge-based economy. I asked the Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness about whether three longstanding tax credits for the film industry (worth approximately...
The BC NDP government released their economic framework a few weeks back. There was no fanfare and in the end it was almost as if there was no 90-page document outlining their economic agenda. There is a lot in the framework that I take issue with and I will be exploring that in the coming weeks. I'm...
Over the past couple of years, I have been touring businesses on the Saanich Peninsula and Southern Gulf Islands and sharing my experiences on my blog in a series called “Championing Local Business.” The idea came from the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and their annual Tour of Industry. For about a decade they have been organizing...
I am deeply concerned with the state of relations with Indigenous people in British Columbia and Canada. The dysfunction is a result of decades of government policy. To de-escalate the tensions that are simmering dangerously close to a rolling boil, leadership must come from the halls of Parliaments across the...
In Budget 2020 the BC NDP government continues to make incremental investments in our shared priorities like CleanBC, housing, child care, support for post secondary students and a money laundering inquiry. However, the budget falls short of delivering the coherent, ambitious and modern economic agenda that British...
As a father of two children in elementary and middle school, childcare has been a constant concern for our family over the last decade. Like many of my peers, balancing the demands of work and family is difficult and requires many sacrifices. In addition to increasing cost of living – housing, food, transportation, clothing, hydro etc. – the cost...
The 2020 Speech from the Throne was overwhelmed by the well-publicized protests that nearly shut down the British Columbia legislature. For the most part the Speech was a recap of work that has been accomplished by our minority government through the Confidence and Supply Agreement...
With the dramatic protests that unfolded around the legislative precinct on opening day of the Spring session there is much confusion about all aspects of Indigenous reconciliation going forward. I have been clear that I am deeply frustrated with the B.C. NDP's decision last Spring to deliver an taxpayer funded...
This episode of The Public Circle Podcast features a conversation I had with John Juricic and Kelly Darwin for their podcast Northern Conversations. I am re-publishing it here. There is a great deal of confusion with respect to the current state of Indigenous relations in British Columbia. There is even less understanding of how we got here. This...
In this episode of The Public Circle Podcast I connect with South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) Interim CEO Bruce Williams. This is the not the first time that Bruce and I have sat across from each other with microphones. It was the first time that I was interviewing Bruce though. Williams joined the SIPP after a successful career as a...
Akimbo is the podcast that changed it all for me. I have written about it a few times now.It’s the reason I began blogging everyday for a year. Seth’s perspective helped re-shape my approach to my personal life and my work.He recently published an episode about sportsmanship. As I listened I could not help but be reminded of the place I work....
The BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George this past week brought together resource industry leaders, provincial government officials and Indigenous leaders to discuss how we can enhance sustainability and competitiveness in British Columbia’s resource sector, and, for the first time the BC Greens attended.Natural resources have been the...
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeYZloMtJac[/embedyt] I have definitely appreciated the words of encouragement I’ve received regarding my trip to Wet’suwet’en territory. It's been a challenging week and I thank you for your support. The Wet’suwet’en have a rich and beautiful culture and I was honoured to have the opportunity to learn...
MLA Adam Olsen says Wet’suwet’en supporters have democratic right to protest This week I saw my riding grapple with mixed emotions to the protesters who blocked the Swartz Bay ferry terminal for two hours in what they said was an act of solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs who are opposed to the Coastal Gas Link pipeline currently...