Happy New Year! 🎉🎇

Dear <<First Name>>,

Happy New Year! I hope you had a safe and relaxing winter holiday with your family and friends. I am excited for what this year has to offer and look forward to building meaningful connections as I continue to serve Burnaby-Deer Lake.

The new year brings hope and optimism with it despite the challenges ahead of us. While COVID-19 continues to disrupt our lives and our communities, we are implementing science-based measures to get through this surge of the Omicron variant and put the pandemic behind us.

We recently accelerated our booster campaign and over 960,000 people have already received their booster shots. The most important thing we can all do is make sure we have both of our vaccines and sign up to receive the booster dose once eligible. You will receive an email or text approximately six months after your second dose and you will be able to book your booster at a location that works for you through the online system.

Applications for the COVID-19 Closure Relief Grant will open soon for businesses that had to temporarily close due to the latest Provincial Health Officer orders. Businesses can receive up to $10,000 to help cover costs like rent, utilities, and wages.

As more and more British Columbians are receiving their booster vaccines, it is also important that we continue to use other layers of protection to keep each other safe, including wearing masks, decreasing social contacts, and staying home when we feel sick.

In 2022, let’s continue to support and care for one another as we look ahead to brighter days.

Labour Force Survey shows a strong recovery

Today’s Labour Force Survey stats give us an opportunity to look back on 2021. We can say that despite a very challenging year for British Columbians, we added more than 100,000 jobs across the province last year, one of the highest job growths in the country. This is a 3.9% increase compared to 2020 job numbers, with 84,000 of these jobs being full-time.

With one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country at 5.3%, B.C.’s strong job numbers over the past year solidify our province as a leader in the ongoing pandemic recovery.

For more info: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022JERI0001-000017

Workforce will benefit from five paid sick days beginning Jan. 1

It’s a great start for 2022. No one should have to choose between going to work sick or losing wages. As of January 1, workers in B.C. now have access to 5 paid sick leave days each year. Many of the people benefiting are the same workers we have depended on throughout the pandemic.

Ensuring employees can stay home when they’re sick helps them recover faster, protects workplaces and the public, and keeps our communities healthy. Let’s build a stronger BC together!

For more info: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/paid-sick-leave

Support for B.C. farmers' markets to grow to operate in emergencies

#BuyBC! Farmers’ markets in B.C. are receiving funding from the governments of Canada and British Columbia to help cover the costs to expand local food and beverage sales, and operate during emergencies.

“This new program funding will help ensure farmers’ markets can stay open and operate during emergencies so British Columbians can access the foods they count on. Through the pandemic and extreme weather events, the province has seen over the last year and a half, the importance of local food has never been greater,” said Lana Popham, B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.

For more info: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022AFF0001-000003

Home Owner Grant helps people with property taxes

People are now able to apply for B.C.’s Home Owner Grant which reduces the amount of property tax you pay for your principal residence.

To learn more about the B.C. Home Owner Grants, please visit twww.gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant

I'm here for you

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about any provincial issue, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to help you.

My office can be reached at (604) 775-0565 or Anne.Kang.MLA@leg.bc.ca.

Sincerely,

Anne Kang, MLA
Burnaby-Deer Lake

From now until February 28, 2022, your Legislative Assembly is accepting page poetry and spoken word submissions from K-12 students in BC!

Please share and encourage your brilliant kids to apply. I look forward to all the submissions!

For more information, please visit https://democracyandme.ca/

City of Burnaby New Sidewalk Program

In support of Burnaby’s draft Transportation Plan and Climate Action Plan, the City of Burnaby has developed a new sidewalk construction program. Priority for choosing locations for new sidewalks was given to streets near transit stops, schools, parks, seniors’ housing and community centres. W

herever possible, sidewalk projects will include: separated sidewalks with boulevard space between the sidewalk and curb, sidewalks on both sides of the street, wheelchair ramps at every street corner (priority), street lighting, signage and drainage improvements, grassed boulevards with trees, sidewalks that meander around large trees (to save trees) or obstacles such as power poles, and traffic calming measures such as curb bulges on local roads or speed humps in school zones.

Click here for more information. Comments about any planned sidewalk projects can be made on the website using the feedback form. If you have questions, please call 604-294-7988 or email sidewalks@burnaby.ca.

COVID-19 updates from the BC Centre for Disease Control

Total vaccine doses administered in B.C. are 9,552,369.

There are currently 31,817 active cases in British Columbia as of January 7, 2022. A total of 238,524 people who tested positive have recovered.

As of today, there have been more than 5,176,497 completed tests. Our province has adjusted testing to 982,001 people per 1,000,000.

For more information, please visit BCCDC's website

COVID Resources

For medical info, visit covid-19.bccdc.ca or call 811
For vaccination info, visit gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated
For financial supports for people and businesses, visit this page .
For PHO orders and guidance, visit this page.
For seniors looking for additional support, or for those looking to support seniors, call 211 or visit bc211.ca
For virtual mental health resources, click here.  

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