Dear <<First Name>>,
Yesterday, April 22, was Earth Day 2021! I'm so grateful to live in a community as beautiful as Burnaby-Deer Lake, with stunning natural spaces like Deer Lake, Central Park, and more. I'm also proud to be part of a government working hard to reduce our emissions and make our Province's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic a just and sustainable one.
The theme for this year's Earth Day is #RestoreOurEarth. As we fight through the third wave of the pandemic, we must also remember our top priority to protect our one Earth, our one home. I am proud that in the recently announced new BC Budget, we are putting additional $506 million in CleanBC investments to reduce emissions, to protect communities, to expand the economy and to create careers.
True sustainability is achieved when three pillars are strengthened: economic viability, environmental protection and social equity.
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Today, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General announced new travel restrictions.
These restrictions are about keeping people safe and healthy. As we continue to roll out our vaccination program, limiting non-essential travel will help us to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the province.
Most British Columbians have been working hard to stop the spread of COVID-19 by following public health advice to stay in their communities and avoiding non-essential travel.
But we need to do more to discourage travel.
This order will limit travel into and out of three regional zones in the province:
- Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley
- Vancouver Island
- Northern and Interior (this includes Hope and the Bella Coola Valley and Central Coast)
The order is designed to discourage and stop recreational and leisure travel – not punish people. The order does not restrict essential travel between regional zones – including for work, for school and to help care for a sick loved one.
As Dr. Henry says, staying in our local communities means we are not going to and from COVID hotspots and inadvertently bringing the virus along with us.
I encourage everyone to visit www.gov.bc.ca/covidtravel to see the full details of the travel restrictions.
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BC Budget 2021
I'm thrilled to share that this week, our government presented Budget 2021: A Stronger BC for Everyone. Budget 2021 is about helping people now and creating the conditions for a strong economic recovery. It’s about responding to the challenges of the pandemic and preparing us for the future. I’d like to share just some of the highlights about how this budget will work for you:
Protecting people’s health and safety: We’re investing $900 million to bolster COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and the vaccine rollout, as part of $4 billion in total new health and mental health investments. Budget 2021 also features the largest mental health investment in BC history. We’re building a better network of mental health supports for youth and expanding the response to the overdose crisis.
Investing in people and communities: New investments will support people and make life more affordable. This includes free public transportation for kids 12 and under, doubling the number of $10-a-day child care spaces, and a $2 billion investment to build homes for middle-income families.
Supporting BC’s businesses: Ongoing supports will help businesses to get through the pandemic and plan for a resilient future. We’re providing incentives for employers who hire more people this year, relief grants for bars, restaurants and gyms impacted by current circuit-breaker public health measures, and expanding the Grow BC, Feed BC, Buy BC strategy to support our farmers and food producers.
I'm so excited to see how all of these wonderful initiatives will benefit our community here in Burnaby-Deer Lake. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have faced challenges that we never could have imagined. But we are resilient, and myself as your MLA and your provincial government has your back. Together, we’ll make health care better; create new opportunities for people; and help our BC businesses grow.
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Here2Talk Turns One Year Old!
Here2Talk, British Columbia's first dedicated mental health support service for post-secondary students, is marking a successful first year providing guidance and support to 3,285 B.C. students.
Here2Talk launched in April 2020 as a free mental health counselling and referral service providing year-round, 24/7 mental health support services for all B.C. post-secondary students, whether they live in Canada or abroad. I'm so happy that student’s satisfaction with the service is high - 82% said it has provided them with the support & tools they needed, while 75% said they would refer their friend or classmate to Here2Talk.
We're here for you. Here2Talk provides free, confidential, #24/7support via app, online or phone. Services are in diverse languages & additional translators are there if a language-specific counsellor is not available. No issue is too big or too small.
https://here2talk.ca/home
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Paid leave for workers to get COVID-19 vaccine
The B.C. government has introduced amendments to the Employment Standards Act that, if passed, will provide workers with up to three hours of paid leave to get each dose of their COVID-19 vaccine. The amendments ensure no one will lose pay if they need time away from work to get vaccinated.
We know that many workers can't afford to lose pay, and we need to make sure that it's as easy as possible for workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This paid leave will ensure that no one will have to choose between losing pay and getting their doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
These amendments expand on the regulatory improvements made on April 1, 2021, that currently provide job-protected leave for workers to take as much time as they need to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The changes to the act will allow employees to take up to three hours of paid leave to get their COVID-19 vaccine, for each dose.
To learn about B.C.'s COVID-19 Immunization Plan and rollout, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/plan
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I'm here for you
As always, if you have questions or need any assistance with provincial COVID-19 supports, please reach out. Thank you for trusting me to support you again as your MLA for Burnaby-Deer Lake. For constituency-related questions, you can reach me at (604) 775-0565 or Anne.Kang.MLA@leg.bc.ca. For all inquiries about my capacity as Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training, please email AEST.minister@gov.bc.ca.
Sincerely,
Anne Kang, MLA
Burnaby-Deer Lake
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The Burnaby Board of Trade is pleased to be a partner in "Talent Forward" a special collaboration to connect business with post-secondary talent. Bringing a post-secondary student into your organization can help you innovate, save costs, and increase capacity while building a stronger, skilled workforce for the future.
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Event Details
Date: Thursday, April 29
Time: 11:30am-1:00pm
Location: Online
Cost: Free and Open to All Businesses
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CTS (Catching the Spirit Youth Society) Youth Camps
Day Camps:
- Purpose: To encourage youth to explore the outdoors and get connected with nature, each other, and themselves. Youth are encouraged to have fun, become better leaders, learn new outdoor skills and learn more about themselves.
- Who This is For: Day camps are for youth between the ages of 12-18 who have a passion for nature, who want to meet new people, and who want to develop their leadership skills.
- What Participants Will Do: Participants will hike, do community gardening, mural painting, invasive species pulls, eco walks, field trips, camp games, and so much more. Please view this link for the 2021 sample itinerary (please note that this itinerary is just an example, not a set plan): https://ctsyouthsociety.com/programs/spirit-steward-program/itinerary/
- Location: The home base of CTS is at Picken House (6825 Cariboo Rd. Burnaby BC). Most day camps start at Picken House, but there are also four camp locations: Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Tynehead Regional Park and Capilano Regional Park.
Registration Link: https://ctsyouthsociety.com/register-for-programs/
Spirit Steward Program:
This is a FREE 3-day overnight camping experience for youth. These camps run every weekend during the summer months. In these camps, youth will develop important camping skills such as tent building, knot-tying, and cooking. In addition, participants will participate each weekend on a Stewardship Projects organized with the Partner organizations of CTS. These projects are great opportunities to give back to the community and learn about the environment that surrounds us.
- Purpose: The purpose of the Spirit Steward Program is to connect youth with our land, each other, and themselves. One of the main goals of these camps is for youth to have fun while developing their leadership skills and personal growth.
- Who These Camps Are For: These camps are for youth between the ages of 12-18 who have a passion for nature, who want to meet new people, and who want to work on their leadership skills.
Registration Link: https://ctsyouthsociety.com/register-for-programs/
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Junior Youth Program (Ongoing)
Closest location: 3823 Henning Dr, Burnaby, BC V5C 6P3
Meetings:
- Weekly meetings for 1-2 hours
- Group size: 10-15 members junior youth ➔ lead by animators (facilitators of junior groups). Facilitators are called animators because they add joy and fun to group activities.
- Groups meet in a common space (e.g., community centre or library)
Benefits:
- In Junior Youth, participants read a variety of stories to develop various valuable skills, such as powers of expression, critical thinking skills, and comprehension skills.
- The stories are intended to help junior youth make positive decisions through exploring concepts like kindness, justice, and honesty.
- Other activities, such as arts, drama, and sports are also included in the program.
Age range for program participants: 11-14 years
Registering for the program: to register for the program, one must contact one of the following according to the closest location:
Vancouver
shawyun@junioryouth.ca
Vancouver Island
island@junioryouth.ca
Surrey-Delta-White Rock
surrey@junioryouth.ca
Tri-Cities
tricities@junioryouth.ca
North Shore
northshore@junioryouth.ca
Organization’s Website: https://www.junioryouth.ca/home
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Volunteer Burnaby Virtual Series Volunteers
Type of Work: Virtual
Position Start/End Date: Feb 3 2021 - May 1 2021
Organization: Volunteer Burnaby
Organization Contact Information:
Who the Position is Suitable For: 13-18, student, adult, senior, all ages, families, groups, English as a second language (ESL), people with disabilities, people with intellectual disabilities
Work Location: Burnaby, BC
Time Commitment: 1 hour total
Position Type: Project
Position Description: The Volunteer Burnaby Virtual Series is a virtual community consisting of tutorials, webinars, and performances created by volunteers uploaded to the Volunteer Burnaby YouTube channel. To provide entertainment and create a sense of connection during these isolating times, the Volunteer Burnaby Virtual Series was created. This project aims to give volunteers the opportunity to be involved in their community and showcase their skills and talents. Volunteer Burnaby is looking for volunteers to participate in the Series. Volunteers are asked to embrace creativity when filming their videos. Multiple videos may be recorded. All videos must be under 15 minutes long and friendly for all ages.
Deliverables/Duties of Volunteer:
- Fill out an online application form before filming the video
- Record volunteer hours
- After completing the video, send it to Volunteer Burnaby by email or share it on GoogleDrive
Qualifications:
- Must be at least 14 years old. Those under 16 must have parental consent.
- Must have access to computer
How to Apply: Please fill out this form
Volunteer Website:
https://www.govolunteer.ca/centres/burnaby/volunteer-burnaby-virtual-series-volunteers
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Online Family Storytime
Date: April 1-29
Time: Tues & Thurs 5:30pm-6:00pm
Storytime is interactive, with songs and easy art activities! Registration via Zoom. Visit our website to learn more!
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Club QuaranTEEN:
Club QuaranTEEN is a virtual hangout for teens to talk about pop culture, media, and life.
Date: April 29, Thursday
Time: 12 pm
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Virtual (Zoom)
Registration: None
Age: All teens!
How to Join: Email teenservices@bpl.bc.ca for the Zoom link. A device with internet connection and audio will be needed.
Organizer: teenservices@bpl.bc.ca (email for inquiries)
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Letters to the MLA from our youth
Have thoughts you would like to share with the MLA? We'd love to hear them! We welcome submissions from all youth of Burnaby-Deer Lake. Email us at anne.kang.mla@leg.bc.ca with your letter to the MLA.
Covid-19 makes most of my social connections online. Different from usual years when my friends and I hang out at libraries, malls, and parks during the break time, this year forces us to connect online. We schedule zoom meetings for extracurricular activities and text each other on social media. After a year of quarantine, I am gradually getting used to this social life. Though not as exciting as before, this year gives us a brand new experience of how classes and events can still run in the digital format. On the other hand, the relationship between me and my family actually becomes closer since we spend more time at home to communicate. Fortunately, as vaccines arrive in Canada, more people will get vaccinated. We are looking forward to BC's recovery in the future.
Holly Li, Grade 11, Burnaby Mountain Secondary
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There is a total of 8,842 active cases in British Columbia as of April 23, 2021. A total of 113,139 people who tested positive have recovered.
Fraser Health Authority, which includes the City of Burnaby, has a total of 70,916 confirmed cases, of which 5,166 are active.
As of today, there are more than 2,445,713 completed tests. Our province has adjusted testing to 466,209 people per 1,000,000.
Total vaccine doses administered in B.C. is 1,542,066.
For more information, please visit BCCDC's website
COVID Resources
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Click here to subscribe to MLA Anne Kang's newsletter! We'll send you information about our community and let you know about events in the riding.
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Community Office Information
To keep our community safe, we have closed our office for walk-in inquiries. We encourage constituents to contact us by phone or email for constituency services. We look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for your patience and flexibility during this time.
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