Investing in Literacy 📚

Dear <<First Name>>,

This morning at UBCM23, Premier David Eby and I met with the BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus to discuss the top issues on their minds for their communities.

We all agree that collaboration and sharing best practices are essential in meeting the demands of the rapidly growing urban communities.

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HLTH0114-001452

I was also honoured to be part of the Beyond Balance - Bypassing Barriers session at UBCM this past week. This week was National Gender Equality Week!

B.C. has a rich history of electing successful women leaders. It is important to continue to uplift folks, to make life more affordable, and to deliver services that people can count on. We are better when everyone has fair pay and equal opportunities.

Reading is a skill that extends beyond the classroom, it can help you to make informed decisions, pay bills or use technology.
That’s why during my UBCM23 address, I announced a one-time $1M investment to Decoda Literacy Solutions to enhance literacy programs in 400 communities.

NR: https://news.gov.bc.ca/29544

Here are some things I'd like to share with you from the past week:

Children empowered with lifelong learning through reading

Increased supports for literacy programs in B.C. will help more children access services to develop skills that extend beyond the classroom.

The B.C. government is donating $500,000 to the Raise-a-Reader campaign, which supports literacy by increasing awareness and raising money to fund community-based programs throughout British Columbia.

Parliamentary Secretary’s statement on Gender Equality Week, International Equal Pay Day

"[this week] marks the start of Gender Equality Week. The theme this year is United for Gender Equality: Stronger Together, which inspires us to continue working together to remove barriers and ensure people of all genders have equal opportunities to live to their full potential.

What this means is that employers are no longer able to ask prospective employees for pay history information or punish employees who disclose their pay to co-workers or potential job applicants – actions known to contribute to the gender pay gap.

Read more: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023FIN0050-001466

B.C. increases food security, agricultural resiliency during emergencies

The Province is supporting B.C.’s farmers, communities and First Nations with a new fund to help with increased planning and preparation for agricultural emergencies, while strengthening food security for British Columbians.

With as much as $20 million available, the new Food Security Emergency Planning and Preparedness Fund will support the purchase, upgrading and installation of equipment and infrastructure by those who have a direct role in preparing and responding to agricultural emergencies, including farmers, local governments, First Nations, industry associations and other service providers.

Province provides support to strengthen local fire departments

Communities throughout British Columbia will see improved emergency response from their local fire departments as the Province provides support to strengthen community firefighting capacity.

Most communities in B.C. rely on volunteer firefighters to protect people, homes and businesses when a fire breaks out. The Province is helping boost the capacity of firefighters by providing access to enhanced training opportunities and more equipment.

The Province is also providing funding for education campaigns aimed at teaching people how to prevent fires and stay safe. Together, these supports will build community capacity in preparing for and responding to emergencies.

Upcoming events

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

Provincial Government Resources

Visit gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated for your influenza and COVID-19 vaccination info
Call 811 for free-of-charge provincial health information and advice.
Call 211 for free, confidential, multilingual service that links people to resources for help.

Burnaby Family Doctor Resources

To find a family doctor, click here
To find a clinic, click here.
For non-emergency health information and advice, click here.

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