International Transgender Day of Visibility 🌈

Please note: The Constituency Office will be closed from Apr. 3rd - 6th.

Dear <<First Name>>,

Today is Transgender Day of Visibility, a day to recognize and celebrate transgender, non-binary, and Two-Spirit people in our communities.

When I worked as a teacher, I had a student who came out as trans. I cannot express to you enough the difference it made for them to have their gender affirmed. At every step of the way, I saw first-hand the importance of allyship, support, and friendship. The positive impacts of gender-affirming support and care on their mental health were such strong evidence that everything that we do as individuals, and within institutions, is important.

The reality is that there are still barriers for trans, non-binary, and two-spirit people. Today is about ensuring that you are seen, respected, and celebrated because the marginalization of trans folks continues to be real. The threats of safety against this community are real.
As a BCNDP MLA, a mother, a former teacher, and a Minister, I stand in allyship today and every day with our trans, non-binary, and Two-Spirit friends, siblings, and community members.

Our government is taking tangible steps towards ensuring we break down barriers that gender-diverse people face. We recently announced that we are making systematic changes to amend provincial laws and remove outdated and gendered language – to ensure that gender-diverse people are protected by law and because words are powerful. We moved to a non-medical model of gender that will affirm the gender of trans, non-binary, and Two-Spirit people in the province when they change their identification documents. We added a third gender designation option on provincial government-issued identification. We are funding and building supportive housing that provides shelter for gender-diverse people leaving in violence, including transgender women, Two-Spirit and non-binary people. And we will continue to work to break down the barriers in partnership with gender-diverse advocates, community members, and friends.

Learn more about Adrienne Smith, human rights lawyer who champions transgender inclusion.

It is so wonderful to see one of my constituency office’s close community partners, Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia - CPABC, in Victoria!

My constituency office have hosted 4 Financial Literacy Workshops in partnership with CPABC. Many thanks to MLA Kelly Greene for giving greetings on behalf of Premier Eby and provincial government.

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

Public libraries see historic funding boost from the province

Libraries are the hearts of many communities, and I know how much people in our community value the good work our libraries do, and the free services they offer. Libraries connect us to resources we need and foster lifelong learning. That’s why today we announced additional funding for libraries throughout the province.

All 71 public libraries in B.C. and the organizations that support them are receiving a total of $45 million in one-time grants in addition to the annual funding they receive.

This includes $494,409.06 for the Burnaby Public Libairy here in our community! This means our libraries will be able to expand some of their key services, modernize technology, as well as add to their collections.

For more information: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023MUNI0021-000385

B.C. announces increased rates for foster parents and kinship care providers

We are boosting payments for foster parents and caregivers supporting vulnerable children! Foster parents are essential in keeping children safe in a loving home, and we will help ensure they will grow up in a stable environment.

Minister Dean on Twitter
For more information: https://www.timescolonist.com/bc-news/bc-announces

B.C. low carbon initiatives get millions in grants from the Province

We are supporting an innovative and more sustainable ocean economy. B.C.'s “blue” technology is creating jobs, building a sustainable ocean economy, cutting the cost of ocean research and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

These innovators are building connections and fueling research that will help B.C. transition to a low carbon economy.

Minister Osborne on Twitter
For more information: https://www.timescolonist.com/business/bc-low-carbon

BC wants pets to be treated more like humans and less like property during divorce pleads

Pets are beloved members of our families. We’re changing the Family Law Act to provide more guidance for determining who should care for a pet when a couple separates.Considerations will include the ability of members of a family to care for the pet, the pet’s relationship with the kids, and any risk of harm to the animal.

For more information: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-pets

Recent events

Income Tax Clinics

Tax Clinic Screening Pre-Booking Form now available
on BNH website

Need some help preparing your tax return? Volunteers can help Burnaby residents complete income tax returns for low income earners.
For more information and criteria of eligibility, go to https://burnabynh.ca/volunteer-income-tax-program/

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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