On April 11, the day before the legislature rose for a two week break, I stood during Question Period to ask the Minister of Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology whether he was aware of the critical services and programs provided by BC Tech at the Cube and the Hub in Vancouver and the positive impact they have on our innovation community. In response, the Minister spoke passionately about the good work and leadership of the B.C. Tech Association. Yet just five days later, the BC Tech Association announced the impending closure of the Cube due to their inability to secure provincial (and federal) funding to enable it to remain open.

Today I rose during question period to ask the Minister how he reconciles his stated support for the tech sector with the fact that the BC Tech Association is being forced to close the doors of this facility. In addition, I asked the Minister why the Ontario tech sector was getting a $90 million investment the same week that the BC Tech sector was making its announcement. Below I reproduce the video and text of our exchange.

Video of Exchange

Question

A. Weaver: Hon. Speaker, if you or other members in the gallery thought that they were participating in an episode of The Twilight Zone, I share their concerns. Here we have the official opposition and their leader arguing for Marxist policy to bring in a price cap, and we have the leader of the socialist party arguing for free market economics. What has B.C. politics come to?

We now have a new level of standard for research by the official opposition. Oil apologist, gasbuddy.com, providing the official opposition official research on their efforts. I cannot wait till the next episode comes forward.

Two weeks ago I asked the minister if he was committed to ensuring that programs and services provided by the B.C. Tech Association at The Cube and The Hub were able to continue. In his response, the minister spoke about how The Cube had provided many opportunities and shown leadership in the sector.

However, since that time, The Cube has now announced it is closing its doors in May because it was unable to secure either provincial or federal funding. This closure sends a wrong signal — the exact wrong signal as to where we should be headed.

My question is to the Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology. How can the minister reconcile his stated support for the tech sector with the fact that the B.C. Tech Association is being forced to close the doors of The Cube facility?

Answer

Hon. B. Ralston: I would like to thank the Leader of the Third Party for his question and for his continuing support for the tech sector. It’s a growing, vibrant sector here in our province.

We spoke last time about The Cube, and The Cube’s source of funding came from the federal government, from the western diversification fund. They decided to discontinue that funding. As part of the transition, our government gave them $500,000 to point themselves in a new direction. That did not result in their ability to continue it.

But at the same time, in the same sector — the virtual reality, augmented reality sector — just on Tuesday, April 16, I was there…. Actually, Ms. Tipping, the head of the Technology Improvement Association, was there at the launch of a new incubator, the Launch Academy, in the very same sector, the VR-AR sector — very successful, couple of hundred companies there.

This is the biggest AR-VR sector in the world. Perhaps maybe second, although one would be permitted, as an advocate, a little bit of boasting, I think. That sector is world-leading. We are doing well.

The vibe at that place was really good. I spoke with Alex Cheong, cofounder of Shape Immersive. They are very enthusiastic about the possibilities.

This is a sector where there is change. Things change. The Cube didn’t work out. This sector is taking over. I’m very confident about that sector and its future here in British Columbia — indeed, its future globally.

Supplementary Question

Well, I, too, am excited about the prospects for tech in British Columbia. I’m profoundly concerned that B.C. is not stepping up to draw the federal dollars that are available that jurisdictions like Ontario have done. In fact, the same week that the Cube was being closed, the federal government announced in partnership with Ontario a $90 million investment in innovation in Ontario.

Both B.C. and Ontario have burgeoning innovation sectors that drive economic growth and create high-paying, good-quality jobs. The sectors in both provinces have huge potential for growth, and our sector has some of the best potential of all. It will help us transform our economy and drive prosperity for British Columbians from north to south and east to west.

The only difference is that in Ontario, they’re at the table and willing to invest substantially in this new, up-and-coming sector, whereas B.C. appears to be the absent. We’ll be left in the dust behind other jurisdictions if it doesn’t back up its words with actions to ensure that we’re there able to leverage those federal moneys to ensure that we get the innovation centres in B.C. that are so instrumental to the development of the new economy.

My question is again to the minister. Why is the Ontario tech sector getting $90 million as an investment the same week as the B.C. tech sector is being forced to close a facility for innovation in B.C.?

Answer

Hon. B. Ralston: I appreciate that the member is particularly enamored of the initiatives taken by the Ford government in Ontario. But the reality here in British Columbia is that we are investing a huge amount in the tech sector here.

Let’s begin with 2,900 new tech spaces in institutions across the province. We are investing $110 million in innovative research in B.C.’s leading post-secondary institutions through the B.C. Knowledge Development Fund. We are investing $12 million in graduate scholarships for students, including science- and tech-related disciplines, as well as $500,000 for women in tech scholarships.

We are making the commitments. Those commitments are going to be renewed through a new Innovate B.C., which has a fresh mandate, a new CEO who comes from Accelerate Okanagan. I’m very optimistic about the future of the tech sector and the investments that come not only from the start-up environment here, which is booming from global companies which are choosing to locate here. Jiu-jitsu was mentioned in the two-minute statements, and there are many others.

People want to be and tech companies want to be in British Columbia. They are coming here, and they will continue to come here because of what we have to offer.