The 88th British Columbia Youth Parliament will hold its parliamentary session in Victoria at the Provincial Legislative Chambers from December 27 to 31, 2016. The Youth Parliament is a province-wide non-partisan organization for young people ages 16 to 21. It teaches citizenship skills through participation in the December parliamentary session and in community service activities throughout the year. Youth Parliament is a one year commitment.

The BC Youth Parliament is non-partisan and applicants need only be interested in learning more about the parliamentary process and in serving their community.

The application is available here, along with an informational brochure and poster.

All applications must be received by October 27, 2016. Selected applicants will be notified in early November.

For more information, please click here.

Today my office sent another letter to the Honourable Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations regarding yet another derelict vessel that has washed up on the beach at Gyro Park in Cadboro Bay.

Recall that earlier this year I sent a letter to the Minister concerning a number of vessels that washed up after a winter storm. His response was not very reassuring. It suggested that both the province and federal government are mired in jurisdictional squabbles. As I noted earlier, what is desperately needed is a “one stop shopping” phone number and a timely remediation process for derelict vessels that end up on  our British Columbia beaches.

Below I reproduce the the letter that I sent. I am hoping we get a timely response to this urgent matter.

Letter to Minister Thomson

September 22, 2016

Via Email to: FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca

Honourable Steve Thomson
Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
Room 248, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Dear Minister Thomson:

Re: Derelict wreck on Cadboro Bay foreshore (27 foot sailboat “Odin”)

Once again, I am writing with respect to the ongoing problem of derelict wrecks on the Provincial Crown foreshore of Cadboro Bay at Gyro Beach in Saanich. My office is hearing from many concerned residents and the Cadboro Bay Residents Association (“CBRA”) about the danger these wrecks pose to the public.

The latest occurrence is the 27 foot sailboat “Odin” (serial number 6E4422) which is resting on its side in an area of the beach which is heavily used by people of all ages. I have attached photos that provide evidence of how hazardous this vessel is to the public. In fact, only moments before these photos were taken, two small children were playing near (and attempting to climb on) the boat before the adults with them whisked them away from the danger.

In previous correspondence to me on February 5, 2016, you have indicated that dealing with problem vessels on Crown foreshore is complex and can involve multiple levels of government and that the BC government works collaboratively to find solutions. In the case of the “Odin”, I am writing to ask the Provincial Government to take necessary steps to deal with this matter as soon as possible.

Would you kindly respond at your earliest convenience to advise me on the status of the removal of this vessel, which poses a danger to the public every day it remains there.

I look forward to your reply.

Best wishes

Andrew Weaver, MLA
Oak Bay-Gordon Head

Today I had the honour of participating in the kick off to the 2016 Mustard Seed pie off challenge. The goal of their pie off campaign is to raise $100,000 and 100,000 lbs of food before October 31, 2016. Last year they raised $42,000 and 40,000 lbs of food in the 2015 pie off challenge.

Mustard Seed has “been essential in fighting hunger and restoring faith to a large portion of people living in poverty, as well as the working poor, in greater Victoria since 1975″. And last year I rose in the Legislature to celebrate their more than 40 years of service to our community.

Attending the pie off commencement with me was Del Manak, Acting Chief Constable of the Victoria Police Department. Now it’s not often that you get a chance to put a pie in the face of the Chief Constable of your local police force. So shortly after Chief Constable Manak challenged all the principals in Great Victoria schools to initiate their own pie off, I took great pleasure in assisting Del Manak in completing his challenge. But I should have been a little less exuberant. A few minutes later, Chief Constable Manak pied me.

Just prior to being pied, and unbeknownst to them, I challenged:

1. Jamie Cassels, President of the University of Victoria
2. Tony Joe, Realtor with RE/MAX Camosun – Oak Bay
3. Lisa Helps, Mayor of the City of Victoria.

Will they accept? Stay tuned.

Finally, for those who might be wondering what the pie was made of, I am saddened to report that it wasn’t pie at all. But of course it wasn’t, Mustard Seed could not be seen to be wasting food. The pie was actually nothing more than lightly fragranced (for sensitive skin) Gillette foamy!

Video of Pie Off

Deciding who is allowed to drive and when a driver should have their license revoked is an incredibly important decision that weighs personal freedom against public safety. It’s a tough job tasked to the B.C. Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles in the Ministry of Justice, who then enlists the assistance of driving programs and medical professionals to carry out assessments that inform their decisions. Some, like the written and driving tests many of us took at 16, introduce British Columbians to the driving world. Others, like the Driver’s Medical Examination Report and DriveABLE, are used to ensure current drivers are continuing to drive safely.

There are 96,000 drivers over the age of 80 in B.C., according to ICBC’s 2014 statistics. While keeping our streets safe is undoubtedly the priority, ensuring that mandatory tests are respectful, fair, and effective is also of utmost importance.

Under the current system, when a driver turns 80 they are required to see their doctor for a Driver’s Medical Examination Report (DMER) every two years. The examination covers a lot of ground from eyesight to cardiovascular health to assessing the severity, progression, and treatment of any medical conditions that could affect the driver’s ability to safely operate a vehicle.

This mandatory examination is not covered by provincial health care and usually costs seniors $197 every two years (the fee recommended by the British Columbia Medical Association), but the bill is left to the clinic’s discretion and has been known to range anywhere from $50 to $500. My office called two clinics in my riding; one in Oak Bay charges $105 and another in Gordon Head charges $125.

I agree with the concerns that the Office of the B.C. Seniors Advocate has raised in the past about the indiscriminate DMER pricing scheme. Given that this is a mandatory test for drivers over the age of 80, and that is must be repeated every two years, I believe the cost should be covered by provincial health care. Seniors who are getting their DMER assessments done regularly are doing their part to ensure our streets stay safe. I do not think that is something they should be financially penalized for.

If a person passes DMER with flying colours, as we always hope they will, they are free to enjoy another two years of safe driving. If the doctor notices a potential problem during the examination, however, it will be reported to RoadSafetyBC. As the agency that oversees driver licensing, RoadSafetyBC will look at the doctor’s report and determine if the patient is going to lose their license or go for additional testing. When the doctor’s concerns relate to cognitive issues that could interfere with driving abilities, the patient may be instructed to take the DriveABLE examination.

Only a small percentage of seniors who go through the DMER process are referred to DriveABLE. A private company based in Alberta developed the DriveABLE program. The company has had a contract with the B.C. government since 2005 and receives roughly $420 from the province every time someone is tested. The test is done on a computer and is 60 to 90 minutes long and can be daunting to seniors with limited computer or video game experience. If the computer assessment is failed, as it often is, drivers can then request an on-road evaluation to demonstrate their safe driving abilities.

So what is the purpose of the BC Government making seniors jump through the costly DriveABLE hoop when they can ultimately appeal a DriveABLE test failure and ask for an on-road evaluation. It makes no sense to me. It strikes me as for more sensible to just dump the DriveABLE screening and go straight to the on road test. The monies saved in this process could be used to eliminate the DMER cost to seniors

When the time comes to see your doctor for a DMER, Steve Wallace, the owner of Wallace Driving School on Vancouver Island and former vice-president of the Driving School Association of the Americas, recommends bringing a record of your driving history. You can get a copy of your driver’s abstract, the driving record for the past five years, free of charge at any ICBC testing facility.

If you have ideas about how the driving assessment process could be improved in B.C. please feel free to contact my constituency association office at (250) 472-8528 or my legislature office by phone at (250) 387-8347, email at Andrew.Weaver.MLA@leg.bc.ca, or mail at Andrew Weaver, Room 027C Parliament Buildings, Victoria BC, V8V 1X4.

Today I had the distinct honour of speaking at the opening of the Royal BC Museum exhibit ‘Bread and Salt‘ celebrating the 125^th Anniversary of Ukrainian Immigration to Canada. Below is the text of my speech.

Text of Speech

Good afternoon, добрий день,

It gives me great pleasure to be here at the opening of the Royal BC Museum exhibit celebrating the 125^th Anniversary of Ukrainian Immigration to Canada.

On behalf of the constituents in Oak Bay-Gordon Head, I welcome you and sincerely thank those involved for putting the exhibit together.

Ever since Vasyl Ilyniak and Ivan Pylypiw arrived in Quebec from western Ukraine on September 7, 1891, Ukrainian Canadians have played a key role in making Canada what it is today. Now, more than 1.2 million Canadians claim full or partial Canadian heritage. And I am one of them.

My grandfather and mother fled Ukraine as refugees during the Second World War. After several years living in refugee camps and subsequently impoverished conditions in France, they too landed in Quebec, calling it their home for many years. And as was the Ukrainian way, my grandfather eventually returned to farming in Canada, his new country.

There must be something in the blood of Ukrainians that leads them to have such a profound respect and love of the land. In fact, my dream is to one day move onto a small farm.

You can take the Ukrainian out of Ukraine, but you can’t take the love of the land out of the Ukrainian.

Like so many others with stories that are so similar, my family immigrated to Canada so that their children could have a better life. My family instilled in us the importance of hard work, just as so many other descendants of Ukrainian immigrants did with their children

Canadians of Ukrainian descent live throughout Canada but remain bonded by their strong culture — a rich culture and history that we will find displayed in the Royal BC Museum exhibit opening today.

Thank you, Дякую, and enjoy the exhibit.