Dear Friend,

I had the pleasure of starting my week by sharing some good news with three organizations from our riding. They were among the successful recipients of the Civil Forfeiture Grant. I’ll be meeting with one of these organizations next week and look forward to hearing more about the plans these important organizations have to continue supporting the people who rely on their services.

On Wednesday, I met with the medical and executive directors of three women’s health clinics in Vancouver. While one of the clinics is closing due to an aging building, it was still an exciting and forward-looking meeting. The three clinics are collaborating to ensure their critical services remain available and I am looking forward to receiving further updates.

That evening, I traveled to Kelowna to hear about some of the major projects underway and to discuss how the Province can support continued economic growth in the Okanagan. I met with Mayor Tom Dyas, toured the Artists Animation Studio, and presented to the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. While I know some Chamber members have concerns about our short-term rental regulations, this legislation is essential if we want to protect housing for British Columbians and support sustainable economic development. For a more in-depth look at my visit, you can read this article.

Next week, my team and I will be finalizing our summer schedule, including the events and meet-ups we’ll be attending throughout the riding. We’re looking forward to connecting with as many of you as possible.

It looks like we’re skipping over our usual “Juneuary” weather and heading straight into full-on summer! As you're out enjoying the sunshine, please remember to stay safe: drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen, and take breaks in the shade when you can.

All my best,

Brenda

B.C.’s Path Forward Community Fund Supports Indigenous Anti-violence Projects

The Province has released its 2025 status update to A Path Forward: Priorities and Early Strategies for B.C., which responds to the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

B.C.’s Path Forward 2025 status update outlines the progress that has been made in addressing the systemic causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in B.C. and highlights key actions the government is taking to continue this critical work. These key actions include implementing the Anti-Racism Act, which establishes a whole-of-government approach to dismantling systemic racism and advancing racial equity, and Safe and Supported: B.C.’s Gender-Based Violence Action Plan, which sets out important steps the Province is taking to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.

B.C. Hydro Launches 2025 Call for Power

BC Hydro has launched two requests for expressions of interest (RFEOI) to explore the next era of the province’s power potential, expand clean-energy resources and advance energy efficiency.

The first RFEOI focuses on expanding B.C.’s long-term capacity to meet peak electricity demand as consumption patterns evolve. BC Hydro is seeking ideas on capacity and baseload energy projects, including geothermal, pumped storage and hydroelectric resources.

The second RFEOI targets innovation in energy efficiency by identifying partners capable of delivering market-ready technologies that help conserve energy in homes and buildings. Through the RFEOI, BC Hydro seeks to collaborate with industry leaders and forward-thinking organizations to help people in British Columbia save energy and lower costs.

New Care Beds at Alouette Homes Mental-Health Facility

New care beds at Alouette Homes will soon support more people requiring long-term involuntary care with a safe, home-like setting and specialized care that meets their unique needs.

Alouette Homes is a designated mental-health facility with 18 new involuntary care beds designed to support people who meet the criteria under the Mental Health Act. These are people who have severe and persistent mental-health disorders, often combined with other challenges, such as addictions and brain injuries, which may impact their behaviour and ability to interact safely with others.

New Minimum Standards for Overdose Prevention Services

New minimum standards for overdose prevention services are being introduced to enhance safety, improve consistency, and ensure greater oversight for clients, staff delivering life-saving services and members of the community.

On June 5, 2025, the Province released the new minimum service standards for overdose prevention services to strengthen safety and support for clients, staff and communities. The standards provide a framework for better integration of overdose prevention services into communities focusing on quality, accessibility and cultural safety. Many overdose prevention services already meet and exceed these minimum standards.

Public Input: Ease-Of-Doing-Business Review

Streamlining processes to reduce barriers, cut red tape, foster innovation and create a more supportive, business-friendly environment in B.C. are the goals as the Province launches an ease-of-doing-business review.

Businesses are invited to share their ideas, challenges and suggestions through an online website portal until fall 2025. By involving entrepreneurs, business owners and business-sector partners in B.C., the Province will gain a clearer understanding of current on-the-ground challenges when establishing or growing a business. Information gathered throughout the review will help government establish a set of performance measurements to make it easier for companies and organizations of all sizes and sectors to do business in B.C.

Progress Report on B.C.’s International Credential Recognition

The International Credentials Recognition Act, which took effect on July 1, 2024, helps remove barriers for qualified professionals in 29 regulated fields. The legislation is making it fairer, faster and easier for people to use their skills to work in B.C., no matter where they were trained.

Over the past year, the Office for International Credential Recognition has made progress by continually engaging with regulatory authorities and helping them transition to the new law. This includes ensuring regulators understand the requirements, have the right information on their websites and update their rules and policies to comply with the new legislation. The office has also made progress explaining and clarifying the new legislation with internationally trained professionals who want to work in B.C.

Province Provides Funding for Community Emergency Preparedness Fund

As British Columbia responds to increasingly frequent climate emergencies, the Province is funding local projects to better equip local governments and First Nations to respond to emergencies and support people who are evacuated.

The Province is providing nearly $7 million to support 139 emergency operation centre projects, benefiting 183 communities through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF). These funds will be used to purchase supplies and fund training and exercises to support staff and boost response capacity. Emergency operations centres co-ordinate people, actions and resources, and support first responders on the ground. They also ensure people receive timely information, shelter assistance and other vital services throughout an emergency.

B.C. Home Energy Planner Will Lower Home-Energy Bills

The Province is giving people a free digital tool to help make their homes more energy-efficient and reduce heating bills.

The BC Home Energy Planner makes it simple for people to save energy and reduce their environmental footprint at the same time. The Planner provides information about each home’s energy use by identifying issues, such as old windows or poor insulation, that may be causing heating bills to be higher than they should be. The tool also provides retrofit recommendations and connects people with program offers and registered contractors.

B.C. Protects 220 More Affordable Homes

Hundreds of families, seniors and individuals now have certainty that they can stay in homes they can afford with funding from B.C.’s Rental Protection Fund.

To make sure more people throughout B.C. can remain in their homes affordably, the Rental Protection Fund has supported non-profit organizations to buy a total of 220 homes, including:

• Vancouver: 33 homes in Abana Court at 5454 Balsam St., bought by the New Vista Society.

To secure these homes, the Rental Protection Fund provided partners with more than $26 million in capital contributions and renewal grants, including approximately $2.3 million to improve the buildings and ensure the homes remain in good condition for the people living there.

Learn Local This Summer - Save On Camps at Science World

The end of the school year is fast approaching, and many families are starting to plan for summer. If you’re looking into camps, Science World is offering 10% off their summer camps for students entering Grades 4 to 8—now until June 15th.

This year’s theme is SPACE! Inspired by NASA’s Artemis II mission, campers will embark on a week-long adventure filled with hands-on, inquiry-based learning. From science labs to coding, robotics, and experimenting with new materials, kids will build, discover, and explore like never before. They’ll also get to experience the fun of physics through expert-led play—because at Science World, learning is always an adventure!

Events in Vancouver-South Granville

Vancouver Maritime Museum Open House with Canoe Cultures

• When: Jun 7th 11AM – 3PM 
• Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum (1905 Ogden Ave.)
• Admission:  Free

Embark on a journey of exploration and education at this family-friendly OPEN HOUSE presented by the Vancouver Maritime Museum and Canoe Cultures. Engage in various activities such as listening to enchanting storytelling sessions, crafts, learning about canoe culture, and even experiencing a canoe tour. Whether you’re a curious child or an adult, this free event offers something for everyone to enjoy.

The Vancouver Maritime Museum Open Houses are free days to the museum that provides barrier-free access to our communities. At our Open House events, we celebrate untold stories of our communities by working with one community organization in which the museum is building a lasting friendship. There are many stories around Vancouver, the diverse people and landscapes of our communities and all of our connections to the water. Open House is our way of inviting the community together to celebrate these connections.

Public Disco – Block Party

• When: Jun 7th 2PM - 10PM,  Jun 8th 2PM – 9PM
• Where: Granville Island, Lot 55 (1494 Old Bridge St.)
• Admission:  Free!

The 2025 Public Disco Block Parties kicks off with a two-day open-air celebration on Granville Island. After a packed debut in 2024, they’re expanding to a full weekend of free programming with two distinct musical journeys.

Saturday’s session, curated by G-Luve, explores the lineage of disco - from its soulful beginnings to its evolution into house, garage and beyond.

On Sunday, Brendocha highlights Latine talent with her thoughtful curation of DJs, gogo dancers and more. It’s the first of two free Public Disco events this summer, and their only activation on beautiful Granville Island. Expect a full Latin food feature, first time Public Disco artists, and the same open invitation to dance, connect, and enjoy this rare occasion on beautiful Granville Island.

Craft in the Garden

• When: Jun 8th 10AM - 5PM   
• Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden, Floral Hall (5151 Oak St.)
• Admission:  Free (VanDusen Botanical admission is not included)

This tightly curated event will feature the work of 29 talented local artists, all showcasing and selling their handcrafted goods. Led by award-winning Vancouver artist Kaarina Talvila, Craft in the Garden offers a rare opportunity to explore a diverse selection of contemporary crafts — from ceramics and textiles to jewelry and fashion — set against Vancouver’s most beloved garden.

Visitors will have the unique chance to meet the makers, learn about their processes, and support Canadian artists by purchasing one-of-a-kind pieces at a variety of price points. Many of the featured artists are internationally recognized, with work held in private and public collections around the globe.

Nechako: It Will Be a Big River Again

• When: Jun 7th – Jun 21st
• Where: VIFF Centre (1181 Seymour St.)
• Admission: Varies (Show is 19+, Indigenous and community access tickets available)

“Nechako” literally means “Big River”. But this artery for the Stellat’en First Nation in BC was drastically and dramatically diminished by the imposition of the Kenney Dam in the 1950s, which diverted 70% of the flow into an artificial reservoir to power an aluminum smelter for Rio Tinto. Back then the Stellat’en and their neighbours the Saik’uz weren’t even allowed to hire lawyers to fight their case. But their struggle for justice continues all these decades later, with the dire consequences of the “development” on salmon stocks and the eco-system clear to see. Stellat’en filmmaker Lyana Patrick communicates what’s at issue in the legal sphere, but also environmentally, which is to say culturally and spiritually.

Jun 8: Discussion and Q&A with filmmaker Lyana Patrick, Teri Snelgrove, co-producer of Nechako and a producer with the NFB’s Western Documentary Unit and Melinda Skeels, Managing Partner at Ratcliff LPP, Plaintiffs’ Counsel in the Saik’uz First Nation litigation against Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. Moderated by Stephanie Kwetásel’wet Wood, a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh journalist with The Narwhal who reports on Indigenous Rights, the arts, sustainability and social justice

The Weirdening – Weirdos Market at The Birdhouse

• When: Jun 8th 12PM – 7PM
• Where: The Birdhouse (44 West 4th Ave.)
• Admission: $2 before 2PM, $5 after 2PM (All ages welcome; dog-friendly for friendly dogs)

“It’s sparkly, silly and full of heart. The world needs a bit more mischief, magic and joy, and no one delivers it quite like this crew does.” - Zottenburg

Vancouver's weirdest market returns with another roundup of delightfully odd, eccentric, and wholly unique offerings. The Weirdos Holiday Market has provided strange and whimsical items for holiday gifts for eight years. Now, the shopping event's trademark weird is being brought to spring in the Lower Mainland.

The Spring Weirdening is described as a one-day "celebration of art, joy, weirdness and community" showcasing the work of over 30 artists. Canada’s "wildest" sword swallower, Neil E. Dee, will perform at the event, and DJ Jody Glenham will play music. Midnight Joe’s Food Truck and Punk Rock Pastries will provide food for hungry attendees.

The Birdhouse, a queer-run event space in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, makes an ideal space for the event, complete with an outdoor space for fun with games like giant Jenga and Connect Four; it also has picnic tables and a stage. Inside, old-school video games and cozy couches create a laid-back vibe.