Newsletter from MLA Steve Morissette

Vaccination remains a safe and effective way to protect children and support the health of the wider community. For information on your child’s vaccination schedule, visit: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-library/immunizations/schedules/children

My team and I wish all students, families, and school staff a safe, healthy, and successful school year.

Minister’s statement on returning to school

We want to welcome everyone headed back to B.C. schools today and recognize the wonderful and hard work of our educators and school staff who make each school year possible. Each year is an opportunity to lift students up and help them build the skills, confidence and knowledge they need for a successful future. There’s a lot happening this year. We’re:

• Rolling out expanded literacy screening and new numeracy supports for students.
• Investing in the people who make education possible by supporting the next        generation of student teachers and getting more internationally trained        educators into classrooms.
• We’re working with school districts to expand access to before- and after-school care, and building the schools, playgrounds and child care spaces that communities need to support growing families.
• Helping build pathways for students from the classroom to rewarding careers in high-demand sectors.
• We’re supporting safe and welcoming schools: we launched a new B.C.’s Welcoming Schools landing page and we’re requiring AEDs in every public school.

Access zones in place to protect students, staff this school year

To keep students and staff safe, the Province is establishing access zones at B.C.’s K-12 public and independent schools. Since access zones were first activated by the Province on May 31, 2024, the ministry has received reports of 25 protest disruptions outside K-12 schools, including five disruptions at K-12 public schools throughout the 2025-26 school year.

Canadian Armed Forces reservists throughout B.C. will benefit from changes that expand access to job-protected military training leave and align B.C.’s leave provisions with national standards. We owe our gratitude and respect to service members who risk their lives to protect our country and support our communities. We stand strong with our reservists and with Team Canada as we work together to make these opportunities available to more British Columbians, ensuring we have a  reserve force ready to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world.

Supporting B.C. tech strengthens general aviation emergency response

B.C. is home to world-class innovators building technology that keeps our province running. Through our Look West economic plan and the Integrated Marketplace, we’re supporting companies like Fast Air and Holinova as they replace fossil fuels with clean battery storage, strengthening backup power for the aircraft behind wildfire response, medical transport and search and rescue. That means safety for people, cleaner air, good jobs and B.C. companies scaling into new markets, which is exactly what Look West is built to do.

Helping B.C. companies showcase their new tech

Through a second call for applications, early-stage B.C. tech companies developing new technologies can apply for funding to help them demonstrate their technology, pivot their product to appeal to new markets, grow their companies and create good jobs for people in B.C. Our government is focused on helping B.C. companies navigate punitive, unjustified U.S. tariffs by working with the private sector to grow a stronger, more resilient economy that’s less reliant on the U.S. That’s why we’re supporting more early-stage tech companies to grow and create jobs by reaching new industrial customers as part of our Look West strategy.

Take a few minutes today to download and set up the BC Services Card app. Setting it up now can save valuable time during an emergency. The app helps you quickly access services like Emergency Support Services (ESS), which supports people who have been evacuated and need help with essentials such as food, lodging, or clothing.

Get started here: https://id.gov.bc.ca/static/help/setup_app.html

Instructional video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWC7H3LGlrE

Stay informed and safe this season. Be ready. It’s always the right time to stay up to date with the latest emergency information in BC:

• EmergencyInfoBC.ca for emergency updates, active evacuation orders and alerts

• BCWildfire.ca or the BC Wildfire app for wildfire information and fire ban information

• DriveBC.ca for road conditions and closures

• PreparedBC.ca to help you prepare for emergencies

• ESS.gov.bc.ca for evacuation and emergency support services

• Weather.gc.ca for weather alerts

Follow local governments and health authority for more resources and updates.

If you have any questions or concerns about a provincial issue or need assistance with a provincial body, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help. My office can be reached online at Steve.Morissette.MLA@leg.bc.ca or at (250) 304-2783.

Helpful resources: 

• Visit the BC Benefits Connector at gov.bc.ca/BCBenefitsConnector to find benefits and savings for things like energy bills, transportation, education and training, and health care.
• Find mental health and substance-use supports: Helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca