Category Archives: Provincial

NDP MLA Brenda Bailey says strengthened recovery funding will help support local artists and organizations in Vancouver

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New Democrat MLA Brenda Bailey says strengthened support from the BC New Democrat government will help local artists and art organizations in Vancouver recover from the impacts of the pandemic.

“The arts and artists play an integral role in strengthening vibrant communities, encouraging creativity and building local economies” said Brenda Bailey, MLA for Vancouver-False Creek. “Our government is committed to continuing to support them as we move along the path of recovery so their work can have an impact and enrich people’s lives for years to come.”

Two hundred and seventy-five artists and organizations in Vancouver will be benefitting from this recovery funding, including:

  • Arts Club Theatre Company
  • Arts Umbrella
  • Ballet BC
  • Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
  • Cultch
  • Vancouver Art Gallery
  • Vancouver International Film Festival
  • Vancouver Opera
  • Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

This funding to local artists and organizations comes from more than $12.4 million in one-time funding to the BC Arts Council. The BC Arts Council will distribute $7.9 million in resilience supplements to over 300 organizations currently receiving operating assistance. These grants recognize the impact the pandemic has had on sector organizations. Grants will range from $15,000 to $60,000. Additionally, BC Arts Council will direct $4.5 million to top up the Arts Impact Grant program.  Arts Impact Grants enables applicants to prioritize what activity or activities will provide the greatest and most meaningful impact to their organization, practice and/or community.

This grant program signals a new focus on flexibility, equity, inclusion, and diversity in how the BC Arts Council supports arts and culture organizations. Funding is available to organizations and collectives with an arts and culture mandate and/or offering dedicated arts and culture programming, including non-profit organizations and Indigenous governments and community organizations. 

Learn More: 

To learn more about these grants and see the provincewide list of recipients, visit: news.gov.bc.ca/26517

Bringing Healthcare support workers back into the fold

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By Brenda Bailey, MLA

Growing up in Nanaimo, I was close to both of my Grandmothers. Both have been widowed while very young, and both were single moms. My Grandma Laura worked in a union job at the Nanaimo General Hospital as a cleaner. She cleaned the Emergency department. Her job must have been brutally tough. She developed a hunch on her back, which she told me was from scrubbing floors on her hands and knees. And she was paid for her hard work. She was able to provide and retired with a pension.

In 2003 the Liberals privatized this cleaning and housekeeping serves. Did this save the health care sector money? No. The amount private health billed the health care sector for this work in fact increased once these services were no longer in house. The workers are paid very poorly, there is high turnover, and the work, anecdotally, is of lesser quality. This is how privatization extracts value – rather than adds value – to the health care system.

Under Minister Dix’s leadership, the health care sector is bringing these jobs back into the fold. I am so proud to be part of a government that is making this important change and restoring dignity to hard work. My Grandma Laura would be proud.