Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Colombie-Britannique 28e 1re Discours du Trône 24 janvier 1967 Georges Pearkes Lieutenant-Gouverneur British Columbia Social Credit Party Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly: In opening this, the First Session of the Twenty-eighth Parliament of British Columbia, I wish first to welcome all Members and to express my confidence that through the wise and careful discharge of your duties much will accrue to the lasting benefit of the people of our Province. It is my special privilege as Her Majesty's representative to greet you on this historic day in the City of New Westminster. One hundred years ago, on January 24,1867, Governor Frederick Seymour formally opened the first session of the Legislative Council of the United Colony of British Columbia in a building within the camp of the Royal Engineers, not far removed from where we meet today. The Imperial Act uniting the former colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia had been simultaneously proclaimed at New Westminster and Victoria on November 19, 1866, and for the first time there was convened a legislative body whose jurisdiction extended the length and breadth of our Province as we know it today. I am delighted that my Government has seen fit to commemorate this significant event in such a fitting manner. I am happy, too, to note the success of celebrations held during the past year to commemorate the centenary of the union of the two colonies. On March 11, 1966, the anniversary of the assumption of office by our first Royal Governor, our festivities were enhanced by the participation of the Right Honourable the Viscount Amory, G.C.M.G., governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. Eight days later Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother graciously joined in our celebrations by laying the cornerstone of the complex of buildings being erected to house the Provincial Archives and Provincial Museum. These buildings constitute the Federal-Provincial Confederation project for British Columbia. Throughout the Province, a variety of community celebrations has also been held to mark this significant year in our history. These were brought to a fitting climax during the week-end of November 1 when, with due ceremony here at New Westminster, first capital of the united colony, the formal proclamation of the Act of Union was re-created. In this exciting round of activities we were honoured by the presence of the Right Honourable Sir Robert Ian Bellinger, Lord Mayor of London. During the past year we have been privileged to receive many other distinguished visitors, including Their Excellencies Sir Henry Lintott, K.C.M.G., British High Commissioner; T. J. Endemann, Ambassador of South Africa; Karl Torsten Tikanvaara, Ambassador of Finland; Hans William Gasser, Ambassador of Switzerland; Mehmet Baydur, Ambassador of Turkey; Pedro R. Suinaga Lujan, Ambassador of Mexico; Dr. Antonio M. Araujo, Ambassador of Venezuela; W. Walton Butterworth, Ambassador of the United States; Zygfryd L. Wohliak, Ambassador of Poland; R. Hidajat, Ambassador of Indonesia ; Dïmitri Polyansky, Deputy Premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and the Honourable Frank Walsh, Premier of South Australia. We are a privileged people; all about us there are many evidences that we live in a land superbly endowed by the Providence of Cod. It was, therefore, completely appropriate that my Government should designate Sunday, November 20, 1966, as a day of thanksgiving and thus afford us all the opportunity to acknowledge the blessings which have been showered upon us. As long ago as the spring of 1792 Captain George Vancouver, then engaged in the exploration of our coastal waters, recognized the magnificence of our natural endowment, and prophetically added that it required " only to be enriched by the industry of man with villages, mansions, cottages and other buildings, to render it the most lovely country that can be imagined". Although his sanguine hopes were not always shared by others, the accuracy of his prophecy is everywhere apparent today. In the course of your deliberations there will be presented to you abundant evidence of the unparalleled prosperity that is ours. During the whole of 1966 we have had ample opportunity to revive the memory of the past, to recall the devoted struggles of those who pioneered this western land, to pay tribute to them for the service they have rendered to us, and to acknowledge with gratitude the strength of the foundations they so heroically laid. The intervening hundred years have wrought tremendous changes, perhaps even beyond the loftiest dreams of those who saw the soaring visions of 1866. Our rightful pride in past accomplishment and our gratitude for present well-being amply justify our hopes for future greatness. I am gratified that my Government has in a particular way taken cognizance of this centenary by the establishment of the Order of the Dogwood. This special perpetual award of merit, evidenced by a medal incorporating in its design symbols of particular significance for our Province, may be presented to persons who have rendered outstanding meritorious service to the Province of British Columbia or have had an unusually significant association with the Province. Now we have begun, in company with our fellow-citizens all across the land, the celebration of another centenary-the anniversary of the Canadian Confederation of July 1, 1867. My Government has advised me that plans for further commemoration of this truly significant event are well in hand. I am gratified to learn that already hundreds of communities are actively engaged in planning events and in developing permanent projects; several of these projects already have been completed. As a Provincial symbol of this year of celebration it is the intention of my Government formally to inaugurate the Fort Steele Historic Park, the restoration of which has been in progress for some years. It is fitting and proper that our people should have the fullest opportunity to commemorate in appropriate fashion the Centenary of Confederation. Our march to national status was not easily achieved; indeed, it might be said that Canada was built in defiance of geography. But the political acumen and intelligent foresight that imbued the founding fathers triumphed over geography, and in due course a great nation came into being. Let us remember that our own development in British Columbia reflected in miniature the same trials and sacrifice, for in earlier days there were four separate colonial jurisdictions west of the Rocky Mountains which were eventually united into a single colony. That union was not easily achieved, but from that base has come the Province of which we are so justly proud. Just as surely as unity is strength for us as British Columbians, so unity is strength for us as Canadians. The strains and stresses that gave rise to Confederation were real and powerful. They have not all been overcome, but If our generation is prepared to face them as courageously as the Fathers of Confederation faced them one hundred years ago, then we may look forward with confidence to the reality of one nation, strong and indivisible, stretching from sea to sea. During the past year we were saddened, by the passing of Senator the Honourable Stanley Stewart McKeen; Mr. justice Harold McInnes of the Supreme Court of British Columbia; Mr. Arthur Lees, a director of a British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority; and Mr. George Faulds Stirling, who represented the Electoral District of Salmon Arm in this Legislature from 1943 to 1945. We note with further sadness the passing of William Alexander McKenzie, a former Minister of Mines and Minister of Labour, and Mr. George S. Pearson, former Minister who held at various times numerous important Portfolios. The resignation, after many years of dedicated service, of the Honourable Eric Charles Fitzgerald Martin, Minister of Health Services and Hospital Insurance, was regretfully accepted because of illness. The Honourable Wesley Drewett Black was appointed Minister of Health Services and Hospital Insurance, and the Honourable Daniel Robert John Campbell assumed the Portfolio of Social Welfare. I was pleased to administer the oaths of office as Members of the Executive Council without Portfolio to Isabel Pearl Dawson, Patricia Jane Jordan, and Grace McCarthy. I am advised by my Government that a Royal Commission appointed under the Public Inquiries Act to inquire into matters relating to automobile insurance rates continues to carry out its function. Under the Public Inquiries Act, Rey Agler Sargent, former County Court Judge, was appointed a Commissioner to inquire into the extent and use of listening and recording devices for the purpose of invading the privacy of persons or organizations. This report will be laid before you in due course. During 1966 our Province continued its buoyant economic growth with further sizeable gains in employment and in labour income. During the period September, 1965, to September, 1966, employment increased by 48,000 persons or 7.4 per cent, while salary and wage earnings during the year also showed a substantial increase. The major industrial segments of our economy--construction, mining, agriculture, fishing, and forestry-have been very active, resulting in expanding industrial output and virtually full employment. I am pleased to note that the Parliament of Canada has authorized the Bank of British Columbia to be established with headquarter in the City of Vancouver. In the field of labour relations, a number of disputes presented considerable difficulty, but I am pleased to note that these disputes have now been resolved. In a further endeavour to encourage more meaningful communication between labour, management, and government, the British Columbia Labour-Management Committee was appointed last year. My Government expects this Committee to make a significant contribution to the industrial harmony of the Province while, at the same time, indicating future manpower policies with regard to automation and technological advances. As part of its plans to help industry and labour deal with manpower adjustment problems which arise from technological and other economic changes, my Government has established a Research Branch which now actively engaged in a variety of useful studies. You will recall that last year authority was also granted for the creation of a Women's Bureau within the Department of Labour. This has now been accomplished and the Bureau is actively assisting working women with their problems. You will be asked to consider legislation dealing with workmen's compensation. The impressive level of industrial development attained by British Columbia in 1966 was sustained in large measure word demand for our resources. Further efforts are now being made to assure the diversification of our economy, notably through the attraction of power-sensitive industries which can be served by the Columbia River and Peace River power projects. Greater encouragement to export industries is also being extended through the close attention which my Government is giving to the development of port facilities in British Columbia. My Government continues to be concerned with the effects of high-cost railway transportation on the people and industries of the Province and has made strong representations to the Parliament of Canada on this question. Among its measures for fostering export trade, my Government has commissioned a study of trade possibilities with certain Latin American countries. The countries under study have a combined population of over 30 million people, which is increasing by approximately 1 million persons annually. My Government expects that numerous commercial ties of lasting mutual benefit will arise from the Fourth International Trade Fair to be held in Vancouver between May 17th and May 27th. Trade missions from New Zealand, France, Italy, and Sweden visited British Columbia last year, and their members were accorded first-hand acquaintance with many British Columbia industries through the tours provided by public-spirited industrialists of this Province. My Government sponsored an eight-member mission to Jamaica to survey the possibilities for the export of prefabricated buildings. Besides the consummation of export contracts, an important outcome of international trade activities has been the encouragement of joint manufacturing and exploration ventures. Several of these large-scale investment projects in British Columbia are for the production of paper products and the development of mineral deposits. The mining industry maintained a very satisfactory growth rate in 1966. Among other achievements, British Columbia has become an important world source of molybdenum. New mines came into being at Babine Lake, Buttle Lake, and Rossland, producing copper, zinc, lead, and molybdenum. Work proceeded in preparations for production from other new deposits of copper, iron, and molybdenum at Tasu Sound, Alice Arm, and Tide Lake, north of Stewart. Exploration for new mines continued at a high level, with activity concentrated on search for deposits of copper and molybdenum, and my Government has continued its efforts, in co-operation with the mining industry, to encourage the erection of a copper smelter in the Province. Continued exploration and development of our oil and gas resources has resulted not only in significant production increases but in considerably higher revenues to the people through royalties and lease income. Active drilling programmes, accompanied by a high success ratio, again have raised our proven reserves of hydrocarbons. Recent approval by the National Energy Board of the export of an additional 100 million cubic feet of gas daily, together with the industry's marked interest in the oil potential of that part of our Peace River District located immediately west of the prolific oil discoveries in the Rainbow area of Alberta, undoubtedly will generate the most intensive exploration activity we have experienced in some years. Concurrent with the establishment of more oil and gas fields, pipe-line systems are being extended rapidly to transport our production to markets. In addition to the development within the Peace River District, this year will mark the beginning of drilling operations in another large potential oil and gas aerate-the water-covered lands lying offshore of both the Mainland and Vancouver Island. The discovery of oil or gas in this area would have a tremendous effect on the economy of the Province. My Government reports that during the past year the forest industries have experienced a variety of economic conditions both at home and in world markets. The pulp and paper industry continued to prosper, and in the Interior three new plants came into production, to more than double the previous output from that large region. The lumber industry, however, was forced to slow down in the latter part of the year by reason of a decline in expand in the United States and United Kingdom. At the same time, the total cut for the Province during the year established a new record, and the programme of pulp an paper expansion has continued unabated both on the Coast and in the Interior. A very large percentage of the output of the forest industry is sold on the world market, and the law of supply and demand governs price levels. To date there has been no marked price recession despite the reduced demand for lumber arising out of the restrictions on availability of mortgage funds adopted by our principal customers. Rather narrow declines in lumber prices have been offset by buoyant pulp and paper prices, thereby demonstrating the advantages of integration and production of a wide variety of products from our forest resource. I am gratified to learn that losses from forest fires were greatly reduced last year. In addition, the cone crop in the southern half of the Province was much better than average and a total of 33,000 bushels was harvested, thereby ensuring a 10-year seed supply for the increased reforestation programme. Last year I was able to advise you that agreement had been reached whereby the Government of Canada would assist under the terms of the Canada Water Conservation Assistance Act in the financing of certain projects which had been designed to reduce damages from flooding in Alberni and in the municipalities of North and West Vancouver. I am pleased to report that the projects in the Greater Vancouver area have proceeded on schedule and will provide a considerable measure of protection to those regularly threatened areas this winter. Some progress has been made towards implementing the proposals for flood alleviation in the Alberni Valley. The Government of Canada and my Government are now seeking ways and means by which joint agreement can be reached in respect to the reduction of flood damage and the improvement of drainage to increase farm production in the flood-prone lands of the Lower Fraser Valley. My Government reports that agriculture in British Columbia experienced a satisfactory year, much improved over 1965, when climatic ravages caused damage and loss to crops in a great many areas of the Province. While cost items have increased substantially to modify the net benefits, the gross value of agricultural production and cash receipts in 1966 produced the highest dollar return on record. Last year, the Department of Agriculture introduced a series of annual Provincial agricultural outlook conferences. The conferences have already had the effect of accelerating some investments in industry related to agriculture as well as providing a broad base for farmers and others to review their opportunities in agricultural and food-processing development in British Columbia. The first joint Federal-Provincial programme under the Crop Insurance Act passed at the 1966 Session of the Legislature has been introduced in relation to tree fruits. You will be asked to set up a capital fund to stabilize the crop insurance programme. My Government is pleased to report that good progress was made in 1966 on the two largest highway projects in British Columbia. These are the extension and improvement of the Northern Trans-Provincial Highway east from Prince George to McBride and the Alberta Border, and reconstruction of the Yellowhead Route from Kamloops to Tête Jaune Cache. These and other significant projects now being carried out will be of great benefit to our own people and to the commercial trucking and tourist industries. My Government has indicated its intention to retire all the bonded indebtedness on the Queensborough Bridge at New Westminster. Appropriate legislation for this Centennial gift to our former capital city will be submitted for your consideration. Agencies of my Government responsible for the generation and distribution of power and for marine and rail transportation experienced satisfactory growth in1966. Sales of electricity by the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority increased by a record 18.3 per cent, and the gain in gas sales was 13.5 per cent. These increases reflect the rapid growth of a Province's industrial plant and underline the wisdom of my Government's programme of massive power development. I am gratified to learn that construction of the Peace River hydro project is proceeding on schedule. The dam itself is well ahead of the planned time-table and should be completed early in August. Progress on the underground power-house has accelerated, and work on all other facilities, including the massive transmission network, is going forward according to plan. Progress on the three, Columbia River Treaty dams is likewise ahead of schedule in many instances. At Duncan, general progress may permit the storage of water to commence as much as once year earlier than specified in the sales agreement and more than two years earlier than required by the Treaty. This may result in substantial savings through earlier flood-control payments and additional down-stream power benefits. Excellent progress has been made also at the Arrow Dam, with all phases of the project well ahead of schedule. At the Mica Dam site, activities were concentrated in three main areas-reconstruction of the Big Bend Highway, construction of town site services and buildings, and excavation of the diversion tunnels. Diversion of the river will be accomplished before the end of this year. Construction of Hydro's 9.5-million-dollar microwave network is virtually complete. The complex communication system utilizes 38 individual stations to transmit data and permit remote control of power plants, transmission-lines, and substations throughout most of Hydro's integrated system. To meet increasing loads on Vancouve Island, a high-voltage direct-current underwater link from the Mainland is now being constructed. This line will augment the present 132,000-volt alternating-current lines already in service. The Burrard Thermal Plant is now being used to full capacity, with three units in operation. A fourth 150,000-kilowatt unit, scheduled for service this September, is now under construction, and in the fall of 1968 a fifth unit will be installed. The reduction of gas rates which became effective on April 1st will save gas consumers nearly 2 million dollars a year on the Lower Mainland and in Greater Victoria. This was the fifth successive annual reduction in electric or gas rates. A policy of rural electrification is being continued and will be extended. My Government is pleased to report that British Columbia Ferry Authority's new service connecting the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island to the Northern Interior via Prince Rupert has been an outstanding success. To date the whole ferry system has carried 18 million passengers and 63 million vehicles. Last year the Otter Bay terminal on Pender Island was completed and service on the Powell River route across Jervis Inlet was increased. In order to accommodate greatly increased traffic between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale, additional weekend sailings will be provided this year. During 1966 the Pacific Great Eastern Railway acquired additional locomotive power and rolling-stock, and also extended and improved its trackage. One extension from the railway's main line was under construction during the year, two were under survey, and the 23-mile run from Kennedy, 120 miles north from Prince George, to the new town of Mackenzie was officially opened for traffic. To keep pace with the railway's anticipated growth, additional yard and passing trackage will be constructed this year and further development of the industrial park at Prince George will be carried out. Honourable Members, I have reviewed in some detail the development of our physical resources. Now I wish to speak of my Government's plans for the continued enrichment of our human resources. British Columbia's public welfare programme has advanced to a position unsurpassed in Canada and leads the nation in many services. Much emphasis has been placed on preventive programmes designed to forestall the development of social problems. Homemaker and child day-care services have been expanded, with the result that children as well as the aged are able to remain in their own homes rather than suffer separation from familiar surroundings. Additional staff has been provided the Department of Social Welfare, increasing its capacity to provide counselling services aid assistance to unemployed persons and their families who are dependent upon social assistance has been extended through vocational training, educational up-grading, and job placement resources. Treatment facilities have been and are being further developed to meet the particular needs of children who are handicapped by emotional disorders. These facilities have been established throughout the province to provide as much local care as possible with, of course, some specialized treatment centres being set up in the more heavily populated areas. Improved treatment methods have made it possible to discharge an ever-increasing number of patients from the mental health complex into boarding homes under the supervision of the Department of Social Welfare in an effort to assist them in their return to society. I am pleased to advise that the construction of a 400-bed school for mentally retarded children at Victoria is well under way. The construction of the Mental Health Centre adjacent to Royal Jubilee Hospital is likewise proceeding on schedule. Plans are well advanced for the residential care centre for emotionally disturbed children at Burnaby. A 104-bed unit at Tranquille School for mentally retarded children was opened recently, and is in full use. Renovations to the Centre Building at Woodlands School for mentally retarded children are being progressively carried out, and renovations have been completed on the Provincial property at New Denver to accommodate emotionally disturbed children. The problem of the transient unemployed has been studied carefully, and hostels have been established in several communities. At these centres, counselling service on employment opportunities and vocational training is provided. In the field of health services, my Government is continuing to emphasize the control of communicable diseases, and has also made funds available to assist in the early recognition of oral cancer. Nursing services in the home have again been expanded, and are now available to over 84 per cent of the population in Provincial health units. A speech-therapy programme is now operating in four Provincial health units, and rehabilitation services for the handicapped have been planned and organized in 19 local areas. My Government has made available to the Vancouver General Hospital special operating-room facilities within the Willow Chest Centre. These facilities will be used for the performance of open-heart surgery and will greatly reduce the waiting period for persons requiring this treatment. During the past year, my Government also developed a special programme for the treatment of autistic children-those children who become mentally ill at an early age and appear, because of their psychotic condition to be mentally retarded. My Government has appointed a director of the Forensic Clinic which was established last year, and the Regional Mental Health Centre in Chilliwack has now been opened. This year, recruitment of staff for the centres in Prince George and Kamloops will be undertaken, and services in the Okanagan, Kootenay, and Upper Vancouver Island areas will be expanded. Payments made by my Government through the British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service to the hospitals of the Province have increased every year and in 1966 were at an all-time high. In the current fiscal year an estimated 90 million dollars will be paid on behalf of hospitalized residents. Effective October 1, 1966, the coverage of the British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service was extended to include out-patient cancer therapy in the facilities operated by the British Columbia Cancer Institute in Vancouver and at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria. I am pleased to announce that regulations under the Medical Grant Act have been expanded to include the services of qualified practitioners carrying out procedures commonly performed by surgeons or oral surgeons, and to include the services of podiatrists. These amended benefits are provided with no change in the basic premiums. Hospital construction during 1966 continued to keep apace of the tremendous programme of building which has been undertaken since 1952. During that 13-year period, 133 major building projects were completed, involving over 6,400 new beds as well as such vital service facilities as new emergency, laboratory, and radiological departments, and laundry buildings. The cost of construction in this vast undertaking amount to over 91 million dollars, of which my Government provided grants exceeding 43.8 million dollars. This past year has seen the completion of an additional 14 major hospital projects. At the present time, facilities for over 1,000 new beds are under construction throughout the Province, representing construction costs exceeding 25 million dollars. Major projects now being planned represent a further investment of approximately 50 million dollars. During the past year my Government has vigorously pursued its programme to bring modern, diversified educational services within reach of all sections of the Province. A major reorganization and expansion of the entire secondary-school system has been completed and is now being consolidated and implemented throughout the Province. Attention has been directed to the provision of up-to-date courses and new teaching materials in all major fields of learning. Further, to meet the increasing educational requirements of our technological age, my Government proposes to continue its planned programme of expansion of educational facilities at the post-secondary-school level in the British Columbia vocational schools, the Institute of Technology, and in district or regional colleges. Vancouver City College is now in its second year of operation, and last fall Selkirk College at Castlegar became the first of the new regional colleges to open its doors in the Interior of the Province. As a result, a wide range of post-secondary academic and technical programmes have now become available to the students in these areas. While the recent decision of the Government of Canada to terminate the Federal-Provincial Agreement on Technical and Vocational Training has been a cause for disappointment, it is gratifying to know that my Government will continue to construct and operate regional vocational schools at strategic locations in the Province. You will be asked at this Session to consider amendments to the Public Schools Act. My Government reports that integration with the Canada Pension Plan for both contributions and benefits was brought into effect last year. Employees who retired during the year received improved pension benefits without additional cost either to themselves or to employers. Payment of the supplementary bonuses authorized by the 1966 legislation was made to about 6,000 persons who had retired in previous years. The increase in pension payment amounted to more than 1 million dollars annually. I am pleased that my Government has announced an expanded programme of housing for low-income groups and that measures to implement this programme will be laid before you during the current Session. With the onrush of industrial development in British Columbia, my Government has recognized as one of its cardinal responsibilities the preservation for all time of the blessings of clean air, pure water, an fertile soil. In this connection, I am happy to know that the activities of the reorganized Pollution-control Board have been greatly increased. I am happy to learn also that my Government is preparing to establish an air-pollution section within the Department of Health; 15 survey stations have already been established in various areas of the Province to conduct air-quality surveys. In 1957 my Government established the Department of Recreation and Conservation, the first such department to be organized by any government in Canada. Included within its jurisdiction was the responsibility for tourist promotion, and the effectiveness of its operation has become self-evident: the number of visitors to our Province has increased fourfold in the past six years, and the estimated gross value of tourism to our economy last year was 225 million dollars. In order that this dramatic growth may continue on a year-round basis, you will be asked at this Session to consider the establishment of a new Department of Travel Industry. Honourable Members will recall that in 1957 my Government pioneered in still another field of legislation when it inaugurated the Provincial home-owners' grant scheme. The annual grant to home-owners under enabling legislation has been progressively raised from the original $28 to the current $110. Recognizing the value of encouraging more people to buy or build their own homes, my Government will ask you at this Session to consider legislation to establish a Home Acquisition Fund, out of which assistance will be made available to persons who have not received a home-owner's grant. The progressive development of the physical resources of our Province has been an exciting challenge to our people and my Government, but there are other human resources which necessarily also require our attention. My Government, fully cognizant of the need, is satisfied that we are now in a position to turn further attention to the promotion, stimulation, and expansion of the cultural resources of our people. To this end you will be asked to consider the establishment of a Cultural Assistance Fund. You will be asked to consider legislation dealing with the purchase of consumer goods from door-to-door canvassers, the protection of buyers of consumer goods under executory contracts, and the fair disclosure of the cost of credit. My Government proposes to introduce a Bill giving consent for the declaration by the Parliament of Canada that the line as defined by survey on the ground, and shown in the atlas referred to in a 1966 report of the British Columbia-Yukon-Northwest Territories Boundary Commission, is indeed the true boundary between this Province and the Yukon and Norhwest Territories. The Public Accounts and reports of the departments of my Government will be laid before you, and you will be asked to grant to Her Majesty the ways and means of supply. Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members, I leave you now with a final salute to the historic City of New Westminster, the first capital of British Columbia. I pray that as you resume your deliberations in the present capital city of Victoria, the guidance of Divine Providence will attend your labours.