Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Colombie-Britannique 28e 3e Discours du Trône 23 janvier 1969 John Robert Nicholson Lieutenant-Gouverneur British Columbia Social Credit Party Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly: I welcome you to the Third Session of the Twenty-eighth Parliament of British Columbia, and wish to express my pleasure in meeting with you for the first time as Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. It is a privilege to be associated with you in the discharge of your duties as Members of the Legislative Assembly. You are meeting at a time when decisions critical to the future of our Province and our nation are being undertaken-a time when governments at all levels, and people of every creed, every calling, and every national origin, are seeking solutions to the changing problems and challenges of Canadian life. The Government of British Columbia recognizes to the full its responsibility to provide leadership for the people of the Province in this effort. It recognizes equally its duty to keep them informed of the actions proposed on their behalf, and, above all, it accepts its responsibility to offer proposals, first as Canadians and then as British Columbians, which fall within the framework of loyalties, traditions, and constitutional safeguards that have served this nation so well for over a hundred years. Within this framework, my Government propounds with equal vigour the concept that constructive change is essential to our national and regional progress. Social development and economic development are inseparable goals. Their attainment by all Canadians, including those resident in our northern frontier, calls for policies at once visionary in scope and practical in application-policies such as those whose beneficial influence has already seen changes made to the physical outline of our country many times since its birth. During the forthcoming year my Government will continue to advocate such policies at the national level while expanding its programme for human betterment within British Columbia. These programmes will have particular regard for the fields of education and health, and although their requirements are very great in a Province whose population is increasing at twice the rate of the rest of the nation, every reasonable effort to meet them must be made if present and future generations of British Columbians are to meet their full potential. Since you last met, changes have been made in the structure of the Executive Council. The Honourable Leslie Raymon Peterson, Q.C., was appointed Attorney-General; the Honourable Wesley Drewett Black, Minister of Highways; the Honourable Ralph Raymond Loffmark, Minister of Health Services and Hospital Insurance; the Honourable Waldo McTavish Skilling , Minister of Industrial Development, Trade, and Commerce; the Honourable Donald Leslie Brothers, Minister of Education; the Honourable Francis Xavier Richter, Minister of Mines and Petroleum Resources and Minister of Commercial Transport; and the Honourable Cyril Morley Shelford, Minister of Agriculture. Members seated for the first time at this Session are Norman Levi, Allan L. Cox, David M. Brousson, and William S. King. To each of you I extend my congratulations. This Province, and indeed all of Canada, suffered a serious loss through the death during the past year of outstanding public servants. We mourn Mr. Gordon Sylvester Wismer, a former Attorney-General of the Province; Mr. Colin Cameron, Member of Parliament for British Columbia and formerly a Member of the British Columbia Legislature; Senator the Honorable Thomas Reid, who, before being named to the Senate, served for many years in the House of Commons; and Mr. Frederick Justin Vulliamy, whose presence will be sadly missed in this Legislature. Following the Centennial Year, the Province was pleased to act as host to many distinguished visitors. Of particular significance was the presence of Their Excellencies the Right Honourable Roland Michener, C.C., C.D., Governor-General of Canada, and Mrs. Michener, who gained the lasting affection of British Columbians during their visit late last year. Providing for continuity in representation abroad, Michael Grote Sailing was appointed Agent-General for British Columbia in London, succeeding Earle Cathers Westwood. The Commission consisting of Mr. Justice Robert Alexander Burnie Wootton (Chairman), Dr. Peter Alfred Lusztig and Charles Edward Stuart Walls, appointed under the Public Inquiries Act into matters relating to automobile insurance, has submitted its report, which will be placed before you forthwith. During the past year my Government has made great progress in the development of Heritage Court and its associated buildings within the Capital region. In March the bell-tower was dedicated, and the generous gift of a carillon of 49 bells by The Netherlands people of British Columbia was accepted. The main display facility for the Provincial Museum was formally opened in August, and the massive and involved task of progressively developing the exhibit programme is well in hand. It is now anticipated that the new facility of the Provincial Archives and the curatorial tower housing the research facilities of the Provincial Museum will be completed by midsummer. The restoration of historic sites continued during the past year. Exploratory work at Fort Defiance, where the first known occupancy of Vancouver Island by American citizens took place in the early 1790's, was of special interest. Good progress has been made on the restoration of Craigflower Manor in Victoria. This project is being undertaken jointly with the Federal Government, and my Government expects to enter into a similar agreement which will permit the restoration of Fort St. James, a site which has great significance in our history. The centenary of the Union of the Colony of British Columbia with Canada will occur in 1971. Legislation will be placed before you in keeping with my Government's desire to assure, on behalf of all the citizens of the Province, an appropriate observance of this milestone. I am most pleased to report that the Centennial Perpetual Cultural Fund, now in its second year, continues to provide direct assistance to the Arts throughout the Province. During the present Session you dill asked to consider proposals designed to expand and improve my Government's services in the field of education to persons of all ages and at all levels of academic attainment. Your approval will be sought for the establishment of a Division of Special Education, which will work on the problems of educationally handicapped children in collaboration with other Provincial departments, school boards, and voluntary agencies. Anticipating developments in the field of educational television, the School Broadcast Division and the Audio-Visual Division of the Department of Education will be merged to become a new resource centre-the Division of Audio-Visual Services. My Government is continuing to pursue vigorously its attack on pollution wherever it may occur in British Columbia on land, on water, or in the air. Scientific air-sampling equipment has been augmented and improved, and its findings will be processed by computers in the Government's data processing centre. Protection efforts have been further extended by the introduction of a mobile radiation-protection laboratory to combat the possible dangers of atomic-energy radiation. The five new sets of sanitary regulations introduced last year are proving highly effective in the protection they offer both our own citizens and visitors to the Province. Further in keeping with these programmes, you will be asked to consider new legislation dealing with safe and desirable practices in the mining industry. This legislation will embody requirements that mining companies, including those engaged in open-pit mining, meet satisfactory aesthetic and environmental standards in all their areas of operation. It will further require that land values be maintained and reclamation practised, while still permitting proper use of our natural resources. The tremendous programme of hospital construction which has been under way throughout the length and breadth of the Province continued through 1968 without let-up. Major projects completed during the year involved a total of 660 new beds, of which 282 were for extended hospital care accommodation. Communities which saw the completion of hospital construction and renovation programmes in 1968 included White Rock, Cranbrook, Fort St. John, Campbell River, Grand Forks, Murrayville, Powell River, Richmond, Enderby, Vernon, Comox, Pouce Coupe, Prince George, Vancouver, and Victoria. In addition to these completed projects, hospital-construction programmes are presently under way in 12 other centres, and Government approval in principle and approval to plan has been given to the boards of management of over 45 hospitals. The regional hospital district programme introduced by my Government in 1967 has met with a great deal of success. Through this programme, my Government guarantees financial undertakings of the districts and raises the capital for hospital construction. During 1968 five regional hospital districts were incorporated, bringing the total of such districts through but British Columbia to 28. In 1968 day-care surgical services for out-patients were provided as an extension of the coverage offered by my Government through the Hospital Insurance Service. Medical advances in recent years, particularly in the field of anesthesia, have made it possible for a number of surgical procedures to be carried out without requiring the patient to be admitted as an in-patient. The provision of this additional benefit has proven to be extremely satisfactory. The provision of appropriate public health clinic and office space throughout the Province continues to receive the close attention of my Government. During the past 16 years, more than 80 community health centres have been constructed or enlarged. In 1968 new buildings were completed in two municipalities and construction was under way in three others. The reorganization of the Mental Health Branch is proceeding well, and the recruitment of the Victoria-based staff of professional consultants necessary to assist in the development of community-based programmes is on schedule. Mental health centres are now functioning in Victoria, Nanaimo, Burnaby, New Westminster, Chilliwack, Kelowna, Vernon, Kamloops, Trail, and Prince George. Increased emphasis is being placed upon recruitment of professional personnel to permit commencement of programme in other areas. Construction of the British Columbia Youth Development Centre in Burnaby will be completed shortly, and this $2,700,000 complex for the care of emotionally disturbed children will be phased into operation in early spring. Construction of the Eric Martin Institute, 170-bed intensive-care psychiatric unit in Greater Victoria, is nearing completion. Construction of the Glendale unit, a 300-bed facility designed to provide extended-care service to the retarded and the psychogeriatric patient is proceeding on schedule. A teaching unit within the Riverview Hospital has been developed in conjunction with the Department of Psychiatry of the University of British Columbia and is being used in the training of psychiatrists. Increased attention has been given to the development of community services for children, and additional grants were made. The establishment of a community boarding-home programme for the mentally retarded and the psychiatrically disabled is likewise going forward. As an example, Bevan Lodge at Cumberland is now established and will provide for 70 retardates who will be able to enjoy the amenities of a community while living in a sheltered setting. A pre-placement unit for those who will progress to units in the community is under development and should be functioning within the near future. It will prepare patients for the changes they will experience as they move from an institutional setting to a community. My Government will expand this programme during the forthcoming year, in keeping with its policy to decentralize and regionalize mental health programmes in British Columbia. A significant milestone in my Government's board programme of health services was reached on July 1st last year with the inauguration of the over-all Medical Services Plan of British Columbia. This plan was patterned after the highly successful British Columbia Medical Plan initiated by my Government in 1965. It extends to all residents of the Province the additional benefits of the British Columbia Plan, plus additional services. With the introduction of the new plan, uniform premium rates became applicable to all through continuation of the principle of additional help where help is needed by eligible residents of low income. This uniform low premium was established in 1965 and, because of the payment of considerable subsidies from public funds, has been maintained at this low level despite rising costs. Because of the continuing co-operation of the medical profession, the public, and the non-profit plan societies, the over-all Medical Services Plan qualified immediately for participation under the Federal Medical Care Act, which became effective on July 1st. As a result, the benefits of comprehensive prepaid medical coverage have been extended to 97 per cent of our citizens-an outstanding record for a Province with an increasingly mobile population. My Government's programmes in the field of social welfare continue to emphasize support and continuing concern for the well-being of the aged, the sick and handicapped, the deserted mother and her children, the deserted child, and the man unemployed because he lacks the skills and abilities to acquire and hold continuing gainful employment. There has been a marked increase in the number of specialized homes for children; encouragement in the form of direct assistance by the Government to those taking vocational training has increased; and direct financial assistance to local non-profit organizations operating day-care and group-care homes has resulted in the opening of over 60 of these facilities. Social assistance rates were increased during the year, and additional monthly allowances for children and special allowances for school supplies, clothing, and recreation were provided. Community involvement in the field of human betterment was extended by the appointment of 45 senior citizens' counsellors. This programme of self-help at the community level was a first in Canada and has been well received by our senior citizens. The trend toward consolidation in a field of local government continued last year, and at the municipal level three amalgamations took place. These involved Fort St. John and Aennofield; Kimberley, Marysville, and Chapman Camp; and Trail and Tadanac. During the same period two new villages-South Fort George and Sayward were incorporated. At the regional level, three remaining areas-Cariboo, Squamish-Lillooet, and Ocean Falls-were incorporated both as regional districts and as regional hospital districts. My Government's regional district concept strongly encourages local participation and a flexible team approach, and as a result has been generally very well received. The new approach to the problems and requirements of public housing by governments at all levels is showing impressive results, and within the next two years the number of public housing units will be doubled. Inspiring growth in all sectors of the Provincial economy was reported last year as British Columbia continued to set the pace of economic development in Canada. Throughout the 1960's our population has increased at a rate much higher than that of Canada, and exceeded two million persons in February, 1968. The provision by my Government of ample hydroelectric power and the most modern communications network of highways, ferries, and railroads in Canada has encouraged vast and imaginative investment on the part of private companies. In 1968 combined new public and private investment in British Columbia was estimated at $2,660 million. Per capita, this new investment in the sound, dynamic economy of British Columbia greatly exceeded the Canadian average. The Province's thriving export trade continues to play a major role in the maintenance of Canada's balance of payments with foreign countries. Japan is now second in importance only to the United States as a trading partner to British Columbia, and the great value which my Government attaches to this relationship will be underlined by our participation in the 1970 World's Fair at Osaka. The design of the British Columbia pavilion emphasizes the beauty and utility of our woods. It includes a sculptured structure formed from massive Douglas-fir trees trimmed of branches, standing vertically, and curved gracefully upward to a maximum height of over 160 feet a height equivalent to Niagara Falls-and it is believed to be the tallest wooden structure in the world. Rising production levels, gains in personal income, and increased employment marked the rapid expansion of the Provincial economy, to which I have made earlier reference. At the same time, unfortunately, strong pressures on prices and wages were evident, and the co-operative effort of all sectors of the economy will be required to maintain British Columbia's competitive position in world markets. During 1968 the labour force grew by 35,000 persons; total labour income for the year increased by approximately 6 per cent over the 1967 level and average hourly earnings increased by about 5 per cent. The introduction of the Mediation Commission Act at the last Session signalled a new approach to labour relations in the Province. The Act, which became fully effective last December 2nd, eliminated the use of conciliation boards and Government-supervised strike votes, reduced the time required for negotiations, and made available the services of skilled mediators as well as independent statistical information. Now that this forward step in the collective bargaining process has been taken, my Government is confident that a spirit of co-operation and understanding on the part of both labour and management will prevail and allowed to work to the benefit of the parties themselves and the people of the Province. During recent years my Government has introduced a Fair Employment Practices Act, a Public Accommodation Practices Act, and an Equal Pay Act. This body of legislation establishes as fundamental policy the principle that all persons shall have the right to pursue their well-being under conditions of equal rights and equal opportunity. It prohibits discrimination in access to public accommodation; it requires that women doing the same work as men in the same establishment shall not be paid a lesser amount because of their sex; and it requires that no person shall be denied employment in British Columbia on grounds of race, religion, colour, nationality, ancestry, age, or place of origin. In order that the best interests of the workers of the Province and the community as a whole may be further benefited, you will be asked at the present Session to consider a consolidation of the Acts I have mentioned into one, to be known as the Human Rights Act, and to extend its principles into new and more challenging areas. The mineral industry recorded another year of steady growth in 1968. New markets were established for our natural gas, and British Columbia became Canada's only producer of mercury with the opening late last year of a mine at Pinchi Lake. Work proceeded in advance of production from a copper ore body north of Stewart and from a copper-molybdenum deposit near Peachland. The construction of a pipe-line to carry natural gas westward from Prince George to Kitimat and Prince Rupert, and also provide fuel for a number of communities along the route of the line, provided a new incentive for increased exploration in the Peace River District. I am pleased to learn also that plans are well advanced for the extension of natural-gas service to the people and industries of Vancouver Island by way of an under-water pipe-line from the Mainland. Drilling activity has shown that British Columbia proved recoverable oil and gas reserves at the end of 1967 were 296,500,000 barrels of oil and 7.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. To encourage further development of our gas and oil resources, my Government last year implemented a new policy of sharing in the cost of building access roads. Pulp production started last year at the third mill to be constructed in recent years at Prince George. The huge pulp and paper expansion programme at Powell River was completed, and the new unit in the East Kootenay region is now being run in. Pulp and lumber projects at Housto and Quesnel are proceeding as planned, and feasibility studies of other projects, both on the Coast and in the Interior, are under way. The Cattermole-Jujo mill at Mackenzie will start construction early this year. The 1968 forest fire season was most favourable. Suppression costs of about $700,000 were only one-tenth as great as those for the severe forest fire year of 1967. Last year my Government entered into an agreement with the Government of Canada whereby each jurisdiction will contribute $18 million over the next decade toward the improvement of flood-control works in the Lower Eraser Valley. These amounts will be augmented by local contributions on an equitable basis. A joint Federal-Provincial Advisory Board has now been set up and is directing the initial phases of a rehabilitation programme for dyking, drainage, and bank protection. It is anticipated that the first of a great number of reconstruction projects will commence this year. The Water Resources Service will continue its programme of study and investigation for future hydro-electric development in British Columbia. Major rivers in the northern part of the Province have been under study, and more work is planned for this region. Under arrangements with the Government of Canada, the British Columbia Water Resources Service will be co-operating in hydrologic studies which will form a part of the future assessment of the water resources of the Province. There will be continued activity in the Improvement of irrigation systems in the Okanagan Valley, a programme which has been functioning under the ARDA agreement since 1965. In order to meet the requirements of the Columbia River Treaty, my Government has taken the initial steps in the preparation of the Libby reservoir north of the International Boundary on the Kootenay Rider. Work is going forward on this task under the administration and co-ordination of the Water Resources Service. In accordance with stated policy, clearing of the reservoir area will begin this year. My Government's comprehensive programme of highway construction continued throughout the Province last year. Of special significance was the work carried out on Highway 16 between Prince George and the Alberta Border, and on Highway 5, the North Thompson-Yellowhead route. On Highway 16 it was possible for the first time to drive from Prince George to Jasper, making this route truly trans-Provincial; while it was not officially opened to the public and a number of bridges were still under construction, it is expected that this route will be ready for unrestricted traffic late this summer. Meanwhile, grade construction and base paving were completed on all but 20 miles on the Yellowhead route, which carried heavy traffic throughout the summer. A number of bridges are still under construction, but detours are short and mostly paved. These new routes, representing about 476 miles of high-standard highway, provide two additional road links between British Columbia and Alberta and will be of great additional benefit to the tourist industry. Many important bridges were either completed or are under construction. First contracts were let for two major crossings of the Fraser River-the Fraser Street Bridge replacement at Mitchell Island and the new Mission Bridge east of Matsqui Island. These mufti-million-dollar structures will help to improve the rapidly increasing flow of traffic in the lower Mainland. The Government's regulations relating to the licensing and movement of commercial vehicles within the Province will be reinforced by the establishment this year of further check points and more roving patrols. Many more aerial tramways are being planned by the skiing industry, and regulations under which these facilities are built and operated have been revised to ensure greater safety for the public. Aerial tramways are now established in 60 locations in the Province. In its continuing effort to encourage among agricultural producers the application of the newer discoveries of agricultural science coupled with practices of modern business management, the Government will participate in Federal-Provincial programmes designed to increase animal productivity, to improve methods of insect control, and to further extend the benefits of computer analysis to the farm enterprise. Legislation has been provided whereby dairy-farmers have established and will also administer a promotional fund for the purpose of expanding the market for Provincially produced dairy-farm products. My Government's vigorous encouragement of the important tourist industry continues to increase the flow of visitors to our Province. Border-crossing counts, which are an accurate measure of the visitor flow, indicate an increase over the previous year of about 10 per cent. My Government recognizes that the preservation of the natural beauties of our Province is essential both for the enjoyment of our own citizens and to the continued growth of the travel industry. Within the context of a rapidly changing land-use pattern in many parts of the Province, positive steps are being taken to make provision for present and future recreational needs. During 1968 seven new Provincial parks were established and 115 additional park reserves for future development were added. Existing park reserves are now in excess of 2,400 select parcels. The first major bighorn sheep management area, encompassing 35,000 acres, was established in the Ashnola region near Keremeos. Steps were taken to preserve the Boundary Bay region for recreational use, which envisages the eventual development of the largest salt-water recreational area on the Canadian west coast. You will be asked to consider legislation designed to facilitate the development of a National park on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The growth pattern of the ferry service continues, and many improvements will be carried out in advance of the heavy summer travel season. Additional service is contemplated on the Jervis Inlet crossing to Powell River, and the "Queen of the Islands " will be utilized by the Department of Highways to provide increased summer service between Comox and the Powell River area. My Government is justifiably proud of the great industrial and trading centre of the Province which Vancouver has become. Evidence of its determination to ensure its further development is provided by the encouragement given to the creation of the deep-sea port facility at Roberts Bank, which will materially augment the potential of what is already one of the busiest ports in North America. My Government was pleased to contribute one-third of the total cost of the Pacific Coliseum, and is hopeful that this fine sports centre will soon host one of the clubs in the National Hockey League. We note with pleasure the recent opening of the Centennial Museum and the H. R. MacMillan Planetarium. This significant addition to the cultural resources of Vancouver is one to which my Government made a substantial contribution, believing as it does in the importance of preserving our past and affording future generations the opportunity to become aware of the richness of our heritage. The growth in demand for electric power throughout the area served by the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority continued at a high level during the past year. Sales increased by approximately 11 per cent. Energizing of the first three 227,000-kilowatt generating units at the Peace River project made 1968 one of the most significant years in the history of the electric utility industry in this Province. Initial Peace River power flowed into the Authority's integrated transmission system on September 28th-ahead of the schedule established nearly eight years earlier and just in time to meet the peak system loads of the winter. Two additional generating units will be brought into operation later this year, increasing the capacity of the generating-station to 1,135,000 kilowatts. The remaining five units will be added as they are needed, ensuring abundant power to meet the rapidly growing requirements of homes and industries across the Province. When all 10 units are operating, the plant will have a capacity of 2,300,000 kilowatts--larger than that of any existing underground power-house in the world. Another major development in 1968 was the commencement of operation of Arrow Dam in October, nearly six months ahead of schedule. This was the second of three Columbia River Treaty projects to become operational. As a result of early completion of this dam, British Columbia received early payment from the United States of $55.9 million for flood-control benefits. Together with extra power resulting from early completion of Duncan Dam, it provided badly needed energy prior to commencement of generation at Portage Mountain. Construction of Mica Dam, the largest of the three Columbia Treaty projects, is proceeding on schedule on the Columbia River 85 miles north of Revelstoke. Consumption of natural gas in the Authority’s service area increased by approximately 10 per cent, indicating the growing acceptance of this fuel for homes and industries. Modest increases in the use of the Authority's transportation services also were experienced. Although the number of passengers carried by urban transit increased slightly, this service is still operating at a substantial deficit. The Pacific Great Eastern Railway is passing through the most explosive period of growth in its 56-year history. Carloadings and revenues soared to record levels in 1968 as the railway continued to improve its operating efficiency. The outlook for this year is favourable, with the tempo of business and industrial activity steadily accelerating along the route of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. The railway's new 75-mile extension from Odell, 30 miles north of Prince George, to Fort St. James was officially opened in August. Meanwhile, work started on two new extensions--one 73 miles in length from Fort St. James to Takla Lake, the other from Fort St. John to Fort Nelson, a distance of 250 miles. The Takla extension is scheduled for completion in 1970, and the link to Fort Nelson ,by the end of 1971. During the current Session the Civil Service Commission will present its Fiftieth Annual Report to this Legislature. Throughout this half-century many distinguished and loyal Civil Servants have dedicated their lives to serving the people of this Province. My Government is proud to have participated during the past 17 years in encouraging and supporting the growth of one of the finest Civil Services in Canada. The Civil Service Commission has established an excellent merit plan of staff selection and promotion, a sound salary and wage evaluation system, a healthy grievance system, efficient training systems, a good correlated employee safety plan, and a splendid executive development training plan. No other Civil Service in Canada can surpass, and few can equal, this comprehensive programme. During the last Session of the Legislature, amendments were made to the Teachers' Pensions Act. The resultant improvements, benefiting active and retired teachers alike, provided average increases of approximately 20 per cent. You will be asked to consider certain major improvements in the administration of justice in British Columbia. The Courts in the Province will be reconstituted by raising the status of the Magisterial Court, and the Province will assume payment of the salaries of the Judges of these Courts. Legistlation will be introduced to provide for one Superior Court to embrace the work presently being performed by the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the County Courts in British Columbia. To ensure that our laws are kept up to date, you will be asked to enact legislation establishing a Law Reform Commission. Legislation arising from meetings with the Provinces and the National Government in the field of consumer protection will be introduced. Safety on our streets and highways is one of the major objectives of my Government. In keeping with that objective, the first Provincial Government motor-vehicle inspection station was officially opened at Victoria in July. This is the first phase of an inspection programme that has as its objective yearly inspection for every car, truck, and trailer being operated on the streets and highways of British Columbia. In 1952 a Liquor Inquiry Commission was appointed under the chairmanship of the Honourable Harry H. Stevens, and its findings and recommendations resulted in major legislative improvements. My Government considers it appropriate that a further review of the laws and regulations relating to the sale and consumption of spirituous, vinous, and malt liquors be undertaken, and for that purpose a Royal Commission will be appointed under the provisions of the Public Inquiries Act. The Public Accounts and the reports of my Government will be presented. Estimates for the ensuing year will be submitted following presentation of this Administration's 18th budget, which will outline detailed programmes and policies for the benefit of all our citizens. Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members, I leave you now. I trust that Divine Providence will guide you as you discharge your legislative duties.