Premier David Eby took to the stage Tuesday to speak to Burnaby business owners and executives after the local board of trade recently expressed disappointment in the 2023 provincial budget.
Eby addressed the Burnaby business community at a luncheon hosted by the Burnaby Board of Trade (BBoT) on March 7.
BBoT president and CEO Paul Holden said last week the board of trade had hoped to see a “clearer focus on solutions that will reduce the cost of doing business” from the province.
But Eby said many of the province’s investments will support local businesses and residents across the province, particularly emphasizing his government’s focus on housing, healthcare and higher education.
For instance, Eby said business leaders have highlighted the province’s lack of affordable housing as a concern.
“It makes it difficult to recruit and retain employees when housing is still expensive,” Eby said.
He said the province plans to launch a housing action plan, with details coming next month, with $4.2 billion in the budget to “build more homes for middle-income people across the province,” Eby said, calling housing “essential infrastructure.”
“It’s like electrical wires or roads, or sewer systems. We need housing … or our province cannot function.”
He said the province is preparing to hire 160 new staff to deal with backlogs in permitting processes regarding housing.
Eby also touted his government’s investments in the redevelopment of Burnaby Hospital and the Trades and Technology complex at BCIT.
“(It’s) not just money,” he added. “You need the physical people to help deliver the care. … the actual nurses, the healthcare professionals and the doctors,” he said, noting the province is working to speed up the process of recognizing internationally trained healthcare workers.
Eby plugged the recently announced Growing Communities Fund, which includes a $28.7 million grant to the City of Burnaby.
“Burnaby is one of B.C.’s fastest growing communities and that growth needs to be supported,” Eby said.
More information on the province’s Future Ready Plan regarding skilled labour shortages will come in April.
