Overview
- Premier David Eby outlined targets to attract about $200 billion by 2035, calling on Ottawa to be “relentless and remorseless” in driving growth through mines, trade diversification, AI, aerospace, marine work and new transmission infrastructure.
- Plan details include $241 million over three years for trades training, faster permitting and a bid to secure 35% of federal defence vessel contracts with former defence minister Harjit Sajjan advising without pay.
- Business and political responses urged clearer execution steps, with the BC Chamber seeking concrete actions and Conservative Leader John Rustad questioning power supply, permitting reliability and shipbuilding choices tied to BC Ferries.
- Alberta letters condemned the government’s use of the notwithstanding clause to end a teachers’ strike and impose a contract, alleging the usual step of binding arbitration was removed because the province expected to lose.
- Reader letters pressed for oversight and services on several fronts, citing whistleblower-triggered scrutiny of Norway House Cree Nation expenses, the removal of COVID shots from an adaptive clinic for adults with complex needs, and cultural disputes over CFL halftime choices and municipal flag-raising.