Investing in Safe and Thriving Communities

The people that live in British Columbia are our greatest strength.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen our population grow. People want to live and raise their families in our communities. But at the same time, the impacts of climate change are putting pressure on some of our community infrastructure.

That’s why your New Democrat government, led by David Eby, is taking action to make sure that people in B.C. have what they need to build good lives in thriving, safe communities.

We’re building more hospitals and healthcare facilities, like a new hospital and cancer centre for Surrey in Cloverdale, and a new cancer centre in Kamloops. We’re also hiring and training more doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

File Photo – Photo Courtesy CFJC Today – Pattison Media

We’re expanding, upgrading and building more schools, so that kids can learn and play in safe, modern spaces. And we’re investing in active transportation projects so that people of all ages can get around their communities safely by walking, rolling or cycling.

We’re making it easier and faster to get around the region by building the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain, the first rapid transit expansion south of the Fraser River in over 30 years.
 
We’re also making sure our growing communities are prepared to withstand the impacts of climate change. This includes helping farmers better equip themselves to collect and store water, so they can continue producing the food we depend on, even during a drought.

For many of us, the flooding that Abbotsford’s Sumas Prairie experienced in 2021 was one of the most devastating examples of climate change impacts we’ve seen. We are making critical upgrades to the Barrowtown Pump Station in Abbotsford so that farms and homes will be better protected from future flooding.

Across the province, more than 1,700 other projects are underway to help communities prepare for climate-related emergencies. From installing river-level sensors in Richmond, to building a dike along the Coldwater River in Merritt, we are working with communities to provide the support they need.

If a disaster does happen, people want to know that help and support will be there. We are providing more funding for Emergency Support Services so that communities can upgrade their ESS supplies, equipment, and procedures. We’re also providing new, streamlined training so that we can get more volunteers prepared to respond to help their neighbours during an emergency. After all, the resilience of a community depends on the strength and resilience of the people who live there.

B.C. is a great place to live, but we know there is always more we can do to make our communities even stronger. As your provincial government, we’re going to continue investing in people, and the services and infrastructure that they need to thrive.

 ~ Mike Starchuk – MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale


 

The above article is an an opinion piece, “Investing in Safe and Thriving Communities”, originally published by CFJC Today, on March 20, 2024

 

Pink Shirt Day 2024

Today, Wednesday February 28th, is Pink Shirt Day 2024.

It is a day meant to honour or commitment to ending bullying in schools.

  • We all have a responsibility to stand up against bullying.
  • Bullying remains a pervasive problem that has become even more insidious in the age of social media.
  • We recently took action to protect young people from online threats, restrict cellphones in schools, and hold social media companies accountable for the harm they have caused.

Pink Shirt Day 2024 - MikeStarchuk.com

How did Pink Shirt Day begin?

The original event was organized in 2007 by two grade 12 students named David Shepherd and Travis Price, who bought and distributed 50 pink shirts after a ninth-grade student Chuck McNeill was bullied for wearing a pink polo shirt during the first day of school at a school in Nova Scotia. *

 

How does Pink Shirt Day help?

Pink Shirt Day is an annual event against bullying. Participants wear pink shirts and attend or host informative events to raise awareness about bullying, particularly in schools. *

Since 2008, Pink Shirt Day has been raising awareness and funds for anti-bullying programs in BC. 100% of net proceeds are distributed to various organizations that support children’s healthy self-esteem, both with their peers and themselves. They teach empathy, compassion and kindness. **

A few organizations that benefit from Pink Shirt Day are:

If you need help, you can call, or text, 988. 

It is a national three-digit number for suicide prevention and emotional distress.

* – Source – Wikipedia 

** – Source – Pink Shirt Day website

 

‘Coldest Night of the Year’ Walk

The ‘Coldest Night of the Year’ is a family-friendly walk in support of charities that serve those experiencing hurt, hunger & homelessness.  This year’s walk takes place on February 24th.

Together with thousands of Canadians across the country, we’ll be walking and fundraising to support people and families experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness, right here, in our community.  The Cloverdale walk is in support of the Cloverdale Community Kitchen, and our team is “MLA Mike Starchuk’s Community Stars.” 

Coldest Night of the Year 2024 - MLA Mike Starchuk's Community Stars - Raising Funds to support Cloverdale Community Kitchen - MikeStarchuk.com

Join us for a 2K walk and fundraise or donate today.

You can find out more details about the walk, here: 

About the Event – Coldest Night of the Year 2024 Canada (cnoy.org)

If you can’t make it out, but would like to support one of our team, that link is here:

PLEASE SPONSOR MLA Mike Starchuk’s Community Stars (e2rm.com)

You can find out more about the amazing work the Cloverdale Community Kitchen does, here:

About | Cloverdale Community Kitchen (mycck.ca)


Hope to see you out on the walk, on February 24th!


POST-WALK UPDATE:

We are delighted to report that the MLA Mike Starchuk’s Community Stars Team raised $2571.00 for the awesome folks at Cloverdale Community Kitchen!  
Thank you to everyone who supported our Team!

Coldest Night of the Year - MLA Mike Starchuk - Fundraiser for Cloverdale Community Kitchen - MikeStarchuk.com Coldest Night of the Year - MLA Mike Starchuk - Fundraiser for Cloverdale Community Kitchen - MikeStarchuk.com Coldest Night of the Year - MLA Mike Starchuk - Fundraiser for Cloverdale Community Kitchen - MikeStarchuk.com

Second Hospital with New Cancer Centre Breaks Ground in Surrey

People in Surrey are a significant step closer to better access to health care as the Province is breaking ground on a new second hospital in Surrey and new cancer centre.

“Surrey has been experiencing tremendous growth and people are struggling to get the health services they need while health-care workers are burning out,” said Premier David Eby. “We’re taking urgent action while carefully planning for the future. As we break ground on the new, state-of-the-art Surrey hospital and cancer centre, work continues on immediate actions to improve health services in the region, so everyone gets the timely, high-quality health care they need.”

Second Hospital with New Cancer Centre Breaks Ground in Surrey - Cloverdale - MLA Mike Starchuk - MikeStarchuk.com

The second hospital in Surrey will bring 168 more hospital beds, including medical/surgical beds, high acuity beds and medical oncology beds, and a second emergency department for the community with 55 treatment spaces and access to specialists through virtual technologies.

It will include a surgical/perioperative suite with five operating rooms, four procedure rooms and virtual care options in all clinical service areas, such as virtual intake, emergency followups, outpatient clinics and pre- and post-surgical care, as well as robotics, wearable technology and smart beds.

Fraser Health has executed a Design-Build Agreement with Ellis-Don Design Build Inc., which will be responsible for completing the design and construction of the new facility, making Surrey the first community in decades to get a second hospital.

“The new Surrey hospital and cancer centre gives us a rare opportunity to build a net-new hospital and cancer centre that will add much-needed capacity for health-care services in the community,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “The facts are the people of the fast-growing Surrey community need a second hospital and they need it as soon as soon as possible. So, despite significant cost escalation due to inflation, supply-chain disruptions and labour shortages, we are moving forward to deliver the new state-of-the-art hospital and cancer centre.” 

Adding a second hospital in Surrey will also bring a large medical-imaging department, including three CT scanners and two MRI machines, as well as a pharmacy, a full-service laboratory that can perform biochemistry, hematology and transfusions, and academic spaces. As well, a dedicated area for spiritual care and family gatherings will support cultural diversity and spiritual practices.

“The new hospital in Surrey will provide annual capacity for more than 28,000 surgical procedures, 280,000 additional medical-imaging exams and 120,000 emergency department visits with the addition of a second emergency department to serve the community,” Dix said.  

Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Mike Starchuk speaking at second Surrey Hospital ground breaking

In addition to building a second hospital in Surrey, the community will also have a BC Cancer Centre with a 50-room oncology ambulatory care unit. The new Surrey cancer centre will include 54 chemotherapy treatment spaces and room for six linear accelerators for radiation therapy to provide care and support for people diagnosed with cancer, two PET/CTs and a cyclotron. This new centre is expected to provide approximately 105,000 ambulatory oncology care visits, 50,000 radiation therapy visits and 22,000 chemotherapy visits each year.

The cancer centre in Surrey is a part of B.C.’s 10-year B.C. cancer action plan, which outlines immediate steps to prevent, detect and treat cancers and deliver improved care for people facing cancer.  

A new stand-alone 49-space child care centre will be built to support on-site health-care professionals, making it one of the first health-care capital projects to include on-site child care services.

“Today marks a significant milestone in our journey to build a new hospital that will truly transform the experience of hospital care. Our services are continuing to grow and evolve with our communities to be sustainable while reducing our environmental footprint,” said Dr. Victoria Lee, Fraser Health president and CEO. “Leading B.C.’s first generation of smart hospitals, the new Surrey Hospital and BC Cancer Centre will embed data insights and new technologies into both the design of the facility and delivery of clinical care. This will empower a more patient- and family-centred experience and equip our staff and medical staff to deliver the highest quality care.”

The new state-of-the-art smart hospital will be digitally equipped and technologically advanced. It will be a fully electric hospital, one of the first in Canada. Its central location will also provide opportunities to integrate services with nearby hospitals to better support patients.

Construction of this new hospital and cancer centre is anticipated to be complete in 2029 and open in 2030. It will cater to the growing and complex needs of people. The total cost of the project is anticipated to be $2.88 billion.

This announcement builds on additional actions to transform health care in Surrey. In June 2023, the Province, along with Fraser Health, committed to implementing 30 immediate medium and long-term actions to improve the delivery of health-care services for patients and health-care worker in Surrey.

Government will continue working together with Fraser Health and other partners to further support health-care workers and the patients they care for now and into the future. This includes building a second medical school in Surrey, which will be the first entirely new medical school in Western Canada in 55 years.

What people are saying about the new Surrey Hospital and BC Cancer Centre

Mike Starchuk, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale –

“As a former firefighter, I know the importance of having increased access to cancer care and emergency services; having a new hospital and cancer care centre is great news for the people of Surrey and the region. These facilities will provide increased health-care services for patients who need access to emergency treatment, operations and imaging. Health-care professionals will also be working with cutting-edge facilities, providing greater support for those who need it most.” 

Jagrup Brar, MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood –

“The new BC Cancer Centre and hospital in Surrey will provide people with more life-saving treatment space and increased therapy facilities close to home. This means patients will get the medical treatment they need with the important support of family and loved ones. We are dedicated to providing state-of-the-art health care, now and into the future.”

Rachna Singh, MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers –

“With the groundbreaking of this hospital, we lay not just bricks and mortar, but the foundation of a healthier and brighter tomorrow for our community. This new facility shows that we are making progress, addressing the increasing demand for the health care in Surrey and ensuring the quality medical services are accessible to all.”

Garry Begg, MLA for Surrey-Guildford –

“In a fast-growing city like Surrey, the new hospital is essential as a beacon of hope and an opportunity to expand our health-care services to meet the needs of our dynamic community, where every resident’s well-being matters. As well, the BC Cancer Centre represents our commitment to those facing the toughest of battles, ensuring the best care is close at hand.”

Harry Bains, MLA for Surrey-Newton –

“We are continuing to work proactively to accommodate the future demand for health-care services in British Columbia, especially in growing communities like Surrey. The new Surrey Hospital and BC Cancer Centre will help us meet the current needs of the community, while ensuring people in Surrey and throughout the province have appropriate health-care support as they age.”

Bruce Ralston, MLA for Surrey-Whalley –

“Providing timely and accessible health care and ensuring a cancer-free future for more people in British Columbia are two of the highest priorities within our health-care system; the new Surrey Hospital and BC Cancer Centre brings us closer to making these goals a reality.”

Ravi Kahlon, MLA for Delta North –

“We know that people in the Surrey and the North Delta region need more access to health care. The new Surrey Hospital and BC Cancer Centre is going to transform the delivery of health-care services for our communities and help ensure that people can get the care they need sooner, and closer to home.”

Jinny Sims, MLA for Surrey-Panorama –

“We are excited to see work begin on the new hospital that will serve our developing community. This hospital will provide additional care and resources closer to home for many families and reflects our commitment to delivering quality care to our community.”

David Byres, president and chief executive officer, Provincial Health Services Authority –  

“We are excited to reach this important milestone for the new Surrey hospital and BC Cancer Centre. People living in Surrey and surrounding communities will soon have greater access to life-saving, patient-centred cancer care with the building of a cancer centre at the new Surrey hospital. This will complement services already provided at our existing BC Cancer Centre in Surrey and provide more access, care and support for patients and families facing cancer.”

Heather Findlay, chief operating officer, BC Cancer –

“Today marks an important step towards expanding life-saving cancer care. The new Surrey hospital and BC Cancer Centre will improve access to cancer care services in the community, leading to better health outcomes. This additional cancer centre in Surrey will help meet the demand for expanded cancer services for people living in the fastest growing community in B.C.”

Government Funds for Cloverdale Community’s Growth and Enhancement

FUNDING SECURED FOR  CLOVERDALE AGRIPLEX

The future of agricultural innovation in Cloverdale shines brighter as significant funding of $1million has been secured for the Cloverdale  Agriplex Project. Now the community can witness a transformative force in shaping the future agriculture and resilient farming sectors for the years to come.

Click here to read more: Tourism_funding_April2023.pdf (gov.bc.ca)

GOVERNMENT FUNDING BOOSTS CLOVERDALE COMMUNITY KITCHEN’S SENIOR OUTREACH

Government funding expands Cloverdale Community Kitchen in meal delivery to Seniors in Surrey. The government – funded expansion in providing essential meals to seniors is a considerate initiative, the Cloverdale Community Kitchen continues to serve.

Click here to read more: Wheeling in more meals for seniors in Surrey | BC Gov News

Government funding expands Cloverdale Community Kitchen - MikeStarchuk.com

GOVERNMENT FUNDING DRIVES KWANTLEN’S EV TRAINING PROGRAM

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Leadership in Zero Emission Vehicles Education boosted by Government Funding. With a keen focus on the future of transportation and ecological sustainability, the university is geared to equip students with the expertise required to excel in the ever-evolving automotive arena.

Find out more here:  KPU in next wave of zero emission vehicle training | KPU.ca 


Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Mike Starchuk at the Cloverdale Market Days - MikeStarchuk.com

Don’t forget!  There is one more Cloverdale Market Days, this year… (there won’t be one next weekend,  because of the Labour Day Long Weekend) …but hope to see you there, on September 16th!

For more details on Cloverdale Market Days, please click here:  Cloverdale Market Days

 

 

Welcome Summer

We had such a great time last month at the Cloverdale Market Days, that we are going to do it all again on Saturday June 24th 10:00am-3:00pm.

Cloverdale Market Days -  Cloverdale, BC - Cloverdale BIA - MLA Mike Starchuk - MikeStarchuk.comCome by our booth and make a cheerio bird feeder or enter for a chance to win two tickets to:
“Gone Country – Here For The Cure – Cancer Fundraiser”, at the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre, on July 22nd.

(Find out more about this awesome concert and fundraiser, here!)

So much to see, do and taste at the Cloverdale Market, all in the name of supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs. 

Click here for Cloverdale Market Days information.


We are looking for volunteers to help with community events! 

All ages and abilities welcome to join us and help make connections in our city.

For more information please email our office!


If you have any questions or concerns regarding a Provincial issue, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office at 778-571-5503 or by email to Mike.Starchuk.MLA@leg.bc.ca