Capital Report~September 12, 2008
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Premier Gordon Campbell was joined by local MLAs, health care professionals and community members to officially open the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre - B.C.'s first new regional hospital in over 30 years.

Premier Opens New Abbotsford Hospital and Cancer Centre

Premier Gordon Campbell and Health Services Minister George Abbott celebrated a milestone in the history of health care in British Columbia with the official opening of the new Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre.

  • Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre is the first new regional hospital to be opened in British Columbia in over 30 years.
  • The Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre is also the first cancer centre in Western Canada to be integrated into a hospital from the ground up.

Click for more information.

Neighbourhoods of Learning Map New Future for Schools

The future of B.C. schools is changing with the $30-million Neighbourhoods of Learning pilot project, which will see education and community services brought together in a single neighbourhood hub.

  • Three school districts will be participating in the Neighbourhoods of Learning pilot project.
  • The project also includes the ministry and school districts working together to incorporate elements of the other Neighbourhoods of Learning Model schools into their existing capital projects.

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Canada’s First Community Court

Premier Gordon Campbell opened Canada’s first community court, in downtown Vancouver, bringing together a host of integrated services aimed at helping offenders break free from the cycle of crime, homelessness, addictions and mental illness.

  • The community court will take a problem-solving approach to crime by addressing the underlying health and social problems that often lead to criminal behaviour.
  • The community court judge will hear cases involving most offences committed in downtown Vancouver.

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Thursday, September 18th

The Ministers of Education and Advanced Education Shirley Bond and Murray Coell will be guests on Shaw’s Voice of BC from 8:00pm to 9:00pm to discuss back to school.

Quotes This Week

“There’s lots of research to show that that helps vulnerable children: ESL children, children who come from backgrounds of poverty or who have speech delay […] those sorts of things. All day K helps those children.”
Irene Lanzinger, BCTF. CHBC, August 24, 2008.

“This has been a dream that simply became a reality. The care that they're going to receive, they're going to be on a higher plane, a higher level of care; new and improved services, not only in critical care, but, for example, in new services in nephrology, new services in oncology, so all of this is to first of all, have patients receive safe care, but also higher quality care.”
Dr. Dave Williams, Medical Director. Global BC , August 24, 2008.

“So, it's a way to say, [these] young person's, you know, activity level could increase so that they can be healthier and, you know, improve their life chances to having a good quality life, and, if we know that through their tracking we can then focus some of our attention in supporting them.”
Kevin Kaardal, Assistant Superintendent. Burnaby School District, September 3, 2008.


Did You Know?

  • National survey results on tobacco use, just released, indicate British Columbia boasts the lowest smoking rate in the country in a number of categories, especially in young people. The Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport also funds QuitNow.ca and QuitNow by Phone, free smoking cessation programs that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to all British Columbians. QuitNow by Phone offers translation services in more than 130 languages.
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  • British Columbia is once again being singled out as a leader in climate change and energy policies. The report, entitled Canada’s Power Play, says that British Columbia has arguably the most aggressive climate change and energy policies in Canada, which are helping to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
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