Capital Report~November 21, 2008
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Premier Gordon Campbell and 'Man in Motion' Rick Hansen celebrate the opening of the $45-million Blusson Pavilion in Vancouver - the world's newest and most advanced facility for spinal cord injury research and patient care.

Premier Opens World-Leading Spinal Cord Injury Centre

The world’s largest, most advanced and most comprehensive facility devoted to spinal cord injury research and patient care was opened this week.

  • The Blusson Spinal Cord Centre is fully accessible, with no need to display the wheelchair disability sign, and integrates research with care.
  • The six-storey, $45-million centre is home to ICORD, which stands for International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries and is a partnership of the University of British Columbia, the Rick Hansen Foundation, the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, and the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.

Click for more information.

Construction Begins on Kelowna Hospital Expansion and New Vernon Patient Care Hospital

Premier Gordon Campbell and Health Services Minister George Abbott led the official groundbreakings for both the new Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) expansion and New Vernon Patient Care Hospital this week.

  • The new hospital in Kelowna will meet the highest environmental and service standards, and will form the cornerstone for the improvement of patient care in the Southern Interior.
  • The new patient care tower in Vernon will provide modernized patient services and new facilities to help meet the growing demand for health care services.

Click for more information on the new Kelowna Hospital.

Click for more information on the new Vernon Hospital.

Yale, Province a Major Step Closer to Final Treaty

With the signing of an understanding by Yale First Nation Chief Robert Hope and chief negotiators from the Province, B.C. moved a step closer to having final agreements under the B.C. treaty process with seven First Nations.

  • This announcement is an interim step prior to the final agreement being initialled by the Province, Yale First Nation and Canada.
  • Yale First Nation entered the BC Treaty Commission process in April 1994. In March 2006, representatives from Yale First Nation and the governments of British Columbia and Canada signed an agreement-in-principle, laying the foundation for final agreement negotiations.

Click for more information.

Saturday, November 22

Environment Minister Barry Penner will be a guest on CBC Radio 1 The House with Kathleen Petty at 9:30am to discuss the Global Climate Summit in California earlier this week.

Thursday, November 27

Minister of Aboriginal Relations Mike de Jong will be a guest on Shaw TV Voice of BC from 8:00pm to 9:00pm to discuss the Legislative session.

Quotes This Week

“You can access world-class expertise in all fields within the building. You don’t have to get on the phone and you don’t have to fly to a meeting or conference with them.”
Jamie Borisoff, Biomediacl engineer Blusson Centre. The Province, November 19, 2008. (Commenting on the Spinal Cord Centre)

“B.C. is probably less reliant on the American economy than any other province in the country. B.C. has diversified significantly over the last decade or so. The minister told our fall conference that there are more people employed in IT technology and computer programming in Vancouver than in Greater Seattle. That's just one example. So I think we're well positioned to ride this out.”
Richard Thomas, Vice President of the Central One Credit Union. The Globe and Mail, November 21, 2008.

“We should tax what we burn, not what we earn. We need a carbon tax, revenue neutral ... This is the single most important policy change we can make.”
Al Gore, Former US Vice President. Times Colonist, November 17, 2008.


Did You Know?

  • Grade 12 students across the province are being encouraged to celebrate B.C.’s 150th anniversary through a video contest. Until Jan. 9, 2009, Grade 12 students across the province are invited to submit a short video — up to three minutes in length — representing “What B.C. Means to Me,” for a chance to win a prize for themselves and their school.
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  • New orders for British Columbia lumber in the world’s fastest growing market provide a boost for B.C.’s forest sector. Recently released sales data for January to September 2008 show that British Columbia exported 552 million board feet of softwood products to China, well over the record 493 million board feet exported in all of 2007.
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