Think of them as each minister's marching orders.
The provincial government mandate letters, signed by Premier David Eby, lay out the priorities each minister and parliamentary secretary should focus on.
They make for an interesting read for the public as they help explain why the government pursues some projects and not others.
The letters, all dated Jan. 16, note the current "challenging environment" B.C. faces.
"Close friends and neighbours to our south are contemplating imposing draconian tariffs on our products that would hurt both Americans and Canadians," Eby notes.
The mandate letters also note the accord with the BC Green Caucus, which is Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, and Rob Botterell, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands.
"The commitments in that accord complement the direction in these mandate letters," the letters say.
What can 麻豆社国产glean from the letters?
The for Minister of Transportation and Transit Mike Farnworth is the most direct in its potential impact on the district, noting regional transit.
It says the premier expects Farnworth to support "regional transportation plans such as the Central Okanagan Transit Future Plan and working toward regular local transit along the Sea to Sky Corridor."
It also asks him to review transit service in the province, starting with HandyDart, to "ensure that our provincial transit services are being delivered in a way that is cost-effective for taxpayers, responsive to the concerns of transit riders, and not duplicative of administration."
The transportation minister is also called on to "work with BC Ferries to address administrative costs and ensure affordable, reliable, and sustainable ferry services."
Housing
In terms of housing, the , Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, cites several priorities of interest to Squamish.
All of these mean more housing in town for more people; in particular, the focus is on affordable housing.
"Increase the supply of rental, co-op and non-market housing. Identify under-used capital that can be leveraged to construct new purpose-built rental housing across the province," the letter from Eby reads.
"Work with local governments to achieve housing targets and address concerns related to infrastructure."
The Minister of Finance's letter also addresses housing.
The missive from Eby to "work with the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs to support the construction of new purpose-built rental housing by exploring new models for capitalizing the construction of purpose-built rental buildings; to remove barriers to financing small-scale multi-unit density; and, to eliminate taxes that could prevent or impair the transfer of land for the purpose of developing affordable housing."
While not mentioning this region, the letter to the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, Spencer Chandra Herbert, does touch on things of interest to 麻豆社国产residents.
It asks him to prioritize, supporting "the development of recreation centres, community centres, arts and cultural centres, sports fields, and other critical social infrastructure."
And it says to "continue to support the development, promotion, and growth of B.C.’s film industry."
It also makes particular reference to the province supporting Indigenous tourism opportunities.
Within the Minister of Health, 's, mandate letter are items important to all in B.C., such as continuing to bridge the family doctor gap, but of perhaps particular interest to Squamish—where in 2024—is the mention of maternity care.
"Improve the delivery of maternity care, reproductive care, and gynecological cancer care for people across the province through targeted initiatives," reads the letter.
Student housing
Reflecting what the government was already doing in places like Squamish—providing $48 million in funding for Capilano University to purchase dorms for students at its local campus—Eby highlights continued support for post-secondary student housing, in his , Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.
Education
In terms of education, the local points of interest asks her to prioritize accelerating the delivery of new and expanded schools in a cost-effective manner.
Who knows if that could mean new schools in the Sea to Sky?
It also says to continue work to increase Indigenous graduation rates.
(The Sea to Sky's was 81% for the 2023/2024 school year.)
In a town that still struggles to have enough childcare spaces, it is notable that Beare's letter also notes she is to continue implementing ChildCareBC to create more "accessible, affordable childcare.”
The premier also asks the ministry to "work with school districts to expand before-and after-school care programs across the province using cost-effective models for parents and the public that leverage existing school facilities and education workers."
Emergency Management
Of local note i, Kelly Greene, is the stress on wildlife risk, while balancing forestry needs.
The letter asks Greene to "develop provincial and regional hazard risk assessments, including modernized tools for access, to improve transparency, awareness, and informed planning and preparedness for communities to enhance resilience."
Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar's asks him to prioritize several initiatives, including to "work with communities, labour, forestry and forest product companies, and Indigenous governments to review BC Timber Sales to ensure that the model is responsive to the new realities of the industry."
Environment
In terms of the environment, clearly a concern for many in our region given the election of the first Green Party MLA on the Mainland with Valeriote, several letters note the provincial government's to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030.
The letters also speak to increasing mining.
"Ensure B.C. mining permit approval times are competitive with high-standard international jurisdictions and are dramatically reduced from current permit wait times for mining-related project proposals while maintaining our world-leading environmental standards," reads the Minerals.
Some, like the environmental advocacy organization have raised eyebrows over what they see as a lack of progress in protecting the environment.
says the minister should "direct the Environmental Assessment Office to work with key permitting ministries to develop specific measures that will expedite authorizations and permitting for major projects. Bring proposed measures forward for Cabinet review within six months."
The letter for the Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions and Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs, stresses accelerating permits for clean and low-carbon energy infrastructure.
Protect spawning channels
The, includes that she "continue our work to restore estuaries, inter-tidal zones, and critical salmon spawning habitats."
Green MLA weighs in
West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Jeremy Valeriote, who is also now his party's interim leader, said the mandate letters show promising intentions, particularly in housing and health care.
“The BC NDP has promised to increase the supply of rental, co-op and non-market housing and improve access to primary care, including through community health centres and integrating psychologists into the health system. The BC Green caucus will work hard to hold them to these commitments,” Valeriote said.
“Reliable transit is a priority for Squamish, and I’m encouraged to see commitments to improving service along the Sea to Sky Corridor. This was a key priority for me in negotiating the Co-operation and Responsible Governance Accord (CARGA) with the NDP government, and I’m looking forward to being able to deliver this for Sea to Sky constituents.”
He said more specifics will be released in the next few months.
“The future of the oil and gas industry, in particular Woodfibre LNG, and the health impacts on communities that live near polluting industry continues to be top of mind. I look forward to working with the Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions on their mandate to cap emissions from the oil and gas sector, invest in the clean energy transition, and find constructive ways to lower our carbon emissions without penalizing everyday British Columbians.”
Valeriote also said that the letters show a lack of clarity and urgency on environmental issues, “favouring streamlined permitting over meaningful stewardship.”
He said this highlights his party’s role in pushing the governing NDP to focus on the environment and climate while it tackles other issues, such as the housing crisis.
“In the mandate letters, there is minimal mention of biodiversity, species at risk, or wildlife protection, while commitments to safeguard old-growth forests and support Indigenous-led conservation (IPCAs) remain vague and lack concrete actions. In the months ahead, we will monitor the BC NDP’s progress and hold them accountable if environmental protection is overlooked, advocating for policies that reflect the needs of the 麻豆社国产community,” he said.
“The people of 麻豆社国产are looking for a government with their core interests at heart, with the capability to deliver core government services, protect the environment, and create the economic conditions for people to do well and feel secure. We'll be closely monitoring and advocating for the government to deliver on all of these intentions.”
Governance explainer
Ministers for the provincial government, officially called Cabinet Ministers, are the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in charge of running government ministries.
The —a federally-appointed representative of the King in B.C. appointed by the Governor General of Canada on the recommendation of the Prime Minister—appoints MLAs to Cabinet on the recommendations of the premier.
"The premier's recommendation is based on the MLA’s ability and expertise, but can also be influenced by other considerations—such as geography, gender, and ethnicity—to ensure that British Columbians are effectively represented by the Cabinet," reads the.
