December 3, 2025
Parteek Singh Mahal
Premier David Eby on Wednesday talked about a comprehensive review of his government’s accomplishments during the recent fall legislative session, emphasizing economic growth, clean energy initiatives, and enhanced public services.
The Premier opened by acknowledging the “very, very bad news” for the hundreds of families facing an uncertain future following the challenges at the Domtar mill in Crofton. He committed the provincial government to immediate action.
“We are talking about hundreds of families right now where their future is uncertain, where their plans have been upended and they are facing huge challenges,” Premier Eby stated. “I just want to assure the community and those families that we will stand with you and we will find a path through this.”
He announced that the Minister of Forest and the Minister of Labor will work collaboratively to achieve two main goals:
Provide immediate support for the affected workers and their families.
Work with Domtar and other interested parties to determine if there is “any possible way” for the facility to remain operational in some capacity.
Driving Economic Resilience with Clean Energy
Premier Eby positioned the fall session’s work as “planting the seeds to build the resilient economy” necessary for challenging global times, all powered by Clean BC electricity.
He highlighted significant successes in attracting investment, noting that British Columbia now has four times more private sector projects than any other province in Canada. Key legislative actions focused on future-proofing the economy:
He said a “$240 million generational investment” was dedicated to supporting people to access the training required for newly created jobs.
Eby confirmed that proponents behind LNG Canada, which recently saw its first shipments, are reaching a final investment decision on Phase Two in the next year. He noted that this would once again be the largest private sector investment in Canadian history.
The Premier celebrated the passing of new law for this electrical line, which will take clean BC electricity to the Northwest of the province. He sharply criticized the opposition, stating the BC Conservatives and Green Party voted against the project, which is expected to create 10,000 jobs and enable $50 billion in capital investment in critical metals and minerals mining.
“Given the choice to support the North Coast transmission line and real projects versus a fictional pipeline project coming from Alberta, they chose to stand with Daniel Smith and her proposal that has no money, no root and no hope,” Eby said in a political jab at the opposition.
The Premier also noted the “Look West strategy,” which aims to build on major industries, from emerging sectors like ship recycling to established fields like life sciences, tech, quantum, and AI.
A major theme of the session was ensuring that a strong economy is matched by strong public services.
he said that a new legislation was passed to support school boards in delivering before and after-school care directly in schools, offering parents a single, convenient drop-off and pick-up point.
“The new Surrey Medical School, the first new medical school in a generation in Western Canada, is now accepting applications to train a new cohort of doctors focused on community care,” he said.
He said the Mental Health Act was amended to strengthen it and protect front-line medical professionals from legal liability, while the government defended involuntary care as an “essential tool.” He added that Protections against the non-consensual sharing of intimate images online were strengthened, providing a mechanism for victims to have images removed.
“BC led a coalition of provinces to push for bail reform, resulting in significant federal amendments aimed at keeping repeat violent offenders, particularly those involved in domestic violence, behind bars. The government also convened a key meeting in Surrey with federal, provincial, and local authorities, including the RCMP and the extortion task force, to coordinate efforts to arrest, prosecute, and deport individuals involved in extortion south of the Fraser,” he added.
Looking ahead, he announced plans to travel to Terrace and Prince Rupert in the Northwest to visit the sites of major industrial projects and meet with community leaders, emphasizing the focus on “Clean power, big projects, strong partnerships, delivering actual results for families.”
“We’ve made real progress over the last few weeks, but we are still just getting started,” he concluded.
Addressing the leadership crisis within the BC Conservative Caucus, Eby remarked that his government remains focused on the people of BC, while the opposition deals with its own internal issues. He stated that while he does not want an election, he is “ready for it” if necessary.
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