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February 03, 2012 Community Gaming Grants Special Intake Last month, Premier Christy Clark announced increased funding for Community Gaming Grants by $15 million and a special intake so that previously ineligible groups could apply for grants this fiscal year. January 25, 2012 National Family Literacy Day – Share the Joy of Reading Reading is a skill and family activity that sadly we have been losing touch with due constant technological advancements and increasingly busier schedules. January 17, 2012 Help Solve B.C.'s Budget Deficit Do you know where government revenue comes from? Have you any idea what total government spending is? Do you think you could maintain B.C.’s triple-A credit rating? January 12, 2012 Province Supports Homeowners As property assessments begin to arrive on our door steps many of us have mixed feelings. Whether your assessment has increased or decreased, the value of what for many of us is our largest investment has grown or shrunk and accordingly effects what we pa December 07, 2011 Get Home Safe this Holiday Season Now that the holiday season is in full swing, we can all look forward to a month of festivities with friends, family and co-workers. This is a magical time of year when we often feel less inhibited, but it’s important to remember to indulge responsibly. November 23, 2011 Buy Local this Holiday Season As December approaches and the holiday frenzy begins, I would like to encourage everyone to consider buying local this holiday season. By buying local you support your neighbours and friends, and ensure our local economy continues to thrive. November 08, 2011 Honouring Crime Fighting Heroes We usually think of the police when we think of those who keep us safe from crime. However there are many others who work daily to protect our communities. November 02, 2011 Education Capital Funding Benefits Surrey This week, the B.C. Government announced funding for eight school projects to benefit families in Surrey for years to come. The announcement was part of the Ministry of Education’s new $353-million capital plan for new schools and expansions. October 26, 2011 B.C.’s Future is Bright All across British Columbia there is a sense of optimism about the future of the province. The announcement last week of Seaspan Marine winning the $8 Billion federal shipbuilding contract is the latest good news in a string of positive developments for t October 17, 2011 Waste Reduction Week in B.C. This week is Waste Reduction Week in British Columbia – aimed at raising public awareness about the importance of recycling. Reducing waste going into our landfills saves scarce resources that we need to manufacture new goods and protects our environmen October 11, 2011 Celebrating Foster Family Month October is Foster Family Month in British Columbia – an opportunity to celebrate the important contribution foster families make in our communities. October 04, 2011 Ensuring Prosperity Today and Tomorrow Yesterday the throne speech opened the fourth session of the 39th Parliament and at the heart of the government’s agenda are families and jobs. This throne speech continues that legacy of growth and promise for the future ensuring prosperity and securit September 26, 2011 A New Approach to Resolving Strata Property Disputes An increasing number of individuals are choosing to live in condos or townhouses. These properties are governed by strata corporations making decisions under the Provincial Strata Property Act. In British Columbia, there are half a million residential st September 19, 2011 Protecting and Creating Jobs for B.C. This weekend I attended the grand opening of Deans Flowers in Panorama Village. Since 1962 the family run business has helped brighten the lives of people through beautiful bouquets and arrangements. Congratulations and welcome on making Surrey Panorama y September 12, 2011 Crescent Beach gets an Opportunity to Encourage Literacy One of the best ways to give a child a strong start before beginning school is to regularly read books to them during their pre-school years. Encouraging literacy from a very young age develops a love and appreciation of books that pays dividends later in September 08, 2011 Investing in Education This is an exciting time of year as students go back to school, to continue their education and reconnect with classmates. Education is the bedrock of a prosperous society and your government is committed to securing the foundation of tomorrow. September 01, 2011 Surrey Crime Prevention Society This week I had the pleasure of attending the Surrey Crime Prevention Society’s Volunteer Recognition Awards dinner. At the dinner I was proud to present Scott Goodman and Vimal Khera with Volunteer of the Year awards. I also had the pleasure to recogni August 23, 2011 Supporting Healthy Habits Every week there seems to be another article or story detailing our poor eating habits and the effect on our health. In our fast-paced world making healthy choices is difficult, but important. Eating healthy improves our personal health and reduces the bu August 16, 2011 Putting a Stop to Domestic Violence My heart was heavy when I learned about the death of 24-year-old Ravinder Bhangu on July 28. When I look at a situation like this there are many unanswered questions. Could this have been prevented? Did Bhangu reach out for help? Where might she have turn July 19, 2011 Uniting Communities Through Culture and Sport Last weekend, I had the pleasure to attend the Fusion Festival and Canada Cup International Field Hockey Tournament. Both events encourage community spirit by bringing neighbours together. July 13, 2011 Honouring Our Nation's Soldiers The freedoms we enjoy are protected by brave men and women of our nation's military. At their peril they fight on our behalf, safeguarding us from dangers beyond our borders July 06, 2011 Touring the Knowledge Network A few weeks ago, as a part of my responsibilities as the Minister of Citizen Services and Open Government, I had the pleasure of touring the studios of the Knowledge Network. June 29, 2011 Happy Birthday Canada On Friday, Canadians from coast to coast to coast will celebrate Canada's 144th birthday. As Canadians we are lucky to live in a peaceful democracy with respect for different cultures, religions and traditions. June 22, 2011 Celebrating Legion Week This week is Legion Week in British Columbia June 19-25th honouring the many contributions of the Legion and ist members to help build strong communities in B.C. This year also marks the Legion's 85th anniversary, a significant milestone for this prodigio June 15, 2011 Learning Compassion at an Early Age Everyone can agree classrooms should be sanctuaries of kindness and empathy, encouraging learning and respect. However, for many kids classrooms include taunting, violence and intimidation. Undeterred these negative actions can escalate into violent tende June 07, 2011 Congratulations to the Class of 2011 As graduates you are the future of our province and country. You will be relied upon going forward to apply the skills you have learned in school to assist in solving the problems of today and tomorrow. May 30, 2011 Putting More Money in the Hands of Families Raising a family is expensive. It seems like every day the cost of something is increasing, whether it is a tank of gas, a head of lettuce or soccer fees. May 26, 2011 An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away A wise person once said "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and for our health system this translates into tremendous savings. May 17, 2011 Learning Together Workbooks Prepare Children for Kindergarten The first of day of kindergarten can be a source of apprehension and stress for children and more so for parents. May 09, 2011 Raising the Minimum Wage: We're Putting Families First On May 1st, I had the pleasure of introducing another great step in our commitment to putting families first. Like most young people, I started off working for minimum wage. April 19, 2011 Hold the mini-eggs, pass the culture! Surrey is gearing up for a busy Easter weekend packed full of arts and culture events. April 11, 2011 A Commitment to Community Literacy Words are all around us – be it on street signs, restaurant menus or newspaper headings – and often we take the importance of having the ability to read for granted. April 04, 2011 Celebrating Community Volunteers Surrey is a fantastic place to live for many reasons. One is the strong sense of community we enjoy. Having a tight-knit community makes our society healthier, more vibrant and safer for all of us. March 28, 2011 Home Grown: Surrey-Panorama Fights Back Against Disease Community is a simple word word with a deep meaning; whose strength is dependent on how it supports itself. Surrey has a long tradition of helping those in need and supporting great causes. Two great events are coming up in April – The Nite of Hope and March 21, 2011 An Investment in Surrey Health One of the constant challenges facing Surrey is how to provide top quality health care to a rapidly expanding city. The province has accepted that challenge with a huge investment in health services infrastructure. March 14, 2011 Celebrating Women is Year Round This past week, on March 8th, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. This event has grown from its initial European roots into a global day to recognize and celebrate the achievements made by women. March 07, 2011 B.C. FireFighters: Honouring Life Savers Most of us work day to day with little fear of danger or any life-threatening scenarios. That's a day at the office for our firefighters. February 28, 2011 Pechakucha: Japanese for Promoting the Arts Artists, musicians and designers understand the need to network, to educate people on what's availble from the arts sector and to get their works out to be seen. If you throw that all together, you have Pechakucha Night. February 24, 2011 Surrey Health Services Get...Healthier February is certainly ending with a bang for Surrey health services. As the second largest city in B.C. (and growing), the demand on our health system continues to expand. February 14, 2011 The Mighty Mini-Session Happy Valentine's Day. And what better way to enjoy Valentine's Day than in the Legislature? I'm looking forward to my work in Victoria, even though it'll be a mini-session for now. February 09, 2011 Breaking the Homelessness Cycle in Surrey Homelessness is an ongoing issue. Whether it's visible or not, the cycle of homelessness is always moving along. It's up to us as individuals, organizations and as government to do what we can to break this cycle. January 31, 2011 Support Your Live Musicians Smooth jazz, hard rock, top 40, cover tunes, easy listening and even karaoke are all forms of live music we need to support. White Rock and South Surrey are home to amazing artists and performers who express themselves musically – loud or soft. January 25, 2011 Family Festival Fun: From the Olympics to Local Who doesn’t like to have a good time? A great way to do that is when communities get together for a local festival. Musicians, artists, performers, and fun activities showcase the amazing culture and heritage of British Columbia. January 19, 2011 Literacy and Family Family literacy is a big deal. So much so that January 27th is National Family Literacy Day and B.C. Family Literacy Day, both dedicated to improving awareness and support. January 10, 2011 Bright Idea for 2011: Save Energy and Save Money Whether you are sticking to those New Year Resolutions or not, one change you will have to make is with your light bulbs. New standards for energy-efficient alternatives to 75W and 100W incandescent light bulbs came into effect on Jan. 1, 2011. December 21, 2010 Great Holiday Gifts: Surrey Products With only 6 days left until Christmas, last minute shoppers are flocking to the malls and department stores. Instead of joining the chaos, why not make a stop at one of the 500 local businesses right here in Surrey. December 14, 2010 “Hang” Out this Holiday for Early Literacy Twelve days until Christmas. And there’s something coming up even sooner, a Holiday Open House at my constituency office this Friday. But there’s no stress to shop, just to bring your spirit of giving. December 06, 2010 Christmas is Also About Community It’s definitely Winter and people all over the city are bundling up in their warmest gear. Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to have warm clothes, a warm bed or a warm meal. November 29, 2010 Open Skies - Opening New Opportunities What does an Open Skies policy mean for B.C.? What does opening up international air access to our province mean for our economy? A few things actually... November 22, 2010 Leadership Vote: What’s Going On It’s an interesting time in B.C. politics. With Premier Gordon Campbell stepping down, the BC Liberals are in the process of finding a new leader for the government and the party. November 15, 2010 Get Out Your Bunsen Burner, It's the Year of Science Our government has officially declared this school year, the “Year of Science, to remind and reconnect people with the exciting world of science and highlight all the amazing opportunities it offers our province and our future. November 09, 2010 Tax Cuts: Now and Then It’s been an interesting week or so in Victoria as Premier Gordon Campbell has decided to step down. A lot has happened in the time since he was first elected in 2001, including some pretty amazing achievements and growth for Surrey and this province. November 02, 2010 Countdown is On for RDSP Something you might need to be aware of is the deadline for contributions to your Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). This year, it’s December 31, 2010. October 26, 2010 Five Things Every BC Small Business Owner Should Know B.C. proclaimed October to be Small Business Month for the 4th consecutive year. To wrap up the month, here’s a list of 5 things every small business owner should know (but might not). October 19, 2010 Combat Flu Season Flu season is coming and usually runs until early spring, so now is a great time to get inoculated with an annual influenza shot. October 13, 2010 Homelessness Action Week Sunday kicked off the fifth annual Homelessness Action Week. From October 10 to 19, communities throughout B.C. will be raising awareness on homelessness and addressing current issues. October 06, 2010 HST vs. Real Estate. Winner: Home Buyer Unfortunately it seems that there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding around the HST and real-estate, so I’m happy to take this opportunity to provide some more detailed information. HST will affect less than 10% of all B.C. housing sales. September 27, 2010 Tyze: Online Community of Care What happens when you want to support your ailing parents who live in a different city, or you can’t always be by the side of a child who requires special assistance? September 21, 2010 Surrey Grows, Province Builds Last week, I decided that it had been awhile since I had caught up with a few key institutions around the riding, so I did a little Surrey sight-seeing. September 15, 2010 KidSport: Great for Fun and Life Getting outside and playing is a great way to spend a day but it isn’t just about keeping you entertained. Participating in sports, especially as a child, helps to cultivate lifelong skills and valuable principles. September 07, 2010 Volunteering: Easier than Dropping 20 Storeys Go, jump off a building…that is exactly what the Easter Seals are asking people to do to help raise funds for kids with disabilities. August 31, 2010 Back to School, Back to a Focus on Literacy The countdown is on, only 7 days left before back to school. Unfortunately, for some kids it is a time filled with stress and insecurity because of their literacy level. August 23, 2010 Summer in Surrey, Part Four: Next Stop, the Cultural Capital My series of things to do in Surrey this summer wraps up with a big finish. What better way than to highlight our arts and culture. It has always been a big part of living in Surrey and there’s always a lot to see and do. August 17, 2010 Summer in Surrey, Part Three: Small Business...the Local Kind Here in Surrey, local businesses and their proprietors strive to provide not only necessary goods and services, but excellent customer service as well. August 09, 2010 Summer in Surrey, Part Two: Blueberries. Blueberries. Blueberries August is Blueberry month in BC, but who really needs an excuse to get their hands on some fresh, local berries.
Three things about blueberries... August 03, 2010 Summer in Surrey, Part One: PARK IT! In order to celebrate the beautiful weather, I thought that over the next few weeks I would highlight some of my favourite summer activities that I love to do right here in Surrey. July 12, 2010 The World Comes to Surrey for the Fusion Festival Multiculturalism is one of Surrey’s greatest assets and a reason that many of us are proud to call Surrey home. This weekend, the Surrey Fusion Festival gives us an opportunity to celebrate our diversity. July 06, 2010 What are You Doing Thursday? You Could Start a New Career In its sixth year, the PICS job fair has over 100 exhibiters from a variety of fields, all available to tell you about possible job opportunities and career paths. June 28, 2010 Fresh Food Just Beyond Your Own Backyard There is no better way to celebrate Canada Day, than by supporting our Surrey farmers and purchasing locally produced fresh foods. Everything you need for summer cooking can be found right here. June 21, 2010 "Destination Playground" Lets Kids be Kids I had the pleasure of starting Father's Day, helping to announce the grand opening of Centennial Beach’s new playground - the first of its kind in B.C. to include accessibility for children with disabilities. June 15, 2010 Make Way for Surrey Full-Day Kindergarten If you’re a parent you already know that play helps build social skills and prepares kids for learning. Heck, we were all kids once, and we all learned skills through play that have helped shape the people we are today. June 08, 2010 Why? Why Does Government Make the Decisions it Does? With one year in the legislature under my belt – what have I learned? Well, lots of things, but it’s not so much what I’ve learned as reinforced what I believe. And why we make the decisions we do as government. May 31, 2010 Book Drive Reaches Destination Successfully Thank you, Surrey for making our Book Drive for Kids campaign a huge success because of your generous contributions. With your help and by joining with the Reading Tree, we managed to collect well over 5200 books to help local literacy. May 25, 2010 Rounding Up the Cloverdale Rodeo...and Chilli too. Cloverdale looked like the Wild West this May long weekend as it hosted the annual Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair. Crowds of cowboy hats and boots made their way around town May 17, 2010 Leave a Book for Literacy. The Book Drive Continues... The book drive continues! I am so thrilled by the huge support that everyone in the community has shown, helping to get books in the hands of kids. May 12, 2010 Grad Season - One Door Closes, Another Opens We’re quickly approaching Grad season. It’s an exciting time for everyone involved.
May 03, 2010 A Century of Girl Guides...and Really Good Cookies Having been a former girl guide myself, I am very happy to note this month marks their 100 year anniversary in Canada! April 26, 2010 Cambridge Elementary Running Ahead of the Pack Getting an early start on incorporating fitness into your lifestyle is important. Setting goals and making exercise fun also improve the odds of success. So how about a 12,000 km running goal for a start? April 19, 2010 B.C. Arts and Culture Week is Year-long in Surrey This week marks the 11th annual BC Arts and Culture Week. This is a great opportunity to commemorate and raise awareness on the valuable contribution that the “arts” has on our lives. April 12, 2010 Mythbusting the HST - The Sequel Building on the original HST blog I posted 3 weeks ago, I feel it’s important that I continue to expose some of the additional HST myths that are being spread. April 06, 2010 Help Literacy Grow Spring is here. Which means warmer weather, blooming flowers and…spring cleaning. I have a suggestion that will help you get rid of clutter while helping those who need it. Why not donate your old, used books to a great cause. March 29, 2010 Surrey's Time to Shine for Earth Hour This past Saturday evening, at exactly 8:30pm you may have noticed the lights in your city going out. No, it wasn’t a massive power failure, but it was a powerful statement. It was Earth Hour. March 22, 2010 Mythbusting the HST Unfortunately it seems that there are a lot of misnomers floating around about the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). I feel that it is time to debunk two of the bigger myths of HST. March 15, 2010 Community Gaming Grants Boost Local Organizations This year’s Community Gaming Grants announcements mean great news for all Surrey residents. With over $1.4 million being allocated to local Surrey and White Rock organizations, everyone is going to benefit. March 08, 2010 2010 Budget Highlights for Surrey Last week was a big week (and a busy one) as we released the 2010 Budget. It was a good budget. A prudent budget with a strong focus. And this is good news for Surrey. March 01, 2010 Paralympics: Go Canada Go The celebration isn’t over yet. Beginning on Wednesday March 3rd a new torch relay will start, leading the way for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. February 15, 2010 Surrey IS Multiculturalism This week is one to celebrate. Not only because Canada won its’ first gold medal of the 2010 Games yesterday (way to go Bilodeau!), but because February 15th to 22nd is Multicultural week in B.C. February 08, 2010 Community Brightens the Torch Relay On Monday, the torch made its way through our streets and thousands of people dressed in red and white, waved Canadian flags high above their heads, showing their support! February 01, 2010 Surrey's Got Talent If you weren’t at the Surrey Arts Centre this passed Friday for “Surrey Shines 2010,” you missed out. YACOS, the Youth Arts Council of Surrey, presented an inspiring show featuring Surrey’s amazing youth talent. January 25, 2010 Business Excellence in Surrey I’ve always felt that a great community is made not only the people living in it, but also by all the businesses that also call it home. Here in Surrey-Panorama, we are fortunate to have an abundance of businesses and businesspeople who excel in their f January 18, 2010 Plan Ahead for Olympic Traffic Although this is an exciting time for everyone, we also need to remember thousands of people are visiting from around the world, so travelling within the Lower Mainland is going to bring new challenges. January 11, 2010 New Year = New Tax Savings The holidays are certainly over and the New Year has begun. You’ll know because the credit card bills from Christmas are just starting to roll in. January 04, 2010 Building a Healthy Community isn't Magic My first blog of the New Year and after four days, it still doesn’t seem real typing the number: 2010. I hope you enjoyed the holidays and festivities and are as excited as I am for the new year. December 14, 2009 A Surrey Seasons Greetings The best way to celebrate the holidays is with family and friends. The City of Surrey offers some great opportunities to enjoy the season, from the Bear Creek Train to the Pioneer Christmas at the Surrey Museum. December 07, 2009 A Taste of Surrey One of the best things about this time of year is the food. Whether it’s going out with friends or spending time at home, there is always an opportunity to eat. Sometimes too much opportunity. November 30, 2009 Holiday Open House - ‘Tis the Season to Support Local Charities I’ve had the pleasure of representing the constituents of Surrey-Panorama for almost six months now and one of my biggest pleasures is meeting the members of my community. | |
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