British Columbia Minute: Issue 94

British Columbia Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of British Columbia politics.

📅 This Week In British Columbia: 📅

• Premier David Eby has suggested spending on a Canadian refinery rather than building a new pipeline to the northern coast, arguing it would strengthen domestic refining capacity and reduce reliance on US and Chinese refineries. He argued that with existing pipelines underutilized, public funds could better support refining and oil product development at home. Critics point out, however, that existing pipelines are not underutilized and that building a refinery would be extremely costly, risky, and economically uncertain.
  
  
• Premier David Eby is set to travel to India next week on a trade mission aimed at diversifying the province’s economy, which is struggling under US tariffs and weak resource prices. The trip will include stops in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Bengaluru, with discussions focusing on sectors like forestry, energy, tech, and life sciences. BC faces a challenging year economically despite Eby’s confidence in strategic investments and international trade. A new Deloitte report projects only modest economic growth for BC in 2026, with forestry particularly hard hit by tariffs. Provincial forecasts are even more pessimistic, with growth estimates between 1.3% and 1.5%, while economists warn BC could see only around 1% growth amid falling housing starts, business investment, and a projected $11 billion deficit. Analysts say the government is prioritizing major projects and trade diversification to bolster the economy, even if that risks straining relationships with certain communities. Long-term hope rests on major projects and potential renegotiation of the Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement, but uncertainty remains high. 
  
  
• Businessman Yuri Fulmer has announced his prospective candidacy for the leadership of the BC Conservative Party, emphasizing affordability, healthcare, public safety, and the economy as his main priorities. Fulmer, a former A&W franchise owner across Western Canada and current chancellor of Capilano University, previously ran in the 2024 provincial election, narrowly losing to the BC Green candidate in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. He framed his campaign around his personal story of building a business and family life in BC, arguing that many of these opportunities are no longer accessible to residents. Fulmer said his focus will reflect the issues British Columbians care about, rather than a personal social agenda, though he acknowledged property rights questions from the Cowichan Tribes decision as a priority. The party is still reeling from defections and the resignation of former leader John Rustad, but a seven-person leadership committee has been formed to set rules and timelines for electing a new leader by summer. 
  
  
• New rules limiting British Columbia’s safe supply program are now in effect, requiring most people prescribed opioids for addiction treatment to take them under the supervision of a pharmacist or health professional. Supporters of the change say witnessed dosing helps curb drug diversion and prevents prescription opioids from being resold on the street, including to young people. Critics argue the added supervision creates barriers, particularly for unhoused individuals and those in communities where pharmacies lack staff to manage the requirements. Some doctors warn the changes could destabilize patients and push them back toward the toxic illicit drug supply. The Province says the policy is meant to reduce misuse while keeping people alive and connecting them to treatment. Exceptions remain for certain rural residents, delivery programs, and people prescribed opioids for pain or palliative care rather than addiction.
  
  
• With major nation-building projects on the horizon and ongoing uncertainty about how AI will reshape office-based work, BC's construction sector is encouraging more people, especially younger workers, to take a serious look at the skilled trades in 2026. Abigail Fulton, Executive Director of the Construction Foundation of BC, says demand remains strong across nearly every trade and argues hands-on, problem-solving work is unlikely to be displaced anytime soon. BC recently announced $241 million over three years to expand trades training, while the federal budget includes $75 million over three years to grow union-based training in Red Seal trades such as carpentry, heavy equipment operation, machining, and plumbing. New apprenticeship registrations across Canada hit a record 101,541 in 2024, with growth driven in part by strong uptake in BC and Alberta.

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