Opposition Spokesperson for Children and Family Development MLA Melanie Mark is up in the northwest today seeing what is and isn’t working for youth.
She’s critical of the province failing to introduce a poverty reduction strategy, and is also concerned with LNG deals being linked to funding for child welfare with the Office of the Wet’suwet’en.
“we need good jobs and economic prosperity, but not at the cost of one or the other…I wouldn’t even call that negotiation, it’s like blackmail,” says Mark.
She also says the province spends “eight to nine billion dollars on poverty,” saying BC is the only province without a poverty reduction strategy. “We have people that are living off of 18 dollars a week for food on income assistance…(and)one in five children are going to bed hungry.”
Meeting with the Office of the Wet’suwet’en today(MON), Mark applauds the work happening with a holistic approach for child development and wellness.
“It’s not intervening after the fact and bringing in a colonial model of child welfare, but really looking at what works best for the Wet’suwet’en people,” explains Mark. “The connection to the land is imperative.”
The ANABIB program offered through the office allows people to connect to their culture through the land to bring about wellness for all ages.
Mark was appointed the Opposition Spokesperson for Children and Family Development in the summer taking the role from Stikine MLA Doug Donaldson.
Mark is Nisga’a, Gitxsan, and hopes to make a message to the youth about how a role model can have a positive impact.
Mark also made history as the first First Nations women to make it into the BC Legislature.
Something going on in the Bulkley Valley Lakes District you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
