B.C. launches consultation process on new Family Day holiday

by Yolande Cole on May 8, 2012 at 2:53 pm
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Labour minister Margaret MacDiarmid introduced legislation to declare a Family Day holiday next February.

The B.C. government introduced legislation today (May 8) to create a statutory Family Day holiday in 2013.

A two-week consultation process was also launched to determine whether the holiday will be held on the second or third Monday of February.

“We want families to help us select a day that works best for them,” Minister of Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government Margaret MacDiarmid told the B.C. legislature as she introduced the bill.

“Because we recognize a new holiday will have an impact on our economy, we also want to hear from worker groups, educators as well as tourism and the broader business sector about how the timing of the new holiday will impact them and what their preferences are.”

A Family Day holiday in B.C. was proposed by Premier Christy Clark during the B.C. Liberal leadership race, and was announced during last year’s throne speech.

Five other Canadian provinces have a statutory holiday on the third Monday of February, which also coincides with President’s Day in the United States.

British Columbians can weigh in on their choice for the holiday on the government’s website or via Facebook or Twitter, using the hashtag #mybcfd.

Comments (10) Add New Comment
Point of Order.
May 8, 2012 at 3:37 pm
While I really like the idea of an extra holiday...especially in February to break up that extras long period of Blah, and I feel that as BCer's we've been left out of this possibility for too long, I have a few problems problems.

1) It was brought forward by Krusty Klark and her Kavalkade of Kreepy Klones.
2) As I guy with no immediate family, I wonder if I will still have to work on "Family Day".

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June Kaiser
May 8, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Oh please....there are so many more important issues to be dealt with. This is just a cynical attempt to buy votes. I suspect BC'rs are no longer so gullible.
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PleaseWhatever
May 8, 2012 at 4:19 pm
In fact this is just a slight of hand "look at the birdie" way of harmonizing our system with the USA. Why don't we just call it President's Day. This is what happens when you put bean counters in charge of government policy. What ever makes for the smooth operating of business, eh Liberals.
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EG
May 8, 2012 at 4:42 pm
For the convenience of families, why not have it on the Monday in February that the teachers already have as an extra holiday? Or would that make too much sense?
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Dianne
May 8, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Are you kidding Ms Minister? There are so many crucial things to get on with - for starters action on child poverty, action on raising welfare and disability rates so that more people can actually eat and find decent housing that is more affordable, action on withdrawing Bill 22 and really solving the crisis your government has created over many years in education.

It's laughable that you would spend any energy on consultation around which Monday is best. You can't pull the wool over our eyes about what really matters.
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DavidH
May 8, 2012 at 6:11 pm
This is just too much stress for me. Second Monday, Third Monday ... do I look like a rocket scientist? How is an average voter and taxpayer like me supposed to deal with a question of such critical import to the future of BC?

I'm going to leave this to the Big Minds in Victoria - men and women carefully selected on the basis of their skills, experience and keen intellects.

Whew! I feel better now. Back to the reality game shows ...
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glen p robbins
May 8, 2012 at 8:11 pm
This is seriously a government with absolutely nothing going for it - crummy, ineffective, imprudent and unwise leader - and a bevy of tired people riddled with the pain of cronyism and corruption. Really - embarrassing to be a British Columbian.
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johnnybravo
May 8, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Is it me or is this just another blatant attempt of the government to play a little 3 card monty.....

"Vote for Family Day while we ram through 20 Bills that we have just introduced in the last 2 weeks. Closure is a beautiful thing....all we need to do is distract everyone."

Rather than ram things through. Earn your money by doing your job of debating and ratifying these bills properly. You have 4 months off until your fall session which you will likely not sit for anyways.
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Just Wondering
May 9, 2012 at 12:58 pm
If we help them with this one will they leave?
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glen p robbins
May 10, 2012 at 8:30 am
Here is the reality. The mainstream press - located closest to the political action, acts as both critic and cheerleader - in any effort to control the agenda and pace of the political action. More and more people are aware of this to one degree or another. Ratings for news - sales - are plummeting. Social media is growing exponentially. The mainstream media does not possess enough toadies to run interference for it - so it must consider this: Do we follow the trend and bury Christy Clark as the public wants - the first time in the provinces' history this would have occurred - with the credit going largely to social media for so doing, or do they do what they have always relied on - control of resources--and buy time - a trip abroad get Christy away from the action - buy time until the summer when people are more distracted and divided from their focus - and hope to reinvent some type of contest for September - in the home stretch to the next election. The problem is this - if the mainstream press carry's Christy out of some collective 'ego' to control the agenda - and she runs and gets obliterated - as we expect will happen - then the mainstream press will have set itself up to be the next in line for obliteration -- creating new marketing opportunities.
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