Premier of B.C. Announces Date for Family Day

B.C.'s Family Day will take place on the second Monday in February each year, beginning in 2013

VANCOUVER – Premier Christy Clark, along with Margaret MacDiarmid, Minister of

Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government were joined by local families at

the Vancouver Aquarium today to announce that B.C.’s Family Day will take place

on the second Monday in February each year, beginning in 2013.

“Creating a Family Day in B.C. was an important priority for me. Today, my

government is following through on that commitment and I am proud and delighted

to let families across B.C. know that our very first Family Day will be on

Monday, Feb. 11, 2013,” said Premier Christy Clark. “Having our own unique day

in B.C. creates distinctive opportunities for families and local businesses.

British Columbians will be able to enjoy all kinds of local attractions with

fewer lineups and less out-of-town traffic.”

The decision to select the second Monday in February comes after government

followed through on a commitment to consult with the public and private sectors,

as well as hear from citizens directly.

“We heard a lot of thoughtful points of view from British Columbians about which

day they’d prefer. The response we had from the public was outstanding – it’s

great to see people know we want to hear from them, and that we’re listening,”

said MacDiarmid.

Record numbers of British Columbians participated in online discussions by

sharing their thoughts and registering their preference. The web poll component

of the Family Day website gathered a total of 31,146 selections, along with

3,069 comments, with the choice of the second Monday registering a total of

18,202 selections, 9,436 selections for the third Monday, and 3,508 selections

of no preference.

“The B.C. ski industry would like to thank the provincial government for how it

has managed the Family Day consultation. We are very pleased with the outcome

and we are confident that this decision will drive significant benefits for the

tourism industry, the provincial economy and the people of British Columbia,”

said David Lynn, president and CEO, Canada’s West Ski Areas Association.

“The announcement of Family Day is recognition of the diversity and hard work of

families across the province. As an organization that supports families, the

B.C. Association of Family Resource Programs applauds the provincial government

for making this decision, which we believe will fortify family connections and

build community,” said Sherry Sinclair, senior board member of the B.C.

Association of Family Resource Programs.

For more information on the consultation process and outcome, please visit:

www.gov.bc.ca/citz/reports_publications.html

 

 

Barriere Star Journal