COVID-19 Townhalls

Between April and July 2020, British Columbians were able to join MLAs and health authority representatives to answer COVID-19 questions at various townhalls on several topics.

If you missed the townhalls, you can still watch them on the Province of B.C.’s YouTube channel or using the links to the specific regions and topics below.

Engagement Timeframe

April 17, 2020 – Sep 29,  2021.

Townhalls 2020-2021

1. Friday, April 17: Vancouver Coastal Health: Regional Townhall

• Hosts and participants: Bowinn Ma, MLA, John Yap, MLA, Mary Ackenhusen, CEO, Dr. Patricia Daly, MHO

2. Monday, April 20: Fraser Health: Regional Townhall

• Hosts and participants: Rachna Singh, MLA, John Martin, MLA, Dr Victoria Lee, CEO, Dr. Martin Lavoie, MHO

3. Tuesday, April 21: Island Health: Regional Townhall

• Hosts and participants: Mitzi Dean, MLA, Sonia Furstenau, MLA, Kathy MacNeil, CEO, Dr. Richard Stanwick, MHO

4. Wednesday, April 22: Northern Health: Regional Townhall

• Hosts and participants: Doug Donaldson, MLA, Mike Bernier, MLA, Cathy Ulrich, CEO, Dr. Raina Fumerton, MHO

5. Thursday, April 23: Interior Health: Regional Townhall

• Hosts and participants: Katrine Conroy, MLA, Norm Letnick, MLA, Dr. Sue Pollock, MHO, Susan Brown, CEO

6. Friday, May 8: the Restart Plan: BC’s Restart Plan/Building BC’s Recovery Back Together Townhall

• Hosts and participants: Premier John Horgan, Minister of Finance Carole James and Bowinn Ma, MLA for North Vancouver – Lonsdale

7. Monday, May 11: the Restart Plan and the Surgical Renewal Plan: BC’s Restart Plan/Building BC’s Recovery Back Together Townhall

• Hosts and participants: Minister Adrian Dix, Dr. Bonnie Henry, Norm Letnick, MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country

8. Tuesday, May 19: Island Health : Regional Townhall

• Hosts and participants: Kathy MacNeil and Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Richard Stanwick, MLA Ronna-Rae Leonard, MLA Norm Letnick, Opposition Health Critic

9. Wednesday, May 20:  K-12 Education: BC’s Restart Plan/Building BC’s Recovery Back Together Townhall

• Hosts and participants: Minister Rob Fleming, Stephanie Higginson, President of British Columbia School Trustees Association, Dr. Trevor Corneil, Medical Lead, Office of the Provincial Health Officer, Ravi Kahlon, MLA for Delta North

10. Thursday, May 21: Workplace Safety: BC’s Restart Plan/Building BC’s Recovery Back Together Townhall

• Participants and Host: Minister Harry Bains, Al Johnson, Vice President of Prevention Services – WorkSafeBC and Janet Routledge, MLA for Burnaby North

11. Friday, May 22: Fraser Health: Regional Townhall

• Hosts and participants: FHA CEO Dr. Victoria Lee, Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Martin Lavoie, MLA Bob D’Eith, MLA Joan Isaacs

12. Monday, May 25: Vancouver Coastal Health: Regional Townhall

• Hosts and participants:  VCHA CEO Mary Ackenhusen, Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Patricia Daly, MLA George Chow, MLA Teresa Wat

13. Wednesday, May 27: Child Care: BC’s Restart Plan/Building BC’s Recovery Back Together Townhall

• Participants and host: Minister Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care, Dr. Trevor Corneil, Medical Lead, Office of the Provincial Health Officer, Jinny Simms, MLA for Surrey-Panorama

14. Thursday, May 28: Northern Health: Regional Townhall

• Hosts and Participants: NHA CEO Cathy Ulrich, Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Raina Fumerton, MLA Jennifer Rice, MLA Coralee Oakes

15. Monday, June 1: Interior Health: Regional Townhall

• Hosts and Participants: Susan Brown, CEO Interior Health, Sue Pollock, Acting Chief Medical Health Officer, MLA Katrine Conroy and MLA Doug Clovechok

16. Wednesday, June 3: BC’s Food Supply: BC’s Restart Plan/Building BC’s Recovery Back Together Townhall

• Hosts and participants: Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture, Chef Ned Bell, and Parm Bains of Westberry Farms

17. Friday, June 12: Anti-Racism in BC: BC’s Restart Plan/Building BC’s Recovery Back Together Townhall

• Hosts and participants: Minister Anne Kang, Parliamentary Secretary Ravi Kahlon, and Multicultural Advisory Council members Patricia Barkaskas and Dr. Ismaël Traoré.

18. Thursday, June 25, 2020: Building BC’s Recovery Back Together: BC’s Restart Plan/Building BC’s Recovery Back Together Townhall

• Hosts and Participants: Carole James, Minister of Finance, Bob D’Eith, Chair of Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services and MLA for Maple Ridge-Mission and Bowinn Ma, Parliamentary Secretary for Translink and MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale

19. Monday, July 13, 2020: Supporting Small Businesses: BC’s Restart Plan/Building BC’s Recovery Back Together Townhall

• Hosts and Participants: Michelle Mungall Minister of Jobs, Economic Development, and Competitiveness, Tom Conway CEO of Small Business B.C. and Jinny Sims MLA Surrey-Panorama

20. Monday July 19^th, 2021 –Northern Health (Chetwynd to Tumbler Ridge): Telephone Townhall
21. Wednesday July 28^th, 2021- Northern Health (Prince George/ Burns Lake/ Vanderhoof): Telephone Townhall
22. Wednesday July 28^th, 2021- Fraser Health (Abbotsford/Mission): Telephone Townhall
23. Thursday July 29^th, 2021- Fraser Health (Langley): Telephone Townhall
24. Wednesday August 11^th, 2021- Interior (Kelowna): Telephone Townhall
25. Tuesday, September 28^th, 2021- Northern Health (Vanderhoof to Smithers corridor): Telephone Townhall
26. Wednesday September 29^th, 2021- Northern Health (Vanderhoof to Smithers): Telephone Townhall

Input leads to action:

These townhalls are being held as part of government’s priority to keep British Columbians safe and informed about the COVID-19 pandemic.