BC Premier David Eby Announces More Cost-of-Living Supports

B.C. Premier David Eby speaks after being sworn in as the province's 37th premier during a ceremony at the Musqueam Nation, in Vancouver, B.C., Nov. 18, 2022. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

British Columbia Premier David Eby announced another round of the BC Affordability Credit on Saturday to help offset inflation costs as he marked 100 days at the province’s helm.

The province said in a news release that around 85 per cent of British Columbians will receive a full or partial payment as early as April 5 through the Canada Revenue Agency, just like the funds given in January.

The next round will provide as much as $164 more per adult and $41 per child, up to $410 for a family with two children, Eby said.

Eby, who was sworn in as B.C.’s 37th premier in November, made the announcement at a news conference marking his first 100 days in office, where he recapped his work so far and set goals for the future.

As the province prepares to table its new budget on Tuesday, Eby said his government will continue investing in health care, including mental health and addiction treatment, as well as housing and affordability.

“We have to take action today to deal with our biggest challenges, and that’s what the 100-day plan has been all about,” he said.

“Part of our work needs to be to recognize that people need support with the rising costs that they’re seeing as a result of global inflation.”

He made the remarks from the Surrey campus of Simon Fraser University, where the province’s new medical school, that he announced in November, will be located.

Earlier this week, he launched a new 10-year plan to improve cancer care throughout B.C. He said his government was responding to increased demand as more people get diagnosed after putting off routine screening during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eby has also introduced measures to bring more health workers to the province, along with a refreshed housing plan and a safer communities action plan.

“The end of the first 100 days is, of course, not an end at all. It’s just the beginning,” he told the news conference on Saturday. “Over the next 18 months, my team and I will work hard to make life better for you and for your families in ways that you will be able to see and feel in your lives and in your communities.”