July 26. 2024: Seventeen joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome MP Elizabeth May and Ned Taylor, Member’s Assistant. In her Territorial Acknowledgement, she gratefully recognized the many First Nations who honoured and protected land, noting that borders between Canada and the US have challenged free passage, impacting century-old tribal relationships. Giving everyone a chance to introduce themselves, we learned that participants had come to this gathering with a variety of perspectives and interests.

When asked what “excited and delighted” her, Elizabeth’s answer was immediate: Her new (still honeymooning after five years) husband John, who had also joined us. Adding to her delight was her daughter’s expected baby, dubbed HB, Halloween Baby. And, yes, she is delighted to be still alive, having suffered a serious stroke last year with, thankfully, no longterm damage.

Elizabeth began by speaking about the publicity concerning her recent high security clearance (https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/elizabeth-may-nsicop-mps-1.7231497). Carefully navigating what she can share, she supports the decision to encourage party leaders, both opposition and in power, to get high security clearance so that they can read sensitive documents, convinced this widened perspective will result in better conclusions. While those conclusions have not yet been fully discussed, Elizabeth is convinced that there are no currently-serving MPs who are traitors to their country.

Elizabeth is celebrating the recent passage of Bill C226 (https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2024/06/government-supports-bill-toward-progress-on-environmental-justice.html), requiring the Minister to develop, within two years, a national strategy to advance environmental justice and to assess, prevent, and address environmental racism. While major positive impacts of this bill are expected to focus on serious environmental destruction on reserves, Elizabeth expects the closure of local clam and oyster beds will also be considered. It is her opinion that longstanding “Shellfish Contamination” signs at many of our beaches are not the result of testing and toxic results, but, instead, a violation of the Douglas Treaties (https://douglastreaties.uvic.ca/) promising to protect Indigenous fishing rights. Will this new law require testing of our shellfish to ascertain the validity of closing local clam and oyster beds? Stay tuned. . . .

Later in our conversation, Elizabeth spoke briefly about the currently-tabled bill, C49 (https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/pl/charter-charte/c49.html) proposing to establish a new regulatory scheme for offshore renewable energy projects in Newfoundland, Labrador, and Nova Scotia. Did you know that our electric grids go north and south rather than east and west across Canada? As a result, Nova Scotia burns more coal than any other region. Environmentally critical, Elizabeth hopes that this bill will be brought back again in the next parliamentary session.

Elizabeth also spoke briefly about proposed Bill C33 (https://www.parl.ca/documentviewer/en/44-1/bill/c-33/first-reading), an attempt to unwind some of the widely-opposed provisions of Harper’s fall 2022 Omnibus Bill C45 (https://www.pembina.org/media-release/environmental-groups-first-nations-join-opposition-omnibus-bill-c-45). Seeking to stop “free parking” for the many freighters anchoring locally awaiting their turn to load/unload that are polluting our waters; destroying our ocean floor; impeding local navigation; and adding noxious noise, light, and air pollution. One of the components of the multi-page Harper omnibus bill that will be reviewed if Bill 33 passes is the definition of mooring buoys as minor and no longer needing permits as long as they do not impede navigation.

Referring to Elizabeth’s support of this proposed Bill C-33, a participant asked how a reversal of this permit-less mooring system would impact our local Liveaboard communities. Elizabeth responded that no one in Canada should be living in precarious housing. Citing the lauded CMHC statement that every Canadian has a right to housing (https://assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/sites/place-to-call-home/pdfs/nhs-human-rights-approach-to-housing-en.pdf), she spoke of too many living in unsafe conditions, relating her shock at seeing so many tent cities in urban areas across Canada.

In Elizabeth’s assessment, separate public policies are needed for two different types of housing:

1. Affordable worker housing, and
2. Housing for those facing homelessness.

Elizabeth spoke of the terrible 1917 Halifax explosion (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/halifax-explosion), leaving thousands homeless with winter approaching. Clearly an emergency, over 1,000 basic homes were built in three months. Why, Elizabeth asks, can’t we see our nationwide housing crisis as a similar emergency also spurring that quick action? She asked “Was the Canada of 1917 better prepared to address emergencies than our nation today?”

A participant asked whether the Emergency Act (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/e-4.5/page-1.html) could be used to address our housing crisis. Often confused with the previous War Act (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/war-measures-act), the Emergency Act does not allow suspension of civil rights. Used for threats to public welfare, public order, insurrection, and war, in Elizabeth’s opinion, invoking this act for addressing our housing crisis would be highly controversial.

As first steps, Elizabeth believes that we should both guarantee a livable income as well as accelerating efforts to build public housing. Provinces should also be required to spend federal money for its designated purpose as well as being required to report on its use.

Elizabeth also believes that Canada must set up a governance structure that breaks down the silos created by multiple governance bodies, each with their own jurisdictional responsibilities and limitations. She asked us to consider something like the Australian governance system in which intergovernmental forums of commonwealth, state, and local leaders meet to jointly address priorities that cross jurisdictional boundaries (https://federation.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-06/federal-relations-architecture_0.pdf). Elizabeth is convinced that a structure requiring collaboration among our governing groups could more successfully address a wide range of concerns including the environment, healthcare, and housing.

A Council of Canadian Governments? Yes, why not?

While housing is a crisis requiring cooperation at all levels of government, Elizabeth reminded us of local generosity, like the vision of the Murakami family who saw a need and offered their land for Murakami Gardens (https://saltspringcommunityservices.ca/services/housing/murakami-gardens/) providing affordable housing for 27 individuals and families. A participant also told us about the recent remarkable generosity of the small community of Norman Wells (https://www.pentictonherald.ca/spare_news/article_30a89bd2-f6d1-5427-b20b-4ef8dce0d6ab.html) whose residents found temporary housing for Good Hope fire evacuees during the recent emergency despite their ongoing food supply challenges.

Working tirelessly with housing societies on most of our neighbouring islands, Elizabeth also reminded us how difficult it is to build housing projects. Recognizing real environmental and infrastructure limits, she cautioned that Salt Springers must also consider carrying capacity issues. Reminding us that we must figure out how to house our needed workers, she suggested that other regions may be more capable of housing the large numbers facing homelessness who deserve a safe, secure place to live. The perfect strategic conversation for her suggested Council of Canadian Governments, yes?

Supporting immigration, she is also concerned that these new immigrants receive little support once arriving, often gravitating to our urban areas with no secure housing. The proposed Council could seek strategic solutions for immigrants. This group could explore supporting immigrants to settle in some of our distressed areas, once productive towns that have housing, infrastructure, and buildings, but neither commerce nor industry. Using the example of the success story of Peace by Chocolate (https://peacebychocolate.ca/pages/our-story), she is intrigued by enlivening some of our decaying towns by communities of immigrants.

Despite Elizabeth’s caution that Salt Spring could not solve our housing crisis on our own, a participant focused the next question on Gayle, the only local elected official at this gathering, asking “What is the LCC going to do to address housing?” She replied that, although the work has hardly begun, some important steps are in progress. They are:

1. After nearly a year, Salt Spring now has its own Economic Development bylaw (https://www.crd.bc.ca/docs/default-source/crd-document-library/committeedocuments/salt-spring-island-local-community-commission/20240627/2024-06-27agenda-special-meeting.pdf?sfvrsn=5e078bce_4). This bylaw, in general, offers the Local Community Commission (LCC) as much latitude in spending funds in the Economic Development service as allowed by legislation.
2. Based on results of the LCC-hosted housing meeting in May, Local Commissioners will discuss next steps at one of their August 2024 meetings, either August 8 at 5:00 pm or August 15 at 9:00, both in the SIMS Boardroom.
3. The LCC has also received detailed information about multiple small, undeveloped CRD park properties, often acquired as a result of subdivision. While any change of use would require a referendum, Local Commissioners are expected to begin a discussion of the potential for housing on some of these parcels this fall.

A participant asked what we could do to be heard. Elizabeth suggested:

1. Write letters to national newspapers! Did you know that letters published in national newspapers appear on the desks of elected officials almost instantly? Not only are these letters in the most-read section of national newspapers, they are also considered to reflect important segments of popular opinion.
2. Show up! Go to rallies and show your support for important issues. Elizabeth has even made up a slogan for anti-logging protests: “Tax the Ax!”
3. Participate! Attend local meetings, like Islands Trust, the Local Community Commission, and ASK Salt Spring :). Ceased during COVID, Elizabeth will again begin holding local meetings twice a year at nine locations, including all islands and four in Saanich. Held between Labour Day and the opening of Parliament on September 16, Elizabeth never gets less than a total of 1,200 attending these meetings. Given this wealth of feedback, she will begin the new legislative year well-versed in local opinions and solutions. Look for details of the meeting on Salt Spring in September.   

As our time together was almost over, Elizabeth was asked whether, given President Joe Bidden’s decision to step down, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would also decide not to run. With no prediction, Elizabeth reminded us that there was no natural successor to him and that celebrity “sizzle” seems to have become a political requirement for our leaders. Although angry with him over broken promises, Elizabeth is “Tough on issues, not tough on people,” dismayed by the toxicity leveled at all our leaders.

We closed with emotional comments from one of our young participants, concerned about the cultural shift he sees among his contemporaries. He expressed his worry about a huge polarity between youths’ urge to act with sovereignty/independence in clear conflict with their also powerful drive to follow a leader and work cooperatively. “Will this dissonance be resolved?” he asked. Replying with a heartfelt hug for our young, worried participant, Elizabeth demonstrated her deep understanding of the issue.

Dashing off to lunch with a minister, we bid Elizabeth a loving farewell, inviting her back again soon; appreciative of her hard work, wisdom, vision, courage; and for simply being her enthusiastic, open, and gracious self. (Thank-you Elizabeth and Ned!)