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From YouTube: MARCH 27 2023 Statements Michele Babchuk
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
4th Session
42nd Parliament
A
Member
for
North
Island.
Thank
you.
Mr
Speaker,
I'm
delighted
to
stand
up
today
and
further
equate
this
chamber
with
the
ahatasat
First
Nation
is
First
Nations
government
covering
about
66
000
hectares
on
the
west
coast
of
Vancouver
Island
and
mostly
covers
the
Esperanza
Inlet,
the
zabales
inlet
and
the
Espinoza
Inlet.
It
is
accessed
by
boat,
plane
and
42
kilometer
stretch
of
Dirt
Road
off
of
Highway
19
and
is
nestled
beside
BC
and
Canada's.
A
Smallest
Municipality
of
zabalas
Mr
Speaker
I
may
be
a
bit
biased,
but
it's
one
of
the
most
picturesque
places
on
the
west
coast
of
Vancouver
Island,
even
though
its
beauty
is
unmatched.
Its
remote
nature
lends
to
challenges
that
the
nation
has
highlighted
in
the
last
few
months
by
calling
a
state
of
emergency.
A
My
heart
goes
out
to
The
Community
for
the
loss
of
so
many
youth
through
the
toxic
drug
crisis.
We
know
that
First
Nations
peoples
continue
to
be
disproportionately
affected
by
the
toxic
drug
crisis
as
a
result
of
colonization,
intergenerational
Trauma
from
residential
schools,
covid-19
and
climate
related
challenges,
and
that's
why
I
was
extremely
happy.
Mr
Speaker
to
have
both
the
minister
of
mental
health
and
addictions
and
the
minister
of
indigenous
relations
and
Reconciliation
in
the
North
Island
recently
to
meet
with
the
nation
and
discuss
how
we
can
work
together.
A
A
I
know
that
the
dialogue
with
the
minister
of
indigenous
relations
and
Reconciliation
and
the
minister
of
energy
minds
and
low-carbon
Innovation
continue
today,
and
that
some
in
this
chamber
took
part
in
a
session
at
noon
where
the
nation
and
strategic
National
sorry
natural
resource
management,
gave
us
a
look
at
the
miraculous
Direction.
They
have
moving
forward.