Gary Coons

British Columbia Transportation Minister Shirley Bond said British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. needs to consult more with the public before she’ll approve a controversial plan to run ferries from Tsawwassen to Prince Rupert.
“There’s been no final decisions made about that,” said Bond. “What I want to make sure is that communities have adequate opportunities to [...]

Racism cited as a reason the murders and disappearances have not received more attention
B.C. needs a public inquiry and a multi-agency police task force to examine the many cases of girls and women who have met violence on B.C. highways, say two community leaders who have been vocal about the so-called Highway of Tears case.

For Immediate Release
VICTORIA—North Coast MLA Gary Coons is concerned that the ‘proposed’ BC Ferries new service from Tsawwassen to Prince Rupert will have a huge impact on jobs and the economy in Prince Rupert and the entire region.

B.C. Children’s Minister Mary Polak faced a new round of criticism yesterday for sacking the senior advisers to two programs that help disabled children.

VICTORIA – The BC Liberals’ decision to cut the Infant Development Program will hurt families who have children with disabilities, especially those living in First Nations communities and in remote areas said New Democrat Gary Coons today.

North Coast reaction to the announcement of $130 million in committed federal funds for the Northwest Transmission Line has been mostly positive, with Prince Rupert mayor Jack Mussallem saying that the transmission line and the jobs it could bring will “resonate throughout the north”.

MP Nathan Cullen and MLA Gary Coons are both demanding that the federal government reverse its plan to destaff lighthouses on the west coast, including the one at Langara Island.
Replacing the human lightkeepers with automated machines is dangerous and short-sighted, the two politicians said.

For Immediate Release
September 7, 2009
VANCOUVER— In an effort to cover up their pre-election budget deception, the B.C. Liberals have created chaos and confusion for thousands of community groups across the province that depend on gaming grants, New Democrat housing and social development critic Shane Simpson says. 
“If the B.C. Liberals really cared about community groups, they [...]

For Immediate Release
 VICTORIA – The B.C. Liberal government should be ashamed now that British Columbia has the lowest minimum wage in the country, New Democrats said today.
As of September 1, B.C. now has the distinction of having the lowest minimum wage in Canada at $8 an hour, and a training wage that starts at [...]

United federal-provincial voice opposing Enbridge pipeline project
HAZELTON — An historic first meeting between all currently elected provincial and federal representatives in northwest BC took place in Hartley Bay on the traditional territories of the Gitga’at First Nation July 20 to highlight widespread concerns over Enbridge’s proposed oil pipeline, the associated oil supertanker traffic that will [...]