VICTORIA, B.C.: Rosalyn Bird, MLA for Prince George-Valemount has successfully passed the Veterans and First Responders Month Act, which designates the month of November as “Veterans and First Responders Month” throughout the province. The bill has passed third reading and will come into effect once it receives Royal Assent.

“The men and women who wear the uniform of service constantly put their lives on the line to protect the people in our communities, and there are many British Columbians who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Bird. “But the costs to veterans and first responders don’t end when the uniform comes off. Some succumb to occupational illnesses linked to years of exposure and sacrifice, and some are lost to the invisible wounds of trauma and cumulative stress.”

This bill creates a coordinated provincial opportunity to honour service, commemorate sacrifice, and educate future generations about the vital role veterans and first responders play in keeping communities safe.

“The Veterans and First Responders Month Act is about recognition,” said Bird. “It is about acknowledging both the visible and invisible costs of service. And it is about committing ourselves, as legislators and as a province, to ensuring that those who protect and defend our communities are themselves protected and supported.”

– 30 –

Media Contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Press Secretary
Francesca.Guetchev@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948