BC Provincial Election Posters

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Historically, low voter turnout often leads to government decision-making that prioritizes the needs of the elite at the expense of marginalized or vulnerable community members. So The Federation is encouraging our member organizations, their staff, and clients to get out and vote.

To help our members spread the word about the importance of voting, we have created a series of posters and social media posts that touch on a range of aspects and ideas. Scared? Apathetic? Confused? Overwhelmed? Forgetful? There’s a poster for everyone!

Post them in your waiting room or your lunchroom. If you have a staff meeting where people feel unsure about whether it is safe to vote, put up these posters in your staff room or meeting room. Think about how and where they will have an impact and choose the one that is right for your staff team and/or clients. If you need some different messaging (or different colours), just let us know!

Click on any of the images below to view and download the files.

  • Posters are 11 x 17 PDFs
  • Social media images are web-ready JPG images
  • You can drag-and-drop images to your desktop or control-click to save them

‘Get Out The Vote’ Posters

   

 

‘Get Out The Vote’ Social Media Images

 

 

 

Election Information

CBC News has compiled a list of all candidates nominated in all ridings (updated daily). The deadline for candidates to be declared and approved by Elections BC is October 2nd.

You can request a vote by mail package here (click the grey button at the bottom of the page).

Elections BC also has also compiled information about services for at-risk voters and voters with disabilities as well as translated election materials in 17 different languages.

You can use this map to find your electoral district (also known as a riding or constituency). Please note, the map can take a few seconds to load.

Things to remember in tough times

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Between the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, increasing action and attention around racial justice and police violence, and the blanket of smoke resulting from the tragic fires wreaking havoc in California, Oregon, and Washington, I am reminded of the extent to which we are all inextricably connected on this small planet of ours. And this confluence of extreme crises also serves to remind me that taking care of ourselves requires us to also consider the needs of those around us who are sharing our unique and fragile home.

After months of confusion and worry, the added anxiety of young people returning to school and child care is something I know all of you are feeling very acutely right now. Each of us needs to balance the needs of our families with the needs of our communities and that is a daunting task to add on top of everything else. And that is why I want to take a moment to once again remind you of everything you have overcome and accomplished over the past six months.

It has been a privilege to experience the tremendous leadership, care, and compassion that you bring your work each and every day. Yes, the new school year is one more challenge in an already challenging year. And the fall weather which will keep more of us inside and the flu season that will follow are challenges we will have to face down the road. But I hope you all remember to pause and take a look back from time to time to remind yourself of everything you have accomplished and overcome since March. I believe that acknowledging and celebrating what you have done will give you renewed courage and confidence in yourselves and each other.

It would be a disservice to ignore the promise and hope embodied within the achievements taking place across our province and our country in spite of (and because of) the unprecedented circumstances we are managing to overcome. Our federal government is taking a very serious look at a guaranteed income for all Canadians. Ottawa and the provinces are developing a national plan for paid sick leave. Our province has called together an all-party committee to reform the Police Act (to which The Federation will be presenting; stay tuned for more info). Although not permanent or as large as we had hoped, people with disabilities in BC have seen a significant lift to their assistance rates (thanks to years of advocacy). The community social services sector (represented by The Federation) was selected to sit on the Premier’s Economic Recovery Task Force.

And as delighted as I am about these examples of social progress, I am even more heartened by the individual stories of compassion and commitment that our members are sharing. Stories about staff volunteering for longer shifts to ensure vulnerable community members are cared for if they become ill. Stories about innovative and creative ways of serving clients that are making a very real difference in the lives of your community members. Stories of organizations cooperating and supporting one another in new and nimble ways that have had a significant impact.

You are seen and valued by everyone in this Federation even if you may forget that sometimes. And that is not all. When I sit at the Economic Recovery Task Force, my partners in business and labour see you and recognize and speak about the incredible contributions the community social services sector has made during these trying times. Perhaps never before has the importance of our sector been so very recognized and understood and that is because of you.

As I look back, I am also aware of how much The Federation has grown over the past few months. We have learned about ourselves and how best to support you, our members. We’ve pushed ourselves to be more available, we’ve embraced new ways of gathering, and we’ve made a point of sharing as much good news as bad (including a very popular addition to the sector news emails).

So as things continue to shift and change over the coming weeks and months, rest assured that we will continue to be here for you—offering whatever we can, whenever you need it. And remember that the things you are doing today will have positive long-term effects that will last well beyond the troubling times that inspired them.

Thank you for ensuring that your programs and services continue to operate in the spirit with which they were created. Thank you for going above and beyond in a time of unprecedented crisis. And thank you for your patience and compassion and creativity—for living into what altogether better is all about.

Rick FitzZaland
Executive Director

Funding for Training, Health & Safety

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Back in February, as part of the 2020 provincial budget, we were told that BC’s community social services sector would be receiving funds for training and professional development. We were told that the funding, while one-time-only, would be managed by the sector itself and would include funds specifically earmarked for Indigenous organizations, domestic violence, home shares, and board governance.

Last week, the provincial government announced $10 million of one-time funding to “build capacity, support recruitment and retention, and improve occupational health and safety training programs” for BC community social services—the largest investment of dedicated training funding that our sector has seen in a very, very long time.

I am very pleased to announce that The Federation is now holding two categories of funding resulting from that announcement: a Community Social Services Training Fund to help address recruitment and retention challenges and funds to support the work of the newly-created Community Social Services Health and Safety Council.

How we got here

When the Social Services Sector Roundtable was created in early 2019, compensation equity was top-of-mind for many organizations. And while this was the focus of many early discussions, the roundtable’s mandate was much broader and everyone involved was committed to understanding and addressing all of the factors that affect the strength and sustainability of our sector.

Our sector allies and government partners recognized that without ongoing and appropriate training, the sector was at increasing risk of losing many of its skilled, experienced, and compassionate staff. Everyone at the table understood that providing training and professional development is a necessary part of ensuring that the people we support receive high-quality, evidence-informed services. We also made very clear (as we have advocated for many, many years) that ensuring the health and safety of our staff is a unique challenge that has been ignored for too long and to the detriment of both those who work in the sector and those we serve.

This funding commitment is a huge success for BC’s community social services sector and I am very thankful for the ideas, energy, and time contributed by everyone who helped to make this possible—whether you sit at the roundtable or not. These funds are a result of the sector and the government working together and leveraging the information and insights that helped us to make a compelling, informed argument for this very necessary investment. And while these funds are “one-time-only,” rest assured that the Roundtable will continue to advocate for more sustainable funding for community sector training.

What comes next

We have updated The Federation website with information about both the Community Social Services Training Fund and the money dedicated to the Community Social Services Health and Safety Council (see the section on Health & Safety near the bottom of the page). More information about each will be available over the coming months.

Any organizations that are interested in receiving updates about the Training Fund can subscribe to a mailing list using the form on our website. (Please note: the training funds are available to all social services organizations, not just Federation members.) Updates about the health and safety funding will be communicated by the Health and Safety Council once it is up and running.

Our team is working on launching the Training Fund this fall and we are very excited to support our members and colleagues in developing training and professional development offerings for the sector. And we are also excited about what the Social Services Sector Roundtable will be able to accomplish as it devotes more attention to issues related to procurement and human resources.

As you know, the Roundtable was an invaluable recourse as the sector pivoted quickly and carefully in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We remain very appreciative of and thankful for the leadership and collaboration demonstrated by all of our sector and government colleagues. There is a lot of work ahead of us but it also feels very good to celebrate the successes that result from being altogether better.

Rick FitzZaland
Executive Director