The legislative assembly school may be out for summer, but MLAs still have a lot of homework.
The spring session wrapped up in Victoria at the end of May, leaving local provincial representatives with busy schedules.
"People assume when MLAs are not in the legislature they're actually on a break of some sort," said Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond. "I actually think that the first priority that all of us have is representing our constituencies. And when we're in the legislature for months at a time, our constituents are often asking 'where are you and what are you doing to support us on the ground?'"
Less time anchored to Victoria means the politicians can do constituency work and attend community events.
"I've lived here my whole life and I have a very profound appreciation for organizations and people who volunteer and what I try to do is show respect for what they do by showing up," Bond said.
The summer is also when a great deal of planning and organization for October's health fair is completed, she said.
Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell will also be looking at health-related issues this summer, trying to support the government's link with ParticipAction. And he won't just be talking about it.
"Although I run three, four times a week anyway, I want to double my effort and make sure I'm doing that every week and making sure I continue to watch my diet," he said.
Providing support to settling the ongoing teachers' dispute is also a concern Bell said he's hearing within his riding.
"I'm not sure what direct involvement I'll be able to have in that, but certainly at a cabinet level and a strategic level, I'll do whatever I can."
And since Bond and Bell are both cabinet ministers - Minster of Justice and Attorney General and Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, respectively - the summer is about far more than summer barbecues, fundraising walks and celebration teas.
The two of them have a laundry list of ministry-related priorities to see to, they said.
On the economic front, Bond said she's focused on the B.C. Hydro pilot underway in the Robson Valley corridor. The corporation has proposed a new transmission line for the area and last month announced a $50 million investment into the necessary system upgrades at the Valemount substation.
"So this summer we'll continue to work on how we support the Robson Valley through the negotiation process with B.C. Hydro and also look at how we're going to support them as they struggle to diversify their economy," Bond said, adding there is also followup work she has to do with the information that came out of roundtable consultations.
Getting the local Wood Innovation Design Centre through the request for proposal stage is at the top of Bell's economic list. The request for qualification stage closed June 5 with more submissions than was expected, according to the minister.
"We've got some very, very good options in front of us and we'll be analyzing those over the days ahead," he said.
Reforming the provincial tourism authority - Tourism BC - is also in Bell's sights, along with promoting the Mount Milligan mine.
"It is an enormous opportunity for us and I want to make sure everyone throughout the region gets a full opportunity to benefit from it," he said.
This week, Bond also spent time with officials from Washington state working on initiatives to stem cross-border organized crime and to plan their combined response to a natural disaster.
Bond will also use the warmer months to further ongoing work in justice system reform with a community dialogue about police and crime prevention programs and finalize the province's independent investigations office for police.
"So it's certainly not like you leave Victoria and you're on a break. I think the focus of the work is different and for a cabinet minister, you certainly have to balance those really big, systemic change issues... with the time you spend as an MLA," Bond said.
