Minister of Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government Margaret MacDiarmid and Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell announced last week a consultation process with British Columbians for choosing which Monday in February will be the new official statutory holiday, Family Day.
Whether families choose to enjoy a local tourist attraction, a visit to a park, a meal out, a day of skiing or just to spend time with their loved ones, celebrating Family Day will be a great chance for families to spend quality time together starting February 2013 - and British Columbians now have the opportunity to tell government which day will work best for them.
Government will begin a citizen engagement process with the public, and consult with worker groups, employers, the tourism industry and the broader business sector in order to ensure all potential economic and social benefits are taken into account before finalizing a February date for the new holiday.
By having Family Day on the third Monday in February, British Columbians will share the same day with five other Canadian provinces, and with the United States’ President’s Day. By having it on the second Monday, British Columbians will be able to enjoy not only ski hills, but also parks and other local attractions throughout the Province without other long-weekend traffic.
Since unveiling its Open Government plan in 2011, the Province has implemented a number of new policies and programs including the launch of the Open Information and DataBC websites, as well as a major redesign of the government’s web presence to make it more citizen-focused and user-friendly. In the coming months, B.C. will introduce a new public engagement website to better communicate and collaborate with British Columbians.
The consultation process began May 8 and will close May 22 of this year. Citizens can share their thoughts at: http://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcfamilyday/or on Facebook or Twitter using: #mybcfd
With the addition of Family Day in 2013, the province will have 10 statutory holidays.