B.C. plans a $9.7-billion deficit to build COVID recovery

VICTORIA — The British Columbia government plans to spend $8.7 billion over three years on infrastructure as well as on supports for families and businesses to building the economic recovery from COVID-19.
In its budget presented today, the provincial government is promising to spend $3.5 billion more than last year on infrastructure to build hospitals and schools, and improve transit and roads, creating 85,000 jobs.
Finance Minister Selina Robinson says the deficit is projected to be $9.7 billion, lower than the $13.6 billion predicted last fall, based on higher than expected revenues and lower government spending.
There will also be $3.1 billion spent over three years on the health-care and mental health systems, including $500 million to address the overdose crisis and youth mental health.
Robinson says while economic recovery will be uneven, the government predicts GDP growth to reach 4.4 per cent this year and 3.8 per cent in 2022.
More than 35,000 families now have $10-a-day day care and the province plans to double that while boosting the wage enhancement for early childhood educators to $4 per hour.