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Working toward a socially and economically just British Columbia
Established in 1997, the CCPA’s BC Office investigates key challenges facing our province through independent research, analysis and expertise. We propose real, workable solutions, and share our findings as widely as possible to advance social, economic and environmental justice – and to challenge the message that there is no alternative.
Our publications are available to all at no cost. Please support the CCPA and help make important research and ideas available to everyone. Make a donation today.
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Paul Graham Morris / Flickr” style=”border-radius:0px;–objectFit:cover;–imagePosX:50%;–imagePosY:50%” decoding=”async” srcset=”https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pn_nov2017_GHGTargetsAnniversary.jpg 900w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pn_nov2017_GHGTargetsAnniversary-300×133.jpg 300w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pn_nov2017_GHGTargetsAnniversary-768×341.jpg 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px” />Where is BC headed on climate action?
Canadian politicians have a long-standing tradition of proclaiming targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, then failing to meet them. After a wake-up call in the…
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woodleywonderworks / Flickr” style=”border-radius:0px;–objectFit:cover;–imagePosX:50%;–imagePosY:50%” decoding=”async” srcset=”https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/policynote_nov2017_rising-housing.jpg 899w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/policynote_nov2017_rising-housing-300×133.jpg 300w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/policynote_nov2017_rising-housing-768×342.jpg 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px” />Rising housing costs in Vancouver: New evidence from the Census
Vancouver’s housing affordability crisis is full of jaw-dropping anecdotes about home prices and rents. But with almost a million households in Metro Vancouver, there are…
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Philippe Put / Flickr” style=”border-radius:0px;–objectFit:cover;–imagePosX:50%;–imagePosY:50%” decoding=”async” srcset=”https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/policynote_fall2017_sticker-shock_20year.jpg 900w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/policynote_fall2017_sticker-shock_20year-300×133.jpg 300w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/policynote_fall2017_sticker-shock_20year-768×341.jpg 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px” />Sticker Shock: The impending cost of BC Hydro’s shift to private power developers – Ten years on
In April 2007, the BC government’s energy policy was rapidly transforming the province’s electricity system from publicly owned to one operated in the interests of…
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Charting a path to $15/hour for all workers—and the road beyond
CCPA-BC Submission to the Fair Wages Commission Download 10.68 MB10 pages In this submission to the BC Fair Wages Commission, the CCPA-BC highlights the urgency…
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Marco Verch / Flickr” style=”border-radius:0px;–objectFit:cover;–imagePosX:50%;–imagePosY:50%” decoding=”async” srcset=”https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Opioid_Open_Ltr.jpg 900w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Opioid_Open_Ltr-300×133.jpg 300w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Opioid_Open_Ltr-768×341.jpg 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px” />
BC needs an opioid action plan: An open letter to the government of BC
CCPA-BC Director Seth Klein is a signatory to this open letter to the BC government calling for a provincial opioid action plan. The letter was…
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Volodymyr Kyrylyuk / iStock” style=”border-radius:0px;–objectFit:cover;–imagePosX:50%;–imagePosY:50%” decoding=”async” srcset=”https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pn_nov2017_BigTransportationInvestments.jpg 900w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pn_nov2017_BigTransportationInvestments-300×133.jpg 300w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pn_nov2017_BigTransportationInvestments-768×341.jpg 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px” />
Big transportation investments needed now in Metro Vancouver: Budget 2018
In Metro Vancouver, as the region’s population has grown so has its congestion problems. Whether enduring a long wait to cross a bridge or get…
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Challenges persist: Community-based mental health in BC
In 2006, I wrote the report, “Community Based Mental Health in BC: Changes to Income, Employment and Housing Supports” to explain policy changes that had…
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txking / Shutterstock” style=”border-radius:0px;–objectFit:cover;–imagePosX:50%;–imagePosY:50%” decoding=”async” srcset=”https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pn_nov2017_TackleInequalityThrough.jpg 900w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pn_nov2017_TackleInequalityThrough-300×133.jpg 300w, https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pn_nov2017_TackleInequalityThrough-768×341.jpg 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px” />
Tackle inequality through tax fairness: BC Budget 2018
Over the past decade and a half, BC’s tax system has become remarkably unfair. CCPA analysis shows that personal tax changes between 2000 and 2016—including…
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BC’s health care system can only get stronger with the right investments: Budget 2018
Provincial health spending as a share of our economy has been relatively steady in recent years, and is projected to fall from 7.8 per cent…
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Drain it: Petronas subsidiary ordered to take action at two controversial fracking dams
The provincial government has ordered Progress Energy to drain virtually all of the water trapped behind two massive dams that the company built in violation…
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Let’s strengthen public education in BC: Budget 2018
The BC government’s September budget update included significant new funding for K-12 education as expected in light of last year’s Supreme Court of Canada ruling.…
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BC Budget 2018 should use progressive tax options to deliver on affordable housing promises
BC’s real estate boom has created winners and losers and has led to a growing housing affordability crisis with tremendous social and economic consequences. Metro…
Philippe Put
Marco Verch
Volodymyr Kyrylyuk
txking
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