 Asi emnaseyaya to my family, the Muscovia Moyers. Really thank you for bringing in our our respected friends and family. Really thank you for bringing our song, one of our songs, before our people, to our people here. Really thank each and every one of you for having that strong mind and strong heart honoring our loved ones that we escorted in. Asi emnaseyaya to everyone that's here today. Really want to thank each and every one of you for coming to witness what's on the hearts and minds of the Muscovian people to premiere swearing-in ceremony on behalf of not only our elected chief and council but on behalf of the Muscovian people. Really thank each and every one that traveled near and far to be here with the community. You know that's really important seeing a lot of different delegates and different people here today building that bridge coming together not only thinking of today but thinking of the future. It's always in our hearts and minds of our people that we look forward to the future, think about the future and everyone that's here in presence having that wonderful heart, wonderful feeling that realizing we're not here just for today, we're here for the future to make sure the future is okay for the for the children, the future growing up behind us. So once again thank thank our family for for coming in. Before we move into a few of our cultural ceremonies our family the the Muscovian warriors have another another song they want to share with you at this time. Haytza kassim nisaya haytza kassim To share a little bit about that song and dance, you heard words in our language, in the hankamenem language, and the words translate to, I am a warrior also, and I am not afraid of large crowds. We used to sing this song when we get ready to protect our people, get ready to protect our women, our children, our community, no better way to start the event off in a wonderful good way for the premier David Ebe, to maybe he'll keep those in his mind and heart as he's going into the, going to be in the voice for BC, you know, so it's so wonderful. You all can be seated now too, also. It's so wonderful to see our family coming back out like this, the Musqueam warriors. You know, I remember as a little boy back in Expo 1986, our elders at that time, Simolanuk, I can't remember our uncle's name, Tyachtit, just to name a few of our elders that revised that song and dance for our people, and then Tyachtit kept it going through the 90s until he, you know, couldn't no longer could be there, and then a few of us younger ones. So to hear those songs and dances, always good medicine for the heart and the soul, you know, so just to share a little bit of what happened here at that moment. Part of our culture, when we have honor special people, honor loved ones, honor family members, we do a blanketing ceremony to honor them, to give them that love and respect and honor. But before we do that, we call a few witnesses to witness what they have seen, witness to what they have heard, and even witness to what they have felt, their emotions, you know, to go along with all of that. So before we honor Premier David Ebe, you know, I'll call a few individuals to, and when I call your names, just stand where you are, and the host family will come in and give you a momento, a token. And before we got introduced to the currency that we use today, we used to give gifts. But this currency, the coins, the 50 cents, replaces those gifts. So we'll move over to the witnessing at this time. So when we call these individuals, you really have to pay attention to what's happening today, because at the end of the event, we're going to call you forward to share a few words of response. So at this time, we'll start calling the witnesses, Takhtanat, Takhtanat, Shremnuk, Gwynam, Stam and Squalsium, Linda Price, Linda Price, the family who'd like to call you as a witness at this time, Rajna Singh, Rajna Singh, the family who'd like to call you as a witness at this time, Charles De Maers, Charles De Maers, the family who'd like to call you as a witness at this time. So again, to share a little bit more of what's going to take place here today, the family that was standing here, the Musqueam elected chief and council, the representatives of, for our community, the voice for our people, they come together and they wanted to acknowledge and that respect and honor once again to David E. B. to build that wonderful relationship between the two political parties, always remembering again, you know, of the future. Not just thinking of today or this week or this month, but thinking of years down the line. So they invited everyone here to witness what's going to be taking place and this blanketing ceremony is really important to our people. We see it a lot in a lot of our ceremonies that we still do and partake in at this time to wrap them with the smoke was to give them that warm embrace, to give them that comfort to let them know he's going to be okay doing his work and job as the premier, to acknowledge that friendship and partnership that's going to build throughout the years. So that's the purpose of our blanketing ceremonies that we do and it's so wonderful to see that we get to use it outside of our cultural ceremonies to show that love and respect and honor to respected ones that we look up to that we admire, you know. So at this time we'll get ready to move into the blanketing ceremony or before we go, sorry, getting ahead of my agenda here. Before we move into that I'd like to call our elected chief Yoko Yoko luck up to say a few remarks on behalf of the Musqueam people and the chief and council. So at this time I'd like to call our chief up. I'm the elected chief here at Musqueam First Nation, I stand here very humble in front of each and every one of you to welcome you on behalf of our whole community, our leaders of our community here in Musqueam. Today is a historical day, it's so heartwarming and exciting for First Nations not just Musqueam to be able to for the first time in BC have our premier sworn here in our community of Musqueam. When I speak on behalf of all leaders in BC I want to acknowledge our new coming premier when we talk about truth and reconciliation I've said numerous times that reconciliation is hopefully not just a word, the actions have to follow. I want to acknowledge our leadership council that represents each and every one of us and the fights that you do for all of us. I want to acknowledge Ed, my brother-in-law who did fabulous work with UN Drip for the rights of indigenous people and to see some of the outcomes now of the hard work, determination that our leaders that represent all First Nations in BC and Canada are benefiting. So Ed I want to acknowledge that hard work that you have done. I want to welcome all people here today. We're not politicians, we're a family. Every one of our fights that we have to do we have to do jointly together to better all of us in this province and in this country. I had the privilege and honor to sit with David on Sunday. We have the same problems here in Musqueam that our province, our city and our country are struggling with. So we're standing with the province to find solutions how we can move forward as First Nations people. I want to take this opportunity to thank David's family. I look at his little children sitting here. Their father is going to be taken away and working on all of our behalf. And a lot of times the lovely wife that stands behind them, the children are the ones that need to get acknowledged. And I want to thank you for letting him do the work on all of our behalf. I know you guys are getting tired of listening to me already, but I want to acknowledge our elders. Our elders that guide us, that get us in the right direction. But I would be foolish if I didn't acknowledge our past leaders that have left us. I know they're all looking down on us today with big smiles, excited, they're the ones that did the hard fights. I've always said in Musqueam that the leadership that's got us to where we today and our past leaders had the struggles, had those difficult times with all arms of government and the citizens to be recognized. And we owe all of us in First Nations communities owe our leaders. They never get the recognition. They're not here with us today, but they're here with us in heart and mind. We would not be in the position that we are as First Nations people without our leaders. I want to close by thanking my good friend, John, for we've not always looked eye to eye, but I do want to thank him for his hard work, dedication. It's not gone unnoticed with the First Nations people, and I want him to say on behalf of our community, enjoy it, you deserve it, hopefully everybody will quit criticizing you now. I know I will, but he's done a great job and I would be foolish for me not to acknowledge and give him a hand for all of his wonderful work that he's done. I thought that was for me to shut up and get off the stage. Once again on behalf of our community, here in Musqueam and our elders, our youth, enjoy the day, historical, and thank you very much, and we're glad to host each and every one of you here to show our kindness. That's how our ancestors welcomed each and every one here, with an open heart and open mind. So once again, on behalf of our community, Hychka Siem, thank you. Hychka Chief, Yokyokolak. So at this time, we'll move forward to the blanketing ceremony to honor Premier David Ebe to his new office. At this time, also our family will be coming forward again to share an honor song to acknowledge again that respect and honor to the Premier. So we'll call forward Premier David Ebe for the blanketing ceremony. Also part of the blanketing ceremony is to continue given that comfort and that support from the community. We're always told when we feel a little down, feeling a little stressed, feeling not in the right state of mind, to cover ourselves in this blanket to uplift our spirit, uplift our heart, strengthen our mind so we can continue on with what we have to do. Still wanting to share that with Premier, also anytime heavy, sad, frustrated, just to remember that blanket and remember that blanket's that warm hug, that warm embrace from the community as BC, letting them, letting you know that you have their support through that blanket. So that's so part of the purpose and the meaning of the blanketing ceremony to go along with that respect and honor, honoring an individual as they're covering them. So with that, our family will be sharing another song as this has taken place. I'd say I had to my family for singing that song and honoring our Premier to share more about that song. That's the Musqueam paddle victory song, no better song to sing as that blanketing ceremony takes place to also let the communities know, especially the Premier, when we're traveling in our dugout canoes, that's how we used to communicate when we're visiting, approaching visiting territories. That's how we start the communication. But it's also to keep everyone, one heart, one mind as they're paddling because it would be a big canoe with multiple people in there, keeping in sync so they wouldn't tip. And that showing today that the Premier and the First Nations communities jumping in that canoe together, working together to make sure that our province is okay and taken care of to make sure the future's good for the future. So just to share a little bit of that song, our Musqueam paddle song. So at this time I'd like to call forward and really thank everyone once again for being here, not only on behalf of the Musqueam people and our elected chief and council, but to be a witness to a wonderful ceremony. There's going to be some more of the official ceremony going to be taking place. So at this time I'd like to call forward Joy to take over on co-MCing with me. So at this time, Joy, thank you. Welcome, everyone. I'd like to begin by acknowledging, raise my hands to Musqueam Nation, to Alec, to Chief Sparrow, to the entire Musqueam Nation for hosting us today. It is truly magnificent what you have already brought to us today. Thank you. In this beautiful space, this community center on your territory, it is absolutely magnificent. I also want to thank the witnesses who are here to reflect on this historic moment and whom we will hear from shortly. Now to introduce myself, my name is Joy McPhail. I will be your director of ceremonies today. It is my absolute honor to be here today as my friend, David Ebe, takes on this role of a lifetime in service to the people of British Columbia. Some of you know I've worn many different hats throughout the course of my career. My mother always said, can't you keep a job, Joy? But one of my very important roles was as board chair of ICBC. And that's when I really got to work very closely with our soon-to-be premier in action. David is considerate, he's measured, he's open to innovative ideas, and as importantly as anything, he is fearless. When it comes to big problems that demand bold action, he's the person you want on your side, definitely you want him on your side. Whether it's fixing what was broken at ICBC, to tackling housing, public safety, healthcare, I'm confident that David has what it takes to deliver the results that make this province better for every single one of us. Today, we welcome our new premier and it's the beginning of a chapter, a brand new chapter for British Columbia. But before we do so, I'd like to ask and invite to the stage Premier John Horgan to say a few words. Thank you, thank you guests, thank you Joy McPhail. Thank you to the Musqueam people whose territory we are on and for the constant demonstration of generosity and commitment to working collaboratively to make this world a better place. I am so humbled to be in the presence of matriarchs, the elders, to Chief Sparrow, the council and all of those and Ed as well, I want to lift my hands to you for all of your efforts over a lifetime. It has truly been the honor of my lifetime to be the Premier of British Columbia and I want to thank all of you for your very generous applause and to all British Columbians, thank you for your service to a better world for all of us. It has been a tremendous ride. And I want to acknowledge also, as Wayne did, those who are here, I want to acknowledge my friend, my car court, my mentor, Glenn Clark and I also want to acknowledge as with those ancestors who are looking down on Musqueam territory today, Dave Barrett is looking down and he's saying I never thought I would see a BCNDP Premier passing the baton to a BCNDP Premier. It's a very, very special day. To my colleagues in the caucus and I forgive me please, if I just turn and speak directly to them, you are extraordinary people who have put your hand up in your communities across British Columbia to say I want to serve, I want to make my community, my province and my country a better place. I am so grateful for the relationships we've built as friends and as colleagues, some of us for many decades, Bruce Ralston, Adrian Dix, others just for the past couple of years. It's been absolutely extraordinary and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and I know much has been done and more work is ahead of us all and I have full confidence that you'll be up to the task as we go forward. And I also want to acknowledge my friend who will not want to be acknowledged, Carol James, who despite a whole bunch of other things she could do with her time has spent a lifetime serving British Columbia, she continues to do that working with the incoming Premier to ensure that the transition from the past government to the new government is as smooth as possible. I lift my hands to you Carol and I look forward to thousands of kilometers of walks down the road. And lastly I want to acknowledge Kaley, the kids, and David Ebe who I met coming on now 15 years ago but became a colleague in 2013 and when I became leader of the BCNDP we had a lot ahead of us. We had challenges, we had not won an election in an eternity and we needed to put forward a plan for British Columbians that resonated with them. And the first thing I did was turn to the tallest person I could find and start piling things on his shoulders. All the tough files that we worked on in opposition to expose the shortcomings of previous administrations I passed to David and he took on those tasks with enthusiasm, with commitment and also compassion for the people he was engaging with. When we formed government I turned to the tallest person I could find and I piled on top of his shoulders even more challenges for him to tackle and he did so with the same enthusiasm, the same compassion and the same commitment to British Columbia that he had done in opposition. So on this day, on the 18th of November, I proudly and unreservedly turned to the tallest guy in the room and say, congratulations, Premier Ebe, it's going to be a great ride. We've done much, we have more to do. Heiske OCM. Thank you John. That was absolutely magnificent, forgive us if some of us have tears in our eyes and saying that we are grateful for your very steadfast leadership. I'd like to now welcome our next speaker, Shirley Chan is a recipient of the Order of BC and a fierce community activist. More recently Shirley has been a strong advocate on mental health, working to share her knowledge and her support of the mental health community. Please welcome Shirley Chan. Thank you Joy, an honor to be here and so I would like to start by just saying good morning to your honor, Premier Horgan, Premier Desk named Ebe, Chief Sparrow and everyone else. It is so good to see you all here for this special occasion. I am, as Joy said, Shirley Chan, I'm a constituent of David Ebes since he was first elected as MLA in 2013. It has been my good fortune to have David as my representative in the legislature as he is approachable, accessible and responsive. As you can see, I am a senior and a visible minority woman. My family has been living on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Slavic toothed nations since 1869. I am fourth generation in Canada and my grandchildren are sixth. I have been an active citizen and passionate advocate on issues which I hope will make our society a better, kinder and more sustainable place. My current areas of engagement are mental illness, substance use, affordable housing, Chinatown revitalization, education and sustainability and climate change. Those are just a few things. And in every case, I have looked to David for support and help. I'm enthusiastic and delighted that David will be the next Premier of British Columbia. And while he is not inheriting a problem free province, he knows only too well that British Columbians expect him to fix our problems with health care, housing, crime as well as the bigger issues like climate change, just a few things. Now with an eye on our future, he is sure to give these issues his attention. But he can't do it alone and he has reached out to other levels of government and also invited Anjali Apidurai and her supporters to work with him. David's capacity to take on complex and thorny problems like ICBC, money laundering, affordable housing are legendary. He was affectionately known to many as the fixer and the minister of everything. He has served in the trenches of the downtown East Side and he's been an advocate for the powerless and homeless. He is compassionate and empathetic. He's also a family man, seen around town with his children and his spouse, attending community events and connecting with the citizens. David has championed important causes for the people of BC with a vision, experience and leadership. But most importantly to me and I think to all of you, he has heart. I watched David take a really sad story of bewildered Chinese seniors being evicted from their care facility by an unscrupulous owner who had sold the property to an unsuspecting First Nations housing society and he turned it into a win-win for both the Chinese seniors and the indigenous nonprofit society. The solution ended up being better for everybody which was amazing. David understands that people with mental illness and drug addiction are sick. They are ill and they need and they deserve help. He has time for families like me who are trying to support their loved ones and keep them safe. He knows that a roof is not enough, that vulnerable people need housing with support and is prepared to act to provide the supported housing. David has the courage. They call him fierce, fearless. He has the courage to speak his mind. He dares to challenge those who feel children and youth should be left on the streets after overdosing repeatedly in one day. He knows there are better solutions than repeating what hasn't worked and has pledged to make that happen. So in the words of Tommy Douglas, much greater orator than I am, we are all in this world together and the only test of our character that matters is how we look after the least fortunate among us. How we look after each other, not how we look after ourselves. And that's all that really matters, I think. Now I know that I can count on David to think about the needs of the whole province including those less fortunate and hence I am cheering for David as he assumes the office as Premier and I believe that he too will put a stamp on the province as did Premier Horgan whom we all love and hate to say goodbye to. And now a word of advice to our Premier Designate from Maya Angelou. People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. I know you've already forgotten what I said. But people will never forget how you make them feel. So David, I hope that you will still make time to play your guitar and share that talent with the people of the province. You could take it up north, it's easy, portable. And we all need a little feel good music in our lives, don't we? Like all your songs, all your wonderful songs. So in closing, thank you so much for inviting me to be here today, be part of the ceremony and for letting me share my hopes for British Columbia under the able leadership of David E.B. as Premier. Thank you everybody. Thank you very much Shirley, very much, that was lovely. Our next speaker is Ayan Giraj. Ayan is a student at Prince of Wales Secondary. Yep, you heard that right, secondary. His academic achievements, especially in the French language, are matched only by his passion for global issues which we will hear about. Welcome Ayan. Thank you very much Joy for the warm introduction. Good morning, Lieutenant Governor Austin, Premier Horgan, Premier Designate E.B., Elders, Distinguished Guests. I want to thank our hosts, Chief Wayne Sparrow and the Musbeam community for welcoming us here today. I also want to thank Premier Horgan for his dedication and service to our province over the course of his term as our Premier. Thank you sir. My name is Ayan Giraj and I'm a grade 11 student at Prince of Wales Secondary and I'm honoured to be here with all of you as a proud British Columbian whose grandparents came to Canada over 50 years ago as they were exiled from Uganda because of their South Asian heritage. I don't think my grandparents would have ever thought in their wildest dreams that their grandson would one day speak at an event like this and I'm truly honoured to share my thoughts with you all today. The past few years have been unlike any other in our lifetime. The pandemic, climate disasters such as forest fires and extreme flooding and continuing social and economic challenges. All of these are continuing to shape our province and will shape us for generations to come. It was during the pandemic that I met Premier E.B. virtually when he spoke at the British Columbia Youth Parliament. As most of us have likely experienced, meeting someone virtually for the first time is not the easiest thing to do and it can be very difficult to make meaningful connections. At this first meeting, however, it was evident that Premier E.B. genuinely cared about youth and the issues we face. Upon reflection, I can sum up Premier E.B.'s advice to the youth in three key points. First, ask questions. Second, never give up. And third, serve your community. His message resonated with me and very quickly I started to look up to Premier E.B. in more ways than just one. To be fair, I have grown up quite a bit since I first met him and I like to think that I may still grow and have a chance to catch up to him. But really, all jokes aside, Premier E.B. cares profoundly about youth having a role to play in our future. His advice inspired me to ask questions, never give up, and to serve my community. I was inspired by Premier E.B. So what did I do next? I applied to be a member of the Vancouver Point Gray Youth Council. When I heard from Miss Dulcey Anderson that I was selected to serve on Premier E.B.'s Youth Council, I felt like I was given an opportunity to have my voice heard by someone who truly cares and listens. In Premier E.B.'s Youth Council meetings, we worked together on projects, including an anti-racism symposium. Premier E.B. reinforced the importance of community and building relationships across all the communities to which we belong. For me, that would be everything from my school band at Prince of Wales, my scout troop, youth parliament, moral United Nations, and the a smiley Muslim community. Community and the relationships we build, both within and across communities, are important for us to make a difference. Indeed, Premier E.B. did not want today to be about himself. He wanted today to be about community and about the relationships we have with one another. That is why we are gathered here today at the Musqueam Community Centre, the Musqueam people being the oldest known residents of this land, which we know as Vancouver. I look around this room, and I'm honoured to be here with all of you as a part of the diverse communities that make up our province. It's a privilege to be in this room with all of you. Serving our community is one of the many things I feel like I have in common with Premier E.B. But there is one thing that we both share in common that I am truly proud of. 2022 is the year where both David E.B. and I became Premier. Now, you're probably asking yourselves, what is this high school student talking about? Earlier this year, I was elected by my peers to serve as the Premier of the Vancouver Youth Parliament. And with that in mind, I hope you will all indulge me as I pass on some Premier Lee advice to our new Premier. Actually, it's your advice, Mr. E.B. First, ask questions. Continue asking the hard questions as you have always done. You pave the way for all of us to keep asking the important questions so that change, good, positive, meaningful change can happen. Second, never give up. I know firsthand you are not someone who would give up. You care about youth, about reconciliation, about healthcare, about affordable housing. You are there for all British Columbians and you lead with kindness and compassion. And lastly and most importantly, serve your community and know that we are all here to serve the community with you. You are not alone. We are all here to make the lives of British Columbians better. Premier E.B., I offer my congratulations to you on becoming our 37th Premier. I look forward to working with you, learning from you and engaging youth in our community. Thank you for your mentorship and for continuing to give youth an opportunity to have their voices heard on the issues that matter most to British Columbians. Thank you. I am. I'm pretty sure everybody in this room is saying, he'll be Premier someday. That was lovely. Now I'd like to invite the Honorable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of BC, to share a few words with us. Her Honour will then administer the oaths to Premier Designate E.B. Good day, friends. Chief Sparrow Yocalac, Musqueam Elders, Warriors, community members, Premier Horgan, Premier Designate E.B., MLAs, Officials, Community Leaders, I'd quite shall stay the chat. I acknowledge with humility the Coast Salish peoples and in particular the Musqueam peoples upon whose territory we gather. And I thank them for sharing these lands of peace and friendship and welcoming us so warmly. I pay respect to the historic and enduring relationship between the Crown and Indigenous peoples and take this as a personal opportunity to reflect on the legacy of colonialism, the harms of the past, and what I can do in my role as Lieutenant Governor and in my life to contribute to the healing that is needed in British Columbia and in Canada. Thank you, Chief Sparrow Yocalac, for your gracious words and for generously hosting today's ceremony on Musqueam territory. An historic occasion that brings us together in the true spirit of goodwill as we work to realize the full potential of our province and the full meaning of reconciliation in all its dimensions. Today we administer the oaths of office to Premier Designate David E.B., but first I offer my heartfelt thanks to Premier John Horgan for your many years of dedicated service to British Columbia as a member of the Legislative Assembly and as Premier. Your years in office have been marked by many formidable challenges. Throughout all, your determination to see British Columbians through these uncertain times has been unshakable. I've welcomed and enjoyed many opportunities to interact with you, and I've appreciated the transparency and honesty with which you have always approached our professional relationship. I honor you for your unwavering commitment to our parliamentary democracy and your continued service as an MLA. I thank you for the collegiality, the goodwill, and the good humor which have defined your approach to leadership, and I wish you every possible happiness in the years ahead. Premier Designate E.B., as Premier and Head of Government, British Columbians entrust to your leadership the current management of our many challenges and the future of our province. You are called upon to lead us in addressing the complex and interrelated challenges of environment, society, and economy, and in building a future of shared prosperity for all British Columbians. As the King's Representative in British Columbia, I act on your advice and the advice of the members of Executive Council in the exercise of my constitutional powers and legal duties. You, in turn, are accountable to the members of the Legislative Assembly and through them to the people of British Columbia. This is the principle of responsible government upon which our democracy is built and which you are called to uphold in the role of Premier. Inherent in this principle is an understanding that a healthy democracy requires a robust and respectful exchange of different ideas and perspectives, provides opportunities for everyone to participate, and enables people who disagree to share power. As I administer the oaths of allegiance, office, and confidentiality, I ask you to reflect on the public trust placed in you and on the qualities of diligence, vigilance, and good intention, which must always guide your actions. As the King's Representative and on behalf of all British Columbians, I offer my congratulations and my gratitude and respect for your willingness to assume the noble, but sometimes thankless task of leadership. There's much work ahead. At times it will be exciting, satisfied, even exhilarating. At others, you will feel the full burden of leadership and all the attendant frustrations and disappointments that come with your role. But through it all, may you be anchored and sustained by the love and support of your family and friends and by your consciousness of the trust reposed in you. You will always have my gratitude for your leadership and for the many sacrifices you make for the privilege of serving all of us. And now for the oaths. Can you come forward please? Are you ready? Okay. I think you stand up. Yeah. We'll sit down later when we sign the papers. Okay. I, Janet Austin, in my capacity as Lieutenant Governor of the province of British Columbia, to hereby administer the oaths of allegiance, office and confidentiality to you as Premier and President of the Executive Council in this, His Majesty's province of British Columbia. Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. Come forward a little bit here so I can look you in the eye. First, the oath of allegiance. I, David Robert Patrick Evey. I, David Robert Patrick Evey. Swear that I will be faithful. Swear that I will be faithful. And bear true allegiance. And bear true allegiance. To His Majesty, King Charles III. To His Majesty, King Charles III. King of Canada, His heirs and successors. King of Canada, His heirs and successors. So help me God. So help me God. Next, the oath of office. I, David Robert Patrick Evey. I, David Robert Patrick Evey. Swear that I will serve His Majesty. Swear that I will serve His Majesty. Duly and faithfully. Duly and faithfully. And to the best of my ability. And to the best of my ability. Fulfill the responsibilities and trust granted to me. Fulfill the responsibilities and the trust granted to me. As a member of the Executive Council of British Columbia. As a member of the Executive Council of British Columbia. And now the oath of confidentiality. I, David Robert Patrick Evey. I, David Robert Patrick Evey. Swear that I will keep confidential. Swear that I will keep confidential. All matters dealt with. All matters dealt with. In the Executive Council. In the Executive Council. And I will not disclose. And I will not disclose. Any of the same. Any of the same. To any person. To any person. other than a member of the Executive Council, except as authorized by it, or as required in the lawful discharge of my duties as a member of the Executive Council. I hereby declare you, David Robert Patrick Ebe, duly sworn and appointed as Premier and President of the Executive Council of the Government of British Columbia. Congratulations, Premier Ebe. Yeah, man. Look forward to this in the future. You know, they did ask me if I wanted all my middle names in the house. I'd like to begin, of course, by recognizing we're on Musqueam territory here, and to express just the, it's difficult to even put into words the appreciation that I have for Yogyakulak, for Chief Sparrow Council, Musqueam people, the warriors who did such an amazing welcome for making me part of the community, making me feel welcome here, and for hosting this event today. It's a symbol of our cooperation and our partnership, and the partnership that our province will have with all First Nations across British Columbia going forward, and more than a symbol, it's the first of a long line of actions where we will deliver together. I'm looking straight across. I've been trying not to look at them because I've got to not cry here. This is I got to hold it together. And when I look at my family, I just feel so much love and appreciation for my son, Ezra, for my daughter, Iva, and for my beautiful wife, Kaylee, Dr. Kaylee Lynch. You guys are my base. You're my foundation, and I love you so much. Thank you. Thank you for being here today, and thank you for all your love. We heard some wonderful speakers here today, a couple of premiers. Good advice, solid advice from both. Community members, Shirley, thank you. My friend, Joy McPhail, a key source of advice in moments of crisis. Thank you, Joy. Thank you for making this a special day. See all my colleagues gathered here behind me. Such a remarkable team, their support. For me in this role, I feel it every day, their commitment to their communities, to the whole province. Very grateful for that. And there is one colleague in particular I would like to single out. I had a meeting with John recently. And we were talking about this event. And John said, you know, it's your day. You know, I don't know if you want me there. And this is how humble John is, right? He's like, I don't know if he's going to want me at this thing. It's the kind of guy he is, right? Do I want the guy who introduced the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People into law in British Columbia? Do I want the guy who ushered the NDP into a majority, a historic majority, government? Do I want the guy who laid the groundwork for the first new major social program in our province's recent memory, our child care program? Do I want the guy who took the tolls off the bridge? Yeah. Yeah, John, I want you to come. There have been a few height jokes. And I'll add one, not really a joke. I'll let you in on a secret, really. I'm not as tall as I look, because I'm standing on the shoulders of John Horgan. Here we go. You might notice my shoes. My super shiny shoes on. So these shoes were a gift from my father when I was in law school, he had a stroke. And after that, he came out to visit me in Vancouver with my mom. And she and he went on a mission. It was key for my dad that I have court shoes. If I was going to be a lawyer, I needed good court shoes. And for my dad, that meant apparently patent leather tuxedo shoes. He was not one to try to blend in in a crowd. The shoes were his way of being with me on important days, even though we knew, didn't have a lot of time with us. And when he's with me in this way through these very shiny shoes, I feel the values of the family I was raised by, that we are part of a community, that you need to give back, that you need to look after those that need extra support, that you need to celebrate together the victories, that you're part of a team, that fairness is critical. And I hope to bring that to this job. Thank you to my mom, to my dad, to my brothers and my sister for making me the person I am today. Not that they're responsible for all of it, but the good parts for sure. We've been through a lot together as a province. I did the list, pandemics, wildfires, floods. It has been a remarkable time. And I've been traveling across British Columbia, and I've heard from so many people they're happy with the things that the government has done. They're inspired by the leadership that John offered the province, all of my colleagues delivering for their communities for every British Columbian. But they also point out, the work is not done. You need to do more on health care, making sure that we have access when we have a crisis to the best care possible. We have a family doctor on housing, that we can actually, young people can start their lives. They can get out of their parents' house, that seniors don't have to choose between rent and groceries, that people with a decent income can actually find housing that is attainable and is theirs. And public safety issues of crime, the feeling that people have of concern about the safety of the people living in the tents on the sidewalk, struggling with mental health and addiction in the streets of our communities, and the feeling that they have that their downtown just isn't as safe as it was before the pandemic. And when we're facing global economic headwinds in our province, challenges around the world, facing economies, that we have a strong and secure economy for all British Columbians, that is an economy that also responds to the challenge of our time, climate change, that we maintain a leadership role about building and securing good quality jobs for British Columbians. And we know that to get there, to deliver these things, these big challenges you really talked about, easy stuff, just a few challenges. It's not, these are massive, these are massive challenges. And if the pandemic taught us anything, it's that we can't solve these problems alone. We need to solve them together. It's part of why we're here today, working together. I remember starting as a baby lawyer in the downtown East side about 20 years ago, and I was very, very confident. I knew that I had the answers, and that people would be incredibly appreciative in the downtown East side, that a lawyer was coming to help them for free with their problems. Who would not be excited? So when the phone rang one day in the office and somebody said, there's something happening at this hotel downtown, residential hotel, all of the residents of the hotel had been emptied out of their homes. They were in the parking lot beside the building. A gang had taken over the hotel. The owner was absent. It was a total mess. I showed up and I bundled up all my stuff. We had what was called a mobile affidavit machine, which was a printer in a computer. So you print on the site, go down there, I roll it down. Hi everybody. I'm a lawyer, I'm here to help. Does anyone wanna talk to me? Does anyone need support right now? Now these are folks who are looking at potentially losing their homes, whose homes are in such condition that they can barely live in them. And not one person put up their hand. Not one person wanted the help that I offered. And it was a really critical lesson for me, one of many that I learned working in that neighborhood, that although working together was essential to solve that problem, we couldn't work together if there wasn't trust. People didn't know who I was. They didn't know what my intention was. The last thing they wanted to do was spend the next couple of years going over this sort of worst moment in their lives with me and in court and everything else. Court doesn't feel like a good thing for most people. And that trust is essential. Trust is essential for government to work. Because we've seen what it's like when government is disconnected from the priorities of people, when they lose that trust. When the direction of government is set by those in powerful positions, those with lots of money, who can make donations and set the agenda. When government gets disconnected from the priorities of the people, things people are concerned about in their daily lives, you get things like rampant speculation in our housing market. You get unaddressed issues of money laundering because they're not the priorities. Imagine where we would be if we didn't stay focused on people's priorities in relation to housing, for example, getting speculation under control. Imagine where our housing crisis would be if we hadn't done that. We are a long way from finish that work, but it is important to stay centered on what people want and need. British Columbians couldn't afford that approach five years ago, they sure can't afford it now. We need to deliver urgently to continue to earn that trust from British Columbians every single day. My colleagues and I are going to fight for British Columbians. Actually, Ezra looked at my shoes. He said, those look like soldier shoes. Maybe that's right. We've got to fight every day to deliver for British Columbians in ways that they can see and feel building on that strong foundation that Premier Horgan built for us. Doing it in partnership with indigenous people across the province. We need to hit the ground running. So today, because of the strong financial position of government, I'm announcing two new cost of living credits for British Columbians. BC Hydro had a very strong year. We can provide support to British Columbians who needed, who are in distress about the cost of living with $100 bill credit for every rate payer in our province. And because we've been careful and because we've been responsible, we can also deliver a one-time BC affordability credit for low and middle income people who are struggling with rising costs of grocery, fuel, other everyday expenses. They need that support right now and it will make a difference for these families. This weekend, we'll announce how we're going to go after the issue of public safety and it's all about working together. It's about addressing the root causes of the public safety issue in our communities, issues of mental health, issues of addiction, people struggling, how police, how the justice system, how service providers, how emergency healthcare workers have to work together and how the province can support that coordination to deliver public safety for British Columbians. On Monday, we'll introduce new laws to address the housing crisis, to lay out our path forward, opening thousands of units of housing for rental and showing how we will deliver the homes and partnerships across the province for all British Columbians. In the days and weeks ahead, announcements about healthcare, we have healthcare workers who are on the sidelines right now because their credentials are not recognized. They cannot be on the sidelines when British Columbians need care. We will build on our promises and our commitments that are legislated in clean BC to show we can build a strong and secure economy and fight climate change at the same time. I am so excited to get started with you and with all of my colleagues delivering on these and so many other issues for British Columbians, building on the strong foundation our government has laid. You know, I was thinking back, moments like these give you a chance to reflect on when Kaylee's life and my life really changed when Ezra was born. I remember the obstetrician holding up this, you know, slightly gooey baby. I was saying, what have you got? I was like, it's a baby. And the obstetrician was like, no, is it a boy or a girl? I was like, oh, it's boy. When Ezra was born, when Iva was born, you know, our perspective, at least my perspective, like was just, there's a mind blower, right? We need a province for our kids, for their friends, for their families, for their grandparents, for their kids, where everyone can build a good home, right? Where everyone can afford a decent place to live or you can pursue your dreams. You get the training, the skills, the opportunities you need to improve your life for yourself and for those around you and build our province. Services, healthcare delivered efficiently, effectively, where you need it, when you need it, an environment that's protected for them and for future generations and an economy that works for all of us. That's the future we all believe in. That's what everybody wants, for themselves, for their friends, for their family and we can do it. We'll fight for you, to everybody who's watching, to everybody who's here, people who aren't watching, those are most people, right? We're gonna fight for you every day. We're gonna deliver for you. My team and I are gonna be dedicated to that task, all hands on deck and we want you to join us because we can't do it alone. We'll earn your trust so that you can put your hand up and join us in this important work we have to do together. Businesses, unions, non-profit organizations. Governments, all of you, together, in partnership with First Nations, we're gonna deliver a stronger, a better, a cleaner, a fairer British Columbia for ourselves, for the generations that built this province, for the generations to come. We've got so much important work to do. I can't wait to get started with you. Thank you. Oh, Premier David Robert at Patrick E.B. We forgot to do something and that's sign the official orders. So, we wanna make this legal, so I'll ask you to take a seat and we'll both sign now. Phew, that was close, wasn't it? I'll tell you, Premier E.B., we know we are continued to be in good hands. That was absolutely wonderful. You bringing all of us into your new leadership with such grace, such hope, such feelings that everybody's going to be included. Thank you very much. Our 37th Premier of British Columbia. And he's already working, I was going to say, and he's ready to work. He's already working, that is so exciting. I would now like to welcome Alec back to the stage if I may, whereas Alec to help with the introduction of the witnesses. Wow, that was such a wonderful ceremony. Wonderful for all of us to witness. Pretty sure that we'll all go home and share with our families and on what we've witnessed today. So at this time, to go on back to the Hwangmokh-Bestimokh cultural side of it, we'll call forward the witnesses. But before we do that, just to share with everyone also, there'll be, after the witnesses' remarks, there will have a gifting ceremony, you know, gift exchange. And then also we have a giveaway, general giveaway for everyone that's in attendance. And that is to thank each and every one of you for coming here to witness and see what's on the hearts and minds of the host family as our chief and council and as our community of Musqueam. And, but so we'll turn the floor over to the witnesses at this time and we'll go in the order that you were called. At first, I'll call my Shrubnyuk, talk to Nara to have a few words of remarks. Haichkasium. Haichkasium, my nephew, for being the voice of the family and doing it with such grace and dignity as you always do. Thank you for showing those young ones who are watching what it means to stand and represent your family in the way that you do constantly. I wanna thank the family for giving me the honor of being called as a witness to this great day. I know my responsibility and I will carry it out to the best that I can in holding the historical day in my memory and passing it on to my children's children because my children are standing here now. And to anyone who has any question about whether or not Musqueam family carried out this in the proper way, I can stand and say, yes, they did. They followed every step that needed to be followed and it did it in the proper ways or our ancestors of each of the families that are standing here are honored. I know that the ancestors of these families are standing with us as the ancestors of your families are standing here at this great day. As I prepared to say a few words, I thought about the history of our people. 1949 was when we were able to vote in the province. The early 1960s is when we were able to vote federally. I think about the memories of living here, my brother and my family on this corner with a dirt road and looking out the window and seeing the Indian and Northern Affairs minister, the late Arthur Lang, walking down that road to come and meet with our people here because he knew at that time the importance of engaging with indigenous people, to having them be a part of who this country is. I think back to the 60s, 1966, when late Dr. Pat McGeer and late Lieutenant Governor Gardi Gardam came to our house and spoke their platform. The importance of us being involved in the governing of this province was first and foremost in their minds. I asked my dad, Chief Willard Sparrow at that time, why are we doing this? Our votes don't count. We were so small as a community and he said, we must continue to have our voices heard in those houses that are making the decisions on our lives. In Victoria, in Ottawa, in the municipalities, we must continue to push ourselves forward. I think about my late grandfather in 1986 who said when we had the big gathering here and they asked him, what would you say to all those people that are coming to your land? His message after all the years of fighting colonialism and being looked at as second-class citizens, he still put his hands up and said, welcome to my land. The relationships that we have been putting forward for over 150 years are being acknowledged with this type of ceremony for our premier. I thank you on behalf of all those leaders who cannot be here in person for understanding in your heart and your spirit what must be done for reconciliation. To step forward and say it's important to have the ceremony on the lands of the indigenous people. I know they are so happy and their spirits are here and you can feel them. So thank you for taking this bold step to come forward and say, yes, we must do it on indigenous lands. Thank you so much for doing it. I cannot sit down without acknowledging the resilience of our people, all of our people, all our leadership that is here that have been fighting for so long. All of those who were not elected are elders who have continually stood beside us and behind us and held us up as we went forward in this great country to make things better for our people. And I end it with saying, not so much. We are all one. All of our languages hold that dear, not so much. We are all one. Thank you, my family, for calling me as a witness. It was my honor. Thank you. I thank you. At this time, call forward the next witness, Linda Price. Come forward, please, Aitaka. Dahuja, my name is Chief Linda Price. My great-grandfather was Chief Cleleman. Chief Cleleman and his wife, Kwap, had five sons. Chief Alexis, Chief Anaxum, who's Chief Anaheim. Chief Stellis, Chief Cleleman, and Chief Squinus. Chief Squinus is my grandfather, my great-grandfather. I just wanna say thank you to the speaker. Thank you for doing such a wonderful job. And I wanna say thank you to the Musqueam Council for your good work that you're doing here today. I wanna say thank you to Chief Wayne Sparrow for inviting us to this beautiful territory of the Musqueam people. Every time I come here, I always feel so welcome. Thank you so much. And I just wanna congratulate our new Premier of British Columbia in the Air Bibi. I'm really glad that you've taken the steps towards reconciliation. I just wanna say how much we appreciate the fact that you have stood up tall to address the issues that are really important to us as indigenous people in this province. And I just wanna say thank you to all the elders and all the First Nations leaders who've been here today to witness this special ceremony. I know every day each one of us, including our leaders of the province, work diligently to make things better for all of us. And I'm so grateful to see all the people here today. I see the multiculturalism, it warms my heart. And I'm so grateful that you're all here. I just wanna say when I was sitting there witnessing this special occasion, I took a photograph of one of the young Musqueam young people as he was looking there at you as you were getting honored, as you were getting the blanket over your shoulder. And I couldn't help but think that this is a big step forward for our young people to see how important it is for them to participate in such an important ceremony as we're all witnessing here today. And I just wanna say thank you so much for working together with us to have this ceremony recognized in such a special way. And I just wanna say thank you again for everybody here for allowing me to be a part of this important ceremony. I would say, Chenalia. Thank you for the wonderful words. So at this time, call forward the next witness, Rajna Singh, come forward and share your thoughts. It is such an honor and I really hope I don't choke while speaking. It has been an emotional, emotional moment. Seeing my friend David E.B. being sworn in as the premier. But what I have witnessed is the love, the hope that you all have given up. And especially when Chief Sparrow, when he was talking, he was talking about like how historic today has been choosing this land. David has chosen this place to be sworn in. And that is the continuation of the relationship that we have built. The relationship that he has left the previous premier, but he started in 2017, the reconciliation process. And I have been honored to work with Premier E.B. as his parliamentary secretary for anti-racism initiatives and bringing out the anti-racism data legislation. The legislation that was co-developed by the indigenous people. And we want to continue that work. The trust that you have given us, the relationship, the love that we have been able to build. I know a lot has been done, but there's a long way to go. And knowing Premier E.B. as a friend, as an ally, and now the 37th Premier of British Columbia, I know he will continue the work. Thank you so much. Aitika Siam, thank you for those words. So the next witness, call forward Charles De Meers to come forward and say a few words. Aitika. Thanks so much. It is a very intense honor to be here and to witness this today. And I can prove that it's an honor because I'm a stand-up comedian and I am never awake this early. But I wouldn't have missed it for the world. My name is Charlie De Meers and my maternal grandparents were born in Musqueam, Squamish, and Slavic territory to Scottish and English parents themselves. My father is from Teotiaque territory in what is also known as Quebec. And I'll never forget what I saw today. And one thing that I think I'll take with me is that anyone who felt like this swearing in ceremony was a break with tradition. It has a very different definition of tradition than I do. This felt like an honoring of tradition. And I felt very privileged to be a part of it. I saw a lot of friends today. I saw Joy McPhail, who reminded me of a time when I took maybe a lot more courage and was a little bit harder to be a member of the NDP. You wouldn't have needed overflow parking. And I saw my friend, Cal Sulem, begin a standing ovation for my friend, John Horgan. And that was a very beautiful moment. If I ever felt envious, it was that my friend David's children were here to see this because I wished that my daughter was here or my baby son who will be born in the new year. So I will make sure to tell them about what I saw today. Tell them that I was there when the BC Hydro credit was announced by a man who was technically a civilian at the time, but I will tell my daughter tonight that according to the scoreboard and every other indication in the room, the home team won. Thank you. I see them to the witnesses. Really thank you for coming forward and sharing a few words of remarks and what you've seen, heard, and even felt in your really shows that were human. The feelings that has been brought out today from a few different people. Really, you know, thank you all once again for coming to witness this wonderful ceremony, this wonderful occasion, this wonderful step in the communities coming together and working together. As my auntie mentioned, Nutsamak, translation is one heart, one mind. Everyone that was acknowledged, everyone that was mentioned, coming together, Nutsamak, coming together on that canoe, paddling together as one whole big family to continue supporting loved ones, making sure that they're okay, making sure that they're okay in their everyday living where they don't have to have those struggles and worry about those struggles. So really thank everyone for being here and thanking the witnesses once again for sharing your words. And remember to be that book about today to feel over here, someone talking about it. No, this was done. No, this is how it was done. You're the little book on how to remember on what has taken place and to share with the rest of the community as British Columbia. So the family, the chief and council of Musqueam have gifts for a few individuals, but also have a gift for the people that are here also, what we call a giveaway. And that giveaway is a token of appreciation, thanking you for taking time out of your lives to come to see and hear what was on the hearts and minds of the host family. Thank you for traveling great distances to be here. And so we'll turn it over to that at this time. Thank you once again. At this time we call forward Premier Ebe gift on behalf of chief and council of Musqueam, not only the chief and council, but the community of Musqueam and the people. And this carving is a spindle whirl and it's to go up in his office and it's to, the meaning and purpose of the spindle whirl is really one of the important things, one of the important tools of our people as Hualmukh people. You see our chief and council with weaving shawls, and before we got introduced to sheep wool and the wool stores today, we used to use mountain goat wool and other different materials. So it would take quite a while to make a blanket. And this was one of the tools that was used. It used to, it has a spear type thing in the middle of it, in the center of it. And that was how we would spin the wool. And again, you know, community. Gathering the materials, gathering all the different materials and the wools to make it one strand to make a weaving. Gathering all the materials, you know, that was needed out there to come together and be there for the people. So on behalf of Musqueam chief and council, I would like to thank you to Premier Ebe. This next gift is for Premier Horgan. He had to leave, but someone's going to take this gift on his behalf. And also for the wonderful work that he has done through, you know, his time in the office there. And the artwork is from one of our local artists, and so it's just a gift of appreciation to Premier Horgan for the wonderful hard work and that communication and that building that he has formed. I forgot to mention, the artist of the spindle world is another local Musqueam artist, Richard Campbell carved that spindle world for Premier Ebe. This next gift is for Janet Austin to, again, you know, you really see how important community and working together is and just to acknowledge the wonderful work that she's doing for the province also and a gift from Musqueam and the chief and council. This next gift is very, to mark the very special day and occasion of the also our flag logo. And this one we're asking let's do remember today and the wonderful, you know, celebration, wonderful swearing in and so we're working, continue working with the government and wanting this one to go placed in Victoria at the Parliament building. You know, so it's just a remembrance, you know, for the future generations that are going to be working in that facility to remember the relationship that we've worked together with. This next gift for Premier also and the Parliament building. So you commemorate this very special day and to express appreciation to chief council, the Musqueam people for your generosity of spirit, your welcoming and your hosting gift from the province of British Columbia. So at this time, the family would like to give thanks to the community here in presence to witness the work and thank you for coming to traveling great distances to see what's on their hearts and minds and to witness what's on their hearts and minds and the token of appreciation our family, our chief and council has a giveaway for everyone else that's here to thank you once again. So on behalf of the Musqueam Chief and Council and the Musqueam people I really thank you for coming to witness what was on the hearts and minds of the family to really realize on how important its community is and family. You know, the support of family supporting the new Premier and also the family supporting the indigenous communities of British Columbia. So thank you once again and after the giveaway I think there will be a photo shoot for the public also. So thank you once again. That's all the work that the family has on their mind. Thank you once again. Thank you Chief. Thank you Alec. That was absolutely wonderful. Very inspiring. And as Alec has said we're just going to stay in our seats and we're going to be some official photos taken now amongst the Premier, family, MLA's and we're all going to witness that and then we'll have some snacks afterward but just stay in your seats if you can right now. Thanks.