MLA is pushing for a new holiday

By Dan Hilborn
Published March 12, 2005


Richard Lee wants everyone in B.C. to have another paid day off work.

The Burnaby North MLA tabled a motion in the legislature last week that calls for the proclamation of a new "Spring Festival" statutory holiday that would fall on the Lunar New Year.

"A lot of countries in the Asia Pacific celebrate the Spring Festival, and I think it's appropriate because we are the gateway to the Asia Pacific," Lee said. "Between New Year's and Easter there is no holiday - and that's about three months. I think it's appropriate to have a holiday in between those."

A press release on the topic noted that the Spring Festival, or Lunar New Year, is already celebrated in South Korea, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. Lee also noted that Canada has fewer holidays that most other countries in the Western world.

But the plan, which was not debated before the house recessed on Thursday afternoon to allow the elected officials to have their own paid spring break, still has lots of hurdles to jump before it becomes law, Lee admitted.

"It has to go through the process, and it's not going to be easy," Lee admitted.

One person who was less than impressed by the plan was Lee's longtime rival, former NDP MLA Pietro Calendino, who said his own party ran into a wellspring of opposition from B.C. businesses when they also floated the idea of a new statutory holiday.

"I think it's a great idea, but it's not easy to implement a new holiday," said Calendino, who will face off against Lee for the third time in the May 17 provincial election. "Obviously, businesses aren't keen on paying people for an extra day off work.

"When we were in power in 2001 there was no appetite from the business community for this," he said.

Calendino also questioned why Lee waited until two months before the provincial election before suggesting his new holiday plan.

"Where was he for the last four years?" Calendino asked.

And Calendino took issue with the name of the proposed holiday, noting that spring does not officially begin in Canada until March 21, well after the potential dates of the Lunar New Year - which occurs between Jan. 21 and Feb. 19.

"I don't know if a Spring Festival is appropriate," he said, noting that many Canadians celebrate holidays such as Hanukkah, Diwali and Baisakhi that are not officially recognized with a statutory day off work.

"In the Christian religion we already celebrate that (the arrival of spring) at Easter. If we do this for one holiday, what do we do with the other non-Christian traditions? You'd need a very comprehensive discussion with the public before you go out and say we have to have that," Calendino said. "Either accommodate them all, or go with what you have."

But Lee was thoroughly nonplussed by the criticism. "There's almost 100 days without a holiday for workers, and I believe the people will enjoy a one-day holiday. Easter sometimes doesn't happen until April," he said.

"I think the idea is to have one more holiday between New Year and Easter," he said. "New York brought in a statutory holiday this year and they're not the gateway to Asia. So, I'm optimistic that this idea will generate support in the community."