BC Greens candidate Anna Mary McKenzie calls for equitable standards for youth aging out of care in Nanaimo-Gabriola Island
McKenzie, a journalist and youth worker, says her first priority as an MLA would be a legislative framework to set standards for how the province looks after young people in and from government care.
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Anna Mary McKenzie, the BC Green Party candidate for Nanaimo-Gabriola Island, told the Nanaimo News Bulletin in an article published October 11 that supporting young people aging out of provincial care is her top priority. McKenzie said the first piece of legislation she would table as MLA would be an equitable standards framework for youth in and from government care.
McKenzie told the Bulletin that an equitable standards framework would be the first legislation she would table. "It ensures that the people that the province is looking after, and is in charge for, are properly looked after and are being the true parents to youth in and from care," she said.
Background in journalism and youth work
McKenzie is a member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation from Manitoba and has lived in Nanaimo for eight years. Her family is part of Snuneymuxw First Nation, according to the Bulletin. She has worked as a journalist and as a youth worker, and said both shaped her view of what the province owes young people in its care.
She told the Bulletin she was "disturbed to hear about the amount of unhoused youth in Nanaimo" while reporting on the child welfare system, and said the province has failed to "better support" youth aging out of care.
Other priorities
Beyond youth in care, McKenzie named climate, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and food security as issues she would focus on if elected.
On food costs, she said grocery prices have grown unworkable for families. She told the Bulletin she would use every opportunity to promote local farming systems. "We live in this beautiful territory, where it's so abundant. Why would I be buying strawberries from the grocery store..." she said. She said she would look at subsidies for small grocers or small farms, but had not settled on a specific approach.
McKenzie also said she does not want to see disability payments reduced for seniors, citing a case involving her own father where access to such payments made a difference to his ability to afford food and housing.
Voters in Nanaimo-Gabriola Island can review Anna Mary McKenzie's candidate page and all district candidates at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/nanaimo-gabriola-island before the October 24 vote. Advance voting runs October 16 to 21.
Questions this story answers
What is Anna Mary McKenzie's top election priority?
According to the Nanaimo News Bulletin article published October 11, 2026, McKenzie said supporting youth as they age out of provincial care is her top priority. She said the first piece of legislation she would table as MLA would be an equitable standards framework, which she described as a measure to ensure that the people the province is responsible for are properly looked after. This is her campaign commitment; no legislation has been tabled.
What is an equitable standards framework?
McKenzie described it to the Nanaimo News Bulletin as a framework that 'ensures that the people that the province is looking after, and is in charge for, are properly looked after and are being the true parents to youth in and from care.' It is a legislative proposal she intends to table if elected. No full text or cost figure has been published.
What is McKenzie's background?
According to the Nanaimo News Bulletin article published October 11, 2026, McKenzie is a former journalist and youth worker, a member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation in Manitoba, and has lived in Nanaimo for eight years. Her family is part of Snuneymuxw First Nation. She said her journalism work included reporting on the child welfare system and on unhoused youth in Nanaimo.
What other issues is McKenzie running on?
The Nanaimo News Bulletin article from October 11, 2026 reports McKenzie named climate, protection of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and food security as additional priorities. On housing, she said she does not want to see disability payments reduced for seniors. She also said she wants to support local farming systems as part of addressing high grocery costs.
What district is McKenzie running in?
Anna Mary McKenzie is the BC Green Party candidate for Nanaimo-Gabriola Island in the 2026 BC provincial election. The provincial election is on October 24, 2026. Her candidate page is at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/anna-mary-mckenzie, and district information is at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/nanaimo-gabriola-island.
What party is Anna Mary McKenzie running for?
Anna Mary McKenzie is running for the BC Green Party in the Nanaimo-Gabriola Island district. The BC Green Party leader is Emily Lowan. Information about the party's platform and candidates is at /bc/provincial-2026/parties/bc-green-party.
When is the BC provincial election?
The BC provincial election is on October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs from October 16 to 21. Voters in Nanaimo-Gabriola Island can learn more about the candidates in that district at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/nanaimo-gabriola-island.
What has McKenzie said about food costs?
In the Nanaimo News Bulletin article of October 11, 2026, McKenzie said she was 'horrified' by her grocery bill as a mother and would seek to support local food systems. She said: 'We live in this beautiful territory, where it's so abundant. Why would I be buying strawberries from the grocery store...' She said she would look at subsidies for small grocers or small farms, though she had not specified which approach.
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