Guest Speakers

David Eby is the MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey, first elected in 2013. He became leader of the BC NDP in 2022.

Before he was elected, David was the Executive Director of the BC Civil Liberties Association, an adjunct professor of law at the University of British Columbia, president of the HIV/AIDS Legal Network, and served on the Vancouver Foundation's Health and Social Development Committee.

An award-winning human rights lawyer, he has been repeatedly recognized in local media as one of British Columbia's most effective advocates and has appeared at all levels of court in BC.

His years of legal advocacy at Pivot Legal Society to protect the human rights and dignity of homeless and under-housed residents of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside were recognized in 2011 by the UN Association in Canada and the B.C. Human Rights Coalition with their annual award.

Harry Bains was first elected as the MLA for Surrey-Newton in May 2005 and re-elected in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020. He is the Minister of Labour.

Harry served as the Official Opposition critic for Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Harry has been active in the Surrey community for many years. He served on the Kwantlen University College Board of Governors from 1993 to 1999, serving as vice-chair for three of those years.

He has also volunteered with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. Harry has an extensive background in community service. He was an elected officer of Steelworkers-IWA Canada Local 2171 for over 15 years. He served most recently as vice-president of his local, where he led negotiations and engaged in bargaining for better working conditions for working people.

Harry and his wife Rajvinder live in Surrey. They have two children, Kulpreet and Jasmeen.

Mike Farnworth was re-elected as MLA for Port Coquitlam in 2020. He was first elected as MLA for Port Coquitlam-Burke Mountain in 1991, and re-elected in 1996, 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2017. He is the Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

Mike served as the Official Opposition critic for Justice (Public Safety and Solicitor General), and as the Official Opposition Caucus House Leader.

Mike was raised in Port Coquitlam and has lived there for more than 40 years. He earned a bachelor's degree in geography at Simon Fraser University, and was elected to Port Coquitlam city council for three terms in 1983, 1985 and 1990.

As MLA, he served in numerous cabinet positions, including Minister of Health, and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

From 2001 to 2004, Mike worked in Bulgaria, the Balkans and then Iraq on democratic governance programs to help build multiparty democracies in former one-party states.

Mike Starchuk was elected MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale in the 2020 provincial general election.

He has called Surrey home for over fifty years and served his community as a city councilor and a firefighter before running for provincial office.

In his firefighting career, Mike held the position of Chief Fire Prevention Officer with the Surrey Fire Service and worked with the BC Professional Fire Fighters' Association advocating on behalf of firefighters diagnosed with work-related cancers and occupational injuries and their families. He was made an honourary member of the BC Professional Fire Fighters' Association after his retirement.

Mike is one of the founding directors of Surrey Fire Fighters Charitable Society and has been involved with the Variety Club of BC. In 2013, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his work with and dedication to the City of Surrey. He was elected to Surrey City Council in 2014.

Mike can often be seen out on his mountain bike on the streets of Surrey-Cloverdale. 

Mike has over 30 years of experience in various areas in local government. Currently as the CEO of the BC Municipal Safety Association, Mike drives the mission, vision, operations, and engagement with the BCMSA board of directors. Responsible for running all facets of the associations business which includes bringing strategic plans into action, building strong teams, relationships, and partnerships, providing industry leadership across all streams of business, and delivering high quality occupational health and safety programs, resources, and services to local government workers across British Columbia. Mike has a passion of helping other’s particularly in the field of Occupational Health and Safety.

Matt Johnston is a full-time professional firefighter and a member of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. He also sits on the BCPFFA Mental Health Committee. 

Matt is the co-founder of the Occupational Awareness Training Program – an educational initiative that bridges the critical gap between healthcare providers and public safety personnel. Matt’s unique outlook on workplace well-being is formulated from a unique combination of providing clinical support services to vulnerable workers while also participating within a stoic service culture where he has attended nearly 4000 emergency calls in the past decade. 

Steve began his career as an on-call firefighter with the Township of Langley Fire Department in 1992 and five years later, joined the Coquitlam Fire Rescue full-time. He was elected to the executive board of IAFF Local 1782 (Coquitlam) in 2005 and was promoted to Captain in 2015. In addition, Steve is a VP on the BC Professional Fire Fighter Association (BCPFFA) which represents over 4,000 professional firefighters across BC. He chairs both the BCPFFA's Health and Safety Committee and their Mental Health Task Force.

Steve is a member of Coquitlam Fire Rescue's Critical Incident Stress Team and has taken the lead in defusing a multitude of critical incidents. He also serves as a Peer Supporter for his co-workers and has organized and hosted several mental health awareness nights for firefighter spouses and partners.

Steve represents the BCPFFA on the B.C.'s First Responder Mental Health Steering Committee, chaired by WorkSafeBC.

Hired by the Calgary Fire Department in 1999, Mike started his IAFF career as a steward of Local 255 in 2005 serving as a table officer and President 2014-2018. In December 2018, Mike was acclaimed as IAFF 6th District Vice President Represents: Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territory, Saskatchewan, Yukon.

Mike's extensive experience with the IAFF has allowed him to successfully negotiate multiple collective agreements.  He has been part of mediations, arbitrations, labour board issues, and human right issues.  He restructured working committees within his Local with succession planning in mind. Mike served as a Field Service Rep, IAFF Fireground Survival Master Instructor, and has sat on the IAFF Convention Resolutions Committee and IAFF/IAFC Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness Task Force.  He has presented on Human Relations and Labour/Management at various conferences such as IAFF 6th District Western and IAFF ALTS Conferences. In May of 2018 Mike was appointed by an Order in Council by the Alberta Provincial Government to the position of an Appeals Commissioner.

Over the course of his career, Sean has provided advice to Canadian unions, associations and their members. After being called to the Alberta Bar in 1991, Sean acted on behalf of several trade unions. In 1993, he joined the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) conducting arbitrations and then became Regional Director for the union.

In 1997, Sean moved to Ottawa to accept the position of Canadian Director with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). In 2000, he was appointed IAFF Assistant to the General President for Canadian Operations. In these positions, Sean was dedicated to improving the working conditions for fire fighters through lobbying federal and provincial politicians, directing the services provided to the Canadian members of the IAFF, instructing at seminars and conferences on a variety of topics and providing legal advice, collective bargaining assistance and research.

In 2002, Sean left the position with the IAFF to represent IAFF members in private practice in his home province of Alberta. In 2005, he opened the firm of McManus & Hubler with his partner in life and business, Jodi Hubler. Sean and Jodi act for IAFF affiliates in seven provinces and two territories. Sean is also privileged to act as IAFF Canadian Legal Counsel.

In 2021, Sean was appointed in an acting role as Assistant to the General President for Canadian Operations, and accepted the position on a go forward basis at the 2022 IAFF Convention.  Sean continues to work to improve the working conditions for fire fighters through our federal lobby efforts and provides legal representation for Canadian local affiliates.