Long-time North Coast NDP MLA Jennifer Rice will not be running for re-election next fall.
The three-term representative cited family reasons in announcing her retirement in the legislature May 16 during the last session before the October election.
In an extremely emotional address to the House, she said the experience of being MLA has been exceptionally rewarding, but has also exacted a toll personally.
“This is the greatest job I’ve ever had until recently, until becoming a mom,” she said. “And so my heart is still here. It’s still in this work. It’s a bittersweet moment because I still want to do the work, but I also just want to focus on being a mom. And that’s what I’m going to do for the next little while.”
Rice said it has been a privilege “being mentored and educated about the ancient and profound indigenous cultures on the coast” particularly expressing appreciation to Heiltsuk and Haida elders.
“Before [becoming MLA], for me, Indigenous title, Aboriginal title was a concept in a textbook,” she said. “But through my time as MLA, I had come to understand how real it can be, and passing the Haida title recognition, Bill 25, yesterday, passing that act, is a profound moment for me.”
She added passing that bill, in the same room where, for generations, governments worked to disenfranchise Indigenous people, made it all the more profound for her.
She also reflected on finding strength in vulnerability. She told a story from her time as parliamentary secretary for emergency preparedness when she toured the devastation of Grand Forks, B.C. following flooding there. During the tour, she talked to a man she described as “burly” and a “teddy bear on the inside, but a roughneck on the outside,” who broke down and sobbed.
“I held him for a long time and I just came to realize that was all I had to offer him,” she recalled. “And I felt like I was shortchanging him. But after that moment… the stress kind of relieved, he just thanked me profusely and I felt like I didn’t do anything. But I have this memory because it’s a lesson that… when we’re expected to fix everything, and we’re expected to have the answers, our humility, and our vulnerability is actually a strength. And I’m glad that I was able to offer that to him.”
She concluded with thank yous to her constituency association, the people of the riding and in particular her wife, Andrea Wilmot.
“I appreciate her relentless support, I appreciate her not kicking me out when we had two family vacations cancelled due to work and I’m just so grateful to spend the time with my family, with my four-year-old Lua and my 10-month-old Theo. So, thank you Mr. Speaker for providing this time, it is really healing to have this moment of just a little bit of closure even though there is so much I would love to say.”
Rice, currently the government’s parliamentary secretary for rural health, was first elected in 2013 and reelected in 2017 and 2020.
Prior to entering provincial politics, she was a Prince Rupert city councillor.
