Premier Christy Clark says the fight to save the now-closed Kitsilano Coast Guard base isn't over.
Clark says her government had no advance notice of yesterday's shutdown, adding basic respect between governments would suggest the Feds should have given her a head's up.
"And look, I get how hard it is to balance a budget, I know that they're trying to balance their budget too, but there are some things you can't stop doing. and this is one of them."
Clark promises she's not going to let this issue go. She says Justice Minister Shirley Bond has written a strongly worded letter to Ottawa, and Clark herself plans to make a phone call.
Bond, in fact, is demanding a meeting in person with the federal fisheries minister.
She says she’s faxed a letter to Keith Ashfield expressing deep concern with the closure, especially how it was done.
Bond was asked why write another letter, when previous ones have obviously gone nowhere.
"I have had personal conversation with minister Ashfield before and I would like to have done that today and he was unavailable for that call. And you know, the interesting part of this is it crosses party lines, it’s the mayor of Vancouver, it’s British Columbians, saying we want to see this decision reconsidered."
The federal government maintains closing the base will have no impact on people's safety.
Earlier, Clark was promoting her new budget and unveiling details of a new child care strategy.
She chose the Dorothy Lam Children's Centre in Yaletown to announce details of the Early Years Strategy, which promises 2,000 new childcare spaces over three years at a cost of $76-million.
"In addition to that, effective April 1, 2015, a new B.C. early childhood tax benefit will provide $146 million to approximately 180,000 families with children under the age of six."
Clark says Quebec’s $10-a-day childcare is a non-starter in B.C.: "It’s proven unaffordable – even for Quebec."
