ItB次元官网网址檒l still be dark out when alarm clocks start waking silent neighbourhoods on Feb. 20, 2012, signalling to British Columbians that the start of their workday is mere minutes away.

We, in B.C., will be the lone early risers west of Quebec that morning.

Most Canadian provinces, it seems, have deemed the third Monday in February the perfect day to sleep in, the perfect day to enjoy the seldom-watched 10 a.m. airing of The Price is Right, and the perfect day to spend with family.

Even our premier favours the notion of implementing a statutory holiday in the middle of February.

Platforming on her notion of Families First, Christy Clark proposed Family Day last January while seeking leadership of the provincial Liberals.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the keys to strong families is having quality time together,B次元官网网址� she said at the time. B次元官网网址淚 want to talk with families and see what they think and if all agree the concept of a holiday in the middle of the winter makes sense, we can work together to find a way to make it happen.B次元官网网址�

I canB次元官网网址檛 imagine thereB次元官网网址檚 anything more B.C. families would overwhelmingly support than the concept of a day off in February.

This year, we went 111 days between New YearB次元官网网址檚 and Good Friday without a statutory holiday. Next year that gap will shrink to 96 days B次元官网网址� but 96 days is an excruciatingly long time between three-day weekends when you consider that the next longest gap between stats is the 44 days between Remembrance Day and Christmas.

The discussion around Family Day died down once the business community spoke against the plan, saying itB次元官网网址檚 too costly a venture for business owners whoB次元官网网址檇 wind up eating the cost of either lost production or having to pay staff time-and-a-half.

The B.C. Chamber of Commerce estimates each stat costs the province $270 million in lost productivity B次元官网网址� but who can put a cost on time spent with family?

Well, business owners can, and we will likely hear them balk at having another financial curve ball thrown their way. But canB次元官网网址檛 they sympathize with my want for a day off, and my want for the premier to truly put families first?

Fortunately, as part of this weekB次元官网网址檚 throne speech, the talk of Family Day returned and Christy promised us a day off, beginning in 2013.

As much as I appreciate the prospect of the holiday, 16 months of anticipation is way too long to wait.

Putting families first shouldnB次元官网网址檛 mean putting families first in a couple years.

Immediacy does matter.

This government was criticized for moving at a snailB次元官网网址檚 pace to scrap the HST (apparently it takes 18 months to get rid of a tax that took just 12 to bring in), and a 16-month rollout of Family Day gives the appearance of more slow-moving bureaucracy.

And with an election planned for spring 2013, one can only assume a campaigning Christy can point to the newly reinstalled PST-GST (April 2013) and the new Family Day (February 2013) to garner support from the voting public.

In an attempt to balance politicking with putting families at the top of her agenda, it seems that balance is weighted heavily toward the political side of things.

Madam Premier, please expeditiously implement Family Day in B.C. in 2012.

DonB次元官网网址檛 wait another 16 months before you and I and most everyone else in the province can recharge their metaphorical batteries during an extended period of winter doldrums.

Politicians in our province need to look for ways to earn brownie points from the voting public and what better way to do that than giving us a day off a year earlier than expected and letting us bake said brownies?

Feb. 20 is but a few months away. Get working on giving B.C. families their first Family Day, which will be unmistakable proof youB次元官网网址檙e still putting families first.

Kyle Slavin is a reporter with

the Saanich B次元官网网址.

kslavin@saanichnews.com