It was a genuine pleasure to hear from Hayden Lansdell, Associate Deputy Minister & Government Chief Information Officer, Connected Services BC – Ministry of Citizens’ Services, Government of British Columbia, at the Government Innovation Showcase British Columbia 2025, who shared a simple, powerful idea with genuine warmth and conviction: government services should work for people, not the other way around.
The Heart of the Matter: Ending the "Do-It-Yourself" Crisis
Hayden opened with a line that stuck with all of us: we should never force a citizen to become “the project manager of their own crisis.” Whether someone is facing a wildfire, starting a business, or welcoming a child, they shouldn’t have to navigate a maze of disconnected forms and logins. His vision? A single, trusted front door.
Building a Service Experience That Feels Human
The goal for 2030 is that every major life event is supported by a trusted, inclusive, and connected service journey. Hayden broke down what that really means for someone on the other side of the screen:
Trusted: It should feel as certain as walking into a Service BC office. Using the widespread BC Services Card, we can move beyond clunky logins and captchas to seamless, secure verification.
Inclusive: This means doing the hard work upstream—using community insights and the Anti-Racism Data Act to design services that truly work for everyone. It also means honouring Indigenous data sovereignty.
Connected: This is the big shift. Instead of brilliant but isolated services, we need to bundle supports behind the scenes. If you’re fleeing a disaster, you shouldn’t have to apply separately for housing help, financial aid, and health services. The system should connect the dots for you.
A New Chapter: Introducing Connected Services BC
To make this vision real, BC is bringing its digital teams together into a new organization: Connected Services BC. This isn’t just a tech change; it’s a cultural one. They’re committed to co-designing with ministries, investing in shared tools, and—importantly—asking citizens for less information, not more.
Our Shared Path Forward
Hayden was refreshingly candid. He acknowledged the fiscal and geopolitical challenges ahead but emphasized that the true north star is clear: focus on the experience of a family member, a neighbour, or someone in your community. If it doesn’t work for them, it doesn’t work.
He ended with an open invitation for continued conversation, promising deeper collaboration with partners in the new year. The message was one of shared purpose: by working together, we can build services that are not just efficient, but fundamentally human.
If you were in the room for Hayden Lansdell's keynote, relive the momentum; if you missed it, this is your chance to catch the vision that's reshaping public service delivery in BC.
Be Part of the Next Chapter: Government Innovation Showcase British Columbia 2026
To deliver on this vision, the government needs the proven expertise of industry partners to provide scalable, integrated solutions that ensure connectivity translates into secure, affordable, and meaningful digital participation for all citizens.
The conversation continues next year as Government Innovation Showcase British Columbia returns in 2026. Join provincial and local leaders, experts, and innovators to explore the next wave of transformation shaping the public sector.
Coming 2026 - View the event website
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