Pat Bell Celebrates 450th Top Ten
Friday, March 9, 2012 @ 12:00 AM
A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA
This is another milestone in my Top 10 series with this being the 450th edition! The first edition came out March 28, 2002 almost exactly 10 years ago and the good news is my 2 finger typing method has improved considerably over that time!
As many of you will know we released our Jobs Strategy last September, a piece of work I am very proud of. It’s been a while since I talked about the Jobs Strategy in my Top 10 so I wanted to focus this edition on what I think will become the cornerstone piece of Government policy over the next 10 years. In this edition, you’ll see that the strategy is already delivering results in our region with much more to come.
I cannot think of a better place to live in the world than northern BC in the coming decade and I’m proud to be part of this community.
Have a great week!
Pat Bell, MLA
Prince George-Mackenzie
1) FORESTRY
The value of British Columbia’s softwood lumber exports to China jumped 60% in 2011, surpassing the $1 billion mark for the first time. Since 2003, lumber exports have risen more than 1,500 per cent. With lumber export sales of 4.28 billion board feet as of November, exports to China have already surpassed the province’s 2008 goal of exporting four billion board feet in 2011.
The government is also investing $550,000 over 3 years to help the B.C. silviculture industry develop new human resource strategies to meet the challenges of a changing labour market.
( at right, Pat is joined by Premier Christy Clark and others as the design plans for the WIDC are unveiled)
2) MINING
There will be $1.3 billion invested at Mt. Milligan where construction is underway on a copper-gold mine and now employs 800 people. Mt. Milligan, located 150km northwest of Prince George will provide 300 permanent jobs in full production.
We are also seeing the $443 million Red Chris copper-gold-silver mine project move forward, which is expected to produce 30,000 tonnes per day, have a lifespan of 25 years and create 250 jobs. There is also the proposed $2.5 billion expansion of the aluminium smelter at the Rio Tinto Alcan mine, which would increase production by 400,000 tonnes per year. And there is the proposed 470 km, $1.4 billion natural gas pipeline between Summit Lake and Kitimat. There has been a total of $17.8 billion invested in the mining industry.
3) NATURAL GAS
One part of the Province’s Natural Gas Strategy is the Infrastructure Royalty Credit Program, which is providing up to $120 million in credits to encourage oil and gas development. It has led to 115 new pipeline projects and 84 new road-based ventures since 2004. We anticipate that the development of a Liquefied Natural Gas sector, and our three new proposed LNG plants by 2020, will generate over $20 billion in new investments, as many as 9,000 new construction jobs, and about 800 new long-term jobs. As well, the industry will support thousands of potential spin-off jobs and over $1 billion a year in additional revenues.
4) AGRIFOODS
In Prince George, a new state of the art aquaponic system is being put to the test. Aquaponics is a technique that cultivates plants in water instead of soil, and raises aquatic animals within the same sustainable environment as the plants. Live tilapia fish provide nutrients for plants, and plants filter the water for the fish in the symbiotic system. Northern Aquaponics Ltd. began operations last spring and is now yielding its first produce crops.
( at right, Pat tours Northern Aquaponics)
5) TOURISM
Gaining the Edge: A Five Year Strategy for Tourism in B.C. calls for stronger marketing in areas that are most likely to attract people to B.C. These areas include: touring vacations, city experiences, skiing, snowboarding, Aboriginal tourism, outdoor adventure/ecotourism, and meetings and conventions.
In 2010, the tourism sector employed 127,000 British Columbians, generated over $13.4 billion in revenue for tourism-related businesses and contributed over $1.2 billion to provincial government revenues. A key priority over the next five years will be attracting more tourists from countries with large, emerging middle classes.
6) TRANSPORTATION
Canada’s Pacific Gateway is a streamlined transportation network that directly links Asia and North America. We are investing in infrastructure to maintain seamless road, sea, and rail connections to connect our markets to the world.
The Port of Prince Rupert is Canada’s leading edge port-leading in strategies for trade growth, maritime safety, environmental stewardship and community partnership. As the entry point to the Northwest Transportation Corridor, the Port supports an estimated 1,300 direct jobs and $80 million in wages annually6. When direct, indirect and induced job creation is considered, the Port and the Corridor support a total of 2,720 person-years of employment and $150 million in wages.
7) INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
At the University of Northern BC, international students make up just over 9 per cent of total enrolment. Last year, UNBC had 396 international students from 43 different countries , including China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, India the U.S. and Scandinavia. This is three times more than a decade ago.
The College of New Caledonia has 286 international students, with 132 of them coming from China. International students also join CNC from Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, India and Korea.
School District #57 currently hosts 90 international students. With a strong program that has been in place for a number of years, the School District has hosted students from diverse international countries. In 2011-2012, 50 students from Columbia will be attending schools throughout the district.
8) TECHNOLOGY
The Carbon Offset Aggregation Cooperative (COAC) in Prince George has the only carbon protocol methodology in the world. This methodology is used for calculating, reporting and selling carbon offsets that are produced thrugh the reduction of diesel consumption in heavy equipment.
The COAC provides a Fuel Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Initiative for owners of heavy equipment and long or short haul trucks to reduce diesel consumption, and by doing so create, aggregate and sell carbon offsets.
( at right, Pat addresses the Annual Natural Resources Forum)
9) GROWTH IN THE ASIA PACIFIC
The BC Jobs Plan builds on the province increasing trade with Asia by focusing on opening and expanding markets for B.C. goals in key markets such as China, Japan, South Korea and India and making smart investments in the infrastructure that will help get B.C. goods to market.
For the first time ever, Asian exports now exceed exports to the United States. Our neighbours across the Pacific are experiencing exponential growth and we recognize this as an opportunity to grow economically as well.
The Japanese enterprise, Mitsubishi Corporation, has entered into a multi-billion dollar agreement with North American energy producer Encana Corporation, to develop over 400,000 acres of undeveloped natural gas lands in Cutbank Ridge in northeast B.C. This project represents B.C.’s vision for the long-term development of our natural gas resources in safe, energy-efficient, sustainable ways.
10) MACKENZIE
In an exciting and innovative new project, BC Hydro and Conifex Timber Inc., are teaming up to generate clean, renewable bio energy in Mackenzie. The new agreement will create 80 construction jobs
and 20 permanent jobs in the region. It will also strengthen the local forest industry and add new clean energy to B.C.’s electricity mix.
Conifex’s two-mill complex in Mackenzie employs 200 people and ships a majority of its product to China. The company hopes to expand production and employment in the coming year.
Comments
If everything is so rosy and BC is poised for greatness. Why all the squabbles over services and infrastructure in the province. Could it be most of that money is being made by foreign multinationals and most of the money is leaving the province? Could it be the “do business at any cost” tax breaks for corporations has dwindled the kitty to a point thier is nothing left for the supposed owners of this province?
Well I have a top ten set of beefs with the natural gas section alone.
1-Royalty credits to build roads? There is no government oversight to what roads are built or where they are built. The taxpayer is paying for whatever each company decides is what “they” want but nothing else is considered. What this ends up to be is a helter skelter bunch of roads that go everywhere and anywhere but make no sense to the overall development.
2-The oil and gas commission is an industry driven and armslengthed entity which is put in charge of virtually everything to do with oil and gas..and environment and forestry..and agricultural aspects as well. No wonder farmers are upset and no wonder the concerns about the environment when this commission is basically unnaccountable to everyone but industry.
3-Benefits of oil and gas are claimed but what exact benefits land in BC? Is it that we benefit when companies from Ontario or Alberta build pipelines here? when they recruit nearly everyone they can bring from their homelands? Is it when they fly their workers directly in and out taking the entire payroll with them? What is our BC government doing to actually have benefits stay in BC? or is it that it doesn’t matter as long as it can be said that billions are being spent here. The projects happen here but the money is not spent here and that should matter to this government.
4-So now that the price of natural gas is so low that companies don’t care if they drill or produce any more..what is government thinking it can do to avoid the complete collapse of what it believed to be its cash cow? What is the plan between now and the LNG terminals which are still several years away?
5-So in the old days we had an oil refinery in Taylor BC. And then we didn’t and now the “Oil Patch” in BC relies on fuels which are refined in Alberta. Why would we be put into a position that we experience fuel shortages everytime a hiccup happens in Edmonton refineries?
People scream at logs being exported and why don’t we process all of our oil?..have a bit more security of supply? This is no different than the enron scam that broke California.
6-When the pipelines and LNG plants are finished and the gas starts really flowing to the asian markets is the BC government going to protect us the consumers of BC gas from being gouged by the oil and gas companies (more of which are asian owned) who will expect us to pay the same rates?
7-IF this BC government believes that natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel and would want to encourage its use then why would it charge carbon taxes on it? Better question is why would it only charge us the BC consumers and not the exported amounts instead?
8-So we don’t receive much benefit and we let the industry regulate itself through the oil and gas commission and what is our long term energy policy? The feds don’t have one either but I bet the asian countries do.
9-How much is too much foreign ownership and is it possible that over time our energy is dedicated to others only? kinda like BC being just a big gastank of theirs for when they need it.
10-Should we be asking these questions of the province who really seems the most in tune with this and benefits the most from this in Alberta?
These announcments are old old news.
Pr Rupert Port, and CN Rail have been there for 100 years. Exports through Rupert in the seventies and eighties were much more significant that what goes through to-day. People forget about the big coal mines in Tumber Ridge like Bullmoose, and Quintette, plus the big copper mines at Topley BC. Ie; Bell Copper, and Granisle, plus wheat, logs, lumber and pulp.
Most of this is just a big rehash.
More likely in the hope that we will support him in the upcoming spring election.
All good posts– unforftunately and we British Columbians are going to do our best to ensure the next government willdo something different. I certainly hope they do.
All good posts– unforftunately and we British Columbians are going to do our best to ensure the next government willdo something different. I certainly hope they do.
I have been curious about the nature of Bell’s top ten article for some time now. Is this a paid political ad by the BC Liberals or is it passed off as a free news item by a sitting MLA? Some newspapers carry it but others do not. It seems thin on actual new news but I am sure that it must be difficult to find 10 good news stories without stretching the truth. It is interesting that Bill22 The education Improvement Bill is not included in the latest list. It obviously does nothing to improve the K-12 school system. Very sad
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