Prince George, B.C.-The Provincial Government has announced it has set up a “roundtable” aimed at achieving a balance between environmental concerns and economic development.

To be chaired by Peace River South MLA Mike Bernier, the roundtable participants will include community leaders, industry, environmentalists, labour and First Nations.

United Steelworkers Local 1-424 President Frank Everitt is among the labour leaders taking part in the roundtable.  “It will give those of us in the resource industry an opportunity to talk about the economy and our future” says Everitt.

Everitt says the roundtable will meet every three to 4 months “We need to build a strong economic future in the resource sector, but we have to be environmentally responsible when it comes to the harvesting or the extraction of those resources”.

He says he is hopeful the roundtable will provide feedback to the Provincial Government as it moves forward in the development of the resource sector.

The date of the first meeting has not yet been set.