Prince George, B.C. – Premier Christy Clark  says  the new year will  see North Central B.C. lead the province .

In an open  letter to the North Central Local Government Association,  she says  the North Central part of  the province, knows how  to get things done.

“From 100 Mile to Fort Nelson, from Masset to Dawson Creek, your communities don’t always have it easy. But you rarely complain – and you never give up” writes Premier Clark.

She points to Burns Lake,  which  having suffered through a devastating mill explosion just three years ago, “They recently opened an expanded recreation centre, and soon they’ll open the brand new Lakes District Hospital – making Burns Lake an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.”

She  notes the resiliency of communities  like Prince George, where  one never says never “When the mountain pine beetle came, some said the forest industry would never recover. Nobody told Prince George, where doors are open at the Wood Innovation and Design Centre – showcasing the best of BC’s value-added forest products to the world. And, as UNBC celebrates its 25th anniversary, it’s one of the best all-around post-secondary schools in Canada. Prince George’s future is prosperous, diverse, and bright.”

Premier Clark says although things looked bleak when the Mount Polley  tailing dam breached,  the  response  that brought together  the provincial  representatives,  Cariboo Regional District, local First Nations, and residents, showed “what we can do when we work together to get a community back on its feet”.

Clark says  the work ethic  perseverance and spirit  of Williams Lake are on display  to all  as the second season of Timber Kings  hits television, and the same spirit  will drive the LBG industry and exports to Asia.

Williams Lake has been through some ups and downs. But the work ethic, perseverance and spirit of its people will be on display to the world again when the second season of Timber Kings hits HGTV, reaching millions of viewers. And odds are good Stampede will set another attendance record next summer.

That same spirit is what’s driving our burgeoning LNG industry and exports to Asia. People across BC are pulling together because we need to; with the shale gas revolution in the United States, their traditional market dried up.

She says the  decision to go ahead with Site C, wasn’t easy, “But the reality is Site C will provide affordable, reliable power for more than a century. There is no alternative that makes as much sense, environmentally and financially, for BC’s future.”

With wishes for a Happy New Year and a “great  2015 for North Central BC and for us all”, the Premier  closes in  saying the people  and communities of the North Central Local Government Association ” have always done more than their share to build British Columbia.”