Committee Hears Calls for More Infrastructure Funding
By 250 News
Thursday, September 18, 2008 04:00 AM
Prince George, B.C. – The Select Standing Committee on Finance has been called upon to support the Northern Decade Initiatives.
In a presentation to the Committee, Tim McEwan of Initiatives Prince George called on the Province to support a broad strategic infrastructure to “ facilitate the next wave of economic development." He told the Committee “It is now time for a concerted provincial focus on a Northern Decade with Prince George at the centre of it”.
The infrastructure commitments outlined are:
- Corridor improvements to
- accelerate the completion time frame for the 4 lane Cariboo Connector project and
- embark on technical and safety improvements to highway 97 from Prince George to Dawson Creek. He says in the north east of B.C there is “Considerable leakage” to Alberta of work and service contracts that could be handled in B.C. if the highway was improved.
- Highway 37 Electrical transmission: proceed with providing electrical transmission to this resource rich corridor to unleash new mine development.
When asked if he would support proceeding with that project without a commitment of a mine, McEwan said it would be preferable to have a partnership, however, he says this project is “clearly in the provincial interest”.
His suggestions that are specific to Prince George include:
- Boundary Road Connector, support the forthcoming application to the joint provincial-federal Build Canada fund for the 6.6 km four lane arterial road connecting Highway 97 south with Highway 16 east thought the proposed Air Logistics Park to the west of the Prince George Airport. That application is for $32 million dollars and will be filed at the end of the month.
- Provincial funding for a new Performing Arts Centre should that project proceed in the coming months, because it is a cornerstone for the revitalization of the downtown.
- Support local efforts to establish engineering programs at UNBC and further trades and technical programming at CNC. “These two education program initiatives are key in going forward to deal with our trades and engineering shortages” says McEwan. He advised there are mining companies who have advised that while they would like to invest in the north, they may not have engineers to do the work.
- He says there is also a need for a one window regulatory system for the mining industry, not unlike what was done for oil and gas in the ‘90s.
McEwan also talked about zones along highways 16 and 97 where there is no cell coverage. “When we are trying to build an economy built on transportation, we need to have fibre and connectivity across the north.”
McEwan also advised that the carbon tax is not revenue neutral in the north where people have to travel longer distances and the heating of public buildings costs more.
“We believe it is timely for the government to consider resource revenue sharing for further economic development initiatives.” He says such funding would give a self determination for planning for the future. “We have less influence in public policy, and I suggest it would be a prudent measure to consider such revenue sharing to support priority economic development.”
Janine North, the CEO of the Northern Development Trust, talked about the programs and progress made in projects aimed at diversifying the economy in the region. She also set one of the Committee members straight over a piece of inaccurate information that had recently appeared in the Financial Post. That newspaper story indicated the Prince George Airport had not been given the designation needed to handle trans shipments. North advised the designation has been given, and despite the article’s claims, there were no delays in dealing with regulatory bodies in Ottawa.
Other presentations included one from the College of New Caledonia Students Union as it expressed a need for increased post secondary education funding. The presentation indicated how reduced funding meant a $2.5 million dollar shortfall at CNC which resulted in the loss of some programs. The presenters also noted how student debt is increasing as higher tuition fees are needed to cover program costs.
They called for a reduction in tuition fees, restoration of student funding to 2001 levels and the reduction of interest rates on student loans.
In all, the Committee would hear from 14 groups including the City of Quesnel, the District of Vanderhoof, School District 57, the Chamber of Commerce, the University of Northern B.C. and the Central Interior Logging Association before their session in Prince George wrapped up at 8:30.
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Posted by: Shellshadow on September 18 2008 9:48 AM
Reminds me of those 'consultations' the WCB was going to have with 'stakeholders' in re-writing some of their Regulations, back when VanderZalm was Premier.
Then it leaked out somehow that the final report had already been written before any of the 'stakeholders' even got to flap their gums! Think there've been numerous other examples of pretty much the same thing over the years.
Guess they think it makes 'the (pre-selected) public' feel good to give them the same proposals they'll be promising to do come election time. Shows that they're really 'listening' to 'the people'.