One problem I have with the exponential growth in oil and gas extraction is that I don't believe it is always done in our provincial or national interest. I think it is done in the interest of government revenue to fund government bureaucracy... because government bureaucracy ultimately votes for the politicians that bring them home the bacon (its a symbiotic relationship that is destroying our country and the rights of the free enterprise middle class)... and so the interest of land owners, communities, the environment, and future generations often takes a back seat to the quick revenue a government can secure through royalties regardless of its impacts on the small guy, the farmer, or the otherwise outmatched and the voiceless.

I think the Alberta oil sands is a prime example of this happening and once in motion it is unstoppable to slow down its negative effects because of the dollars involved.

Once those resources are gone the people paying the price for that 'rush' of resource wealth will be the ones continuing to pay the price and picking up the pieces. That is the only guarantee that they will get.

As for this specific project I don't have enough information to make an informed judgment, but it fits the profile to date of the relationship between government revenue and industrial exploitation.

Time Will Tell

we never hear about the social consequences of all this "growth". Ask Northern Health officials about the increases in HepC, HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the northeast because of all the drug activity. ask them about other public health and social issues that this "wealth" is creating, that our system and communities are going to have to pay for long after the money is gone.

Its easy to sit in a warm room, a comment on the ills of big corporation spending to make money. It is so typical of ignorant people to say that, because people who talk ill of these projects, are not willing to make personal sacrifices for change. Thus most of comments come from people who do not stand behind the words they speak anyway.

I say, Spectra, go for it. Spend the money, make money, employ people and keep our gas supply coming and uninteruptted, Thank YOu.

Right on Dartell!

The Chetwyn investments will benefit Prince George.

Right on the money, He Spoke. That oil and gas exploration that some seem to be so against is the same oil and gas that runs our cars and heats our homes and businesses.

Unless you walk everywhere and live in a mud hut, it's hypocritical to be against this kind of activity.

Wiebo Ludwig Syndrome:

Sit in the passenger seat of the full sized newer model pickup truck and complain to the media about the damage the oil and gas companies are doing to the environment. Then drive away to you home heated by oil, or gas, or electricity.

DPJ.

Chetwyn BC to Dawson Creek BC 63 Miles
Chetwyn BC to Grande Prairie AB 146 Miles
Chetwyn BC to Pr George 189 Miles.

Pr George might get some spin offs from Chetwyn, however it is more likely that Dawson Creek, Grande Prairie will get the lions share.

I tend to agree with Palopu in that much of the Chetwynd benefits will flow Northeast, especially since 97N from here to Chetwynd can be an absolute gong show for 4-5 months of the year.

That said, any increase in economic actvity in the nothern half of the Province will impact PG in a beneficial way because we are already established as a primary service centre for the area, especially for government operations and more specialized support services. If these services need expanded to support a larger overall regional economy, it makes more sense to just add to the resources that are already here as opposed to building them from scratch in another area.

So many negative comments regarding such a positive article!

Many of the benefits will in fact flow to Prince George.

Northern Rockies Engineering, wholly owned by two Prince George companies, has just won the contract with the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality to perform all of their engineering work for the next three years.