Delegates gathered in Prince George, BC for the 16th Annual BC Natural Resources Forum held January 22 – 24, 2019. The event brought together Indigenous communities, government, and industry representatives to discuss opportunities and challenges related to resource development in British Columbia. Key projects discussed at the forum were the Coastal GasLink pipeline and the LNG Canada liquefaction facility in Kitimat.
Speaking to the importance of the projects, Crystal Smith, Elected Chief Councilor for Haisla First Nation stated,”…[these projects] will be built responsibly for our environment and will allow our people to flourish.” She went on to add, “we need to support this project to bring our community and our cultures and our language back to our people.”
In terms of what it means to local businesses and communities, the projects gained more traction from industry leaders. Zane Pickering, Indigenous owner of Falcon Camp Services and Falcon Contracting in Prince George stressed the importance of the projects for his company. “The LNG Canada project means everything to us and to our workers… after years of working everywhere in the province, it will be good to be working closer to home.”
EDI had a visible presence at the conference. In speaking about the role of major projects in the north, EDI’s Northern British Columbia Regional Director Colin Hamilton said, “…we employ local people who live here with their families. They’re the Scout and Girl Guide leaders, the ski and soccer coaches. When a company like LNG Canada develops a project, it allows them to deepen their roots and their commitments to their communities.”
Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com. Information based on online article, written by Peter Kentner – article accessed HERE.