New measures aimed at injecting new life into resource industry
Legislative amendments and reviews to help breathe new life into the resource sector were announced by Premier David Eby, and his new ministers for Forests and Energy and Climate Solutions, during the recent BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George.
All three spoke of working together and of listening to people from resource communities, and of ensuring that the natural resource industry in British Columbia prospers, even in the face of potential tariffs from the United States.
In the spring, Eby says the NDP will introduce legislation to make the BC Energy Regulator (BCER) the sole energy regulator for permits, to support the North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL) and all major transmission lines in BC. This will include the new transmission lines required for the wind projects announced in December, whose development is already accelerated by eliminating the requirement for Environmental Assessments.
“The BC Energy Regulator has a history of showing success in getting projects moving quickly, working in partnership with industry and First Nations and this will ensure that we build the lines sooner, as well as other major transmission lines across the province,” Eby said.
According to the government, BC’s north coast is experiencing significant growth and prospective investment in many areas, including ports, critical-mineral exploration and mining, as well as LNG and hydrogen initiatives, which all need electricity.
“If the NCTL is not built, and built quickly, major critical minerals, future port expansions and LNG, hydrogen and other important resource projected may not proceed,” new Energy and Climate Solutions Adrian Dix said.
The north coast is currently served by one 500-kilovolt transmission line running from Prince George to Terrace. The NCTL aims to double that with a new transmission line made up of two new transmission line segments and associated towers, along with upgrades to existing substations and capacitor stations.
Both Dix and Parmar announced reviews to aspects of their ministries – CleanBC and BC Timber Sales.
“There will be a review of CleanBC policies,” Dix said. “Why? Because this was a program launched five years ago, and it requires review.”
“Not everything works all the time, and as it should to meet the targets that we need to achieve.”
Dix added that every oil and gas company has an obligation to meet climate targets by 2050.
“We’ve got to work with each other to do it. That means everybody.”
The review of CleanBC, said Dix is not going to stop the government from acting as it did on wind power and the NCTL to achieve their goals.
“We have an obligation to our children and grandchildren to do it, and we have an obligation to everyone who lives in BC now to do it.”
Like CleanBC, BC Timber Sales will be reviewed because, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar said, the forestry sector is in transition, and the people and communities who rely on the forest industry want to see change.
Declining annual allowable cuts, difficulty accessing fibre and trade-protection efforts have prompted this review.
Parmar says he has assembled “an expert task force” – made up of Lennard Joe from the First Nations Forestry Council, former minister George Abbott and Vanderhoof councillor Brian Frenkel – to work with him to “look at the opportunities to leverage BCTS and set the forest sector up for the next 100 years.”
The review, which is to be completed within six months, will look at how BCTS can create growth, competition and diversification in the forest sector; provide reliable and predicable access to fibre; diversify access to fibre for manufacturing, including value-added facilities; strengthen partnerships with First Nations and communities; provide more jobs; and be a leader in innovative, sustainable forest management and silviculture practices.
“Our work to get value out of our forests is a top priority for me, as we grow BC’s value-added sector,” said Parmar.
To help facilitate growth in the sector, Parmar announced a doubling of the BCTS volume dedicated to value-added manufacturers, from 10 to 20 percent.
“This will be the most comprehensive review that the Ministry of Forests has ever done,” Parmar said.
Parmar just finished a two-week tour of forest communities in northern BC, he told the audience at Natural Resources Forum, where he heard from workers, First Nations and communities about the challenges being faced in the forest industry.
“What I’ve seen in these past couple of months is an industry and its people, gearing up for the challenges ahead,” he said.
There are many challenges out there for the forest industry, from wildfires to beetle kill to softwood lumber duties and potential tariffs from the United States, he said.
Mill closures in the province is not a challenge that was mentioned, and Parmar’s tour of “northern” BC didn’t include any community north of Prince George. Mackenzie, Chetwynd, Fort St. John, Taylor, Fort Nelson – none of these communities, which have suffered mill closures under the NDP government, were included in the minister’s listening tour.
In response to queries about this oversight, the Ministry said: “The minister is eager to connect with forest communities across the province. There will be more tours to come in the weeks and months ahead.”