Looking ahead to build from today

It’s hard to imagine how a community of approximately 8,000 people on the northwest coast of B.C. could possibly top what is considered the single largest private investment in Canadian history – but it’ll try.

The District of Kitimat, a community with a history of being a top choice for industrial developers over its nearly 70-year history, is the centre of a $40-billion liquefied natural gas export facility – LNG Canada – which has already raced past the halfway mark.

It’s not the only name in LNG for Kitimat either – the Haisla-led Cedar LNG project is also working its way through its own assessment process for a floating facility on the Kitimat coast. The District is not content to rest on its laurels though; the crucial question now is “what’s next?”

One of the current projects is a process through the Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI) to kickstart a relationship-building process with the Haisla Nation, in which whose traditional, unceded territory the District operates.

This is a two-year program that will involve creating initiatives jointly with the goal of responsible and effective economic development.

The District also works closely with existing local industry. The Rio Tinto aluminum smelter continues to be a major local employer, and the District enjoys a positive working relationship with the company.

Meanwhile, the District also continues to lay the groundwork for a stronger and more inclusive community. A recent groundbreaking event marked the construction start of a new transition house and 24-hour child-care facility to better support Kitimat’s families.

Some of Kitimat’s own residents are also either in

the process of expanding their existing businesses or embarking on brand new entrepreneurial quests. It’s a glowing sign of local businesspeople’s sense of optimism in Kitimat as a town that will continue to grow and support a local economy.

In our community, we have a number of other municipal projects underway or nearing completion, including a major project to replace our Haisla Bridge and the opening of a new nature park on our oceanfront.

Around here, we sometimes talk about the “Kitimat Advantage” but it’s more than just all the features and amenities that make us make sense for investors and developers. It’s our community’s grassroots support of new development and our ongoing effort to work together with everyone that matters to make things happen responsibly. That is our advantage.

Thanks to our relationships with our industrial partners, our service sectors, and our friends and neighbours, we are realizing our next steps and laying the foundation for decades of progress. p

When you choose Kitimat, you choose more.

More of the great outdoors, more opportunity to make your mark by building a career, starting a business, and owning property. More connection to friends, family, and community. More out of life. So what’s holding you back?

Average House Price:

Average Commuting Time:

$380,000

14.5 minutes

Median household income: $92,365 Compared to $84,850 in the rest of BC

Job opportunities in all sectors, including the trades, retail and food services, non-profits and the public sector.

Photo: Northern BC Tourism/Andrew Strain