Giving back A perspective
on time By Melanie Franner
W
hen John Irving
who knew that our company did a lot
began working
of work in the mining sector,” says
during his high
Irving, past chairman of the RCN
school years
Board. “I didn’t do it to get anything
at M&B’s Chemainus sawmill
out of it. I did it as a way to give back
doing cleanup on the Friday night
to the community. Prince George and
graveyard shift, he had little idea that
the resource sector have supported
it would be the start of a life-long
me over my entire career. I wanted to
career in and around B.C.’s resource
give something back.”
industries. His summers spent tree planting and
From here to there
the importance of social license. “I think that people who are in decision-making roles planning and implementing projects of all sizes need to recognize that it’s a lot better to hold consultations and discussions with the local community and affected stakeholders where they want to work – before they start working there,” he says. “Getting a permit
logging which were meant to help pay
In 2012, Irving decided it was time
from some level of government is
for his university education added to
for a career change and was excited
not enough. Having social license is
his resume of resource work. Small
to renew his hands-on work with the
becoming more and more important
business finance with the Business
construction industry via his position
to the success of a project.”
Development Bank of Canada
with Sims Group of Companies. The
(formerly the Federal Business
business is involved in a lot of civil
Development Bank) and Integris
construction and mining.
Credit Union in Prince George set him up for his current role as CFO of Sims Group of Companies of Prince George.
“One of the things I noticed in terms of change from my working experience in the forest industry in the 1970s, was the heavy emphasis
It also made him an obvious
toward occupational health and
candidate for the Resource
safety within the resource sector,”
Connector North Board of Directors,
says Irving. “Another was the change
a role he gladly accepted in 2015.
in the regulatory process.”
“I was recruited by another director
Irving also notes the recent rise in
“I wouldn’t say that we’ve sailed through things, but we have certainly weathered things very well, especially in comparison to other parts of the country and other sectors.”
Healthy and strong Looking back upon his career working in and financing the resource sector, Irving describes the current industry as being in a favourable situation. “The forest sector is seeing record high prices in the last six months,” he says, adding that these very profitable times offset the less profitable ones. “The forestry industry can be a real roller coaster ride.” Mining has also been performing well recently. “Gold prices have been very robust this year,” says Irving. “This will kick start a whole bunch of mining proposals that have
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Resource Connector North 2021
