» EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY BRINGS ROBOTS TO CITY
APRIL 2017
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SALMON ARM Anniversary Trip Leads to New Home and New Career
Thompson/Okanagan WWW.BUSINESSEXAMINER.CA
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KELOWNA Perseverance Made Dream Come True
Dam Good Reason for BC Hydro’s Success Brad Bennett continues powerful legacy of grandfather W.A.C. and father Bill with Site C project BY MARK MACDONALD BUSINESS EXAMINER
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ELOWNA - As Chair of BC Hydro, it is Brad Bennett’s task to ensure the crown corporation continues to generate power for the province. It’s somewhat fitting that Bennett was chosen to lead BC Hydro a year and a half ago, after three years on its Board of Directors, preparing it for the future by upgrading facilities that are now 50 years old. It was his grandfather, W.A.C. Bennett, who formed the BC Hydro and Power Authority in 1962, and laid the groundwork by building major dams throughout the province during his 20 years as Premier. Brad’s father, Bill Bennett, also built dams during his decade as a Social Credit Premier. The Kelownabased Bennett clan, one of the
most powerful political families in the province, has been at this, literally, for generations. W.A.C. Bennett, who led the Social Credit government for 20 years, moved to have the province take over BC Electric in 1961, combined that with the BC Power Authority and created the BC Hydro and Power Authority. “It started development plans for BC Hydro to open up the province with major infrastructure to prepare BC for economic growth,” Brad Bennett notes. “It was all about opening up the province’s vast potential. “As part of creating BC Hydro, he negotiated the Columbia River Treaty with the United States to develop dams and flood controls on both sides of the border,” he adds. “They developed the Two Rivers policy, which was a plan SEE BC HYDRO | PAGE 10
BC Hydro Chair Brad Bennett is preparing the corporation to meet future needs
It Takes a Village – Conference on Development in Westbank First Nation
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estbank First Nation is a proud leader in aboriginal self-government, but they know that they can’t do it alone. On March 30th Chief Roxanne Lindley welcomed 120 local developers, realtors, bankers, and business delegates to the Sensisyusten Community Centre for the WFN Business and Economic Development Conference. Chief Lindley sees this conference as both a showcase for
WFN, and as a regional forum for development. “WFN is heavily involved in the business community, and recognizes Economic Development as vital to our long-term success as a selfdetermining First Nation. We wanted to hear and learn from the community on what it is they want to see in terms of future econom ic development, and how we can all play a part in it, together.”
There is no denying that Westbank First Nation has inherent advantages over other communities – prime mountain and lake views nestled in the heart of the Okanagan definitely help attract investors and developers. Strong leadership, robust infrastructure, successful relationship-building, and Land Title Insurance, however, have also been key factors in assuring investor confidence, and these measures might not
have been realized if WFN hadn’t blazed a trail towards self-governance and established the first Aboriginal Economic Development Corporation. Westbank First Nation has leveraged those advantages to attract an unprecedented number of businesses (over 400, including financial institutions, major retail chains, and box stores), SEE WESTBANK FIRST NATION | PAGE 11