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MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR PRINCE GEORGE
A sensational
opportunity in a sensational setting On behalf of my colleagues on Council, it is my pleasure to welcome you and tell you a bit about our City, the dynamic people who live here, and our deep connection to the environment that surrounds us. We are proud of our fantastic volunteer spirit and we’ve been ranked as one of the best places in the Pacific Northwest to do business. As a University city, Prince George is a community that is known for opening its doors and showcasing our best to any who visit our city, whether they are from across the region or from across the globe. Prince George also features a beautiful landscape that is home to some of the most creative and energetic people in the world and as the largest city in northern British Columbia, we are the educational, administrative, and business centre for this vast, resource rich region. Acknowledged as B.C.’s Northern Capital, Prince George is a vibrant, active, and diverse community with a thriving economy that supports a great quality of life for those that live here. We enjoy world class facilities that allow families to pursue whatever they may be interested in whether it’s competitive athletic endeavors, visual and performing arts, or multicultural and historical awareness. Our parks and trails allow for active family living and our size has allowed us to conceive and build major urban amenities that include a modern international airport and world-class health care and educational facilities. As the official host City for the 2015 Canada Winter Games, we are ecstatic to not only be welcoming the nation to Prince George and the region in 2015, but to have the opportunity to promote and showcase our talented people and our beautiful city leading up to this national event.
Submitted photo
DAN ROGERS MAYOR, CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE City of Opportunity is a product of the
Available on-line at www.pgcitizen.ca General Inquiries 250-562-2441 Publisher: Hugh Nicholson Editor: Sylvie Paillard Reader Sales: Colleen Sparrow Advertising: Lu Verticchio Creative: Colleen McComb
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MAYOR DAN ROGERS
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A cityof opportunities
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nitiatives Prince George, the City of Prince George’s economic development authority, has an overarching goal to build Prince George, in synergy with its vast service base over the northern two-thirds of British Columbia, as a sustainable, knowledge-based, resource economy connected to the world. Our city and region have been greatly enhanced by two decades of growth and diversification, making Prince George a preferred place to invest, work, live and play. Prince George is the most cost-competitive location of 13 surveyed in the Pacific Northwest US/Canada category on 26 location-sensitive cost factors examined in KPMG’s 2010 Competitive Alternatives Study. As a smaller urban centre of 80,000, Prince George also offers many partnership opportunities and collaborative working relationships in health care and post-secondary institutions, resource, and supply and service industries. Quietly,
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yet deliberately, Prince George has set itself up for success. A recent BC Northern Real Estate Board study shows that while home ownership in BC’s Lower Mainland consumes on average 69 per cent of pre-tax income, the figure is a mere 30.4 per cent for Prince George. The average residential house price in Prince George for 2010 was $240,667. And as a city with full urban amenities, a terrific work/life balance, and great community spirit, it is an outstanding place to raise a family. The city is poised for further growth; in 2007, the population grew by 0.6 per cent and by 2010 growth had reached a pace of 1.2 per cent, for an annual average of 0.9 per cent over the past four years. In March 2011, Prince George is near full employment with an unemployment rate of 5.7 per cent. Prince George is a knowledge-based economy. Prince George can rightfully claim to be a University and College town, with over 10 per cent of its population enrolled in postsecondary institutions. Prince George is also attracting attention as a preferred place for knowledge based industries. Recent announcements by Fortis BC and TELUS Corp. to expand their presence in Prince George are driven by a number of factors including: cost of living factors, low business location costs, high-quality post-secondary graduates, highquality fibre optics, higher employee engagement, and lower staff turnover. Prince George is a resource-based economy. The forest industry is flourishing with market diversification into the Asia Pacific, led by China. Dimension lumber and pulp mills are reopening, and new value streams in forest-based bioenergy are creating new jobs and further diversification. Mining is experiencing a true renaissance, and Prince George, as the largest city in the north, is a service hub. Gas industry expansion and the Site C Clean Energy project in the Northeast , and the building of the Northwest Transmission Line along Highway 37 will provide billions of dollars worth of additional economic activity for Prince George businesses. Prince George is also investment-ready with an abundance of lowpriced light industrial and heavy industrial land that is market ready for investors. Prince George is connected to the world. Prince George International Airport boasts the third longest commercial runway in Canada, ideally situated on a circumpolar route between China and the US heartland markets for air cargo activity. Prince George is at the intersection of Highways 16 (east-west) and Highway 97 (north-south), and boasts CN Rail service in four directions tied to the Port of Prince Rupert and Port Metro Vancouver. Prince George is an ideal, family-friendly city to invest, work, live and play in – a place where opportunities are boundless and you can truly have “life in perfect balance”. Wednesday, April 27, 2011
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University Hospital of Northern British Columbia
Over $1.8 Million Donated Locally!
Children’s Wing named after Northland Dodge
Prince George dealership becomes #1 in Canada! it and every day we got the results.” Marshall said they didn’t let things like the distance from the Alberta oil patch and a struggling local economy get in their way, nor did they let shorter working hours impede their progress. Between not being open on Sundays and closing three hours sooner each day it is open, Northland operates on about 140 days less per year than many other dealerships by Marshall’s calculation. “It’s the mentality of, when we’re here, let’s be productive and when the doors close, go home to your families, take all the holidays,” Marshall said. And rather than paying commissions based on the sale price, reps are paid on the number of units sold. It means less time dickering and more time closing deals. Northland even goes so far as to sell vehicles at a loss to meet Chrysler’s sales quotas and earn significant
Mark Nielsen Citizen staff Northland Dodge sold the most heavy duty trucks among Chrysler dealers in Canada in 2010. Going up against dealerships with as many as 60 salespeople, Northland’s staff of 18 sales reps and managers sold 368 units, eclipsing second-place Derrick Dodge of Edmonton by about 30 sales, Northland owner Brent Marshall said Saturday. Northland has been a perennial topvolume dealership among Chrysler’s outlets in B.C. but it’s the first time they’ve won a national category. It became a goal when Chrysler told Marshall about half-way through the year Northland was in the running against Derrick but also had a lot of catching up to do. “They told us you’d have to not only sell as many as those guys, you’d have to gain 10 or 20 a month on them,” Marshall said. “So we just put a focus on
N or thla n d Dod g e w a sn a m ed #1 in C a n a d a for 2010 a n d #1 in BC 5 yea rsin a row.
bonuses from head office, according to Marshall. Marshall credited the success in part to such word-of-mouth strategies as giving past customers $500 for referring a new buyer to the dealership. “We’ve got over 25,000 customers now,” he said. “The spinoff has been just huge.” Marshall’s next goal is to relocate
to the corner of Highway 16 and Highway 97 as part of the pending redevelopment of the Prince George Golf and Curling Club lands and build a more expansive dealership. “If we can be the number one truck dealer, there’s no reason we couldn’t be the number one dealer overall, other than we’re so space limited here,” he said.
THANK THANK YOU! YOU! FOR MAKING US THE nominated
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n entrepreneur’s hell would surely be to find themselves full of ambition, willing to commit resources, and ready to work their butt off, but located in a community where the general perception or attitude is that “We have everything we need and want.” “How terrible for an aspiring entrepreneur to invoke the old maxim”“Find a need and fill it” only to find that nothing is needed and no more is wanted, and worse, nobody cares. Hopefully all those eager entrepreneurs will quickly find their way from whatever hell they live in to the City of Prince George. Even more desirable is that the goodly number of individuals, couples, or partners residing in our city who would rather be working for themselves, calling the shots, and keeping the profits, take the next step towards opening a business of their own. All they need is a little encouragement or assistance to get started. Prince George has much of what a growing, knowledgebased resource community could ever want. However, it does not have everything. What businesses does Prince George need next? The best way, for a person of ambition, to identify an opportunity is to ask the next dozen people: family, neighbours, co-workers or co-recreationalists, that they chat with, one simple
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Unrealized potential = Today’s opportunity question,“What store, business, service, or product do you wish we had available, or a broader selection of, in Prince George?” In doing so, you will quickly, and without prompting, identify a business opportunity that has general support of potential customers. In other words, “Find a need and fill it,” then do your due diligence, additional market research, develop a business plan, risk your money, and make it happen. Take the risk that every single one of the business owners already operating in the city has taken and carpe diem – seize the day, make your dream a reality. You don’t need to have a great idea of your own, in fact, it may be better that you don’t. Just start asking questions, do some research, get some good advice, and develop your plan to give potential customers what they said
they want. I love our city, and I also recognize that Prince George’s potential is far from being fully realized. The fact that it is a wonderful community to live, work, and play in, also makes it a fabulous place to pursue your own potential business. The existing amenities, the low cost of housing and business space, the rich academic environ-
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ment, our high quality of health care, and the amazing surrounding natural environment all meet the wellknown criteria for successful investment which is “location, location, location”! Prince George’s potential is not a secret and outside investors are beginning to look in our direction. If timing is critical then the time is now, before someone comes to town and acts before you do. Opportunity is there to be realized, especially in our great City of Prince George and it doesn’t matter whether you are male, female, young, old, or somewhere in between. As someone famous once said “you are never too young or too old to set another goal, or dream a new dream.”
ROY SPOONER, PRINCE GEORGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PAST PRESIDENT
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PG business
best in BC FRANK PEEBLES CITIZEN STAFF fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
A Prince George engineering firm won a provincial award for innovation, this past year, and they are surging in every direction even though their name is Allnorth. Allnorth Consultants is still locally owned and operated, founded by Darby Kreitz about 30 years ago, but they have grown to more than a dozen branches, and more than 320 employees, from coast to coast. The award was a citation from the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for innovative project management of the Fort Fraser Overhead. Allnorth oversaw the project, which featured the splitting of the bridge up the middle, keeping one lane in use while work was done on the other, and vice versa, so traffic flow could continue even in the thick of construction. Allnorth won the Construction Management and Supervision Services category in the Deputy Minister’s seventh Annual Awards for Consulting Engineers. "This award highlights the expert supervisory skills of Allnorth Consultants in overseeing the design that improved a rail overhead on a busy highway," said Prince George MLA Shirley Bond, who was minister responsible for the project. "Through every step of the project, the company kept the lines of communication open with the ministry about its progress and possible challenges, which helped ensure the project's success in the eyes of the ministry and the community." Cont’d on page 9
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PG BUSINESS BEST IN BC Prince George Mount Robson MLA Shirley Bond presents Allnorth with one of the Deputy Minister’s seventh annual awards for consulting engineering.
Submitted photo
Cont’d from page 8 "We have to tip our hat to Steve Periera, he was the civil construction manager on the site, and his crew," said Allnorth's division manager Glen Wonders. Wonders said there are many projects in the pipe on both the industrial and civil sides of the engineering sector. He was excited about the prospects, but this is the bidding season for most major new projects so it won't be known for awhile which projects they have won. "Both the industrial and the civil sides are very busy. It is a
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good time to be an engineer," he said, and even without new contracts, they have a heavy slate now of projects underway. "Some are long-term projects and one example of that is the Canfor Pulp Partnership, the low-odour work being done there. We are part of that in a big way, and because of the environment signature on that, we feel a lot of pride about that project. Also, FMC is doing a massive re-investment into their facility and we have done a lot of work on that, and the building of the mine at Mt. Milligan we are quite involved in." Wonders said Allnorth was "on a fairly aggressive growth strategy, both in terms of the numbers of people we have on board and the services we are going to do." He suggested those interested in industries like oil and gas, pulp and paper, road construction, mining, surveying, etc. go to their website and examine the jobs available now for workers with those skills. He also had encouraging words for those not yet in these professions, and a development happening in Prince George's college and university that give him as much excitement as winning awards. "UNBC's strides towards an engineering school is absolutely wonderful news," he said. "We are very supportive of this initiative,as well as CNC's choices to refocus on their programming towards the engineering field. It means a lot for northern kids, northern families, and it helps us a lot to be able to see kids study here and all the more likely stay on here to pursue the engineering field." Strong sentiments from the company tapped as the best in that field from the past year.
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employment
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opportunities The employment opportunities in Prince Gorge are as diverse as the companies. It takes a whole lot of people to run a health care facility, said Bev Boyd, HR Recruiter for Northern Health. Not just doctors and nurses but accountants, engineers, care aides, dieticians, therapists, social workers, cooks, and housekeepers to name a few. And with the new Cancer Centre there will more job opportunities. Northern Health likes to hire local talent, Boyd said. People who love the north want to stay in the north. In Northern B.C. LYNX Aboriginal Student Career and Employment Program helps Aboriginal Students connect with potential employers. LYNX provides opportunities with companies such as BMO who is a LYNX sponsor and TD Bank Financial Group who has made diversity a strategic business priority. There are three TD branches in Prince George and “we are constantly hiring,” said Shyna Mason, TD Canada Trust customer service manager, especially now with the new extended hours and weekends.
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LAURA ALLGROVE
“At one branch, we hired five people within two months,” she said.“There is plenty of opportunity.” In the province of B.C. TD hired over 650 employees in 2010. When we are hiring, it is not only about experience “it’s about the person,” said Jeanne Reid, Janzen TBJ Terlesky Braithwaite LLP senior manager. Looking for people who want to grow up through the company from “student to manager to senior manager to partner.” They also like to hire local accounting students, she said.“We want people who want to stay in the north.” Prince George has shown growth in employment opportunities for the 20 and under age group and entrepreneurs are doing very well in PG, said Karen Hall, Employment Action customized job developer. But the major employer in Prince George remains Northern Health, employing more than 3,600 employees and physicians. Over 7,000 people are employed within the three health service areas, Northwest, Northern Interior and Northeast B.C.
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New city centre marketing program launch KATHERINE SCOUTEN VICE PRESIDENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INITIATIVES PRINCE GEORGE
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nitiatives Prince George in collaboration with the Downtown Partnership has launched a new City Centre marketing program, a major component of the implementation plan developed by the Downtown Partnership to accelerate downtown development. The program is aimed at attracting interest from real estate developers and property owners in downtown, and the invitation framed within the visionary words of Daniel Burnham, “Make no little plans.” Burnham was the founder of the City Beautiful movement nearly 100 years ago, upon which Prince George’s original downtown was designed.This same design reignited the imagination and will of the city through the Smart Growth on the Ground Planning Process of 2009. A feature component of the marketing program is a 16 page full-colour prospectus.The prospectus affirms economic growth stimulus to the city overall, stemming from Prince George’s successful bid to host the 2015 Canada Winter Games; expansion of regional resource development and its impact on the city as a supply and services centre; the growth of Prince George as an international transportation hub; Prince George being ranked #1 as having the most cost-competitive business location amongst cities profiled in Pacific US and Canada by KPMG; and, the city’s position as a regional health and education centre. The focus is on projects at all stages - ongoing, planned and conceptualized - in catalyst districts of the downtown. Over $50 million in public projects like the RCMP Detachment, Downtown District Energy System, Spirit Square, and 100 capital works projects in the past five years are identified. The prospectus also destroys the myth that there is an absence of private sector investment in the downtown, by confirming that over $30 million and 100 building permits have been issued in the C1 zone over the past five years. Larger private sector projects such as The Commonwealth Health Centre, Ramada Hotel, Terasen Gas,TELUS expansion, and The Keg Steakhouse & Bar upgrade are included as evidence. With Prince George’s current revitalization tax exemption (RTE) by-law expiring in 2011, a new program is in development to provide more robust incentives to accelerate new construction and renovations in the city centre. Priorities are for higher density mixed-use, residential and commercial projects, façade improvements, and projects that meet standards for sustainable construction.The incentive program is expected to influence marginal business cases in order to incent new construction and upgrades in the downtown and will be in place by City of Opportunity
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September 2011. The anticipated results over the next five years will be an increase in assessed values, building permits, residential units, business licenses and jobs in the City Centre. More public space, tree canopy cover, parks and plazas will also improve the experience of living, working, and playing in the downtown. The Downtown Partnership, Chaired by Mayor Rogers includes as members City of Prince George, Initiatives Prince George, Downtown Prince George, Lheidli T’enneh, RCMP, Prince George Chamber of Commerce, Beyond Homelesness Standing Committee, Prince George Native Friendship Centre, and Northern Health.The Partnership provides quarterly releases on its progress. For more information on the Downtown Partnership or the City Centre marketing program contact the downtownpartnership@city.pg.bc.ca or call 250-649-3201 (Katherine), 250-561-7784 (Ian).The prospectus can be downloaded at www.pgcitycentre.ca.
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Eagle Vision
eyes
FRANK PEEBLES CITIZEN STAFF fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
Encana pipeline Citizen photo by Brent Braaten
A northern company's unwavering gaze is catching the eye of industrial and commercial interests. When Eagle Vision Video and T.R.U. Security of Fort St. John and Prince George techdesigner Ben Knutson joined forces to invent
a security surveillance system, it didn't take long for the outside world to take a long look at their innovations. Encana bought into their technology and put it to use on their oil and gas sites in Northeastern B.C., and the whole system won a Business & Technology Award at the eighth annual B.C. Natural Resources Forum. Cont’d on page 13
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Benjamin Haab, left, and Cole Busche from Eagle Visioin Video Production and their T.R.U. Security remote stand alone security system.
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EAGLE VISION Cont’d from page12 "The components [a surveillance camera, a solar panel for remote power, a piece of worksite equipment in which to secret the lens, etc.] are common, that's not the inventive part," said company co-owner Cole Busche. "What's unique is the operating system. We have our own technology in the form of control panels we built ourselves and software that takes the pictures - we can do stills or video and if anything is alarming to the system it sends an alert to your smartphone. It sends you a text that tells you something is wrong, and it sends the pictures." So if your assistant manager forgot a lunch box and just had to get it from the vacant worksite, you'd be able to recognize that from the photo, but if you saw images of someone stealing or vandalizing your place, you could then alert the police. "I thought of the original basic idea, but Cole knew that [crooks] often target the cameras themselves so we
wanted to solve that, too," said coowner, Benjamin Haab. "We can hide the cameras inside all kinds of common worksite spots and if someone does notice it, by then it is too late, the picture is taken." They have been building each system one by one, and selling them to customers as they come forward. Over the winter they ramped up. They invested in mass production. "We are getting it where we can push out up to 1,000 units a month in anticipation of the demand we expect," said Haab. "We have also taken the camera and upped our resolution to 12 megapixels, and the physical size is now half what it was. We can access the Rogers cell network as well, now, not just the Telus and Bell systems." Haab said their client companies are finding it useful even if crime is not detected, but some other activity. Innocuous activities can also be helpful when seen by the property surveillance eyes, and the new system has been good at providing that informa-
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tion as well, according to the companies. Encana is the flagship client due in part to the bombings that targeted the company's field sites in northeastern B.C. But the advantages of the system are getting a lot of attention from all kinds of industries that have sprawling sites in need of constant vigilance. "We saw a real gap in the market: something affordable, something stealthy," said Busche. "We couldn't find anything out there in the marketplace to do that, so we went ahead and built it ourselves. The incident is recorded and a notification is sent immediately to the people who need to know, no matter where or when." The images are higher resolution than most common surveillance systems, and have night-vision capabilities, so they have a better chance of both providing recognition of a suspect and stand up to the scrutiny of a courtroom. It can operate anywhere with cell service or, for a necessarily higher cost, to satellite phone service.
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Training qualified professionals Health Sciences Programs at the College of New Caledonia The College of New Caledonia’s health sciences programs train qualified professionals who are critical to the care of northern B.C. residents. CNC's health sciences programs include nursing, dental assisting, dental hygiene and medical laboratory technology. In September, 2011, the college was excited to welcome the first class of students to its new medical radiography technology diploma program.
Photo courtesy of CNC
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PA C I F I C W E S T E R N B R E W E RY
Major renovations FRANK PEEBLES CITIZEN STAFF
fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca One of the region's most acclaimed manufacturers, Pacific Western Brewery (PWB), announced this weekend that they will pour $1 million into renovations at their Prince George headquarters. The renovations and upgrades will refresh the building’s exterior, create a renewed hospitality area, and includes the purchase and installation of new brewing and packaging equipment. “I am very proud of the ongoing consistent quality of our beer and the passion and loyalty of our team,” said Kazuko Komatsu, President and CEO of the beer company.“British Columbians have been very enthusiastic about our beers and we would also like to thank all our customers and partners for their support and loyalty which has enabled us to make this significant re-investment.” The renovations were started earlier this month and are due to be complete in spring, with the other improvements scheduled for completion within a year. "The interior upgrades will incorporate local pine beetle wood to demonstrate support for the region’s forest industry and to supplement the brewery’s ongoing reforestation commitment," said Komatsu. "[We] will source services and equipment from local suppliers wherever possible." The upgrades coincide with the 20th anniversary of Komatsu's ownership of the storied brewery. It was launched as Caribou Brewing in 1957 by the late Ben Ginter, one of Prince
George's most colourful characters in its modern history. It has gone on to be one of the city's most successful manufacturing companies outside of the forest industry, with export inroads to China and Russia among other international markets.Today it employs 60 local people during peak seasons, and also has facilities in the Lower Mainland. According to a PWB statement, the company stands as "Western Canada's largest and longest established independent, Canadian-owned brewery." Among its accomplishments are... • 2005 - First Canadian Gold Medal Winner, Industry International Awards in Munich • 2003 - First ISO 9001 Certified Brewery in North America • 1997 - First Certified Organic Lager Beer in Canada • 1996 - First North American Brewery Certified to ISO 9002 • 1996 - First Lager and Lime Beer • 1995 - First Malted Herb Beer • 1993 - First Ice Beer in Canada • 1988 - First Dry Beer in Canada • 1983 - First Brewery Operated Beer Store in BC • 1982 - First Dark Mild Beer in Canada • 1969 - First Malt Liquor in Canada • 1965 - First Canned Beer in BC The brewery is, according to written statements, planning a number of events and initiatives to celebrate Komatsu's ownership milestone, including their ongoing reforestation commitment (planting a minimum of 150,000 trees over three years), a water program to be introduced this spring, the grand opening of the renovated brewery, customer appreciation events "and a few other surprises brewing" for 2011.
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The province’s approval of the $404million Northwest Transmission Line could set the stage for a modern-day gold rush of sorts.
Power
up
Transmission line promises to open up
GORDON HOEKSTRA CITIZEN STAFF ghoekstra@pgcitizen.ca
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The 335-kilometre power line, slated to be complete by the end of 2013, is not an end in itself. Rather, the power line is meant to act as a catalyst for large industrial development. The 287-kilovolt line will deliver power to a largely untouched area which is expected to result in new mines and hydro power projects being constructed. A 2008 report commissioned by the Mining Association of B.C. and the Northern Development Initiative Trust has already highlighted the power line has the potential to attract more than $15 billion in investment and create 10,700 jobs from 10 mines. The construction and operation of the mines is expected to provide benefits throughout the North. Even though the mining region is 600 kilometres to the northwest of Prince George, the city will benefit as a supply and service centre. Prince George-based WolfTek Industries has been a backer of the project for several years, eager to tap into the benefits the development of new mines offer. The industrial manufacturer had turned to the mining sector during an extended forestry downturn. The company has already done work for the Endako molybdenum mine west of Prince George and the Gibraltar copper mine south of the city. Cont’d on page 17
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POWER UP Cont’d from page 16 And while the forest sector is showing signs of rebounding with a new market emerging in China, the company absolutely embraced the approval granted by the province last week, said WolfTek general manager Jamie Hull.“Any new major industry in our region is vital for all of us. Mining is a big part of our business. It’s definitely taken up the downturn in forestry and more.” Global-heavyweight Finning, a heavy-equipment manufacturer, is also looking forward to the potential business the power line will create in the Northern B.C. mining sector.“It’s going to have a real positive impact not just on our Prince George operation, but Terrace and Houston,” said Finning spokesperson Jeff Howard. Three years ago, Finning added a mining division to its Prince George location, which had traditionally been focused on the forestry sector. Its Prince George site now services seven mines including Endako and three coal mines in northeastern B.C., overhauling equipment that includes its behemoth CAT 793 rock truck. The workforce grew 15 per cent to 110 people last year in Prince George. Similar growth is expected this year, said Howard. It is unlikely that all 10 mines examined in the 2008 report will be built, but the potential is not insignificant. Mining Association of B.C. president Pierre Gratton says it’s certain, at least, that all of the mines will not be built at the
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same time. But on the other hand, there could also be more discoveries, he said. “Once the power line is built, it opens up a whole part of the province that has largely not received attention. That’s huge long-term for British Columbia,” said Gratton. The benefits to Northern B.C., and communities like Prince George cannot be underestimated, he argued. For example, there are 100 suppliers from Prince George for Endako’s $500-million expansion and upgrade. And, on average, a major metal mine will spend $100 million annually on operations, a significant portion of that spent in local and regional economies, said Gratton. That money is spent on everything from helicopters and heavy equipment to paper clips, bedding and food. Money is also spent on hotels, restaurants, road work, skilled maintenance and parts.“The economic multiplier is huge,” said Gratton. Initiatives Prince George, the city’s economic development agency has also welcomed the provincial approval, stressing the power line’s importance as a catalyst for mining and power projects.“That’s obviously where the excitement has been,” said Kathie Scouten, a senior official with Initiatives Prince George. The Northern Initiative Development Trust also sees significant economic benefits from providing electricity to the untapped region in the northwest. Cont’d on page 18
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POWER UP Cont’d from page 17 It was clear development would not take place without the transmission infrastructure, said Northern Trust CEO Janine North. The project benefits will flow throughout Northern B.C., including Prince George, she said.“The sourcing goes well beyond the northwest.”
‘The minute they are finished’ The provincial approval - following an environmental assessment and consultations with First Nations - is a major step in getting the northern power line underway. The federal government still has to sign off, but that is considered a given as Ottawa agreed to delegate its assessment to British Columbia. B.C. Hydro has already received bids from contractors and wants to start construction this year. It is now in the midst of its evaluation process.
The province had put the power line on hold in 2007 after NovaGold’s Galore Creek gold and copper mine was halted. The line had originally been proposed as a partnership with NovaGold, which was going to contribute $158 million. In September 2008, the project was resurrected when B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell said the province would put up $10 million to put the power line through an environmental assessment. Communities in Northern B.C., including Prince George, had been calling on the provincial government to keep the project moving forward, at a minimum, carrying out the environmental assessment. The project received a further boost in September 2009 when Prime Minister Stephen Harper set aside an $130-million federal contribution for the power line. A further capital injection was provided in the spring of 2010, when AltaGas reached an agreement with B.C. Hydro to provide $180 million for the project.The deal included an electricity purchase agreement for AltaGas’ $700-million Forest Kerr clean energy project near Bob
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Quinn Lake. The lake is the end point of the power line that starts near Terrace and follows a portion of Highway 37. At least one mining company is already readying itself for the completion of the power line. Imperial Metals’ $443-million Red Chris gold-copper project has provincial and federal regulatory approval, putting it ahead of other potential projects.The company hopes to start production at the same time the power line is complete at end of 2013.“The minute they are finished, we want to hook up,” said Imperial Metals president and CEO Bryan Kynoch. The Red Chris project lies about 115 kilometres beyond the end point of the transmission line, but Kynoch does not see that as a problem for developing the project. He pointed out the company built a 120-kilometre transmission line to provide power to its Huckleberry gold and copper mine south of Houston in northcentral B.C. Cont’d on page 19
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POWER UP Cont’d from page 18
‘We decide as a people’ The power line is also favoured by support from First Nations. Agreements that accommodate First Nations’ interest along the 335-kilometre power line are considered critical to getting the project off the ground, in part, because most of the First Nations have not settled treaties. Two First Nations have already provided endorsements of the power line through impact-benefit agreements: the Kitselas and the Metlakala.
The Nisga’a Nation legislature will be voting on another impact-benefit agreement. Its leadership is calling for acceptance of the agreement, which allows the B.C. Hydro to use a preferred route through the Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park. The Nisga’a, unlike other First Nations, have settled a modern treaty that gives them rights over 2,000 square kilometres of land. Other consultations continue, including with the Tahltan Nation, whose territory covers the northern portion of the power line and also the area where the majority of mining and power-project will be located.
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Tahltan Central Council chair Annita McPhee said their support hinges on a ratification vote set for April. It’s why the focus now is helping the nation’s 5,000 members become as informed as possible on the project potential benefits and impacts.“It’s our choice, and we decide as a people,” said McPhee. Reimer, the B.C. Hydro official, said the Crown agency remains hopeful they will come to an agreement with the remaining First Nations.“Our view is the First Nations in the area are folks that have a kind of legitimate interest. Cont’d on page 20
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POWER UP Cont’d from page 19 And we have not only legal, but moral, obligations in terms of our relationship with them. And we’d like to conclude positive agreements prior to moving forward,”said Reimer. The Gitanyow hereditary chiefs are raising concerns with the Northern Transmission Line, saying BC Hydro is refusing to address outstanding issues with the project as it pertains to the first nation's territory. In a statement issued April 12, the group said they are now seeking a meeting with Premier Christy Clark and the
Minister Responsible for BC Hydro Rich Coleman after the Crown corporation rebuffed the request. The chiefs say 47 per cent of the proposed corridor will pass through Gitanyow Territory and estimates they will lose a total area of between 440 and 550 hectares of land, estimated at between $1.6 and $2.1 million. Remier has said BC Hydro remains committed to staying at the negotiating table. "We share the goal of reaching an agreement that is fair and meaningful for all," he said.
Some of the projects tied to completion of the $404-million Northwest Transmission Line
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Imperial Metals’ Red Chris gold-copper mine: A $443 million open-pit mine with a 30,000-tonne-per day capacity, employing 300 people during a 28-year life. The cost of the mine includes extending the power from the end of the Northwest Transmission Line at Bob Quinn to the mine, a distance of 115 kilometres. The mine project already has federal and provincial environmental approval. NovaGold/Teck Resources’ Galore Creek gold-copper-silver mine: The project was put on hold in late 2007 when construction costs more than doubled to $5 billion. The company is expected to release a new pre-feasibility study this year. The project was permitted earlier by the federal and provincial governments, but project changes would require new permitting. Fox Creek Metals’ Schaft Creek gold-copper mine: The $1.43 billion open pit mine has an estimated life of 15 to 22 years, employing 500 to 700 people. The mine is within 90 kilometres of the end of the Northwest Transmission Line at Bob Quinn. The project is in the midst of a joint B.C.-Canada environmental assessment. Capstone Mining Corp.’s Kutcho copper-zinc mine: The $187.3 million mine would be largely underground, with a small open pit operation. An earlier assessment pegged full-time jobs at 150. The project is in the preliminary stage of its environmental assessment. The project is beyond the end of the transmission line at Bob Quinn. AltaGas’ Forest Kerr hydro-electric project: The $700-million project will produce enough electricity to power 70,000 homes annually by diverting a portion of the Iskut River through a tunnel to an underground power house. Alta Gas has already signed a 60-year power purchase deal with B.C. Hydro, and a benefits agreement with the Tahltan Nation. The company expects the project to be complete in 2014. Sources: Company documents, B.C. Environmental Assessment Office and the 2008 Report on the Electrification of the Highway 37 Corridor. Wednesday, April 27, 2011
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LAURA ALLGROVE
Resident
designer Shawn Place
Submitted photo
Shawn Place’s furniture designs are catching on across the country.
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Local Canadian furniture designer, Shawn Place, didn’t pick Prince George it picked him. Shawn Place Designs is a small furniture company based in Prince George and Shawn Place is the sole designer and craftsman who produces exceptionally designed, high quality, handcrafted modern furniture. “I moved to P.G. somewhat randomly,” he said. Originally from southern Ontario, Place moved to Prince George in 2005 with someone he was dating at the time. Place remembers landing at the Prince George airport during the expansion and being impressed with the architecture. Prince George was off to a good start. Starting out in the bicycle industry designing components, longboards and skateboards, Place wanted to try something different. In 2008, he designed his first piece of furniture. He called his new enterprise, Shawn Place Designs. A few years later he got his first deal with a high-end furniture dealer, Inform Interiors based out of Vancouver. Place gets inspiration for his designs where he finds it, sketching ideas in his ringed artists pad before making a prototype. Many prototypes, he laughed. As many as twelve prototypes of a single chair once filled his living room. At his second showing at the Interior Design Show 2011 in Toronto, Place revealed his latest designs, the Owl chair and Bird chair. His expanding reputation gained him a feature story in the Style section of the Globe and Mail. Place said he’s not planning to move out of Prince George even as his popularity grows. Place enjoys living here. Unlike the big cities there are not a lot, if any, contacts to be made here, he said, but Prince George makes up for it with community. The affordability of life here allows Place to concentrate his time on the business without having the constant financial overhead of a place like the lower mainland, said the 41-yearold craftsman.“I can take my time designing furniture; I don’t have to rush anything to market.” “Living in P.G. has given me financial freedom first and foremost,” Place said. That original relationship that brought him to Prince George ended soon after arriving but he is happy to say the move led him to meet his present wife. They got married, bought a house and are now celebrating the birth of their first child.
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$160 million-plus spent on northern mine projects GORDON HOEKSTRA CITIZEN STAFF ghoekstra@pgcitizen.ca Thompson Creek Metals Co. Inc. continued to spend money on two key projects in north-central B.C. as it posted a profit of $113.7 million for 2010. The company spent $149.9 million in 2010 on its upgrade and expansion of its Endako molybdenum mine near Fraser Lake, east of Prince George. Another $15.4 million was spent on its recently acquired Mount Milligan gold and copper project northwest of Prince George. Thompson Creek, which purchased the Mount Milligan project with the buyout of Terrane Metals, plans to swing into full-scale construction on the $900-million mine this year. The company -- which has offices in Denver, Colo. and Vancouver -- was helped by higher molybdenum prices, up 39 per cent from the previous year. The company produced a record 32.6 million pounds of molybdenum in 2010, and sold a record 29.1 million pounds. "Thompson Creek's 2010 financial performance was greatly improved from a year earlier mainly as a result of increased production, sales volumes and molybdenum prices," said Thompson Creek chairman and CEO Kevin Loughrey. "We anticipate that over the balance of 2011 the price for molybdenum oxide will continue to be volatile, but will gradually increase with the expected improvement in City of Opportunity
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worldwide molybdenum bearing steel production," added Loughrey. The upgrade to the Endako mine is expected to help secure the approximately 260 jobs at the mine.The modernization also has spinoff benefits for Prince George, considered a supply and service centre for mines in the region. The modernization project includes construction of a new mill to replace a 45-year old plant.The upgrade will also increase the mill capacity to 50,000 tonnes per day from 28,000 tonnes per day. The Mount Milligan mine promises some of the first new heavy-industry jobs in the Prince George region in more than a decade. Such jobs, which are normally higher paying than those in the service sector, are considered important for the economy because they bring wealth-creating export dollars to the region. As part of its purchase of Mount Milligan, Thompson Creek also secured financing of $311.5 million with Royal Gold Inc., which earned the right to purchase 25 per cent of the future mine's gold production. Some preliminary development - including road upgrades - has started at the Mount Milligan gold and copper project. The project is the closest new mine development to the city. The mine, with a forecast life of 15 years, is expected to create 400 jobs. Between 200 to 600 workers will also be needed during the mine's two-year construction period.
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Submitted photos
Bioenergy brings the
spotlight to Prince George
When UNBC President George Iwama stood on a stage in front of 2400 of the top university and college sustainability specialists in Denver late last year, it probably represented the first time many of them had even heard of UNBC or Prince George.They sure know about us now. One reason is the University’s bioenergy project, the recipient of the top campus sustainability award in North America. The attention didn’t stop there: in March, new Premier Christy Clark participated in the official opening of the new Bioenergy Plant. It was her first official function as Premier outside of Victoria. Most recently, the University’s bioenergy project is a finalist for a national environmental award from Scotiabank.The award winners will be announced in Toronto in June. In short, the bioenergy project is shining a spotlight on UNBC and Prince George. And why not? The project is unique among Canadian universities and showcases the resources and ingenuity of
The Bioenergy plant uses sawmill residue provided by Lakeland Mills of Prince George.
British Columbians and northerners.The gasification technology has been provided by Nexterra Systems and the fuel is sawmill residue provided by Lakeland Mills of Prince George. The spectacular design of the building is the work of Hughes Condon Marler of Vancouver and was built by IDL Projects of Prince George.The new plant joins a wood pellet facility that has been operating at the I.K. Barber Enhanced Forestry Lab since mid-2009. Bioenergy is expected to reduce UNBC’s consumption of fossil fuel by about 85% and reduce the carbon footprint of the campus by more than 3500 tonnes per year. Perhaps most significantly, it will serve as a platform for applied research and education, supporting the sustainability and diversification of communities like Prince George that are reliant on forests and the forest industry.That’s the best reward.
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The University’s new Bioenergy Plant was built by IDL Projects of Prince George and features biomass gasification technology developed by BC-based Nexterra Systems. Emissions from the Plant are at or below natural gas levels.
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Submitted photo
FRONT LINES
Celebrating Northern BC’s
Lisa Sam, a UNBC grad who is working as a nurse in Nak’azdli, is profiled in Front Lines. She received a national award of excellence last year among all nurses working on reserves.
health care practitioners
T
his is a book about people from many walks of life with varied skills. There are traditional healers, community health workers, nurses, and family and specialist physicians who not only care for others but pass their wisdom and skills to the next generation. The stories told by caregivers in the North become legends. With those words, Dr. David Snadden presents the foreword in a new book produced by the Northern Medical Program. Called Front Lines: Portraits of Caregivers in Northern British Columbia, the book captures the legendary stories of 40 Local oncologist Dr. Winston Bishop is one of the health care practitioners profiled in Front Lines, a new book produced by the Northern Medical Program.
Submitted photo
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health care workers in northern BC. The practitioners include Dr Tracy Morton, who kayaks to work each day on Haida Gwaii; Julie Ephrom, who left California nearly 40 years ago to be a nurse in Vanderhoof; Charles Helm, who is passionate believer in health and people’s connection to nature; and Lisa Sam of Nak’azdli, who won the top national award last year for nurses working on reserves. Lisa is one of five UNBC grads featured in the book. In addition, the articles about each person were written by another UNBC graduate – Sarah de Leeuw – a two-time winner of a CBC literary award and a Northern Medical Program faculty member. Each person profiled in the book was also photographed by Tim Swanky, who has been a photographer at UNBC for more than 20 years. “A special feature of this book is that the proceeds from the sale of each copy will go to the Northern Medical Programs Trust,” says Dr. Snadden, who is the head of the Northern Medical Program.“In this way, this book will help to educate and produce the next generation of amazing health care practitioners who will be shaped by this magnificent land and the remarkable people who live here.” Published by Creekstone Press of Smithers, the book is available in bookstores around northern BC, including the UNBC Bookstore. The cost is $32.
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BC CANCER AGENCY CENTRE FOR THE NORTH
construction underway
C
onstruction on the BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North in Prince George is well underway. Groundbreaking for the project took place in July 2010 with the centre expected to open in late 2012. “The Centre for the North will help to improve the quality of cancer care for patients living in the North through the co-ordination
of new treatment and support services, as well as research activities,” said Brian Schmidt, interim president of the BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority. The 5,000-square-metre Centre for the North will be located next to the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia (UHNBC). When it opens, it will bring radiation therapy service to the North for the first time, and will also include a computerized-tomography (CT) simulator; a chemotherapy treatment unit; and general outpatient clinics. Cont’d on page 30
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One of BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North’s key design features will be a green, ‘living’ roof - the first of its kind in Prince George. The green roof will be comprised of local plants that will provide several benefits to the building including capturing rainwater, providing insulation and offering patients, staff and visitors a view of indigenous landscaping.
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RETIRE IN PRINCE GEORGE Cont’d from page 28 The facility is being built to achieve LEED Gold certification. LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system. As part of this certification, a notable design feature of the centre will be a green,“living” roof. In addition to construction, recruitment is also underway. Dr. Robert Olson is the Centre for the North’s first radiation oncologist and has also been appointed as an assistant professor with the Northern Medical Program at the University of Northern British Columbia. Dr. Suresh Katakkar has been hired as the centre’s first medical oncologist. Other positions required include additional radiation and medical oncologists, radiation therapists, social workers and pharmacists.
To support the new centre, UHNBC has undertaken various renovations. Changes in its lab and medical imaging departments will help the hospital to more fully meet the centre’s needs in such areas as blood collection, diagnostic testing, and specimen analysis. The Centre for the North and the UHNBC renovations are key components of the Northern Cancer Control Strategy, a joint partnership of the BC Cancer Agency, Northern Health and the Provincial Health Services Authority.The strategy is focused on enhancing the full continuum of cancer services across the North, including prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, supportive and palliative care. For more information about the Northern Cancer Control Strategy, visit www.northerncancerstrategy.ca
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