INDUSTRY AND TRADES SPRING
INSIDE
Trade War Effects on Natural Resources Industry
Northern BC’s Biomass Diesel possibilities
BC Ministers talk Collaboration at BC Natural Resources Forum
Features Spring 2025
Energy regulator to be given sole permitting authority for North Coast transmission line
Conifex loses bid to overturn NDP pause on powering cryptocurrency mines
Interest rate cut called good for Prince George home buyers
Construction of Arbios Biotech’s first-of-its kind fuel facility now complete in PG
Site near Prince George picked to launch carbon capturing/sequestering project
Early Hints of Trade War Surface at Resources Forum
Tariffs could teach Canada valuable lesson, says UNBC faculty member
Calgary company looks at Northern BC as potential site of biomass diesel manufacturing plant
Forum hears different takes on BC Hydro’s ability to meet forecasted demand
Province launches review of BC Timber Sales
Ministers talk collaboration, tariffs at resource forum breakfast in Prince George
BC promises to fast-track natural resource projects, but details unclear
INDUSTRY AND TRADES - SPRING 2025
Published by: Prince George Citizen
Publisher: Cameron Stolz
Editor: Kennedy Gordon
505-4TH AVENUE, PRINCE GEORGE BC 250.562.2441 frontdesk@pgcitizen.ca www.princegeorgecitizen.com
Energy regulator to be given sole permitting authority for North Coast transmission line
The BC Government plans to introduce legislation later this year giving the BC Energy Regulator sole authority to issue the permits needed for the construction of the North Coast transmission line and other major transmission systems.
Premier David Eby made the announcement as the first keynote speaker at the 2025 BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George Jan. 14, saying that the regulator has a “history of showing success at getting projects moving quickly (and) working in partnership with industry and with First Nations.”
“This will ensure that we build the lines sooner,” the premier said. He later added that this would also help speed up the time it takes for natural resources and provincial critical infrastructure projects to get off the ground as well.
BC Hydro announced its plans to twin its lines from Prince George to Terrace during the 2023 BC Natural Resources Forum, which would add 450 kilometres of 500-kilovolt transmission lines.
It would include a 170-kilometre transmission line from the Williston substation to the Glenannan substation, a 130-km line from Glenannan to the Telkwa substation and another 145-km line from Telkwa to the Skeena substation near Terrace.
Other supporting infrastructure like the installation of fibre optic cable, the expansion of capacitor stations and the improvement of existing substations would also be carried out.
At the time, Hydro CEO Chris O’Riley said the development would support future industrial development along BC’s north coast.
Speaking to The Citizen before the forum kicked off, Eby said expediting the transmission of electricity is key.
On one hand, the premier said, using hydroelectric power instead of diesel or other forms of energy reduces emissions.
“It also reduces costs because our electricity is quite cheap and it makes projects even more successful and profitable and might push some projects that are
kind of on the edge into development,” Eby said.
The premier also tied this announcement into his government’s approval of nine wind power projects late last year that are all co-owned by First Nations. Those projects were allowed to bypass the environmental assessment process.
One of those projects is a joint venture between Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and Spanish firm Ecoener to build 18 turbines near Hixon with a generating capacity of 140 megawatts.
Together, Eby said, all nine projects will boost BC’s generating capacity by eight per cent when they come online.
The premier told The Citizen that his government will put out additional calls for power to meet anticipated demand in BC. The eventual goal is to allow for BC to sell power down the west coast of the United States as well as to Alberta and redto uce rates for BC customers.
He said they were allowed to bypass the environmental assessment process because they will help reduce BC’s carbon emissions and they are owned by the
communities where they’re located.
However, he said, the rules around mitigating the developments’ impacts on streams, wildlife and other facets of nature will still be enforced.
In a separate interview in Prince George, Energy Minister Adrian Dix said that the transmission line and the wind power projects would allow for electricity generated in Northern BC to be used to promote the region’s economic growth.
“It’s a visionary thing that BC Hydro and its partners are doing and it’s critical, I would argue, for the future of the province but we also have to get these things built and that is a key element of my mandate,” Dix said. “It’s why we’ve taken the action on wind power, it’s why we’re taking the action on transmission … to reduce not the effect of regulation or the protection it provides, but the time of it, which is itself a cost to everybody.”
Dix called wind power the “low-cost form of renewable energy” that still has a lot of opportunities left to exploit.
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan accompanied by Councillor Crystal Gibbs speaks to the 22nd Annual BC Natural Resource Forum at the Civic Centre Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Conifex loses bid to overturn NDP pause on powering cryptocurrency mines
BOB MACKIN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The BC Court of Appeal has dismissed a Prince George forest products company’s challenge of the BC NDP cabinet’s 2022 moratorium on powering new cryptocurrency mines.
Conifex Timber Inc. failed to overturn the decision in BC Supreme Court last year.
“The appeal is not moot, as it addresses a controversy that could have practical implications for Conifex’s pending electrical service requests,” ruled the tribunal. “On the merits, Conifex has not established that the (order in council) was outside the scope of the (cabinet) regulation-making authority.”
The March 3 decision, written by Justice Paul Riley and concurred by Justices Margot Fleming and Lauri Ann Fenlon, came after a one-day, Nov. 25 hearing that also named BC Hydro as a respondent.
The tribunal said that the proposed Conifex projects would use almost half the projected energy output from the new, $16 billion Site C Dam. Therefore, it was reasonable for cabinet to conclude it had
the authority to order a pause in delivery of service to cryptocurrency operations, “based on cost-of-service and economic concerns tied to their distinctive electrical consumption characteristics.”
It was also not unreasonable for cabinet to issue an order directing the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) to exercise its power to relieve BC Hydro of its obligation to provide service to new or pending cryptocurrency mines, despite the requirement for the BCUC to “hold a hearing before independently exercising that statutory power.”
Conifex applied in April 2021 to BC Hydro for three megawatts (MW) of service, with a potential to expand to 25 MW, in Mackenzie. It also envisioned similar projects at Kennedy Creek, Salmon Valley and Ashton Creek.
A tribunal determined that proposed Conifex projects would use almost half the projected energy output from the new, $16 billion Site C Dam.
Conifex later abandoned the Kennedy Creek plan, but submitted applications for Salmon Valley and Ashton Creek in April 2022, proposing to operate each site to 150 MW. In June 2022, it entered into system impact study agreements that required BC Hydro to complete necessary reports by the end of April 2023 and then proceed to the impact study phase.
But BC Hydro was flooded with requests to power cryptocurrency mines. The Crown corporation became concerned that it would be forced to increase electricity rates for all customers and lose the ability to meet future power demand while achieving government-imposed objectives to transition away from fossil fuels.
So cabinet directed BCUC to pause new and pending electrical service applications for crypto mining for 18 months. It specified four projects, including Conifex’s (HPC) performance computing sites in Salmon Valley and Ashton Creek.
BC Supreme Court heard Conifex’s petition over two days in October 2023 and dismissed the case in February 2024. On the last day of the spring Legislature session in May 2024, the NDP government enacted the Energy Statutes Amendment Act which authorized cabinet to regulate
provision of electrical service for crypto mining.
By the end of June 2024, the 18-month moratorium elapsed. But, on the same day, cabinet issued the Cryptocurrency Power Regulation that said BC Hydro must not supply service to certain cryptocurrency projects, including Conifex’s Salmon Valley and Ashton Creek sites, for a further 18 months.
The Court of Appeal decision said Conifex “intends to pivot away” from proposed crypto mining to offer HPC services to clients in the artificial intelligence and machine learning industries. It advised BC Hydro of this move last May, after the BC Supreme Court decision.
“Conifex says this change in end use does not affect the particulars of its interconnection requests for the Salmon Valley and Ashton Creek HPC Sites, which should be allowed to proceed through the BC Hydro interconnection process without further delay,” said the Court of Appeal.
Conifex, publicly traded on the TSX, has a corporate office in Vancouver, a regional office in Prince George and sawmill and power plant operations in Mackenzie.
PHOTO BY BC HYDRO
Interest rate cut called good for Prince George home buyers
Citizen Staff
A quarter-point drop in the interest rate to three per cent, announced in January by the Bank of Canada to help counter the threat of tariffs plotted by the U.S. government, should help some Prince George homebuyers waiting to take on a mortgage.
But the uncertainty of not knowing if those trade barriers will actually take effect and their potential to damage the city’s forestry-dependent economy might convince people to hold off before making any big purchases, according to local real estate broker Mike Hurrell.
“In Prince George we’re kind of in a wait-and-see mode,” said Hurrell, owner of Maxsave Real Estate Services.
“Our local economy probably isn’t as strong as it’s been the last few years and these potential tariffs coming down could really affect the forest industry in Prince George. That uncertainty might offset some of the normal increases in housing market activity that we normally would see with an interest rate drop.”
The central bank’s sixth consecutive rate cut since April will help stimulate the economy, said Hurrell, but he added that government over-regulation is creating unnecessary barriers for buyers and builders that will continue
to dampen the local housing market.
There’s been an overemphasis on government subsidies for new construction of multi-family housing and rental units and not enough support for builders of single-family homes, Hurrell said, going on to say that if the feds are serious about stimulating housing they would drop the five per cent GST on all new housing.
“The federal government really geared all the housing programs, such as eliminating GST, for purpose-built rental properties and as a result you’re getting a lot of investment in these multi-family units and we have a lot of them coming on board now which is going to create an oversupply,” he said.
Regulations putting clamps on local housing industry as tariff threat looms
“People who actually want to live in houses are paying exorbitant prices and the builders are completely ignoring that segment because the government subsidies that are available in the multi-family market right now. So all you’re getting is townhouses and multi-family rental properties being built now, and that’s not the only thing people want.”
Hurrell said sales are brisk for properties on the low end of the price scale but have been stagnant on higher-end listings, starting at $600,000. The average ‘70s-era bungalow in the city is selling for $440,000. He said there are only three new-build single family dwellings currently on the market and that’s not likely to change
TED CLARKE
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO
Construction of single-family homes in Prince George is not keeping pace with demand, and government red tape is to blame, says local real estate broker Mike Hurrell.
any time soon because almost nobody is building them.
“There’s a shortage of the types of property that everybody’s looking for,” he said.
Hurrell said there would be a lot more affordable housing if governments would scrap the anti-flipping taxes which discourage renovators from buying derelict properties and turning them into updated well-maintained homes for purchase or rent.
On Jan. 1, a 20 per cent provincial government anti-flipping tax took effect and that means anybody who sells a home within a year of purchasing it will pay the province 20 per cent of any profits. That drops to 10 per cent after 18 months and down to zero after two years.
The provincial tax is in addition to the federal anti-flipping tax structure put in place at the start of 2023 which, according to Hurrell, takes a 25 per cent bite out of profits from any property bought and sold within 365 days.
He said renovators won’t buy houses to fix them up because of the twoyear-ban on flipping and new BC regulations on short-term rentals which require owners to live at the property rules out another segment of the market for investors.
“The politicians have targeted flippers because they’re taking way homes from people that would otherwise buy homes, but the unintended consequences is a lot of those homes are in such deplorable condition that nobody would live in them anyway,” said Hurrell.
“You’re looking at 45 per cent tax and if you do a substantial renovation it’s GST applicable and you might have to pay another five per cent. To top it all off, the provincial government now requires that all contractors who do these renovations have to be fully licensed and go through about two years’ worth of education courses.
“So what do you think the contractors do, because there’s only select few who have these licenses. It essentially gives them a monopoly and so the price of the actual contracting goes up. Gone are the days when Joe Blow,
who’s good at carpentry, can go in and flip a house. As a result, you have these houses that would be perfect for renovation but God forbid the little guy makes a bit of money flipping a house.”
Hurrell said people should be concerned about the cost of housing and he’s convinced deregulating the industry would be good start. He says there are examples in other markets – Calgary, Edmonton, Houston and Phoenix – where minimal regulation on flipping has worked to keep prices in check.
He said a uniform one-size-fits-all policy on housing does not take into account local concerns and provincial/ federal authorities need to get better at addressing the needs of municipalities.
“I think go back to basics and look to areas that don’t have the housing problem, what are they doing differently, why can’t we model ourselves after them and if subsidies is the answer to try and get housing costs down, then perhaps we need to be getting local input on where those subsidies are going,” Hurrell said.
Housing prices and the cost of rental units are high across the board in BC, but in cities like Prince George, there are only a few private-sector developments ongoing. Most are government-driven. Builders who see the profit potential are instead shying away and that means fewer jobs for tradespeople.
“They’re not doing it because we’ve had a series of policies between federal and provincial governments that have basically taken a baseball bat to investors, developers and landlords,” said Dan McLaren, president and CEO of the Prince George-based Commonwealth Group of Companies.
“We’ve seen a government that beats up on the people that are building. Where’s the incentivization? Even though, theoretically there’s all this money to be made, when you start to drill down there really isn’t. They’ve taken all the profit-incentive out of it.
“They need less rules, not more. This is kind of the habit of our current provincial government, every solution to every problem is always more taxes and more regulation and look what we’ve
got. At a time when you think housing prices are so high you want people building houses to increase supply and make profits, but they’re not.”
The prime interest rate was at 5.20 per cent Thursday and a five-year fixed mortgage can be had a 4.29 per cent.
While lower interest rates will help Canadian consumers, McLaren said the 25 per cent proposed tariffs would devastate northern BC’s resource-based economy which sends 58 per cent of its exports across the U.S. border, complicating the recovery of a forest industry already struggling with a shortage of economic fibre that has closed or curtailed mills across the province.
“They’ve had the exchange rate that’s been in their favour but forestry guys have always lived in a world of counter-veiling duties because the forestry dynamic is not part of NAFTA and what we should be striving for is a global contract for proper free trade,” said McLaren
“President Trump says he’s bringing the tariffs because we’re taking advantage of him, well, this current (free
trade agreement), he negotiated it. The only way he can bring the tariffs on is if there are exogenous circumstances, so that’s why they’re making so much noise about border problems.”
McLaren says there a real chance Canada could be heading for a recession if the tariffs are applied and there’s a corresponding drop in GDP for the next two quarters, and with Canada so dependent on trade with the U.S. there’s no immediate help on the horizon.
“If the Petronas pipeline was getting built and we were getting our products to the Asian market or if Energy East was created and we were getting our energy products to the Maritimes and Europe we’d probably be having a different discussion,” he said.
“But if you’re going to say no to industrial development, no mining, no forestry - try getting a second house built on a piece of farmland. If we’re not allowed to do anything and the government chooses to ramp up spending it’s a terrible combination.”
LET’S WORK TO BUILD OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NORTH TO THRIVE AND PROSPER
Kiel.Giddens.MLA@leg.bc.ca facebook: MLA Kiel Giddens www.bcconservativecaucus.ca/team/kiel_giddens
Construction of Arbios Biotech’s first-of-its kind fuel facility now complete in Prince George
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
Arbios Biotech has completed construction of the world’s largest hydrothermal liquefaction facility, built in the shadow of the Nechako River cutbanks.
Located on slice of land next to Canfor’s Intercontinental Pulp Mill and across the road from Tidewater Midstream’s Prince George Refinery, a project that will turn tree bark into high-value renewable bio-oil in now just months away from going into production.
Tessa Gill, the external relations lead for Arbios Biotech, made the announcement at Future Fuels Forum in January, where she was one of the
panelists gathered for a discussion on research, development and innovation at the House of Ancestors Uda Dune Baiyoh Conference Centre.
“There’s a lot going on in Prince George that people always don’t know about, it is the hub of innovations sometimes, and we’re an example of that,” said Gill. “We’re at the stage of commercialization and that’s really exciting for us and it’s exciting for Prince George as well.”
Built mostly by local contractors, once it is up and running sometime later this year, the plant will have doubled its staff of 25 now working at the facility with at least 50 full-time employees supported by local tradespeople and material suppliers in the city.
The facility will use first-of-its-kind technology to convert hog fuel (bark and other underutilized residues from sawmills) into bio-fuel that can be refined into drop-in fuel for the transportation sector. Gill is not worried that biomass supply will ever go away, despite closures of sawmills and pulp mill operations in the region and more threatened by poor forestry market conditions.
“We’re really quite small compared to the industry around us so we do have a supply, and it’s not pure fibre, it’s residue we’re focused on, so we’re OK as a facility,” said Gill. “Once we prove this commercialization it’s a springboard for other opportunities wherever the feedstocks are.
“We do benefit from existing infra-
Chuntoh Ghuna facility to convert wood bark into bio-fuel will be operational later this year; UNBC interested in research opportunities
structure here and Canfor is still here and we’ve benefited from some of the utility infrastructure as well. We have a skilled workforce here and we’ve absolutely tried to recruit locally as well.”
At an August 2022 ceremony the facility was given the name Chuntoh Ghuna, which in Lheidli T’enneh First Nation’s Dakelh dialect means The Forest Lives. Once it is up and running later this year it will have an annual capacity of 50,000 barrels of bio-oil. It has the potential for four processing lines that would raise capacity to 200,000 barrels.
Gill says while there’s not yet any formal agreement in place with Tidewater Midstream to refine the product, she’s confident a deal between
ARBIOS PHOTO
Construction is now complete at the Arbios Biotech Chuntoh Ghuna bio-oil facility in Prince George.
neighbours can be achieved.
“It’s hard to get projects like this off the ground so we couldn’t do it without government policies and support
systems and grants and structures that help us,” said Gill. “We’ve benefited from the low-carbon fuel standard and in the form of carbon credits. It’s
important for Canada to protect the bio-fuels and alternative energy industry in whatever policies they consider in the future.”
Also on hand for the panel session was UNBC chemistry professor Hossein Kazemian, who says the university is closely connected to the facility and its future operations. Instructors and graduate students seeking research opportunities are already providing their expertise and will take advantage of work opportunities the state-of-theart facility will provide.
“This kind of technology is brand new, there’s going to be lots of development,” said Kazemian. “Given the fact that R&D is becoming more expensive every day because of the equipment, because of the highly qualified personnel, they need to invest in something and I do believe collaboration and partnership between Arbios and a university like UNBC is critical for their development and also for us.”
Kazemian said UNBC’s influence in the city serving its industrial base is profound and said high school students
need to recognize that while there is uncertainty right now in the forest industry there is still a need for a welltrained, highly-educated workforce to work in places like Chuntoh Ghuna.
“Universities are struggling right now,” Kazemian said. “If we don’t have those partnerships and those investments from industries we’re going to lose them and they are going to lose us as well. Losing a facility like UNBC, I cannot even think about it, but these days we are in the era where it is happening. Big universities are closing their programs, they cannot afford it.
“I do believe new industries in the region should understand and learn a lesson from bigger legacy industries. If they don’t invest in local highly-qualified personnel they’re going to struggle. Arbios understands those things given they are a technology-based company. They are opening their R&D facility right now and in the meantime are using our lab facility at UNBC. That’s something I wanted, they should consider us part of them. I’m excited for the future.”
CITIZEN PHOTO BY TED CLARKE
Future Fuels Forum panelists Tessa Gill, left, and Hossein Kazerian discussed opportunities for research and development between Arbios Biotech and UNBC.
Site near Prince George picked to launch carbon capturing/sequestering project
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
Of all the places in British Columbia they could have picked to set up the first carbon dioxide capturing/sequestering project in the province, Scott Larson and Johnathon Sipos decided the best was a site 50 kilometres southwest of Prince George.
Why there?
It’s all about brucite, a mineral that lies in abundance in a deposits hundreds of meters below the surface. Often found next to nickel, the porous brucite reacts with carbon dioxide in a chemical reaction that hardens the liquid into crystalized rock that permanently locks in the CO2.
That quick reaction with the mineral will permanently take that injected CO2 out
of the equation and on a large scale could potentially negate the climate change threat posed by industrial natural gas emissions.
Sipos and his Victoria-based company Cielo Carbon solutions, the Canadian partner of CarbonQuest, will do carbon capturing, while Larson, chief executive officer of CO2 Lock will take care of the sequestering.
CO2 Lock started three years ago as a subsidiary of FPX Nickel, a Vancouver company which knew through its own operations where to look to find brucite and decided on a 4,084-hectare site just off Blackwater Road near Bobtail Lake Provincial Park.
“We were looking all over the world for the brucite and we looked at 300 sites and
CITIZEN PHOTO BY TED CLARKE
Scott Larson of CO2 Lock, left, and Jonathon Sipos of Cielo Carbon Solutions are partners in a plan to begin a carbon capturing/sequestering project 50 km SW of Prince George.
geology and at the same time, from a regulatory standpoint and for getting CO2 from Prince George, it really was the best site for us to start.”
So how will they capture it?
Cielo will utilize a process called pressure swing absorption. From a natural gas boiler it will collect out the exhaust which contains water vapour, oxygen, nitrogen and CO2. Under pressure, the water is then forced out and the three gases are forced into a pressure swing vessel. Zeolite pellets are then added to the mix to absorb the carbon dioxide and the nitrogen and oxygen will then be diverted.
Sipos says the process retains 99 per cent of the CO2, which will be collected as a gas in transport trucks. From there it will go to a processing facility to be mixed with water before it is shipped to the sequestering site and injected into the ground.
“It takes about eight or nine months to mineralize underground and if you were to do it at the surface it would start within a couple of days,” said Larson, who introduced the project Tuesday at the Future Fuels Forum in Prince George. “We’re drilling down four of five hundred metres, so quite
shallow.”
Later this year they will inject through a well the first tanker load of CO2 (a couple hundred tonnes). That will ramp up to 30,000 tonnes in 2026, scaling up to as much as a million tonnes annually for about 20 years over the life of the project.
They’ve yet to determine their CO2 source but it will likely by a pulp mill, refinery, or large-scale welding or food processing operation in the region. While they seek emissions partners they’re hoping their project will capture the public’s imagination when Prince George people see it happening virtually in their own back yard. Last year the city emitted about six million tonnes of CO2.
“What we love is the ability to bring this to a university, an airport, a large residential building, something people can look at, see and feel and believe that carbon capture can make green the use of natural gas, combat climate change and support the use of fossil fuels,” said Sipos.
“Currently, the most progressive market on it is the oil and gas sector from compressor engines and they’re burning a lot of natural gas to compress natural gas in the pipelines
as they transport. That, for us, is the easiest sector to get into because companies want it, they’re looking to bring down their carbon footprints.
“I know we have a large natural gas pipeline network in BC and they’re burning a lot of natural gas. They’re trying to electrify some compressors, but if it’s 50 kilometres from a hydro line that’s not viable.”
Larson’s background is in satellite communications technology and one of the two satellites that were launched into space started in the basement of his home in Vancouver.
He said there are about 10 or 12 companies around the world that are also developing carbon capture/sequestering sites. The technology behind sequestering has taken 25 years to develop. He and Sipos plan to expand into the U.S., Asia and Europe.
Sipos says the 4,084 hectare Prince George project, dubbed SAM, is an example of how industry can still utilize the province’s abundant sources of natural gas and not feel guilty about emissions because they’ve found a way to decarbonize.
ABERDEEN CONTAINER
“Canada is a natural resource country and I believe we can capture the CO2 and still support the fossil fuel sector and not have to cut it down,” Sipos said. “In BC, natural gas royalties are our largest Crown royalty. I believe they surpassed forestry.
“When you look at the realities and importance of natural gas, unless we can capture and sequester it, we’ll never make it green and clean.”
Sipos says there’s still plenty of work to do with the federal and provincial government sweetening the pot to incentivize companies like his and Larson’s that see carbon capture as a wave of the future.
Compared to Alberta, where the process is projected to soon become a multi-billion dollar industry, BC is just taking baby steps.
“The province of BC is unfortunately behind in providing incentives,” said Sipos. “Alberta has a much clearer framework under their tier system. It’s very easy to get carbon credits there for installing carbon capture and sequestering it. BC has lagged far behind. Our regulatory framework doesn’t support it, and it’s frustrating.
Early Hints of Trade War Surface at Resources Forum
rated just days after the event.
The impending trade war with the United States became a key topic at this year’s BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, says one of the lead organizers.
Attendance at the 2025 forum reached a record high, with more than 1,400 people attending.
On the forum’s opening night, Jan. 14, BC Premier David Eby took the stage to preview what his government would do if then-president-elect Donald Trump followed through on his threatened tariffs after being inaugu -
Less than two months later, on March 4, Trump enacted a blanket 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods, except for energy, which faced a smaller 10 per cent tariff.
The situation remains fluid, with new tariffs and countermeasures announced almost daily.
Although forum advisory committee chair and C3 Alliance CEO Sarah Weber said the threat of tariffs came up too late to affect attendance, she noted it provided structure for the event.
“It certainly gave some laser focus, I think, to the government and to the
(cabinet) mandate letters that were released,” Weber said.
“I think it’s giving everyone a bit of urgency and prompting reflection on how we are diversifying our exports and what else can be done. It was the perfect place to get all the right people in the room for those bigger discussions.”
The forum also saw BC Premier David Eby and Energy Minister Adrian Dix announce that the province would give the BC Energy Regulator sole permitting authority for the North Coast transmission line expansion from Prince George to Terrace.
They said the move would help speed
Prince George Hosted Key BC Industry Players in January
Premier David Eby answers questions from Sarah Weber, president and CEO of C3 Alliance Corporation, at the 22nd Annual BC Natural Resource Forum at the Celebrating Natural Resources Banquet at the Civic Centre Tuesday, Jan. 14.
up the construction of the twinning of the existing 450-kilometre, 500-kilovolt transmission line.
On the forum’s second day, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar announced a review of practices at BC Timber Sales.
Other government guests included Environment Minister Tamara Davidson, Jobs Minister Diana Gibson, Water Minister Randene Neill, Mining Minister Jagrup Brar, and Indigenous Relations Minister Christine Boyle, who discussed the need for action and collaboration when dealing with natural resource development and efforts to speed up permitting times during a breakfast panel on the forum’s last day.
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
“Our resources and our future is our overarching tagline, as well as how we sustainably develop good projects and support local communities to be robust places where people want to live across the province. So, I think we’ll definitely be looking at our export markets and diversifying where BC is exporting to.
BC’s new Opposition Leader, John Rustad, hosted his own breakfast at the Coast Inn, criticizing the premier’s plans to combat tariffs and advocating for BC to take Trump’s concerns about illegal drugs and migrants flowing south of the border more seriously.
Weber expressed excitement about having several notable guests speak at the forum, including FortisBC CEO Roger Dall’Antonia, BC Hydro CEO Chris O’Riley, LNG Canada CEO Jason Klein — who is scheduled to depart his role April 1 — Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars, and representatives from the Skeena Gold and Silver project.
Other organizations represented included FPX Nickel, which is working to open a nickel mine near Fort St. James, Seabridge Gold, which plans to develop a gold, silver, molybdenum, and copper mine in northwest BC, Teck Resources, Galore Creek Mining Corporation, natural gas company Petronas, CN Rail, and others.
Since Weber and her company took over organizing the forum about 10 years ago, she said they’ve worked to include Indigenous voices. Recent dis-
cussions have focused on the development of natural resources within the context of BC’s adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into provincial law.
“The adoption of UNDRIP has, as it’s evolved, created one of the most important agenda items to discuss, whether it’s land, cumulative effects, preservation, conservation, sustainability, or economic development,” Weber said.
This year, more than 40 First Nations chiefs, councillors, and Indigenous representatives from various organizations or companies attended.
“I know there are 200 First Nations in BC, but this is a really strong proportion and showing from those groups involved in resource development.”
During the forum, Rio Tinto unveiled an aluminum totem pole created by Haisla artist Ab Morrison-Hayward as a symbol of collaboration between the company and the Haisla Nation.
Weber called it the biggest highlight of the forum, recalling how it took four or five people to lift it onto the stage, followed by careful coordination to remove the curtain without the pole falling over.
On Jan. 15, during a panel discussion featuring BC mayors including Fort St. John’s Lilia Hansen, Prince Rupert’s Herb Pond, and Port Coquitlam’s Brad West, Prince George Mayor Simon Yu voiced his desire for a larger convention or conference centre in the city.
An expanded Civic Centre was part of Yu’s alternative Civic Core Plan, which he presented to city council in late December, though his colleagues ultimately chose a design prepared by city staff.
The event is a “perfect fit” for Prince George, Weber said, as it provides an opportunity for people to connect without the urban distractions of the Lower Mainland.
The newer Hyatt and Marriott hotels built downtown in recent years have been a big boon to the forum, Weber said, also praising the service provided by local workers and the food provided by local restaurants.
She added that the forum would be the first to rent space in an expanded Civic Centre if that project ever materialized.
Organizers are taking a break before preparing for the 2026 forum, scheduled for Jan. 20 to 22. Weber said discussions are already underway with local hotels and other organizations to set things up.
If American tariffs remain in place, Weber said, they could be a major topic of discussion at the 2026 forum.
“Certainly, sustainable growth within the resource sector, which is so important to BC and Western Canada, will always underpin the theme,” Weber said.
“Our resources and our future is our overarching tagline, as well as how we sustainably develop good projects and support local communities to be robust places where people want to live across the province. So, I think we’ll definitely be looking at our export markets and diversifying where BC is exporting to.
“But a lot can happen between now and then.”
Hotel bookings for the 2026 forum will
begin May 26, with tickets likely to go on sale around the third week of September.
Weber thanked the people of Prince George, city council, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, and the University of Northern BC for their help in hosting the conference and making attendees feel welcome enough to keep returning year after year.
Tariffs could teach Canada valuable lesson, says UNBC faculty member
BC is preparing for the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods, and for the Canadian government’s matching response.
es and then non-American businesses for their purchasing.
The sword of Damocles finally fell on Tuesday, March 4 as U.S. President Donald Trump followed through with his threat to place 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods, but a member of UNBC’s faculty of business and economics wonders if it might teach Canada a valuable lesson despite short-term economic pain.
The only exemption to Trump’s 25 per cent rate is Canadian energy, which had a smaller 10 per cent tariff slapped on it.
In response, Canada has implemented countervailing tariffs. Premier David Eby announced that BC Liquor Stores would be pulling products from Republican-led U.S. states and both the provincial government and Crown corporations would prioritize first Canadian business-
While Trump later said he’d hold off on some tariffs for another month, the trade war is under way.
Reached by phone on the eve of the tariffs’ implementation, longtime UNBC instructor Charles Scott said he thinks their impacts will be “fairly immediate.”
“If it’s forest products, we’re producing pretty consistently,” Scott said.
“We don’t have large lead times on it and even if you’ve got a delivery schedule … it’s fixed months in advance. You’ve got to ship this many board feet at that timeline, so once it kicks in, it kicks in pretty immediately. The impact of previous tariffs on softwood lumber have pretty consistently resulted in rapid
implementation and rapid impact.”
Despite the tariffs on Canadian products, Scott said the U.S. will still be unable to meet its domestic needs for things like lumber.
While U.S. companies might look to European lumber in the face of tariffs on Canadian goods, that will only be helpful as long as Trump doesn’t impose tariffs on the European Union as well, something he has threatened to do.
Combined with the Trump Administration’s focus on deporting illegal immigrants, which is affecting industries that rely on the labour they provide, he said the impact of the tariffs will be higher prices in the U.S.
In Prince George, Scott said he thinks businesses with American clientele will
be affected in the short term.
As an example, Scott named KJM Sales, a local manufacturer of industrial components with clients in both the U.S. and Canada. He said companies like KJM, which are able to compete due to the competitive prices they charge will lose that advantage in the eyes of American businesses.
The knock-on effect of local export businesses losing business could mean a reduction in salary and jobs for their employees, which means they have less to spend in this community.
However, he noted that when it comes to forestry, a lot of local mom-and-pop businesses will have already experienced these kinds of impacts from the devastation wreaked by pine beetle and spruce bugs.
COLIN SLARK
Citizen Staff
AP FILE PHOTO
“
We do a really good job with really important stuff and there are customers that we need to give a better understanding of that, who do not live in the United States, that need our product, that can pay for our product, but don’t think of us.
-Charles Scott
When it comes to things like food imports, Canada’s counter-tariffs could affect businesses like restaurants because this country is so dependent on American agriculture.
Rather than get too bogged down into a tit-for-tit escalation of retaliatory measures, Scott said he’d rather see Canada reduce its dependency on the U.S.
“95.5 per cent of the human race does not live in the United States, 95 per cent of humans walking the planet don’t live in North America,” Scott said.
“Now, this is the richest four and a half per cent, no question. If you have to live beside somebody, the U.S. is the best (country) to live beside, but it really is best not to have as large a portion of your total trade going into one market because you become very, very dependent on them.”
While Trump is shifting the U.S. away from its previous position as the world’s policeman to focus on domestic concerns early in his second term, Scott said that started before him and this reality will outlast him as well.
Another factor in Canada’s dependence on the U.S. is the worsening state of agriculture. Scott said California’s Central Valley, where 65 per cent of the country’s fruit and 50 per cent of the vegetables are grown is drawing so much water from its aquifer that the portions of the
ground have sunk by as much as 30 feet.
He said that isn’t sustainable and Canada was going to find that out eventually. With the tariffs, our country has the chance to pivot before Mother Nature forces us to.
“At the end of the day, we become less dependent on one market and more diversified in our trade,” Scott said.
“I don’t enjoy going to the gym, but my life gets enormously better when I do … so this is about us getting to where we need to get to, whether or not we like it and whether or not we want it, because it is simply better not to be dependent on some people who are increasingly trying to use that as leverage to squeeze us.”
Potential markets Canada could target include India, which Scott said is interested in Canadian expertise in water management, Australia and South Africa.
“We do a really good job with really important stuff and there are customers that we need to give a better understanding of that, who do not live in the United States, that need our product, that can pay for our product, but don’t think of us,” Scott said.
Ultimately, he said the United States is about to learn a hard economic lesson that a trade war makes things more expensive for everybody.
In a March 4 interview, KJM Sales owner James McIntosh said about 90 per cent of his customers are within Canada and 10 per cent of their product goes to the U.S.
While he said he’s not happy with the tariffs, he said it’s going to be the end consumer that will feel the biggest impacts since his company is a middleman.
“I’m not absorbing any of the increased costs from the tariff,” McIntosh said.
“I’m not sitting here going like ‘oh my goodness, I’m gonna lose … whatever the tariff amount is.’ It’s just an added cost for our end customer, which means that they buy less.”
That could have a trickle-down effect on his business over the long term. In
the short term, McIntosh said they’ll be watching their costs and the markets but won’t be changing their operations much. If possible, they’ll look to use non-tariffed goods to find a competitive advantage.
If things slow down enough, they may have to consider layoffs.
Expanding to other markets isn’t an appealing prospect. McIntosh said it’s “a fool’s game” to compete against Asian companies in Asia as China has taken on much of the world’s manufacturing.
“Australia is too far away, the Pacific Ocean is massive,” he said. “Can we ship things down to Mexico? I’m sure we can, but they also make things cheaper there. There’s also South American, there are lots of markets down there, but you’ve got to go exploring.”
As for whether Canada’s counter-tariffs will hurt his business, McIntosh said it depends on what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decides to impose them on. However, he said he believes that increasing costs and increasing inflation
as a result doesn’t solve anything.
The initial list of Canada’s counter-tariffs released on March 4 wasn’t as far-reaching as America’s blanket tariffs. Products affected include many food products, plastic building materials, tires, clothing, bedding, clothing, kitchen appliances, motorcycles, arcade games and more.
The dollar value of these tariffs is said by the federal government to be around $30 billion. If the U.S. doesn’t change course, Canada is set to add tariffs to another $125 billion worth of American goods three weeks from now.
“It’s proven throughout history, tariffs don’t work,” McIntosh said. “If the U.S.’s goal is to crush the Canadian economy, there’s other ways to do that. You can do it quickly. You don’t need to play the long game and put on tariffs. It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but nothing the American president does makes a whole lot of sense.”
REFUELING TANKS FUEL TANK PUMP
Calgary company considering northern BC as potential site of biomass diesel manufacturing plant
potential plant site.
In 2023, Expander Energy Inc. and Rocky Mountain Clean Fuels Inc., announced a project to produce low carbon bio-synthetic diesel fuel by combining pieces of waste wood and synthetic gas using a patented gasification process.
Once it becomes operational later this year the plant east of Calgary will be capable of producing eight million litres of renewable bio-diesel fuel per year.
Expander Energy CEO Gord Crawford spoke Monday at the inaugural Future Fuels Forum at the House of Ancestors Uda Dune Baiyoh Conference Centre in Prince George, and said his company is working on a feasibility study funded by the federal government’s Clean Fuels Fund to determine new locations for future gasification plants that turn forest products into fuel.
Northern BC is being considered as a
“One of them is in this region, one is in northern Ontario and one of them is in Quebec and we’re getting very close to the end of that feasibility phase, where we will finalize those locations and then move each into a full front-end engineering package, cost estimate and financial package that would be ready for project sanctioning and construction,” said Crawford.
While he can’t disclose where exactly the bio-mass plant would be located, Crawford said northern BC has all the elements needed to support a carbon-neutral project, including fibre supply, renewable energy from the electrical grid and an existing track record of industrial development.
“There’s lots of talented trades people here and a (provincial) government that is very supportive of these sort of projects moving forward to the extent that we at Expander just received BC low-carbon fuels branch approval of the fuel we are planning to produce at
our facility outside of Calgary, using biomass as the feedstock,” said Crawford.
Expander Energy is focused on utilizing biomass, electrolysis, captured carbon, power-to-liquids and other low-carbon intensity processes to make alternatives to conventional diesel fuel. Expander uses Fischer-Tropsch principles in combination with its patented gasification technology to make paraffin (candle wax), which can be further processed into diesel or aviation fuel (kerosine).
“The use of biomass, of forest residuals, and renewable electricity to make a globally tradable high-quality fuel is strategically dead-centre for the provincial government of British Columbia because these are fuels that are needed here and around the world,” said Crawford.
“This is an opportunity for Canada to generate export revenues and GDP and thousands of jobs that move the country forward. These are good
forestry jobs, trucking jobs, plant jobs millwrights, panel operators - they’re good-paying jobs and they’re generating a finished fuel product that competes on the world stage. These plants won’t be located in Vancouver, they’ll be in Prince George, Fort St. John, places like Fort St. James, rural and remote.”
Crawford referred to a study by the Canadian Sustainable Aviation Fuel Association which estimates that by using the biomass inventory currently available in Canada the country could produce eight billion litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) annually. Almost none of it is being produced right now.
There is a market for it, as Frank Femia of Air Canada pointed out to the conference audience. Just 0.3 per cent of the fuel Air Canada burns is SAF, due to the high cost of production, and the airline is looking for ways to incentivize new industry to produce all the renewable fuels the country needs.
While governments have tried to
CITIZEN PHOTO BY TED CLARKE
Future Fuels Forum panel speakers, from left, Gord Crawford of Expander Energy Inc.; Matt Millard of Tidewater Midstream Prince George Refinery; and Owen Miller of Deadwood Innovations spoke to the conference audience Monday at House of Ancestors Uda Dune Baiyoh Conference Centre.
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
These
plants won’t be located in Vancouver, they’ll be in Prince George, Fort St.. John, places like Fort St. James, rural and remote -Expander Energy CEO Gord Crawford
provide a helping hand, that’s not all going smoothly.
Matt Millard, general manager of the Tidewater Midstream Prince George Refinery, spoke about the struggles his company has faced since it opened its $430 million biofuel diesel refinery in November 2023.
Subsidies for biofuel diesel producers in the U.S. and a glut of biofuel projects south of the border that have come on-stream over the past year have dropped commodity prices to a point where Tidewater can’t compete with them.
Millard said the demand is there for what gets produced in Prince George. Biofuel is blended into other types of fuel such as a gasoline, but the price of the product makes it too expensive to produce.
Tidewater Renewables reported a loss of $367 million loss in the third quarter of 2024.
“It’s a huge issue for our long-term viability, potentially,” said Millard.
Tidewater has said it could lead to a closure of the renewables plant by as early as March and possibly threaten the company’s plan to expand into producing renewable jet fuel.
“Ultimately we’re looking for a level playing field, there are a high number of subsidies available to U.S. producers and (for them) the best economic model is you produce it in the U.S. and bring it to Canada,” said Millard.
“There isn’t enough low-carbon fuel production in B.C. to meet the targets that are set out, so some of it needs to come in. The problem is that there’s been a lot of new projects built in the U.S., almost to the point where it’s overbuilt, and some of that is shipped north, so that’s making it really challenging for BC producers. We still get the Canadian credits, but the U.S. producers get them as well when the
volume comes in, and they get a U.S. production subsidy.”
Tidewater has otherwise been successful with its Prince George refinery and has so far produced 160 million litres of renewable diesel since it opened 15 months ago and that has all gone into the BC market. It refines primarily canola oil, tallow (beef fat) and a small amount of used cooking oil to make its renewable energy.
The carbon reduction associated with what it has so far produced is more than 400,000 tonnes and Millard says that’s helping decarbonize the province’s resource industry. Tidewater’s fuel has gone into logging trucks, the forest industry, the mining sector and liquid natural gas projects to help them meet the province’s low-carbon fuel regulations.
He said the provincial government’s mandate for industry to achieve a 40 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 in “an aggressive target.
“Certainly, having more of these types of projects in BC will help them get to that target,” he said. “The fuel itself ins a drop-in replacement. The beauty of renewable diesel is you don’t have to change your equipment, you don’t have to change your fleet, it goes into every diesel engine and diesel pumps, it’s a direct replacement for fossil diesel.”
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CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
Expander Energy Inc.
Tidewater Midstream
Deadwood Innovations
BC Hydro’s CEO praised Lheidli T’enneh First Nation’s new wind power project and discussed the state of business for his Crown corporation while a former provincial cabinet minister called for power generated by natural gas at the second day of the 2025 BC Natural Resources Forum on Jan. 15.
A lengthy portion of the afternoon’s proceedings involved energy as Hydro’s Chris O’Riley delivered a keynote address before joining a four-person panel discussing how to strengthen BC’s energy grid.
O’Riley’s speech came less than a day after Premier David Eby announced that the provincial government would give the BC Energy Regulator sole permitting authority for the North Coast transmission line, which he said would speed up the planned its construction.
The CEO said that Hydro has $4.7 billion of work earmarked for Northern BC over the next 10 years, include the transmission line. He added that Eby’s announcement would make sure the line would be built “as fast and efficiently as possible.”
“We are seeing significant potential growth in the area,” O’Riley said. “We’ve initiated new projects to build the lines that will entwine the existing 500,000-kilovolt system between Prince George and Terrace to meet these signif-
Forum hears different takes on BC Hydro’s ability to meet forecasted demand
icant new loads. This project will also improve reliability in the region.”
Currently, BC Hydro is working with First Nations whose territory will be crossed by the line to determine the best route. Discussions are also underway on a co-ownership model for the line with those First Nations.
Much of O’Riley’s address was about the instability experienced by BC Hydro because of record droughts in the province over the last three years, which affect the province’s capacity to generate hydroelectric power.
He said a lot of work went into maintaining dam reservoir water levels during that time to make sure that BC would have enough power to meet peak demand. Thankfully, O’Riley said, precipitation in recent months has led to the removal of drought designations for much of the province including in basins where dams are located.
The Crown corporation is working to forecast BC’s future power needs from population growth, industrial projects, heating as customers switch to electricity to reduce their carbon footprint.
However, O’Riley noted that the province’s electrical load has been relatively low in recent years because of management practices and the downturn in the forestry industry.
The approval of nine wind projects and one solar project by the provincial government late last year, including a 140-megawatt wind project co-owned by Lheidli T’enneh near Hixon, is part of the plan to meet that rising demand.
O’Riley said those projects are expected to boost BC’s electricity production by eight per cent — about the same as the Site C dam.
Those projects are expected to generate $6 billion in construction for the economy and since most of the projects are roughly 50 per cent owned by First Nations, he said that’s around $3 billion in new assets for those nations.
After the keynote ended, O’Riley was
joined on stage by Andrew Robinson, CEO of the Nisga’a Lisims Government, Kwattuuma Cole Sayers, executive director of the Clean Energy Association of BC and Barry Penner, a former cabinet minister under the Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark governments who is now the chair of the Energy Futures Institute.
The discussion was moderated by Alexa Young, vice-president of business, government and public affairs for New Economy Canada.
Some of the most pointed remarks of the panel came from Penner.
The former environment minister said BC can’t get complacent on power, especially with the upcoming second presidency of Donald Trump.
Penner said he winced when Ontario Premier Doug Ford floated the idea of blocking energy sales to the US as BC imported 20 per cent of its power last year and a retaliatory action from the Americans could easily affect us.
His key point was that sustainability can’t be done at the cost of reliability, using the analogy that BC shouldn’t put all its eggs in the hydroelectric basket.
For that reason, Penner said, the province diversifying energy sources to wind and others “makes nothing but sense.”
He recommended several other changes to BC’s power approach.
Instead of considering a ban on the installation of new standalone gas heating appliances by 2030, promote a hybrid system where natural gas can be used when it’s too cold for heat pumps to run efficiently. This, he said would leverage BC’s existing natural gas, save the province billions in electric imports and make it less dependent on its neighbours.
“I just think it’s unrealistic and it’s dangerous,” he said of the desire to phase out natural gas heating.
Penner cited a recent report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, which projects a shortfall
of winter power transfers in the winters of 2027-28 and 2028-29 and from 203334 onwards, which would require the importation of power “if new resources were to be significantly delayed.”
He also advocated for adjusting Clean BC energy targets and relaxing rules that will eventually require 90 per cent of vehicles sold in the province to be electric and 100 per cent by 2035.
Following up, O’Riley said that just as when Penner was in government, BC exports power during a high-water year and imports it during a low-water year.
He also said that during the big cold snap in January 2024, when Alberta and Washington state were sending out phone warnings asking residents to reduce their power consumption, BC was a net exporter of power during that time.
On heat pumps and electric vehicles, he said they have been helpful technologies to reduce BC’s carbon footprint and he believes the pace of the transition to using them will be such that Hydro will be able to keep up with demand.
With regards to electric vehicles, Penner pointed out in return that the $5,000 federal rebate for new purchases was halted earlier in January and changes announced to the provincial counterpart last year means 75 per cent of electric vehicles and hybrids don’t qualify for the $4,000 credit. This, he said, makes them less affordable.
The panel also briefly touched on the First Nations wind power projects being allowed to bypass the environmental review process.
Sayers said the exemption from environmental assessment does not mean an exemption from environmental oversight.
“There’s still a robust environmental permitting process that has high standards in addition to the First Nations’ own,” Sayers said. “Lots of First Nations have their own laws and their own processes … so there’s been a lot of thought put into these projects already.”
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
Province launches review of BC Timber Sales
New forests minister Ravi Parmar puts together panel of forest experts to conduct review
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
The provincial government is taking steps to address the ailing BC forest industry and has launched a review of BC Timber Sales, which manages about 20 per cent of the province’s public timber supply.
BC has become the highest cost producer in North America, prompting the lumber giants, Canfor and West Fraser Timber to pull back on their BC operations, resulting in closures of sawmills and pulp mills and the loss of hundreds of jobs across the province.
“Forestry in B.C. is in transition, and the people and communities who rely on our forests - who are bearing the brunt of ongoing challenges - want change now,” said Forests Minister Ravi Parmar in a government press release.
“That’s why I have asked Lennard Joe, George Abbott and Brian Frenkel to look at the opportunities to leverage BCTS to set B.C.’s forest industry up for the next 100 years.”
Difficult accessing economic fibre is the most often complaint cited by forestry companies when they announce their closures. The government recognizes the pressure those companies are under while facing declining allowable annual cuts, the threat of tariffs from United States, changing global economic conditions and heightened environmental obligations.
The intent of the review is to provide recommendations for BC Timber Sales management to:
• Create forestry-sector growth, competition and diversification;
• Provide predictable and reliable
market access to fibre;
• Diversify access to fibre for the manufacturing sector, including value-added facilities;
• Strengthen partnerships with First Nations and communities;
• Provide more jobs for contractors, workers and communities;
• Become leaders in innovative, sustainable forest management and silviculture practices.
The review will involve the Provincial Forestry Forum, a group of contractors, value-added manufacturers, industry and labour leaders , who will work with the Ministry of Forests in consultation with the newly-formed expert task force that includes Abbott, Joe and Frenkel.
The group is mandated to take action
within six months.
“Our work to get more value out of our forests is a top priority as we grow the B.C. wood-manufacturing sector,” Parmar said. “That’s why we are doubling the amount of BCTS volume that is dedicated to value-added manufacturers, from 10 per cent to 20 per cent. That’s about 1.1 million cubic metres in 2025 alone.”
Following up on the Value-Added Manufacturing Program launched in 2023 that was intended to give small and medium-sized secondary manufacturers access to a dedicated fibre supply, the province is changing the criteria for the program to enable groups of manufacturers to bid together on forestry contracts.
More information about BC Timber Sales is available on the BC government website.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
Forest Minister Ravi Parmar addresses the BC Natural Resources Forum at the Prince George Civic Centre Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Ministers talk collaboration, tariffs at resource forum breakfast in Prince George
Citizen Staff
Members of BC’s cabinet promised action and collaboration on resource development on stage in Prince George on Jan. 16.
The third and final day of the 2025 BC Natural Resources Forum in kicked off with a breakfast panel featuring six ministers and moderated by Colleen Giroux-Schmidt, the vice-president of corporate relations and environment with Innergex Renewable Energy.
They were Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions Adrian Dix, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Christine Boyle, Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals Jagrup Brar, Minister of Environment and Parks Tamara Davidson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation Diana Gibson and Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Randene Neill.
All save Dix and Brar are first-time MLAs, but all six ministers are new to their current portfolios, having been appointed after last fall’s provincial election.
Here’s a brief summary of what all six ministers discussed during their time onstage, arranged in alphabetical order by last name.
Indigenous Relations Minister
Christine Boyle
As was expressed by many speakers over the three days of the forum, Boyle said there’s a lot of work to do in BC to partner with First Nations.
Boyle stressed that the path to economic development in this province is in partnership with First Nations and that economic reconciliation brings stability.
However, those nations face barriers in terms of investment and involvement in projects.
She highlighted the government’s programming from last year’s budget that introduced ways for First Nations to access equity financing.
“The province has been working with First Nations organizations and the business sector and many others, including the First Nations Leadership Council, to develop that program,” Boyle said. “There will be more coming out soon from the Finance Ministry on it.”
The minister pointed to the fact that eight of the ten wind and solar power projects approved by the government in December 2024, including the planned wind project near Hixon by Lheidli T’enneh, are 51 per cent owned by First Nations.
Mining Minister Jagrup Brar
Brar started his remarks by discussing mining- and mineral-related statistics.
Since 2017, he said, employment in the mining sector has risen by 10 per cent and private sector investment in mineral development has almost doubled. In that same timeframe, he said mineral exports have gone up by 41 per cent from roughly $12 billion to $17 billion.
According to Brar, there are 70 critical mineral projects in progress in BC that could help the province realize its potential in the sector.
He cited the creation of his standalone ministry, which used to share a portfolio with energy, as progress.
“We are fully committed to developing a responsible and competitive mining sector moving forward to grow the economy to create good jobs for the people of British Columbia and move forward in a real way on reconciliation with First Nations,” Brar said.
BC, he said, has the largest producer of copper in Canada and is the only producer of molybdenum. Of the 31 critical minerals in Canada, Brar said BC has 16.
In the past two years, Brar said the regional permitting process for mining has been reduced by 52 per cent and the mine approval timeline has gone down by 30 per cent.
Environment Minister Tamara Davidson
Davidson, the MLA for North CoastHaida Gwaii, said 80 per cent of her ministry’s job is developing relationships with the remainder comprised of “really annoying paperwork.”
With environmental assessments, Davidson said properly assessing the future impact of projects is important — especially with water quality — because the province doesn’t want to burden First Nations and local governments with the cleanup when they’re done and gone.
After five years since the implantation of the Environmental Assessment Act, Davidson said it will be reviewed.
“But we’re going to be doing the largest engagement to try to reach people to understand where are the delays and how we can work across government, how we can streamline things with still maintaining the environmental protection that’s expected of us as a province,” she said.
She also pointed to the wind power projects, saying that First Nations involvement and input were key as well as the clean nature of the power they’ll provide.
COLIN SLARK
Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
Christine Boyle
Minister of of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Randene Neill
Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals Jagrup Brar
Energy Minister Adrian Dix
Dix said we’re living in urgent times, pointing to the tariffs threatened by the incoming Trump administration down south as well as the fires ravaging Los Angeles.
“No one who lives in Fort Nelson or Williams Lake or Lytton will do anything but understand the impact of that (urgency), because we have urgent choices to make as a province and as a community,” Dix said in reference to fires those communities have suffered from.
He said that urgency has spurred the approval of the renewable power projects, the twinning of the North Coast transmission line because they’re needed by the mining industry, coastal communities, northwest BC and BC as a whole.
“It means that this is not the time for provinces to dispute with one another, but to act together,” Dix said.
“Urgency means going to Alberta and working with the Alberta energy minister to see if we can come together on common cause and common policy. Urgency means taking advantage of the incredible opportunities to make BC a clean energy superpower and to build on the work that’s done by people in this room, but also the working people out there who do the work to make that happen.”
Notably, Alberta was the only province not to sign a joint declaration between all the provincial, territorial and federal governments on the country’s shared response to the threatened tariffs.
The point of contention for Premier Danielle Smith was that she disagreed with Canada potentially cutting off energy exports to the United States as a response.
Later, Dix said that BC can expect action from his ministry and promised a review of CleanBC energy policies.
He also said that he thought the climate debate has been bogged down by discussion of the federal carbon tax for too long and we need to move past it. He referenced reporting that federal Liberal Party leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland would scrap the consumerfacing carbon tax if she becomes Justin Trudeau’s replacement.
“We have got to become, if I dare say, become more populist about climate policy and make it something that we all feel a part of and act a part of.”
Jobs Minister Diana Gibson
Gibson said Trump’s late-night tweet about the 25 per cent tariffs came shortly after accepting her portfolio, which includes economic development.
Developing BC’s response to that threat has been the biggest focus of her
ministry, she said, saying fighting them with every piece of leverage the province has to defend its economic interests is part of her strategy.
On trade diversification, she said BC opened three foreign trade offices last year including Vietnam and Mexico. Across the entire world, Gibson said BC has 43 trade and investment representatives working in the province’s interests.
Within the province, she said the province is building relationships through its export navigator program, which helps businesses “pivot to other markets.”
“We have succeeded in doing that to some extent because we’re the least reliant on the U.S. of all the provinces,” Gibson said. “But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a lot to do to work together to defend our economic interests.”
Going forward, Gibson said she wants to work with forum attendees to find opportunities to move up the supply chain, bring in more manufacturing and specifically more value-added manufacturing.
Water Minister Randene Neill Neill described her department’s focus as building the economy in a way that protects the environment.
“That’s not a false choice,” Neill said.
“We can and we will do both of those together … I think we all get that and we’re forging a new path together in so many ways.”
During the election, she said she heard from local governments that they feel like a lot of provincial issues have been put on their shoulders, including water issues.
She said it’s the province’s job to help those communities succeed, especially when it comes to protecting watersheds.
Water permitting is a huge deal, Neill said, especially since water is BC’s predominant power source.
Neill said ministries need to work together to eliminate silos and allow projects to be built more quickly. The need for this has been hammered into her since day one on the job.
She cited other cross-ministry task forces for things like housing that she said are making a difference.
“(Water) powers our economy, whether it’s industry, whether it’s farming, whether it’s drinking water, whether it’s communities,” Neill said.
“We know so many areas are in drought right now. We need to work on solutions to make sure that we are not in the same situation 10 years from now, 20 years from now and 100 years from now.”
Minister of Environment and Parks Tamara Davidson
Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions Adrian Dix
A panel of six ministers answers questions at the BC Resource Ministers’ Breakfast at the Prince George Civic Centre Thursday, Jan. 16.
CITIZEN PHOTOS BY CHUCK NISBETT
BC promises to fast-track natural resource projects, but details unclear
They
include wind and solar, North Coast transmission line and four mineral projects
of getting them approved as quickly as possible and issuing their permits faster.”
The BC Government announced at the beginning of February that it would be fast-tracking 18 natural resources projects in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs, but it is unclear what the government is doing to speed up the mining and some of the energy projects on its list.
On Feb. 1, Premier David Eby’s office issued a media release outlining BC’s response to Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, two days before Trump announced onemonth reprieve for both countries.
Those measures included ordering BC Liquor to stop buying liquor from “red states” and remove them from its retail shelves and directing the provincial government and Crown corporations to prioritize Canadian goods and services.
Both of these actions were paused when Trump announced his one-month pause.
The release also indicated the government is “is assessing private-sector projects worth $20 billion with the goal
“These are expected to create 6,000 jobs in remote and rural communities. In addition, the province has vowed to support and help implement the actions being taken by the federal government,” the release said.
The release did not state what projects were under consideration as part of this endeavour, but The Citizen received a list of 18 projects from a spokesperson from Eby’s office later that same week.
The list is divided into three sections, “clean energy,” “energy security” and “critical minerals.”
The clean energy section is comprised of projects the province had already announced it was moving forward, eight wind power projects, one solar power project and the North Coast transmission line.
Announced in December, the wind projects are all co-owned by BC First Nations, including one by Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and Spanish re-
newable energy company Ecoener. The government is allowing these projects and future wind projects to bypass the environmental assessment process.
At the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George back in January, Premier David Eby announced that his government would introduce legislation later this year that would grant the BC Energy Regulator sole permitting authority for the North Coast transmission line, which will twin the existing 500-kilovolt, 450-kilometre line from Prince George to Terrace.
This, he told the forum audience, would help the transmission lines get built sooner and help future natural resource and infrastructure projects dependent on that power to get off the ground more quickly.
On Feb. 6, Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix announced that the legislation would also place future wind and solar projects under the purview of the BC Energy Regulator as well.
“Along with other natural resources projects, these critical projects have
been identified by the Province as priorities that are ready to move forward, with the potential to generate significant employment to support our economy in the face of potential tariffs by the U.S. government,” Dix said in a media release.
However, other than referencing how the transmission line could help new natural resource projects get off the ground more quickly, Dix’s release did not address the original release’s assertion that the government would get the energy security and critical mineral projects off the ground.
The critical mineral projects are:
• Eskay Creek gold and silver mine by Skeena Gold + Silver near Stewart
• Highland Valley copper and molybdenum mine expansion by Teck near Logan Lake
• Red Creek copper and gold mine expansion by Newmont near Stewart
• Mount Milligan copper and gold mine by Centerra Gold near Fort St. James
KTW FILE PHOTO
The Highland Valley copper mine is located near Logan Lake.
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
“We are encouraged by province’s approach to streamline the permitting process for our Mount Milligan operations going forward. We expect to submit an amendment application in the coming months for permits and expansions related to our ongoing operations. We anticipate a streamlined process with these permits and are committed to collaborating with the province to ensure a successful result
The energy security projects are:
• Cedar LNG near Kitimat
• Northeast BC Connector by NorthRiver Midstream near Fort St. John
• T-North natural gas pipeline by Enbridge near Fort Nelson
The Citizen asked the government over several days what it was doing to speed up these seven projects but did not receive a response. Only four of the seven companies whose projects were on the government’s list responded to emails requesting comment.
The Mount Milligan mine has been in production since 2014, said Centerra Gold vice-president of external affairs Karina Briño.
“We are encouraged by province’s approach to streamline the permitting process for our Mount Milligan operations going forward,” Briño said. “We expect to submit an amendment application in the coming months for permits and expansions related to our ongoing operations. We anticipate a streamlined process with these permits and are committed to collaborating with the prov-
ince to ensure a successful result.”
On top of that, Briño said Centerra is studying whether it can extend past the mine’s current operational life and it plans to publish an update on that front last this year.
The project was ordered by the province in July 2024 to reduce the risk of wildlife-human interactions after a March inspection “found concerns with the management of wastes that may attract wildlife.”
Dale Steeves, the director of stakeholder relations for Teck, said that Highland Valley is Canada’s largest copper mine and the company is looking for an extension to keep it operating until the mid-2040s.
“The HVC Mine Life Extension Project is undergoing an environmental assessment under the B.C. Environmental Assessment Act,” Steeves said. “We expect a decision from the (BC Environmental Assessment Office) in mid-2025.
“Proceeding with the extension would mean an estimated US$1.3 billion to $1.4 billion capital investment and is expected to create about 2,900 jobs during the construction phase of the project.
“HVC MLE would allow for the continuation of social and economic benefits of the mine, including supporting over 1,300 direct jobs and an average $490 million in annual GDP, and produce 1.95 million tonnes of copper over the life of the mine.”
Steeves added that the project has received support from the Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly, Lower Nicola Indian Band and the Kanaka Bar Indian Band.
However, the BC government’s site for environmental assessment shows that Stk’emlupsemc te Secwépemc Nation referred the project to the dispute resolution process due to significant differences between the nation’s assessment of the project and the Environmental Assessment Office’s.
Under the 2018 Environmental Assessment Act, Indigenous nations can refer matters relating to their right to be consulted, a minister’s decision to terminate or exempt a project from environmental assessment, a decision
made by chief executive assessment officer, the planning process carried out by the chief executive assessment officer, a project’s effects assessment or a decision regarding an environmental assessment certificate application to a dispute resolution facilitator.
By email, NorthRiver Midstream manager of Indigenous and community relations David Markham referred to the company’s webpage for the NEBC Connector and said the information it contained was the extent to which they can comment at this time.
The page says that the project consists of two parallel, small-diameter pipelines stretching 213 kilometres from northwest of Wonowon, BC to western Alberta, carrying natural gas liquids and condensate.
A timeline on that page says that BC granted approval to the project on Jan. 17 and Alberta on Jan. 31.
As for its current status, the page states “NorthRiver is continuing to work in partnership with customers, partners, regulatory authorities and Indigenous groups to continue to progress this important project towards a positive final investment decision.”
Construction is currently expected to be complete by the second quarter of 2027. In April 2024, the Environmental Assessment Office issued the project a warning after an inspection found it had “failed to submit necessary reports to the EAO within the given timeframe.”
Enbridge strategist for corporate communications and media relations Jesse Semko said in a statement that the company is looking to start construction on the pipeline by the second quarter of 2025 and start operating it in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The project’s website states that the project consists of 18 kilometres of new pipeline segments in northeast BC “to serve growing regional demand for natural gas and potential west coast LNG exports.”
It received regulatory approval from the federal Canada Energy Regulator on Dec. 19, 2024.
“Some of the provincial permits that either remain or will be required to advance this natural gas transmission proj-
ect relate to road and land access, tree clearing, as well as wildlife monitoring and protection. The timely approval of these permits will help to ensure this project remains on track to hitting its targeted in-service date,” Semko’s statement said.
Cedar LNG bills itself as “the world’s first Indigenous majority-owned LNG project.” Located southwest of Kitimat, the floating facility will take natural gas, cool it to the point where it becomes a liquid and then load it onto ships in Douglas Channel for transport to Asia once it is operations.
BC Environmental Assessment Office information states that Cedar received an environmental assessment certificate in March 2023. However, the company has applied for some changes to the project and a public comment period is currently open until Feb. 27.
Formerly an underground gold and silver mine around 250 kilometres north of Stewart, Skeena Gold + Silver is trying to revive the Eskay Creek site as an open pit mine. The project’s website says it is in the environmental assessment application stage and hopes to start operating by 2027.
A public comment period for the mine’s environmental assessment certificate application closed on Nov. 14, 2024. Seven people completed a survey during the comment period.
About 300 kilometres northeast of Stewart, Red Chris is a gold and copper mine co-owned by Australian firm Newmont that has operated since 2015. According to the province, Newmont applied last year to convert the open pit mine into an underground operation using block cave methods.
A public comment period will be held sometime this year.
The mine was censured by the province twice last year, once in July after an inspection found spilled fossil fuels near an explosive storage building and another time in August for pumping water out of a diversion ditch and into a tailings impoundment area contrary to the conditions of its environmental certificate.
Newmont, Cedar and Skeena did not respond to requests for comment.
