Special Report: LNG Boomtowns: fact or fiction? DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016
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B.C climbs in global oil and gas competitiveness rankings, but 2016 looks to be another sluggish year; the Business Development Bank throws a lifeline to small and medium service businesses hurting from the downturn; Veresen approves a new $715M gas plant for the Peace; Oilmen celebrate 55 years of the Bonspiel; and are social licence ‘radicals’ harming Canada’s economy by delaying critical resource projects?
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DECEMBER 11, 2015
55th Annual
Oilmen’s Bonspiel Results Chad Bordeleau and Stimulators won the A final 9-4 over Pimm’s Production Equipment. Fraction Energy Services took home top prize in the B final, beating out Jackfish 9-2. In the C final, Balon took down Poorboy Trucking. TCL grabbed the D final win and Troyer was the champ in the E final.
CongrAtulAtionS to the StimulAtorS For winning the 55th AnnuAl oilmen’S bonSPiel! thank you to all participants and sponsors for their support.
Merry ChristMas & happy New year froM the Board of direCtors, MaNageMeNt aNd staff of the fort st. JohN Co-op petroleuM assoCiatioN!
See you at the next Fort St. John Petroleum Association meeting in 2016.
DECEMBER 11, 2015
PIPELINE NEWS NORTH •
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byron hackett Photo
victorious: Skip Chad Bordeleau fires a rock down the rink for Stimulate Well Optimization during the Oilmen’s Bonspiel at the Fort St. John Curling Rink on Nov. 14. The Stimulators went on to win the A Final 9-4. See story on page 10.
submitted Photo
arc goes for the alley-oop: On Friday, Dec. 4, Jordan Oliver from ARC Resources delivered a $2,000 cheque to Mountain Christian School in Dawson Creek. Principal Eva Hutchinson says the money will be used to purchase new basketballs for the school's senior basketball team, and uniforms for its elementary teams.
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Photo Copyright Encana Corporation. All rights reserved.
BC climbs in oil and gas 5 competitiveness
Local businesses 6 need a lifeline
Despite LNG, 2016 promises 8 to be grim year
pnn 10
22 Saulteau FN to get fair share of resource revenues in reconciliation deal
Traditions strong at 55th 10 Oilmen’s Bonspiel
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LNG Canada breaks ground 12 amid pessimism Peace River committee 12 gets $1 million
Look for PNN on FB: pipelinenewsnorth
18 Social licence advocates stifling resource development 20 Progress, Spectra look to the future despite weak market
Encana to scale back 9 drilling in 2016
Alaska Highway study says 14 more passing lanes, lighting Veresen approves 15 Tower gas plant
16 LNG Boomtowns: fact or fiction?
25 NLC taps new leader for aboriginal education 25 Band together or blockade? 26 Oil and gas industry in NEBC sees 423 injuries in last five years 28 Unemployment hits 7%
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30 U.S. firm tapped to build Prince Rupert pipeline Look for PNN on Twitter @PipelineNN
Published monthly by Glacier Ventures International Corp. Pipeline News North is politically independent and a member of the B.C. Press Council. The Pipeline News North retains sole copyright of advertising, news stories and photography produced by staff. Reproduction is prohibited without written consent of the editor.
DECEMBER 11, 2015
PIPELINE NEWS NORTH •
outlook
#oilsands
B.C. climbs in oil and gas competitiveness—
but uncertainty remains
Jonny Wakefield Staff Writer
B.C. "dithered" on how to tax its nascent liquefied natural gas industry and thus "completely lost" to other jurisdictions in the race to export to Asia, according to an anonymous petroleum executive quoted in a new Fraser Institute report. The comment was one of several on B.C.'s oil and gas regime in the right-leaning think tank's Global Petroleum Survey. Despite the grim outlook for LNG, B.C. jumped ten spots in the rankings, finishing 50th in the 126 global jurisdictions with oil and gas reserves. The report surveys oil and gas executives and ranks jurisdictions around the world by attractiveness for oil and gas investment. A jurisdiction's attractiveness includes size of reserves, taxes and the degree of "uncertainty" over environmental regulations. B.C.'s climb in the rankings was driven by "improved perceptions of B.C.'s policy environment," Fraser institute analyst Taylor Jackson wrote. Meanwhile, neighbouring Alberta fell from the 16th most-attractive destination for oil money to 32nd, driven by uncertainty around an overhaul of the province's regulatory regime.
"The negative shifts for Alberta may not bode well given that its immediate geographic competitors remain attractive jurisdictions for investment or are improving," Jackson wrote. The survey lumps B.C. in with 38 other jurisdictions with medium-sized oil or gas reserves. B.C. finished 17th in the category, with Oklahoma topping the group for regulatory competitiveness. At the bottom of the pile were Ecuador and Syria. The institute also ranks Canadian jurisdictions on a policy perception index that takes into account each province's regulatory framework—regardless of "proved gas reserves or their petroleum resource potential." In that ranking, B.C. finished eight—behind its sixth-place finish in 2014. Saskatchewan and Manitoba finished top two in the eyes of oil and gas execs, while Alberta fell from third to 7th place. Quebec finished last because of significant barriers to investment. More than half of the 439 survey respondents are managers or holders of high-level positions in oil and gas firms, the Institute writes. In addition to the comment on LNG, one executive praised the "excellent communication" between the province's Oil and Gas Commission, finance, energy, First Nations and environment ministries. reporter@dcdn.ca
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Local biz need a lifeline Business Development Bank announces $500M injection to oil and gas service sector suffering during downturn Mike Carter Staff Writer
A $500-million injection of financing for small and medium businesses in the oil and gas sector is welcome news, but the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) needs to focus more on businesses struggling to make ends meet in Northeast B.C., a local industry group says. The bank has already hosted one seminar in Calgary to explain how companies can access the bank's new $500-million funding envelope, announced Nov. 17. The bank, a federal Crown corporation, plans to host others in Edmonton and St. John's, Newfoundland. For Art Jarvis, executive director of Energy Services B.C., the fact the group isn't hosting a seminar in Northeast B.C. is surprising. It's something he is working with BDC to change. "I don't want to sound too negative," Jarvis told Pipeline News North the morning of the announcement. "I just want to push for more opportunity for this area. This is the area that really needs attention right now. There are some businesses suffering quite immensely due to the slowdown." That slowdown has left producers asking for discounts in pricing from the local businesses that provide services like vac truck hauling and drilling. "It just made the bottom line so skinny that it's tough," Jarvis said. Jarvis adds that, in the current climate, nobody can afford missing potential work while they are away in Edmonton or Calgary for a seminar. "I am surprised they're not coming to B.C. if it's the oil and gas service sector they are targeting," he said.
"If we're talking about truly small businesses, the owner/manager is directly involved with every stage of the operation." To divert their attention away from what is happening locally could be detrimental, Jarvis said. "If they have to go to another province for a seminar, it pretty much burns up a work week. Even though they need it, they may not risk it." On top of the lack of work for service sector companies in B.C., businesses in Alberta are also affected by the slowdown, meaning that they are increasingly crossing the border into the Peace Region, bringing more competition for what few jobs are left. "Ironically, we'll have to go to Alberta to learn what we can do to compete with Alberta," Jarvis said. "It's not very often that the B.C. oil and gas service sector goes into Alberta to do contracts, but it is very often that Alberta contractors come here." Jarvis did welcome the funding, noting several Peace Region businesses should qualify for the supports. Jarvis said he has been in touch with BDC representatives about hosting a seminar in Fort St. John. "I explained that I was disappointed that the BDC had decided not to host a seminar in B.C.," Jarvis said. "This is aimed at the oil and gas service sector and I think we could gain them a few more customers here if they provided some possible solutions to the issues we are dealing with here." Jarvis said he will meet at a later date with the BDC to try and push for a seminar in the Peace. dcreporter@dcdn.ca
DECEMBER 11, 2015
PIPELINE NEWS NORTH •
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file photo
Art Jarvis of Energy Services BC says he's working with the Business Development Bank of Canada to hold local seminars on how oil and gas service businesses can take advantage of $500 million in funding to help companies struggling through the slowdown.
bdc opens $500M in financing The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has announced a new $500 million funding envelope available to help small businesses affected by the decline in oil prices. The funding is aimed towards businesses that provide services to the oil and gas sector, rather than production or exploration companies. The BDC will also offer support in an advisory role to small businesses through their network of consultants in the companies subset, BDC Advantage. “We are optimistic for the prospects of our small business clients,” BDC President and CEO Michael Denham said in an interview. “With time, support, and the tools we and others can provide, we’re optimistic that they’ll succeed.” The BDC loans will help companies fund their investments and also “give themselves a bit more time to improve their business and make sure they are able to thrive in today’s environment,” Denham added. A key focus will be on diversifying small businesses to expand their current client base or launch into new industries. Many small businesses are focused on one or a few clients in the oil and gas sector, and the decline in the price of oil has bred a substantial amount of concern. “Small businesses and entrepreneurs (generally) aren’t diversified,” Denham said. “They’re a client of a couple of clients. We suspect they’ll take advantage of this to diversify their client base and have more clients in the same industry or, even better, make moves into different industries.” —Mike Carter
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Despite LNG, 2016 promises to be a grim year for B.C. oilpatch Jonny Wakefield
Staff Writer
2016 promises to be a "brutal" year for the drilling industry in B.C. despite hopes for a liquefied natural gas export boom, an industry group says. In a forecast released last week, the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC) said the oilpatch is on track for its worst year since 1983, with 2016 promising to be just as bad. CAODC President Mark Scholz said that B.C. could fare better if it finds new markets, but added LNG export projects are still up in the air. "I would say as long as there's continued movement on the LNG front, B.C. will likely bode better than other jurisdictions," said Scholz. "But if there's any uncertainty around whether those major projects get off the ground and move, I think B.C. will be in the exact same boat as everybody else." The CAODC estimates 2016 will see 28,000 fewer jobs in the drilling industry in Western Canada compared to 2014. The number of wells drilled is expected to fall 58 per cent from 2014 levels,
JONNY WAKEFIELD photo
A relic drilling rig at the Fort Nelson museum. Despite a few bright spots, an industry group is predicting a cloudy 2016 for the B.C. oilpatch.
while operating days are forecast to drop 57 per cent. The group does not forecast for B.C. specifically, but Scholz said there were few bright spots. "Gas is sitting at $2.80 (per million British Thermal Units)," he said. "I think other than some companies positioning themselves for the takeoff of LNG, I don't really see anything else that would be creating a buzz in B.C." While both provinces have been hard hit by falling oil prices, the impact has been more severe in Alberta than in B.C. Operating days, a measure of drilling sector strength, fell from 90,161 in 2014 to 32,616 year-to-date in Alberta—a decrease of around 64 per cent. B.C. saw a decline of 45 per cent, from 16,616 days in 2014 to 9,129 year to date. "I think across the board it's still a brutal industry," said Scholz. "(B.C. may have) a little more activity from a relative standpoint, but nobody's making money in this business." The group estimates a single drilling rig supports around 135 jobs. reporter@dcdn.ca
DECEMBER 11, 2015
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Encana to scale back drilling in 2016, focus on moving gas
Jonny Wakefield Staff Writer
DAWSON CREEK — Encana Corp. will scale back drilling and production in the Montney play in 2016 in the face of low oil and gas prices, focusing instead on processing and moving the gas it has. The company gave a presentation on its plans for the coming year at a Peace River Regional District meeting Nov. 26. It will drill on a relatively modest five to eight well pads in 2016 in the South Peace area, with between two and four wells per pad. However, it plans to continue upgrading gas plants, compression stations and pipelines in the South Peace to better move its gas around Western Canada. “With the present price environment that we’re in, we’ve definitely reduced our activity in the Dawson Creek area, and it will continue to be reviewed as the year goes on,” said Encana spokesperson Brian Lieverse. Encana is among the most active drillers in the South Peace, having drilled 531 wells in the area since 2004. Where the gas will go remains to be seen. Encana’s Cutbank Ridge partnership with Mitsubishi would supply gas via pipeline to LNG Canada, a liquefaction and export facility proposed in Kitimat. The proposal has yet to receive a final investment decision. For now, much of the gas produced in South Peace will go to storage facilities in Alberta via an expanded pipeline. “The entire industry is hopeful for LNG on the West Coast, definitely, but we also need to move forward with other possibilities,” Encana’s B.C. infrastructure co-ordinator Ja-
son Blanch told the board. “Right now, the avenue is to send that gas through the Groundbirch expansion (pipeline) into Alberta and to sales that way.” “Personally, I remain hopeful LNG will happen and we can send our gas that way.” The company hopes to grow its compression and processing capacity in the coming years, building four to five gas processing plants, with on-stream dates set between late 2016 and the end of 2018. It is also upgrading its South Peace water hub, which converts salty ground water for use in hydraulic fracturing Also on the docket are two regional pipelines to expand processing capacity. This February, the company sold pipelines and seven compressor stations to Veresen Midstream to focus on drilling. Encana will continue to operate the facilities on the company’s behalf. Faced with crashing oil and gas prices, it cut spending in the Montney in February by around $130 million. A major worker camp outside Dawson Creek to house Encana staff was downgraded from 2,500 people to 1,200 earlier this year. According to Blanch, 271 people are currently living on site. The Montney around Dawson Creek is one of Encana’s four North American plays. Lieverse said the company would continue to review spending in the region as the year goes on. “It’s been kind of a step down,” he said of drilling plans for the coming year. “We did less in 2015 than we did in 2014, and we’re doing less in 2016 than we did in 2015.”
Photo Copyright Encana Corporation. All rights reserved.
An Encana drilling rig in the Montney.
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Toll Free: 1.855.4ENFORM (436.3676) Phone: 250.785.6009 Email: bc@enform.ca www.enformbc.ca
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oilmen’s
byron hackett photos
traditions strong at 55th bonspiel Byron Hackett Staff Writer
When the brooms hit the ice Nov. 11, the Fort St. John Petroleum Association marked the 55th time the group has hosted the long standing Oilmen’s Bonspiel. It’s a tradition that started just one year after the group began in 1959 and has grown in both size and popularity since it’s inception. 160 curlers and 40 teams were on the rink for the four-day spiel at the Fort St. John curling rink, with five teams outlasting all the rest to be crowned champions of event. “It’s good to see all the guys come out,” Blain Alexander said, who represented Fraction Energy Services in the bonspiel. “You don’t get have drinks with too many guys when you are work-
ing, but it definitely seems like a lot of companies are making an effort to get the guys out to get together and do some networking.” Although playing to win isn’t necessarily the goal of the Oilmen’s, Alexander’s team took home top prize in the B final, beating out Jackfish 9-2. “We were struggling just with the ice being a little heavier than normal, but changing it up a bit, we started putting things more in the house and it made quite a bit of difference,” Alexander added. Shortly after the B final ended, Chad Bordeleau and Stimulators won the A final 9-4 over Pimm’s Production Equipment. Bordeleau has been curling in the event for about 14 years, and has won in various finals over his time, but was happy to get the win after a weekend of
great play. “It felt like we controlled the game, everybody curled really well and the ice makers did a great job on the ice, it was a fun weekend,” he said. “[Played] great, we had a couple newbies that haven’t really curled before, one guy actually never curled before.” Bordeleau teamed up with Joffre Jorgenson, Lee Wiziuk and Shawn Roste. He seconded Alexander’s sentiment about the reason people come out to play at the Oilmen’s. “It’s just lots of fun, everybody has a good time and it’s just a good weekend,” he said. In the C final, Balon took down Poorboy Trucking. TCL grabbed the D final win and Troyer was the champ in the E final. sports@ahnfsj.ca
DECEMBER 11, 2015
PIPELINE NEWS NORTH •
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infrastructure
LNG Canada breaks ground amid pessimism Jonny Wakefield Staff Writer
Crews began preparation work at the site of LNG Canada last week, the proposed Kitimat facility that would liquefy natural gas from Northeast B.C. and ship it to Asia. The company behind the $50-billion project told the Northern Sentinel newspaper that the initial clearing work would speed up construction should they decide to invest. But on a recent visit to Kitimat, Dawson Creek Chamber of Commerce executive director Kathleen Connolly saw little cause for optimism. "Our chamber has sort of been cautiously optimistic for a long time (about LNG)," she said. "I think that what we heard repeatedly is that 'optimistic' has been taken out of that phrase and it's just 'cautious' now. I think that really was the takeaway." Connolly shared her findings with local businesses last week. She won a spot on the Canadian Chamber of Commerce junket— sponsored by Encana, Suncor and Kinder Morgan—with an essay on resource development. The four-day tour focused on the difficulties getting Canadian products to Asian markets—including gas, grain, timber and even sea urchins harvested on the coast. It included meetings with mining, seafood and agricultural trade groups, as well as the Canadian Asso-
kathleen connolly photo
A mock-up of the LNG Canada site in Kitimat.
ciation of Petroleum Producers. The buzz around LNG Canada was "much more subdued then it was even a year ago," she said. "There are hotels that have been half-built and walked away from in Kitimat," she said. A Kitimat Chamber of Commerce representative said that claim was “totally inaccurate,” saying none of the hotels currently under construction there have been abandoned. LNG Canada would have major implications for the South Peace. The LNG Canada partnership includes Mitsubishi, which is a member of the Cutbank Ridge partnership with Encana, one of the most active drillers in the South Peace area. The North Peace, meanwhile, is banking on
Petronas's Pacific NorthWest LNG, proposed near Prince Rupert. From what Connolly heard, the LNG Canada proposal could be as far as 20 years out amid sagging LNG prices The visit also drove home the difficulties with infrastructure. "If we don't have modes of transport—that's pipelines, that's shipping, that's trucking— we're going to be in trouble," she said. "We have the product, we have the customers, it's the in-between part that's a challenge and we need to figure it out." LNG Canada plans to make a final investment decision on the project in 2016. reporter@dcdn.ca
$1M for Peace River committee Mike Carter Staff Writer
A committee of local leaders that will help manage the new Peace River Agreement received $1 million from the province Nov 30. The one-time payment will fund the operations of the committee, which will also study impediments to regional growth. The agreement replaced the Fair Share deal this spring, the agreement that compensates municipalities for industrial development outside their borders. Three representatives from Peace Region local governments will meet with three representatives from the provincial govern-
ment on the committee. The seven municipalities will be represented by chief administrative officers from Chetwynd and Dawson Creek, as well as Fort St. John's city manager. "With this funding, the partnership committee can undertake the important task of providing research and context to help the new Peace River Agreement create lasting benefits for local communities," said Peter Fassbender, minister of community, sport and cultural development, in a statement. Calculations on the amount each community will receive in 2016 will not be available until "around the end of February," the Peace River Regional District says.
Annual payments start at a base of $50 million in 2016. After 2020, it will be pegged to inflation through at least 2035. There is no defined end date for the agreement. The deal will be reviewed every eight years, giving the region a chance to argue for larger payments. Each of the Peace Region municipalities (Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Hudson's Hope, Pouce Coupe, Taylor, Tumbler Ridge) and the PRRD were given a $3 million signing bonus in 2015, in addition to the $46 million from the old agreement. dcreporter@dcdn.ca
DECEMBER 11, 2015
PIPELINE NEWS NORTH •
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infrastructure
JONNY WAKEFIELD photo
The Alaska Highway slices its way through the Northern Rockies north of Pink Mountain.
More passing lanes, signage and lighting: highway study Mike Carter Staff Writer
Anyone who has driven the Alaska Highway north of Fort St. John in anything less than ideal conditions will tell you it can be a dangerous stretch of road. A new study identifies improvements that'll be made on the road between now and 2039, including more passing lanes, better lighting at pullouts, rest stops and service areas, and increased signage. The 196-kilometre study area stretches from Charlie Lake to the Buckinghorse River, with highway segments under both federal and provincial jurisdiction. Surprisingly, the study found that none of the road segments were particularly collision prone. A safety analysis found a total of 196 collisions occurred in the study area between 2009 and 2013. Only six of these were fatal. A need for more passing opportunities to allow drivers to get around large trucks was at the fore of the report.
"The presence of many heavy vehicles leads to a high frequency of platoons," the report states, referring to large lineups of slow moving, heavy hauling vehicles. Many of these platoons formed entering and exiting the Wonowon area. Some passing lanes did not meet the standard recommended length of 400 m for a 100 km/h zone. Meanwhile, 16 passing lanes were identified for installation in the next decade based on available traffic data, terrain and proximity to other passing lanes and other factors like the length of no-passing zones. The exact location for each passing lane will be determined at a later date. Changes in industry demand and variations in expected growth may alter passing lane priorities and locations, the report states. The province will review signage along the corridor to ensure it meets their guidelines and will aim to improve signage at intersections, rest stops and service areas. Faded lane markings, particularly in the southern segments near highly populated areas will be
a priority. Limited lighting at roadway intersections and at rest and service areas are also noted as an issue to be fixed in the first 10 years. Future traffic growth Based on historic counts, census data and Fort St. John's Official Community Plan, estimated yearly growth in the study area is pegged at three per cent. That means that, by 2039, the part of the corridor near Fort St. John is expected to have an annual daily average of 9,500 vehicles, up from 5,450 in 2014, meaning it could be considered for expansion into four lanes, the study says. For sections between Stoddart Creek Road and Pink Mountain Road there is an anticipated increase of 4,300 to 7,330 vehicles, an increase from the 2014 range of 2,460 to 4,190. The northernmost portion will have about 1,930 vehicles, up from 1,100. dcreporter@dcdn.ca
DECEMBER 11, 2015
PIPELINE NEWS NORTH •
investments
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veresen IMAGE
Veresen approves $715M Tower plant
Mike Carter
Staff Writer
A $715-million gas processing plant has been approved for a site south of Fort St. John. Veresen Inc. announced this week that the Cutbank Ridge Partnership (CRP) had approved facility, which will draw its supply from the Montney resource play. The facility will have the capacity to produce 200 million cubic feet per day of rich gas and up to 20,000 barrels per day of condensate and natural gas liquids. “The Montney remains western Canada’s most actively developed gas resource play and continues to deliver strong results even against a challenging macro environment,” the company said in a Dec. 7 release. Veresen officials could not be immediately reached for further comment. The plant is expected to be in service in late 2017.
The plant will tie into TransCanada’s NOVA Gas Transmission lines. “Once on TransCanada, the gas can flow to multiple places consumed in Western Canada, through pipelines to eastern Canada or to future LNG facilities in B.C. or Oregon,” Doreen Miller with Veresen’s investor Relations department told Pipeline News North in an email. The project will be jointly funded by Veresen Midstream, which will contribute 55 to 60 per cent of the construction costs. The rest will be contributed by Veresen Inc. and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. LP. In October, the CRP announced it was building the Sunrise gas plant near Dawson Creek. The plant will be the largest built in Western Canada in the last 30 years and also has an expected inservice date of 2017. dcreporter@dcdn.ca
An aerial view of the site where the Tower gas plant will be built.
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lng boomtowns
Fact or Fiction? Where some see a boom, oil and gas service sector and local leaders are tempering both perceptions and expectations Mike Carter Staff Writer
There is a steady stream of stories on the potential benefits liquefied natural gas will bring to the Peace Region. But some, like Art Jarvis from En-ergy Services BC, are warning that the perception that the region is booming, are off the mark. "Investors (outside of the city) think that gold is going to be flowing down the ditches here. That's what they think," Jarvis told Pipeline News North. "But then when they research it later, they say 'What the heck?' "(They're) under the impression that B.C. is doing great, LNG is going crazy. Well, it's not." That could be limiting access to programs aimed at helping businesses affected by the downturn, including a $500-mil-
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lion fund announced this week. "(Producers) are (filling) their reserves and then turning the tap closed and waiting for a sale," Jarvis said. "The next two phases of the big LNG boom that everybody is talking about, and that Christy Clark thinks will bring 100,000 jobs, is the slow return part." Building pipelines to the coast and the facilities to export gas to new markets is no small endeavour and it will take time— something smaller service sector businesses might not have, Jarvis says. He's worried that the perception that B.C. is doing fine might obscure the picture for others outside of the province, especially those flocking to Alberta to help businesses hurt by the low price of oil, such as the Business Development Bank of Canada. With trillions of cubic feet of gas strand-
ed in the ground without access to markets, and with the price of natural gas in some cases too low for development, the myth of Northeast B.C.'s bustling LNG boom towns is just that, Jarvis warned. Visiting officials from the District of Squamish alluded to this when they toured drilling sites and related facilities in the Peace Region in September. “I expected to see a bustling downtown core and a city that was really happening,” Coun. Doug Race said. “Everything is spread and out and I don’t know where everyone is living, they must be in camps.” Dawson Creek Mayor Dale Bumstead said he has heard the concerns from smaller service sector businesses in town. “They say as the industry hurts, the pressures for more competitive pricing for supplies comes into the field and that creates difficulty for local supply guys,” Bum-
DECEMBER 11, 2015
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WILLIAM STODALKA photo
Energy Services BC Executive Director Art Jarvis says people outside the region have a perception the northeast is booming with LNG activity. "Well, it's not," he said.
“As the industry hurts, the pressures for more competitive pricing for supplies comes into the field and that creates difficulty for local supply guys. I have heard comments that they really need to sharpen up their pencils in order to get the work that some of them have always had.” stead said. “I have heard comments that they really need to sharpen up their pencils in order to get the work that some of them have always had.” Bumstead thinks the situation right now is a result the lack of a final investment decision for any of the big LNG projects. Although Petronas, the company heading up the Pacific Northwest LNG project, gave conditional approval for the project in June, it is still dependent on the new federal government giving it the green light. There is also opposition to the project from
the Lax Kw’alaams First Nation, which is seeking aboriginal title to Lelu Island and the Flora Bank where parts of the project are located. Lax Kw’alaams Hereditary Chief Donnie Wesley has led an occupation camp on the island since late August. Meanwhile, another large project, LNG Canada, a partnership between Shell Canada, PetroChina, Korea Gas Corp., and Mitsubishi Corp., is expected to make a final investment decision in early 2016. Bumstead says what he heard from Shell at the premier’s LNG conference last month in Prince
George wasn’t encouraging. “For me, the presence and profile that I saw at the conference with Shell gives me reason to believe that the LNG Canada proposal is not closer to (a final investment decision),” he said. “They’ve always said it was going to be early 2016,” he added. “I believe that we need to be cautiously optimistic as to what’s occurring in the industry.” dcreporter@dcdn.ca
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DECEMBER 11, 2015
feature Stand up to social licence 'radicals,' think tank boss says
Bronwyn Scott
Staff Writer
jonny wakefield photo
Brian Lee Crowley speaks to a Chamber luncheon at the George Dawson Inn on Dec. 10.
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Social licence "radicals" are delaying worthy natural resource projects and hurting Canada's social and economic fabric, Brian Lee Crowley told chambers of commerce in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John. Crowley, the managing director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute for Public Policy, delivered fiery broadsides on the state of the natural resource debate in the Peace Dec. 7 and 8. The Ottawa-based institute describes itself as an independent, non-partisan public policy think tank. “The prosperity of all the regions at the natural resource frontier, including the Peace River region, is deeply affected by the social licence movement,” he said in an interview. Social licence is defined as ongoing approval for projects from the communities in which they operate. The term is often used by opponents to denounce pipelines, dams, plants and other projects they object to. “Fort St. John and the whole Peace River region would like to benefit from Asia’s appetite for natural gas. In order to be able to do that, you’ve not only got to be able to get the natural gas out of the ground, but you’ve got to be able to put it in a pipe, take it to the coast, build LNG plants, liquefy it, put it in ships and take it to Asia,” he said. “Every one of those steps that I’ve mentioned . . . is subject to claims of social licence advocates that there is no social licence to do this.” Achieving that social licence, he says, is a long process that involves winning the support of local communities through consultation, involvement with local authorities, discussion about damage that might be done, and establishing what the community might like in exchange. But social licence has gone too far in some cases, he told a crowd in Dawson Creek. "Increasingly, social licence ought to be called by its real name: opponent's permission," he said. "The consequences of allowing social licence radicals to bully the rest of us
have damaged Canada more than most people are prepared to admit." Crowley added that that process isn't always done well, and in such cases it’s fair and justified for local communities to lash out against developments. “We’re a free country, it’s perfectly OK to yell your head off and appear before the media and hold demonstrations and so on,” he said. The problem he sees is that “a lot of the social licence people go way beyond that,” and interfere with the lawful activities of natural resource companies. “They throw themselves under their equipment, they try and obstruct their work, I think that goes way beyond what’s legitimate or fair or allowed.” Crowley believes politicians need to instill faith in institutions like the National Energy Board and environmental assessment agencies. “What I hope to achieve is to put some backbone in the people who have benefitted for so long from the very sound institutions that Canada has created to make these difficult decisions about how to develop our resources,” he said. “When they get challenged . . . they go, ‘Oh, gosh, somebody might be unhappy,’ but the livelihood, the opportunities, the employment of thousands is at stake here. The people who have an obligation to speak up in favour of the institutions we’ve created to approve these developments, I think they need to be prodded to do their job,” he said. He added that reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people is integral for moving forward—best achieved by taking aboriginal rights seriously and discussing opportunities. “My experience is that the vast majority of Aboriginal communities are very open to that discussion. There is no magic solution, you have to ask and then listen,” Crowley said. —with files from Jonny Wakefield peacereporter@ahnfsj.ca
DECEMBER 11, 2015
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DECEMBER 11, 2015
Natural gas resurgence unlikely any time soon
Despite weakened market, Progress and Spectra reps look to the long-term in presence, production William Stodalka Staff Writer
Natural gas may heat homes, but the market isn’t so hot right now. That was the impression industry leaders gave during a panel discussion at an upstream natural gas forum hosted by the Northeast B.C. Resource Municipalities Coalition in Fort St. John on Nov. 25. The region is considered upstream in industry lingo because it’s where natural gas is drilled. And, according to Gary Weilinger, Spectra Energy’s vice-president of external affairs who sat on the panel, there is enough gas in Northeast B.C. to power all the homes in North America for the next 8,000 years. But despite this potential, right now “is not a great time for our business,” Weilinger said. Any hope for a resurgence isn’t on the horizon. In 2008, gas was trading between $7 and $13 per million BTUs, according to U.S. government statistics. In 2015, gas is trading between $2 and $3—and Weilinger doesn’t see it rising any time soon. “I can’t see us getting past four or five-dollar gas for the next decade, if not longer,” he said. “There’s no real market fundamentals that say we’ll ever see $10, or $11, or even $7 gas in the next few decades.” That means Spectra has had to adapt, he told the crowd, and find ways to reduce costs. One of the ways Spectra is trying to change its operations is by moving its employees around, Weilinger said. “We started to do that transition this spring, and we reduced our workforce significantly that is physically located in Vancouver, and relocated
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WILLIAM STODALKA photo
Mark Fitzgerald, senior vice-president of production for Progress Energy, said his company will be around Northeast B.C. for the next 20 to 40 years.
those roles either to the Charlie Lake office or in Calgary,” he said. “We can be a lot more efficient and effective if we put people that are supporting our operations closer to where the people are and the facilities are.” The company is “where they need to be” right now in terms of staff, Weilinger said, but it continues to look at its facilities and operations outside of Fort St. John and Calgary. “In Calgary, we’re looking at hiring some people, and hiring some people in Fort St. John, and that’s positive,” he said. “What we’ve learned from other downturns is that we certainly don’t want to be hasty in making those decisions around (staff) reductions, because it’s very hard to get those skills back again. And, where we have made reductions in head count as a result of the current downturn, it’s been in the central office support-type functions, and not in field operations.” As for local service companies that bid on Spectra contracts, Weilinger thought it would be “even better than it was.” “We’re going to be a lot more co-ordinated, and the people who are actually procuring the work that we need, not only the services but the products, they are going to be working together as one team, as opposed to having many different functions,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot more consistent, and there’s going to be a lot more accountability to make sure there is a local and Aboriginal compo-
nent to employment.” Mark Fitzgerald, senior vice-president of production with Progress Energy, also spoke about the marketplace at the forum. He said Progress hit peak drilling activity in 2014, and that it would be more sustainable if it had fewer rigs. But even with fewer rigs, Fitzgerald expected more stable, steady work. “It used to be a very seasonable business, and I’m glad to see those days are gone,” he said. “We used to operate (mostly in) winter… that peak is almost gone now, and it’s a year-long, steady state, which is good news for the (oil and gas) service sector.” Fitzgerald said his parent company Petronas is still going through the regulatory process to build Pacific NorthWest LNG, a project that would liquefy and ship natural gas overseas. For him, the lack of an overseas trading partner is not good for either the company or for the local community. The United States is Canada’s only natural gas customer, though Petronas has arrangements with four partners to take the liquefied natural gas from Pacific NorthWest if the terminal is approved and built.Regardless, he emphasized that Progress would be in the region long-term. “Our presence in northeastern B.C. will be measured in decades, it will not be measured in months or years,” he said. “We anticipate 20 to 40 years of flat, stable activity throughout this area.” reporter@ahnfsj.ca
DECEMBER 11, 2015
PIPELINE NEWS NORTH •
feature
21
WILLIAM STODALKA photo
From left: Mark Fitzgerald of Progress Energy, Senator Richard Neufeld, Wouter de Klein of Shell, and Gary Weilinger of Spectra Energy appeared at a forum on the natural gas industry in Fort St. John last week.
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DECEMBER 11, 2015
first nations
JONNY WAKEFIELD photo
Saulteau First Nations Chief Nathan Parenteau signs a New Relationship and Reconciliation agreement as aboriginal affairs minister John Rustad (left) and forests minister Steve Thomson look on. The agreement will give Saulteau a portion of resource revenues on its traditional territories.
Reconciliation deal between Saulteau, B.C. will see nation get a 'fair share' of resource revenues Jonny Wakefield
Staff Writer
The chief of Saulteau First Nations says newly signed natural resource and reconciliation deals with the province are the biggest thing since Treaty 8. On Nov. 22, the nations celebrated the signing of New Relationship and Reconciliation agreements in a ceremony attended by three provincial ministers. "It's a huge milestone in our nation's history and the province's history," said Chief Nathan Parenteau. "It's our next biggest agreement, the only bigger one would be the treaties in 1914. This is another step down that path." The sweeping agreements will give Saulteau greater say over natural gas, coal and forestry developments in the nations' traditional territory, centred around Moberly Lake. Saulteau is the largest of the B.C. Treaty 8 nations, with 1,000 members. It's the first such agreement signed with a
Treaty 8 nation, and the government hopes it will be a model for other aboriginal groups in Northeast B.C. "We're looking to advance the type of agreement we have here (with other Treaty 8 nations)," said John Rustad, minister of aboriginal relations and reconciliation. "We're able to showcase the type of agreement we've been able to reach with the Saulteau. Other nations will have an opportunity to look at that and say whether they'd like to be part of it or not." The agreements set out a framework for compensating the nation for resource development in its territories, through revenue and benefit sharing agreements. It also gives them a greater role in "wildlife stewardship, forest licence opportunities, watershed planning and management of other areas," according to a release. It will also see the expansion of the Klin-se-za protected area, an area sacred to the nation. Negotiations on the new relationship agreement began in 2007. The program is aimed at
"closing the socio-economic gaps that separate Aboriginal people from other British Columbians," according to the ministry. The agreements were officially signed Sept. 25. Parenteau said money from revenue sharing agreements would go towards cultural services, as well as other programs. That could include language immersion for the nation’s 160 school-aged children in Cree and Dene languages. He said getting a “fair share of the resources on the land” would go “directly towards rebuilding the culture that was essentially lost and assimilated over the last 100 years.” He said there are also plans to restore an old hunting cabin for use as a drug and alcohol treatment centre. Education minister Mike Bernier and forests minister Steve Thomson also attended the ceremony on Nov. 22. reporter@dcdn.ca
DECEMBER 11, 2015
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Spectra files Jackfish application to National Energy Board Mike Carter Staff Writer
Westcoast Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Spectra Energy Transmission, has filed an application with the National Energy Board for its proposed Jackfish Lake Expansion Project. The project will involve the construction of two separate pipeline loops, paralleling the existing Fort St. John Mainline between Taylor and Chetywnd. The NEB’S decision will take into account the design and safety of the project, environmental matters, and other issues such as the socio-economic and land impacts, and the impact on the project on Aboriginal groups and other affected landowners. The loops will add capac-
ity without increasing pressure on the line. These 36-inch pipelines would transport sales-quality natural gas. The first segment will start south of Taylor and will run about 12 kilometres. The second will start at the Pine River and run about 24 kilometres, ending northeast of Chetwynd. Two compressor stations on an existing footprint would be required to move the increased volume of gas. The project will add 137.5 million cubic feet per day of transportation capacity to Spectra Energy’s BC Pipeline. The BC Pipeline is used to transport natural gas from Northeast B.C. to markets throughout the province and the United States. dcreporter@dcdn.ca
DECEMBER 11, 2015
PIPELINE NEWS NORTH •
first nations
25
Northern Lights College taps new leader for aboriginal education William Stodalka Staff Writer
Northern Lights College has created a new directorship position to serve as the college’s first point of contact for Aboriginal education. On Dec. 3, David Christie, the college’s co-ordinator of Aboriginal Services, was elevated to the new post of Director of Aboriginal Education. “This is a progressive and exciting position that will help Northern Lights advance in all aspects of Aboriginal Education Services,” college spokeswoman Susan Hunter said in a release. “I am confident that we have found the best
candidate for this position.” Christie will also serve as a liaison between First Nations bands, school districts, employers and the college in the campus region. Co-ordinating a communication strategy for Aboriginal input within the college will be a priority, he said. “I want to encourage and support the inclusion and success of Aboriginal students within Northern Lights College and the workforce because that is my passion—continuing to have regular contact with our local bands and schools to provide advocacy and support is of paramount importance to me,” he said. reporter@ahnfsj.ca
NLC photo
David Christie.
band together or blockade? Blueberry River man hopes to form Treaty 8 contractor coalition Jonny Wakefield Staff Writer
A First Nations contractor says a flare up over a gas plant that almost led him to blockade the project highlights the need for aboriginal oilfield firms to band together. Clarence Apsassin, a member of the Blueberry River First Nation, says he was close to leading a blockade of AltaGas's Townsend gas plant under construction near Wonowon, saying the costs of the plant were outweighing the benefits to the First Nation. Apsassin led a similar blockade of an oil and gas project in the area in 2001. "We were going to set up a road block at (Mile) 109 and shut the job right down in that area. That was the plan," he said. The company intervened and calmed some of the tensions, he said. "It's the same issues (as in 2001). Nothing has changed," he told Pipeline News North. "We get a little bit of work... we're thankful for what we get, but there have got to be more doors opening. We can't sit around and just let those opportunities go by if we can do (the work)." He said the latest tensions arose when members were allegedly removed from a worker camp for drinking alcohol. Apsassin said there was no
“We get a little bit of work.
We’re thankful for what we get,
but there have got to be more doors opening. We can’t sit around and let those opportunities go by if we can do (the work).” evidence for the claim. But the deeper tensions have been over development in First Nations territories, and the perception that jobs are not going to locals. "We're developing a coalition of contractors in Treaty 8 territory," he said. "Once it gets developed and on its feet and going, it would give us a front. The larger the numbers, the more strength we're going to have." Apsassin says the nation has electrical, pipeline and welding subcontractors who struggle to find work. Because of their size, the companies typically joint venture with non-aboriginal businesses in Fort St. John to bid on contracts.
He added that while head offices in Calgary might commit to hiring locals and aboriginal companies first, the rubber wasn't hitting the road. AltaGas spokesperson Sandra Semple said the company was working with band councils at both the Blueberry River and Halfway River First Nations to hire as many local workers as possible. "To date, our discussions and work together has gone very well. We're working collaboratively to engage qualified First Nations contractors to work on the project." She said AltaGas would soon hold career events at the nations. Treaty 8 administrator Diane Abel said that while the organization supports the idea of a contractors' coalition, it’s not directly involved. "We have heard a lot of feedback from local contractors who are T8 members and we know there is a lot of frustration," she wrote in an email. "With all the development in our territory, we would hope that our people could get some of these opportunities." reporter@dcdn.ca
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DECEMBER 11, 2015
workplace
Peace ranks fifth in most dangerous places to work Jonny Wakefield Staff Writer
For anyone who moves dirt, fells trees or raises houses for a living, it should come as no surprise: Northeast B.C. can be a dangerous place to work. New data from WorkSafeBC makes clear just how dangerous. Workers in the Northern Rockies and Peace Region are the second and fifth-most likely to be seriously injured on the job in B.C., respectively. WorkSafe recently released serious injury data for 2010 to 2014 in a dashboard tool on its website. In both the Peace and Northern Rockies, most serious injuries occurred in the general construction industry. Any injury that can kill or permanently wound is considered serious under the law. A higher rate means workers in a given region are more likely to be seriously injured on the job. However, that doesn't mean a greater number of overall injuries. In the Northern Rockies, the region that in-
WORKSAFEBC IMAGE
A new WorkSafeBC online tool shows the most dangerous places to work in B.C.
Of industries that are prominent in the northeast: Oil and gas saw 423 injuries, agriculture 636, forestry 912, education 948, and wood and paper manufacturing 1,834 between 2010 and 2014. cludes Fort Nelson, there were 58 serious injuries that resulted in 253 lost workdays in the five-year span. The region had the second-highest rate of serious injuries, at 22.9 per cent, well above the provincial average of 13 per cent. Leading the pack was Stikine, in north central B.C., where there were only nine serious injuries, mostly caused by falls. However, those represented nearly a quarter of all workplace injuries in the region. The Peace Region ranked fifth overall, with 418 serious injuries, for a rate of around 18.6 per cent. According to WorkSafe, that translates to 2,242 hours of lost productivity in the region. Most of those were fractures to the wrist, hands or fingers. Construction workers were
the most likely to be injured. The safest place to work was the Capital Regional District, which includes Victoria, where 8.9 per cent of all work place injuries were potentially deadly or debilitating. Vancouver had a rate of 12.2. Overall, construction lead the way in injuries, with 6,469, followed by transportation (2,757) and food service (2,642). Of industries that are prominent in the northeast: Oil and gas saw 423 injuries, agriculture 636, forestry 912, education 948, and wood and paper manufacturing 1,834. According to WorkSafe, employers paid nearly $2.3 billion in time lost to injuries between 2010 and 2014. reporter@ahnfsj.ca
DECEMBER 11, 2015
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DECEMBER 11, 2015
Unemployment climbs for third straight month Jonny Wakefield Staff Writer
Northeast B.C.'s unemployment rate climbed for the third-straight month in November, reaching a 12-month high of seven per cent. Once too low to report for confidentiality reasons, the rate has climbed steadily in the region due to a slowdown in the natural resources sector. There were 39,800 people employed in Northeast B.C. last month, down from a 24-month high of 41,400 in February. Province-wide, employment in the forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas sectors was down around 4.2 per cent month to month—from 49,500 people to 47,400. The provincial unemployment rate was six per cent in November. The rate was 6.2 per cent the month before. Statistics Canada does not report regional unemployment rates below a
More than 47,000 workers employed in resources confidentiality threshold of 1,500 unemployed people, to prevent "direct or residual disclosure" of data that could identify people. That was the case for five consecutive months in Northeast B.C., from October 2014 to February 2015. Since then, benchmark West Texas Intermediate oil has fallen from over $100 a barrel to below $40. Unemployment has been climbing at a time when the oilpatch is typically gearing up for winter drilling, leading to a fall in seasonal unemployment.
When unadjusted for the end of seasonal work—spring breakup in the oilpatch, for example—the unemployment rate in the northeast tends to spike in the summer months. That partly explains the peak of 8.4 per cent in April 2014. The region had among the highest unemployment rates in the province. The Cariboo region, which contains Prince George, was higher at 7.1 per cent. Unemployment was lowest in Vancouver and the Kootenays, which both recorded rates of 5.7 per cent last month. Compared with more populous areas, the northeast tends to see more frequent spikes in its unemployment rate because of the relatively small size of its workforce. The region’s highest annual unemployment of the last ten years came during the “Great Recession” of 2009, when the rate was also seven per cent. However, while the monthly unemployment rate has climbed, the average rate for 2015 was still too low to report in Northeast B.C. reporter@dcdn.ca
Photo Copyright Encana Corporation. All rights reserved.
DECEMBER 11, 2015
PIPELINE NEWS NORTH •
statistics
29
jonny wakefield infographic
Once too low for statistics agencies to report, unemployment in Northeast B.C. climbed for three months in a row to seven per cent in November, passing the provincial average on the way. At times in the past two years, the rate in Northeast B.C. had been so low it couldn't be reported due to a "confidentiality threshold" of 1,500 unemployed people.
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DECEMBER 11, 2015
infrastructure
U.S. firm eyed as prime contractor on Prince Rupert gas pipeline Jonny Wakefield
Staff Writer
U.S.-based Snelson Inc. has been conditionally awarded a prime construction contract on TransCanada's Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PGRT) pipeline. The 750-kilometre line would would supply gas from Northeast B.C. to the proposed Pacific NorthWest liquefied natural gas facility at Prince Rupert from its starting point in Hudson's Hope. Snelson will not officially receive the contract until Malaysian energy giant Petronas makes a final investment decision on the LNG facility.
In a Nov. 10 email to the Peace River Regional District, TransCanada invited local government officials to meet with the prospective builder on Nov. 30. "We recognize the importance of making these connections as far in advance of the start of construction as possible," a TransCanada official wrote in the letter. "While our contractors will be prepared to speak in greater detail about specific project activities and schedules and to items like local contracting in the near future, these initial meetings are intended to make introductions and to discuss how future engagement should unfold as we work towards launching construction activities," the company writes.
The invitation was discussed at a Peace River Regional District meeting Nov. 26. Snelson is headquartered in the town of Sedro Woolley in Washington State. According to the letter, the company will manage construction of the pipeline specifically in the Peace Region. TransCanada was selected to build and operate the pipeline by Progress Energy, Petronas's upstream subsidiary. The 48-inch diameter pipeline would include two new compressor stations to start, with the option of adding up to six more depending on demand. reporter@dcdn.ca
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CAREERS
Most Canadians won’t take a sick day
Tyler Orton
Business in Vancouver
Feeling feverish or coughing up a lung? If you’re like the majority of Canadians, chances are workrelated pressures will push you to go to the office anyway, according to a poll. The CareerBuilder survey, released Nov. 19, reveals 66 per cent of respondents are heading into the office instead of hitting the sack when ill. And among those few who do stay home, 28 per cent admit to checking emails on their sick day.
“We’ve found our latest research rather surprising, not least because as many employees are taking time off work to recover from mental health issues as physical ones, thereby illustrating our workforce is tired, stressed and under immense pressure,” said Ryan Lazar, director of CareerBuilder Canada. Among the top reasons respondents gave for not taking a sick day were anxieties over email inboxes filling up and to-do lists lengthening, which would further boost stress levels. But Lazar said even in highpressure environments, it’s up to
employers to ensure workers are getting back to the full health. If not, they’ll have to deal with drops in productivity and morale. While the poll found most Canadians push themselves to get to the office, 18 per cent of those who do call in sick do so to catch up on sleep. And another 25 per cent said they “didn’t feel like going to work.” The online survey polled 501 part- or full-time workers across Canada between September and October 2015. The results are considered accurate plus-or-minus 4.4 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Have vacation days? Use them Emma Crawford Hampel Business in Vancouver
Around 10 million vacation days will go untaken this year in Canada, according to the results of a recently released Expedia.ca survey. The survey found that, on average, Canadians are given 17 vacation days a year, but they only take 15.5 of them. A third of those who do not take all their days say it’s because their work schedules don’t really allow for them to plan vacations. “Since the inception of the Vacation Deprivation Survey in 2003, Canadians have collectively left more than 350 million vacation days on the table, resulting in $53 billion in wages handed back to employers,” Expedia said.
“That represents an average of cusing on their careers have taken more than 26 million unused vaca- priority,” said stress and wellness tion days and more than $4 billion expert Beverly Beuermann-King. in wages each year.” “And, while investing in our jobs More than half of all respon- and families is important, so is indents – 52 per cent – consider vesting in our physical and mental themselves to be “vacation de- wellbeing.” prived.” Of those, 66 per cent say Expedia found that more than a it’s because they do not get enough million Canadians have not taken a vacation days, and the remainder vacation in 15 years – and over 1.4 say it is because they don’t take the million say they have never been days they have earned. on a vacation in their lives. “Over the years, we’ve noticed some recurring reasons as to why Canadians aren’t “A Career at ARC means taking full advanbeing a part of something tage of their algreat. At ARC, we truly lotted vacation care about our people time. Commonly, and our commitment it’s because things to our culture creates a such as looking afrewarding and challenging ter family and fowork environment.”
Volunteer Director Position BC Northern Real Estate Board Are you interested in the real estate industry? The BC Northern Real Estate Board (“BC Northern”) is looking for candidates to fill two appointed non-REALTOR® Director positions. This is a volunteer position with a small honorarium, and all expenses paid. As a non-REALTOR® director, you will bring expertise and vision to our strategic focus and financial oversight. In performing your function as director, you have the responsibility and the mandate to make decisions in the best interests of BC Northern. BC Northern is an Association of REALTORS® serving the real estate needs of communities from Fort Nelson in the north to 100 Mile House in the south, and from the Alberta border to Haida Gwaii. Candidates must reside or work primarily within this area. Our Mission Statement is to empower our members to reach the highest level of professionalism. BC Northern and its members are committed to the Quality of Life principles which seek to build better communities with good schools and safe neighbourhoods, ensure economic vitality, provide housing opportunities, protect property owners and preserve the environment. If you would like to be part of shaping the future of BC Northern, apply now to be one of our volunteer non-REALTOR® directors. For the application package or for further information, contact: Alexandra Goseltine, Executive Officer; (250) 563-1236 in Prince George or 1-800-663-8299 or email her at eo@bcnreb.bc.ca. Deadline for application is January 14th, 2016.
Newalta is looking for a new Account Manager to join our team. Newalta is a leading provider of innovative engineered environmental solutions that enable customers to reduce disposal while enhancing the recycling and the recovery of valuable resources from oil and gas exploration and production waste streams. Reporting to the Area Manager Northwest Canada, working closely with the operations teams, the Account Manager is responsible for building relationships with our customers in the field. The successful candidate will be accountable for selling company products and services for both the Fort St. John and West Stoddart facilities and would benefit from an existing client network in those areas. This role is an integral part of our sales team and directly contributes towards Newalta’s Visit 2020. We are looking for a candidate who has a minimum of 3 years sales experience and Oil and gas experience would be an asset. The ideal candidate would be willing to travel 25-50% of the time and have an excellent consultative and solution oriented sales approach. This role will be based out of Fort St. John, British Columbia and the ideal candidate will reside within close proximity to either the Fort St. John or the West Stoddart area.
Please submit your application via email to: careers@newalta.com and visit our website: www.newalta.com for more details. R0011160131
– Ron Toly Field Manager, NE BC
Plant Operator, Sunrise • Dawson Creek, British Columbia ARC is recognized as a top-tier oil and natural gas producer. Why? Because we focus on our strengths: our people, our assets, and our leadership. Apply by December 18, 2015. www.arcresources.com/careers/career-opportunities
w w w. A R C R E S O U R C E S.c o m R0011163023
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• PIPELINE NEWS NORTH
DECEMBER 11, 2015
R0011162622
5 Acres in Charlie Lake
• Fantastic 4.97 acre property, 10 minutes to Fort St. John • Perfect place to sit a modular home, or build your dream house • Close to all recreational amenities Charlie Lake has to offer • Easy commute to town • www.century21.ca/101079794
$205,000 NEW LISTING 160 acres with House and shop!
• 1365 sq. ft. 3 bdrm updated home, with unfinished basement • Impressive 1920 sq ft heated and insulated, wire shop with 16” doors • Barn, round pen, 2 shelters for animals • Oil lease with $5850,00 revenue/yr. • Only 15 minutes to town in North Pine • Call for more info.
$749,000
RM2 zoned updated 5bdrm home
638 Acres of Land in Golata Creek
· Main level features 2 bdrms, 1 bth, updated kitchen
FOR SALE OR LEASE
• 638 Acres of Farm or Ranch land on Golata Creek Rd. • Property has field, as well as treed areas • Perfect property for recreational or agricultural use • Call for more info.
• Lower level boast rec room, bathroom, bedroom + 2 dens with closets • Large .20 acre corner lot zoned RM2, ideal for future development • More information at www.century21.ca/101110027
$324,900
$429,900
$995,000
1700+ Acre ranch with 2 houses
Executive Home in Pacific Properties
REDUCED $64,000 Below Market Value!!!
• Beautiful 2009 built custom home in Country Meadow Estates • 5 bedrooms, 3 bath, fully finished basement • Situated on 4.5 acres in area of fine homes • Motivated Seller, bring offers! • More info at www.century21.ca/101098779
• Fantastic homestead, with 2 houses & 1700+ acres • Outbuildings include 44x80 shop, 50x90 tarp building, 60x80 lean to • 60x68 barn, with concrete floors • Property features a spring, and is powered by solar energy and generators • www.century21.ca/101091233
• 4500 sq ft, second floor deck and rear parking • 17 offices, 3 bths, 2 coffee rooms, and 2 reception rooms. • Long term tenant on one side of building • Call for more info.
• 3754 sq ft fully finished home on 4 acres • High end finishings, 3 bdrms on main level with spa ensuite • Lower level set up with second kitchen, 2 bdrms, den and media room • Country setting close to town • www.century21.ca/101108174
$2,950,000
$734,900
$839,000
SIGNATURE POINTE II Own for Less Than Rent!
SHOW HOME HOURS
ge tga nts ,320 r o e M ym at$ 1 h*1 Pa ng ont rti m Sta per
Thursday to Friday 4-7 PM, Saturday & Sunday 2-4 PM #101-11205 105 Avenue, Fort St. John
For Immediate Showings Call 250-889-7099
With all this great news and when you can own for less than what your rent, what are you waiting for? • Dec 7, 2015, $715M: Tower natural gas project gets green light • Nov 25, 2015, $1.5B: Petrowest Construction wins Site C contract • Nov 24, 2015, $24.8M: New elementary school for over 350 students in Sunset Ridge • Oct 26, 2015, $1.8B: Woodfibre LNG receives environmental assessment approval • Sept 2, 2015, $325M: AltaGas & Painted Pony Gas Plant approved • Nov 16, 2015, $570M: NOVA Gas (subsidiary of TransCanada) signs on for expansion for 2018 • June 11, 2015, : Pacific NorthWest LNG announces Final Investment Decision
ALSO... • LNG Canada embarking on early site preparation at proposed liquefaction plant site • Prince Rupert Gas Transmission signs Project Agreement with Blueberry First Nations
Over 65% SOLD OUT but still homes available on every floor! *1
Based on 5% down payment on purchase price of $284,900 with 25 year amortization at XX % interest.
Visit our virtual tour at www.signaturepointe.ca