Province Launches International BC Forest Products Awareness Campaign
The BC forestry industry and Premier Gordon Campbell recently announced their intention to raise global awareness of BC forest products.
The crux of the campaign centres on establishing the province’s forest products as important alternative uses of wood that have an enormous potential to reduce consumers’ carbon footprints.
The Province points out that B.C.’s forest products store vast amounts of carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. Moreover, by using clean wood-based bio-energy in the manufacture of these products – and substituting them for fossil-fuel-intensive alternatives – further reductions in B.C.’s greenhouse gas emissions are achieved.
This campaign complements the industry’s already existing goal of achieving carbon neutrality across all operations and all sectors by 2015 – without the purchase of carbon offset credits.
The B.C. Government is pursuing a goal of zero net deforestation by 2015, and will put that goal into law by 2010.
Read the full news release here:
http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2008OTP0173-001034.htm
back to top
First Vancouver 2010 Indoor Competition Venue Completed – UBC Thunderbird Arena
VANOC, UBC, and the Federal and Provincial Governments have announced that UBC Thunderbird Arena, scheduled to host the men’s and women’s ice hockey, as well as the men’s ice sledge hockey competitions during the 2010 Winter Games, has been completed on budget and a full four months ahead of its November 2008 projected completion date.
Construction on the UBC Thunderbird Arena began in April 2006, and involved refurbishing the Father Bauer Arena, built in 1963, and the construction of two new rinks: a practice rink and a 7,500-seat competition arena.
Read the full news release here:
http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2008OTP0176-001049.htm
back to top
Nominate your community to be the 2009 Forest Capital of BC
The Association of BC Forest Professionals is inviting communities across the province to apply to be named the 2009 Forest Capital of BC.
With BC’s forestry industry facing some uncertainty in the province’s current economy, the Forest Capital designation is an important opportunity to build community spirit and garner recognition - not only for the community, but for the importance of BC forests as well.
The written bids of nominated communities are judged on the basis of such criteria as the community/forest relationship, the proposed Forest Capital program, leadership and organizational capacity, and broad support (including letters of support).
Any community in British Columbia may apply. The deadline for applications is November 14, 2008. For more information, or to apply, visit www.abcfp.ca
back to top
Carbon Tax Seminars
The Ministry of Small Business and Revenue will be hosting a number of free seminars on administering the new Carbon Tax in various communities across the Province to assist businesses in understanding the Carbon Tax and its administration process. The training schedule is as follows:
- July 14, Victoria / July 15, Campbell River / July 16, Port Alberni / July 17, Nanaimo
- July 22, Vancouver / July 23 Coquitlam / July 24 Abbotsford / July 25 Surrey
- July 28 Kelowna / July 29 Kamloops / July 30 Vernon
- August 5‐8 North East Region (Williams Lake, Prince George & Dawson Creek)
- August 11‐15 North Coast Region (Terrace & Smithers)
- August 18‐21 Kootenay Region (Castlegar, Cranbrook, Inveremere)
For more information about the Carbon Tax Seminars in your area visit:
https://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/applications/Tax_seminars/Carbon_index.asp
For more information about the Carbon Tax itself, visit: http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/business/Consumer_taxes/Carbon_Tax/carbon_tax.htm
back to top
Tax Information for Accommodation Providers
As British Columbia moves towards the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue is working to provide tax information to all businesses and individuals conducting business in the province.
To this end, the ministry and the Canada Revenue Agency have produced the brochure, Tax Information for Accommodation Providers. It provides a concise summary of the provincial and federal tax issues which may be encountered by accommodation providers operating in British Columbia.
The ministry provides printed brochures free of charge in either English or French. To obtain printed copies of the brochure, please contact: Daryl.Nelson@gov.bc.ca
back to top |
