ASIA PACIFIC GATEWAY STRATEGY – NORTH (2006)
The Asia Pacific Gateway Strategy announced in the 2005 Throne Speech shows vision and commitment to British Columbia's unique position and contribution to North American- Asian trade.
Within the next year there will officially be two Gateways to Asia - the Lower Mainland and the Northwest. This will create opportunities to communities all along the northern corridor and especially in the northwest. The Asia Pacific Strategy should be focused on the potential of these areas that include infrastructure such as the private ports of Kitimat and Stewart, the industrial cluster in Kitimat, the rail line connecting central North America to these ports and the extensive and unrivalled supply of serviced land suitable for industrial development in the Terrace Kitimat Valley.
These opportunities need to be sold to the world. To do this successfully there needs to be an office situated in the Northwest headed by Senior Representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development under the umbrella of the Asia Pacific Strategy
The Northwest is an unknown to most of the Province but arguably has the greatest potential for development. Today we have a number of exciting proposed major private developments in and around the northwest: Kitimat LNG, the Enbridge pipeline, Cascadia gravel exports, off shore oil and gas, the resurgence of mining exploration and proposed mines in northern BC, (BC Metals (copper mine - Red Chris), Fortune Minerals (anthracite coal - Klappan), NovaGold (copper - Galore Creek), Shell Canada (coal bed methane) to name a few.
There are also proposed public projects critical to the development of the north such as the Stewart Omineca Resource Road and the hydro transmission line through Iskut. In addition, existing industries need support as they too face the realities of the global marketplace.
All these projects are international in scope but all these projects face unnecessary hurdles because of their location in the northwest. All of these projects would benefit from the support and facilitation of the BC Government. An Asia Pacific Gateway Strategy North office would be the conduit for government interaction with industry - existing and proposed, it would also be the catalyst for the development of future industrial investment policy in BC.
This office would showcase the northwest with trade delegations and promote the North with equal enthusiasm as they do the South.
An APGSN office in the North would provide proof of commitment of the Government to the development of Northern as well as Southern BC. It would also ensure that this initiative would;
• develop concrete goals and strategies and achieve documented results for the expansion of our Northern economy.
• be the face of Government in developing agreements with the First Nations who are very much a part of Northern development.
• partner with similar initiatives in Alberta to strengthen the northern corridor and its potential.
• become the centre of Government support and vision for the northwest.
The Northwest with its natural resources, established infrastructure and skilled workforce, provides an opportunity for BC to expand into the global market place. The Strategy has been announced but to realize the benefits to the fullest the Northwest needs to have the partnership of the Government to succeed.
A focused, dynamic, innovative, result oriented Asia Pacific Gateway Strategy North would give the BC Government the opportunity to be architects of this success and at the same time prove their commitment to the North.
THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS
That the Ministry of Economic Development develop a senior satellite office in the Northwest that will pursue the goals of the Asia Pacific Strategy and work to develop the potential of northern BC.
The Asia Pacific Gateway Strategy announced in the 2005 Throne Speech shows vision and commitment to British Columbia's unique position and contribution to North American- Asian trade.
Within the next year there will officially be two Gateways to Asia - the Lower Mainland and the Northwest. This will create opportunities to communities all along the northern corridor and especially in the northwest. The Asia Pacific Strategy should be focused on the potential of these areas that include infrastructure such as the private ports of Kitimat and Stewart, the industrial cluster in Kitimat, the rail line connecting central North America to these ports and the extensive and unrivalled supply of serviced land suitable for industrial development in the Terrace Kitimat Valley.
These opportunities need to be sold to the world. To do this successfully there needs to be an office situated in the Northwest headed by Senior Representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development under the umbrella of the Asia Pacific Strategy
The Northwest is an unknown to most of the Province but arguably has the greatest potential for development. Today we have a number of exciting proposed major private developments in and around the northwest: Kitimat LNG, the Enbridge pipeline, Cascadia gravel exports, off shore oil and gas, the resurgence of mining exploration and proposed mines in northern BC, (BC Metals (copper mine - Red Chris), Fortune Minerals (anthracite coal - Klappan), NovaGold (copper - Galore Creek), Shell Canada (coal bed methane) to name a few.
There are also proposed public projects critical to the development of the north such as the Stewart Omineca Resource Road and the hydro transmission line through Iskut. In addition, existing industries need support as they too face the realities of the global marketplace.
All these projects are international in scope but all these projects face unnecessary hurdles because of their location in the northwest. All of these projects would benefit from the support and facilitation of the BC Government. An Asia Pacific Gateway Strategy North office would be the conduit for government interaction with industry - existing and proposed, it would also be the catalyst for the development of future industrial investment policy in BC.
This office would showcase the northwest with trade delegations and promote the North with equal enthusiasm as they do the South.
An APGSN office in the North would provide proof of commitment of the Government to the development of Northern as well as Southern BC. It would also ensure that this initiative would;
• develop concrete goals and strategies and achieve documented results for the expansion of our Northern economy.
• be the face of Government in developing agreements with the First Nations who are very much a part of Northern development.
• partner with similar initiatives in Alberta to strengthen the northern corridor and its potential.
• become the centre of Government support and vision for the northwest.
The Northwest with its natural resources, established infrastructure and skilled workforce, provides an opportunity for BC to expand into the global market place. The Strategy has been announced but to realize the benefits to the fullest the Northwest needs to have the partnership of the Government to succeed.
A focused, dynamic, innovative, result oriented Asia Pacific Gateway Strategy North would give the BC Government the opportunity to be architects of this success and at the same time prove their commitment to the North.
THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS
That the Ministry of Economic Development develop a senior satellite office in the Northwest that will pursue the goals of the Asia Pacific Strategy and work to develop the potential of northern BC.
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