The provincial government has released a preliminary list of resource projects Premier David Eby said will help B.C. leverage its "incredible natural strengths."
According to the release, issued Tuesday (Feb. 4), the 10 projects represent a total investment of $20 billion and will employ approximately 8,000 people across the province.
Government released the list after the United States Monday had agreed to pause the threatened imposition of tariffs on Canadian goods for 30 days. it includes critical minerals, energy, and clean energy projects "that have a business case developed and need some type of permit or approval from government."
Eby had first referenced these projects Saturday. He said at the time they emerged after government asked major business organizations to submit a list of projects that could be sped up and quickly employ workers, "especially those projects that are not dependent on the American market."
Eby added government received an "extensive list", which the public service then checked against its own internal list.
"We believe we have identified 10 projects that we believe can be moved along quite quickly and get shovels in the ground, get people hired around construction," he said.
Eby said the preliminary list represents "just a fraction" of the identified projects and added that these projects are located in "smaller, rural and remote communities that are going to be disproportionately affected by these tariffs."
"We will be working closely with (the commissioned expert task force responding to the tariffs) to address not just these specific projects, but also the underlying challenge that led them to get hung up in the first place, so that we can come out of this on the other end stronger, more prosperous, and more efficient."
Eby did not give details about the revised timelines for the projects, but added that they would involve legislation.
The provincial government announced in December that wind-farm projects would no longer be subject to environmental assessments. The preliminary list released Tuesday actually bundles them under one of the 10 major projects under the heading of BC Hydro Call for Power. Two other wind-farms projects plus one solar project also made the list.
Critical Minerals
Eskay Creek Gold/Silver project: NW, Stewart
Highland Valley Copper Expansion: SE, Logan Lake
Red Chris Expansion: NW, Stewart
Mount Milligan Copper and Gold: NW, Fort St. James
Energy Security
Cedar LNG: NW, Kitimat
NEBC Connector: NorthRiver Midstream: NE, Fort St. John area –
Enbridge T-North (Aspen Point): NE
Clean Energy
North Coast Transmission Line:
Stewart Creek Wind Project – Fort St. John – wind
Taylor Wind Project – Taylor – wind
BC Hydro Call for Power projects:
Brewster Wind Project – Campbell River– wind
Boulder and Elkhart Wind Project – Merritt – wind
Highland Valley Wind Project – Logan Lake – wind
K2 Wind Project – Kelowna – wind
ShTSaQU Solar Project – Logan Lake – solar
Mount Mabel Wind Project – Logan Lake – wind
Nilhts'i Ecoener Project – Prince George – wind
Nithi Mountain Wind Project – Fraser Lake – wind
