Opportunities North: The Northern Economic Summit
PLENARY PANELS
THE STATE OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
As an economy built on trade, British Columbia is impacted by international markets and changing economic conditions. So what will be the impacts of the global financial crisis and the housing downturn in the United States? How long will they last? How will the impacts affect Canada and B.C.? What can jurisdictions like B.C. do to protect their financial health and ensure they are positioned to rebound when the turnaround comes?
Listen to Panelists: Roger Gibbins (mp3, 10min 43sec), president and CEO of the Canada West Foundation; Paul Darby (mp3, 7min 27sec), deputy chief economist of the Conference Board of Canada
Listen to Chair: Colin Hansen (mp3, 5min 13sec), Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for the Olympics
THE NEW NORTH:
B.C.’S EMERGING POWERHOUSE
The Port of Prince Rupert’s expansion, the four-laning of the Cariboo Connector, the University of Northern British Columbia, and airport expansions in Terrace, Smithers and Prince George are just some of the important developments shaping the future of northern British Columbia. Together, these and other important initiatives are helping to build a whole new economy - one that is, by any measure, a provincial powerhouse. What are these sorts of initiatives contributing to the North and the rest of the province, and what more can be done to unleash the capacity of northern British Columbia’s changing economy?
Panelists: Mike Graham (mp3, 8min 19sec), executive vice president and president of the Canadian Foothills Division, EnCana Corporation; Elmer Derrick (mp3, 7min 46sec), Gitxsan hereditary chief, and chief negotiator and director of Ridley Terminals Inc.; Paul Henning (mp3, 6min 56sec), vice president, B.C. operations and strategic development, Western Canada, Rio Tinto Alcan
Chair: Blair Lekstrom (mp3, 4min 32sec), Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
NORTHERN PERPSECTIVES:
OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Living in the North comes with its own distinctive perspectives and possibilities, often tempered by distance, weather and a unique set of opportunities available only in this special part of British Columbia. From transportation to health care and economic development, the northern perspective is important to making the right decisions for all British Columbians. As northern communities, industries and families look ahead, what are the northern priorities for the future in a province that counts on their contributions to building a better British Columbia?
Listen to Panelists: Joanne Monaghan (mp3, 7min 41sec), mayor of the District of Kitimat; Dan Rogers (mp3, 6min 14sec), mayor of the City of Prince George; Janine North (mp3, 8min 58sec), CEO of the Northern Development Initiative Trust; John Rustad (mp3, 9min 3sec), MLA for Prince George-Omineca
Listen to Chair: Shirley Bond (mp3, 1min 6sec), Minister of Education and Minister Responsible for Early Learning and Literacy, and Deputy Premier
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
SESSION 1
ON THE MOVE:
THE PACIFIC GATEWAY AND B.C.’S TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS
Proximity and lower transportation costs have helped make the United States Canada’s largest trading partner. With massive potential markets for B.C.’s export sectors in countries like India, China, Japan and Korea, what transportation solutions are needed to maximize trade and investment with Asia and make B.C. the preferred point of entry for goods in North America?
Listen to Panelists: Tim McEwan (mp3, 6min 2sec), president and CEO of Initiatives Prince George and chair of the Air Logistics Park Task Force; Don Krusel (mp3, 6min 13sec), president and CEO of the Port of Prince Rupert; Keith Reardon (mp3, 5min 3sec), vice president of CN and managing director of CN WorldWide North America
Listen to Chair: Kevin Falcon (mp3, 4min 32sec), Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
SESSION 2
PRODUCTIVITY:
THE COMPETITION TO SUCCEED
More and more, the answer to our success at home and abroad is greater productivity - the ongoing ability of our industries and businesses to outperform the growing competition. Sounds simple, but how do we get the most out of our talent, location, resources and innovation in a world that’s getting smaller by the minute? How and where can we be more productive, and what can business, government and labour do to ensure our competitive advantages give us the edge?
Listen to Panelists: Pierre Gratton (mp3, 5min 11sec), president and CEO of the Mining Association of B.C.; Dr. Charles Jago (mp3, 6min 17sec), interim president and vice-chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia; Ken Peacock (mp3, 6min 54sec), director of economic research for the Business Council of British Columbia
Listen to Chair: Kevin Krueger (mp3, 4min 11sec), Minister of Community Development
SESSION 3
HIGHWAY 37:
FAST LANE TO THE FUTURE OF ENERGY AND MINING IN B.C.
When it comes to building a strong economy, no other part of Canada understands the importance of transportation access to future opportunities quite like British Columbia. For more than 50 years, starting with Premier W.A.C. Bennett, British Columbians have worked to connect every corner of the province. Highway 37 is another milestone in that transportation legacy, with the environmental assessment process and First Nations consultation now underway on the Northwest Transmission Line. With billions of dollars in capital investment, thousands of new jobs and economic opportunities on a global scale at stake, what can B.C.’s Northwest and our province’s mining sector look forward to on this critical corridor in the short and long term?
Listen to Panelists: Brian Kynoch (mp3, 5min 59sec), president, Imperial Metals Corporation; Doug Horswill (mp3, 6min 32sec), senior vice president, sustainability and external affairs, Teck Cominco; John Carruthers (mp3, 5min 47sec), president of Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines
Listen to Chair: Gordon Hogg (mp3, 5min 13sec), Minister of State for Mining
SESSION 4
GREEN MEANS BUSINESS:
OPPORTUNITIES IN A LOW CARBON ECONOMY
In B.C.’s alternative energy and other sectors, companies are developing innovative ways for businesses to go green while reducing their operating costs. As countries and companies around the world look for ways to reduce their own carbon footprints, what are the economic opportunities that come with greening the planet, and what’s the job-creating potential of carbon neutrality? In addition, how do we turn home-grown innovation into commercial opportunities that highlight B.C.’s green leadership?
Listen to Panelists: Mossadiq Umedaly (mp3, 15min 56sec), chair of BC Hydro; Leonard Legault (mp3, 4min 39sec), president of Alterna Energy; Donald McInnes (mp3, 6min 18sec), vice chairman and CEO of the Plutonic Power Corporation
Listen to Chair: Barry Penner (mp3, 6min 25sec), Minister of Environment
SESSION 5
THE MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE AND FORESTRY’S FUTURE:
CHOICES, CHALLENGES AND CHANGE
For more than a century, forestry has been British Columbia’s biggest export industry, but these days communities and companies are faced with more than just challenging times. In northern and central British Columbia, the mountain pine beetle has eaten large chunks of an entire industry, leaving communities and the provincial government with the task of showing leadership in tough times. Looking ahead, can new markets and new technologies lead to a more prosperous future for B.C.’s forestry industry?
Listen to Panelists: Henry H. (Hank) Ketcham III (mp3, 7min 50sec), chair, president and CEO of West Fraser Timber; Fred Enga (mp3, 4min 25sec), president and CEO of Northwind Ethanol Inc.; Keith Spencer (mp3, 8min 2sec), general manager of Del-Tech Manufacturing Inc.
Listen to Chair: Pat Bell (mp3, 3min 11sec), Minister of Forests and Range
SESSION 6
FEEDING THE FUTURE:
AGRICULTURE, B.C.’S GROWTH INDUSTRY
Thanks to British Columbia’s agricultural exports to more than one hundred countries, we have a well-earned reputation for great products and good taste. Faced with the challenges of an economic slowdown, increasing international competition and a growing global trend towards eating local, what can growers in B.C. do to further enhance and increase their market share at home and abroad? At the same time, what role can local consumers and the Province play in harvesting the potential of B.C.’s agricultural sector?
Listen to Panelists: Ken Huber (mp3, 7min 48sec), director of the B.C. Agriculture Council; Dave Merz (mp3, 9min 59sec), owner and operator of the Nechako Bend Ranch; William Norton (mp3, 6min 32sec), chair of the Northern Panel, Agricultural Land Commission
Chair: Larry Pedersen, deputy minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
SESSION 7
DEVELOPING B.C.’S HUMAN CAPITAL:
THE ROLE OF B.C.’S UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES
Finding solutions to our health-care, energy and economic challenges means relying, in part, on our ability to develop and attract the world’s brightest minds. If education and training hold the keys to our future, what can our universities and colleges do to ensure we’re getting the job done, and are we turning out the kind of graduates B.C. needs to continue building a strong economy?
Listen to Panelists: Geoff Stevens (mp3, 6min 40sec), executive lead, operations and industry training organizations, of the Industry Training Authority; Jean Valgardson (mp3, 10min 7sec), president of Northern Lights College; Dr. Mark Dale (mp3, 2min 58sec), provost of the University of Northern British Columbia
Listen to Chair: Murray Coell (mp3, 3min 49sec), Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development
SESSION 8
POWERING PROSPERITY:
BRITISH COLUMBIA’S ENERGY FUTURE
By any measure, British Columbia’s oil and gas sector has been a major success story. The Province’s oil and gas development strategy has led to unparalleled increases in drilling activity, production and provincial revenues. With wind, biomass, gasification, run-of-river, tidal, hydrogen and solar companies also beginning to make their mark, how does energy - in all of its forms - translate into new opportunities and greater prosperity for British Columbia’s northern communities?
Listen to Panelists: Paul Taylor (mp3, 5min 6sec), president and director of NaiKun Wind Group Inc.; Harvie Campbell (mp3, 7min 42sec), executive vice president, strategy and development, of Pristine Power Inc.; Richard Dunn (mp3, 10min 13sec), vice president, regulatory affairs, Foothills and Frontier Region, EnCana
Chair: Blair Lekstrom, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
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