BC is one of Canada’s most richly endowed provinces..A huge forest industry, large but under-exploited mineral resources, unlimited natural gas reserves, access to the Pacific, specialized agriculture, world renowned seafood, world class tourism, high tech, film and tv, and five-million well-educated citizens living Canada’s healthiest lifestyles..It should be a slam dunk BC is a leader in Canadian economic growth, balanced budgets, reasonable taxes, superior education, and health services. Unfortunately, the last time BC had that status is about 10 years ago..The causes are complex, but by focusing on BC’s strengths, BC can recover and prosper. Job One is to convert BC from an intimidating place to invest, to a welcoming place to invest..Job Two, is to double down on BC tourism..Natural Resources — The federal government’s Critical Minerals Strategy should incentivize the BC government to get serious about fixing its mine permitting processes, including its lethargic Environmental Assessment Office. BC can easily double its metal mines and can also sponsor a rush on gas well development in a short span of time, if the leaders in government change the culture in the agencies that deal with project applications..The BC civil service has many excellent leaders, but drill down a layer or two and one encounters a collection of urban dwelling, highly risk-averse bureaucrats whose inclination is to sit on files, and not get to 'yes' without dragging out the process at huge cost to proponents and attendant loss of investor confidence..The difference between BC and the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Quebec is the BC public servant believes he or she cannot personally want resource projects to succeed without sacrificing the professional obligation to protect the public and the natural environment. The zero-sum dynamic in the BC public service runs deep. Bureaucrats must understand wanting success for your province while providing proper regulatory oversight are not mutually exclusive.. Down the hole miners .With a competitive, permitting regime, BC can regain its position as a strong provincial exporter..Since 2000, BC’s proportion of international exports of goods and services has fallen from 34% of GDP to 23%. The same decline applies to Canada nationally. This is the opposite of almost every other OECD country. While I understand most of BC’s population is urban and often doesn’t understand or even like the idea of cutting trees or digging strategic minerals from the earth, these folks do understand higher taxes, fewer jobs and a lower standard of living. Government must make the argument to urban BC..The current BC government treats its natural resource industries like the crazy uncle hidden in the attic. Government needs to step up and start celebrating the province’s major strengths. If it needs an ideological excuse, it can point to the fact BC exports of natural gas, critical minerals and quality wood are much lower in GHG intensity than other jurisdictions..So, first let the government acknowledge its permitting and approvals processes are stultifying and that the natural resource industries are the key to prosperity. Change the culture, empower decision-makers to make decisions that move projects forward. Teach them permitting natural resource projects is not a zero-sum game..Tourism — Only PEI is more dependent on tourism to generate business revenues and provide jobs. Post Covid, BC tourism is in recovery mode. Pre-pandemic, tourism generated 130,000-plus jobs, and almost 20,000 businesses..Between 2019 and 2021, the GDP from tourism in BC dropped 67.4%, business revenue fell by 65% and employment plunged by 64.4%. There is only one way the tourism industry can go in BC, and that’s up..The BC government needs to recognize just how important tourism is to the whole province, top to bottom. BC and Canada should solve the service worker scarcity. Temporary foreign workers and special training opportunities for indigenous people are both required. The BC government should also stand up for rural tourism businesses, like Cat and heli-skiing, wilderness lodges and guide outfitters. These businesses must retain what it is that attracts visitors to their businesses and, in some cases, that means selecting what activities can coexist with tourism and what cannot..Employment in tourism is coming back, domestic travellers are back up, foreign travellers are showing up again, albeit at lower levels. The BC tourism industry is optimistic. The foreign markets it depends on are now free of most COVID restrictions, as is Canada..It’s expected that international travellers will return, and BC will once again have opportunity to leverage its natural assets to attract people and money to the province.. BC Premier David Eby .The Maybe — The caveat on this optimism is BC politics, whether the NDP is in power or not. It is currently in power with no legal requirement for an election until fall of 2024. However, the former BC Liberal Party finally discarded its misleading party name for the sporty, “BC United,” and has a new leader, Kevin Falcon, who is driving hard to be ready for an election that could come in fall of 2023..The new NDP premier, David Eby, is focused on public sector spending, not on generating revenue through the private sector. The BC NDP has never grasped that without a strong, growing economy and tax base, all the clever ideas for social spending are unaffordable.. Kevin FalconKevin Falcon .BC, like Canada, needs to build on its strengths, realize just how competitive the world has become, and take steps to encourage investment and job creation with smarter policies..If BC United and Kevin Falcon are elected to govern, Falcon, who is a builder and activist, will make decisions lesser politicians fear to make. That will trigger more investment in the natural resources and tourism industries in BC and cause the return to a leadership role for BC in Canada..Cranbrook lawyer Bill Bennett was a BC Liberal MLA from 2001 to 2017, and served in several cabinet posts.
