News & Views

Wildfires across the British Columbia Interior are a reminder that the things we take for granted can be snatched away with hardly a moment's notice. 

Stewart Muir looks at how it is that British Columbia remains so strongly identified with natural resources. 

It's a time to remember the things that bind us together. 

It's time to explode the carefully nurtured myth that British Columbia residents are opposed to the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion and Site C. That just ain't so, according to a new poll from the Angus Reid Institute.

Can British Columbia prosperity be saved from a slate of policies designed specifically to drive natural resource investment out of the province? As investors' hands tighten around their wallets, one thing is clear: the work of our movement has scarcely begun.

The BC NDP has promised to review natural gas fracking and what it calls subsidies, while the BC Greens campaigned to ban the use of any kind of fossil fuels. Davie Higgins looks at why some residents of BC's north east region, including Tyler Kosick, are concerned.

In British Columbia, resource exports have been a stable part of the economy for the past two decades. Last year, they increased. 

Canada's Aboriginal people consistently speak of their quest for a successful future. Now there is fresh evidence to show that they are twice as likely as non-Aboriginals to find that future through work in natural resource fields.

Next time you hear someone claim we can do without the B.C. pipeline expansion, don't be swayed. Without crude oil exports, Canada simply cannot pay the rent. 

For those in the natural resource fields, it can prove incredibly challenging to demonstrate to others – like city residents – the positive impact that rural and out-of-sight industrial activities have on the economy. Check out how the Copper Mountain Mine is working to overcome that. 

In communities across British Columbia, Resource Works is part of an emerging movement in support of getting past today's natural resource conflicts. We are also helping keep decision makers abreast of important developments in recognizing the essential role of natural resources in the economy. 

The central role of natural resources in British Columbia life is reflected in the province's general election results. What are the lessons for those of us working toward broader consensus on what will surely be a resource-intensive future? Stewart Muir looks at the landscape.

Looking for evidence of methane emissions in British Columbia's natural gas extraction industry, researchers were surprised at how tight the new wave of field equipment really is.

The issue is far more complicated and a ban would not solve anything, says Nanaimo log broker Barry Simpson in this report by Don Hauka for Resource Works.

Greener and more efficient use of our precious natural resources can only come from harnessing technology. In the Naturally Resourceful series, Resource Works writer Don Hauka looks at the British Columbia companies that are on the leading edge of this transformation. Fifth in the series.

Latest data from BC Statistics shows forestry jobs in the province are close to breaking through the 20,000 level for first time since the global financial crisis hit in 2008. With softwood lumber now an issue, Stewart Muir reveals what the employment numbers mean.

A maritime archivist reveals the story of how Vancouver became an export port for a commodity it has been shipping safely since 1956.

A new study that says stop building the clean-energy mega project is based on two assumptions – low commodity prices lasting forever, and revolutionary energy technologies "just around the corner". Stewart Muir analyzes the study, which was authored by longstanding project opponents.

Doesn't it seem like common sense that the smartest thing to do to strengthen our economy is make finished products? Donald Trump might have made this idea work for him. But the Smiley Curve shows why a strong resource economy like British Columbia should be realistic about manufacturing.

Supporters of clean energy investment were backed by the findings of a 2014 joint federal-provincial panel on the Site C dam project.

Opinions vary by region when it comes to mineral exploration and mine development. Courtesy of Mineral Exploration magazine, here's the experience of three British Columbia communities. 

A recent Ipsos Reid poll for Resource Works confirmed that 83% of British Columbia residents equate natural resources with opportunity. And they are right to do so. Check out the stunning diversity of good jobs that come from a healthy resource sector.

Initially established in North East British Columbia, the forum was in Vancouver for the first time. Mission: to bring together those interested in pursuing and supporting First Nations business opportunities.

The idea of a research group dedicated to building solid information, broader understanding, and a supportive movement wasn’t novel in 2014 when Resource Works came onto the scene.

At a conference in Ottawa this week, Resource Works joined a conversation about the ability of Canada to attract investment and foster innovation.

Using 3D scanners and laser scanning measurement devices, workers can scan a piece of equipment, feed the data into the NGRAIN platform and have it automatically identify problems. 

Politics has absolutely nothing to do with the urgent necessity to build pipelines, like the Kinder Morgan expansion, to tidewater.

In the quest for resource innovation, high technology is creating jobs and building the green economy.

In part 2 of the Myth Busters series, we look at some of the challenges facing those committed to cleaner ways to power society

As the global mining industry struggles to break through all kinds of limitations, disruptive innovation strategies are suddenly in vogue.

Exports, primarily in natural resources, are how we pay for needed imports: economist Patricia Mohr

With future prosperity at stake, it's time to ask whether some of the things we think we know about natural resources are even true. 

It's common to hear that selling logs to foreign countries is bad for British Columbia jobs. In fact, precisely the opposite is true. Stewart Muir explodes the myth in these six charts that take a long-term view of the evidence. 

Results suggest that discussion and debate can help solve concerns about honesty, transparency and inclusivity.

Highest level of confidence since June 2014: Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Tax fairness demanded by union leaders, along with a raft of environmental and market development measures, is BC government's idea of recognizing resource sector needs.

Forget the stereotypes – these young Canadians are calling for shovels in the ground, writes Scott Simpson.