News & Views

Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told.” “Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says." Yes, those are real headlines, as they appeared in two different newspapers some years ago.

Nanaimo Daily News, Alberni Valley Times, Kamloops This Week, Kelowna Capital News, Prince Rupert Daily News, Nelson Daily News, Abbotsford Times, Richmond Review. You name them: They are gone.  And there are more than those eight on the roll-call of the dead. 

An oft-heard critique of British Columbia’s resource economy is that it is “boom and bust” in nature. In fact, the overall resource bust argument is a non-starter when applied to an economy that produces a broad range of resource goods as BC’s does.

Economic analyst says the world is not going to wait if we can't get things done

"We’ve got to get people thinking in the right direction — natural resources aren’t our enemy. They’re a part of our economy."

“Bill Gates is right”, says one Forbes contributor, referring to Gates’ November interview with The Atlantic where he begins his assessment of the challenges facing a shift to clean energy with a pointed challenge – we have to bring “math skills to the problem” when talking about changing global energy use.

We suppose it was inevitable, the gleeful crowing when Royal Dutch Shell announced postponement of its Final Investment Decision (FID) on the LNG Canada project in BC.

Are we going to get approvals for new pipelines from the federal government or are we not?

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and oil industry leaders met with Prime Minister Trudeau in Calgary last week. After which, Steve Williams, president and CEO of oilsands giant Suncor Energy, told reporters: “We are making progress on market access.”

Clean energy has been getting lots of attention, for good reason. Canada’s role as a top exporter of energy is vital to our economy, and new opportunities are swiftly materialising in which Canada could take the lead. In response, the federal government is now rapidly moving towards an energy agenda that embraces the clean energy and clean technology sectors and a fulfillment of the potential they hold for existing natural resource industries.

What is Ottawa’s secret plan? Are we going to be allowed to sell our oil and natural gas? Are we going to build new pipelines? And how will Ottawa’s new review processes affect Canada’s economy?

This New Yorker cartoon is making the rounds in social media as the United States prepares to become an oil-and-gas exporting nation and Canada gets ready, it sometimes seems, to depart from its resource-trade home base for parts unknown.

It is the new pact reached by the BC government, 26 First Nations, environmental groups, and the coastal forest industry, on ecosystem-based management in the Great Bear Rainforest.

Canada’s resource sector is not an impediment to economic diversification, it is often the cause of it.

Greener and more efficient use of our precious natural resources can only come from harnessing technology. Here are some ways this is already unfolding around us today.

A new narrative for Canadian natural resources: Watch Resource Works founder Stewart Muir share his vision for a better, more balanced conversation about balanced prosperity

BC's tourism and natural resource sectors have developed in parallel. Here is a case of how mining enabled a stunning visitor drawcard to develop.

Asifa Samji guides engineering practices for a major firm and provides alumni oversight at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

INFOGRAPHIC: Thanks to Canada's open society, civic society has helped projects like the Trans Mountain Expansion Project identify and address public concerns. Here are five current examples of citizen-driven project improvement.

INFOGRAPHIC: A report titled Canadian Crude Oil Transportation: Comparing The Safety Of Pipelines and Railways" compares incident and spill rates of pipelines and Canada’s Class 1 railways from 2012 to 2014. 

Developing the energy, mining and forestry sectors in an environmentally responsible manner is the key to a prosperous future for all British Columbians

With British Columbia's Trans Mountain project before the National Energy Board this week, it's timely to reflect on how pipelines mean big benefits for BC while doing right by the climate. 

Citizens need natural resource products as much today as they ever have. But the challenges to resource projects keep getting more complex.

It would not be easy to govern British Columbia were it not for natural resources - and here is some pretty visible evidence.

Yes it's a powerful economic driver – but just how powerful? Here are some vivid numbers from our research.

The big question on my mind lately has been: how do we achieve a balanced discussion on the tough issues? And I’m apparently not the only one

Our natural resource industries are among the most transparent sectors in British Columbia. This oft-overlooked characteristic of these industries benefits residents, communities and investors. 

Elected leader with background in social work has charted a course to develop the governance, legal, business, natural resource and political aspects of her First Nation

Even with low natural gas prices, and tough competition, the industry makes an outsized contribution to the province's economic health.

We can find middle ground, but it will be easier once we come to terms with what it means to be responsible

Leakage of natural gas into the atmosphere before it gets to the consumer has been a source of concern for years, resulting in progressively better solutions 

A pair of resource sector mega-projects has a Port Metro Vancouver tenant buzzing in Port Moody

As British Columbia has matured, so has its forest industry, now a global leader in green practices. Forestry also has a HUGE impact on jobs in Vancouver and beyond. Here are some remarkable facts.

Economists at Vancouver's Urban Futures Institute discovered that an ordinary bathroom holds the key to understanding the heart of British Columbia.

Our natural-resource firms are big creators of wealth and work that keep B.C.’s economy rolling, finance our education and health services and support thousands of families.

What is Resource Works all about? We asked a cross-section of 11 thought leaders to offer their interpretation of the project, which was launched in April 2014.

Is it possible to create quality, respectful conversations about natural resource issues – even when tempers are running hot? Resource Works offers some ideas to help municipal leaders navigate this challenging area.

The mayor of Fort St. John, a member of the Council since Resource Works began, is quoted in Globe and Mail feature on resource issues

The forest industry upheld its end of the bargain in Vancouver Island's Walbran forest – and now must be wondering if the environmental movement can do the same 

For mayors and councillors from communities across British Columbia, here is a tool providing greater context on important natural resource topics being discussed at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities 2015 convention. 

The overwhelming majority of people, especially when they sit face to face, want to engage in an open-minded, fact-based dialogue about responsible resource development.

A new movement is asking whether human beings are an invasive species that needs to be beaten back in order to save the planet – or can humanity's achievements make us less dependent on nature so that we can restore balance and health?

A fascinating video series looks at how to turn raw materials into the everyday things we take for granted – from food to clothing, energy, medicine, and so much more. 

The province has a history of bitter, unyielding fights over resource issues. And no wonder. We have a highly resource-dependent economy, a population of passionate environmentalists, and significant urban-rural divides

The health of BC’s economy depends on exporting natural resources, yet many British Columbians can find it difficult to grasp how this economic activity benefits them and their communities.