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Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training

Regional Economic Investment Pilot - Campbell River

WHAT'S NEW

New Research unearths North Island’s economic potential

Campbell River is the economic gateway to North Vancouver Island. In January, 2012, Campbell River was selected as a pilot community for the Province’s Regional Economic Investment Pilot, a key initiative of the BC Jobs Plan. The community was selected for its established focus on investment attraction, as well as its commitment to developing a vibrant local and regional business climate.

The Province is partnering with Rivercorp, the Campbell River Economic Development Corporation, to identify key job creation and investment attraction projects, as it undergoes significant economic transition.

For more information:

Images courtesy of Picture B.C.

Forums

On January 30th 2012, the Campbell River Economic Development Forum launched the Campbell River pilot by bringing together community and business leaders to identify and prioritize key local economic development initiatives. Approximately 74 delegates were in attendance, from government, business, First Nations and academia.

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Unable to attend the Forum? Read below for more information.

Building off this momentum, Ministry of Jobs Tourism and Skills Training staff along with Rivercorp reviewed the identified projects based on the following criteria:

  1. Strategic alignment
  2. Project readiness
  3. Community impact
  4. Project feasibility, and
  5. Ability to implement.

Projects

Three priority community-driven projects were selected by the Rivercorp Board:

  1. Geoscience BC North Vancouver Island (NVI) Exploration Geoscience Project to generate new geoscience data for the north island and help attract new mineral exploration interest and investment.
  2. Biomass Research Project to generate a more detailed assessment of the biomass available in the Campbell River area, as a tool for potential biomass investors.
  3. Consolidated Community Marketing Initiative to enhance the community and marketing information that is publicly available for Campbell River, in order to leverage, build on and cross promote marketing efforts underway by multiple community partners, both domestically and internationally.

A second forum was held in Campbell River on July 11, 2012, facilitated by the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Rivercorp. The forum’s purpose was to provide an update on the status of the three priority projects to the 43 invited participants.

At the forum, Geoscience BC and the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET) announced funding of the NVI Exploration Geoscience Project, with an investment of $530,000 from Geoscience BC and $400,000 from ICET for a total budget of $930,000.

Updates

March 19, 2013

New Research unearths North Island’s economic potential

Two new reports that offer investors a wealth of information about Northern Vancouver Island’s natural resources are now available online.

This in-depth research — a forest-origin biomass inventory and an airborne magnetic survey — gives domestic and international investors and businesses the data they need to initiate new mineral exploration and biomass sector opportunities. They were compiled as part of the Campbell River Regional Economic Investment Initiative, a collaboration between the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and the Campbell River Regional Economic Development Corporation (Rivercorp).

In early 2012, community consultations in the Campbell River area identified investment opportunities in the forestry and mining sectors where more information was required to attract investors.

Completed:  Biomass Inventory Report for Campbell River

The recovery and use of feedstock and biomass from British Columbia’s forests — the material left over from harvesting operations such as stumps and branches — has increased in recent years, mainly to service electricity co-generation plants in pulp and paper mills. This new biomass inventory report, created in partnership with FPInnovations, offers detailed technical information about biomass sources and volume for 23 supply areas near Campbell River.

The analysis is based on historic harvest levels and provides potential investors with the total amount of roadside, dispersed and sort-yard residues available for new biomass projects.

The full report can be downloaded here:

http://www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/economic_pilots/docs/CampbellRiverBiomassAssessment.pdf

Completed – Aerial Magnetic Survey Results, North Vancouver Island Exploration Geoscience Project

The airborne magnetic survey is part of the North Vancouver Island Exploration Geoscience Project, which is funded by Geoscience BC and the Island Coastal Economic Trust, with support from the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Rivercorp. 

The airborne magnetic survey was flown in a grid pattern over Northern Vancouver Island using helicopters equipped with magnetic sensors. The resulting high-resolution maps, which were released at the 2013 Mineral Exploration Roundup in Vancouver, show variations in the Earth's magnetic field strength. The maps will help geoscientists interpret the geology and structure of the region, and target their mineral exploration activities.

You can preview and download the maps and data here:

www.geosciencebc.com/s/Report2013-02.asp

January 11, 2013:

North Vancouver Island (NVI) Exploration Geoscience Project

The objective of the NVI Exploration Geoscience Project is generate new geoscience data for the north island and help attract new mineral exploration interest and investment.

Aeromagnetic Survey Map (Source: Geoscience BC)

The Project includes: development of a stakeholder engagement strategy, technical activities (an airborne magnetic survey and a stream sediment geochemical sampling and data analysis), community awareness events, and release of the geoscience data.

In April, 2012, the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training funded a $24,000 stakeholder engagement strategy for the project.

Geoscience BC commenced its airborne magnetic survey in August, and as a result of good field conditions and increased cost-effectiveness, it was expanded to include Zeballos. The survey was completed at the end of September. Geochemical sampling was undertaken and analysis is well underway.

Two community awareness sessions on geoscience, mineral exploration and mining were held on August 28-29th (Campbell River) and October 27-28 (Port Hardy), with strong attendance achieved at both sessions. Sponsored by Geoscience BC, ICET and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), these sessions included both classroom instruction and a field trip to local geological sites of interest.

The results of the airborne magnetic survey will be released in late January at the Mineral Exploration Roundup conference in Vancouver, and results from the geochemical sampling program are expected to be released in the spring.

Biomass Research
The biomass research project is intended to provide a reliable biomass inventory. The objective is to have readily available information for potential investors and encourage investment into the forestry sector in the Campbell River area.

Through funding by the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, FPInnovations was contracted to develop an updated assessment of forest biomass in the Campbell River area, building on an earlier assessment FPInnovations completed in 2009 for Vancouver Island and the southern mainland.

Specifically, this project will provide potential biomass investors with a more detailed assessment of the available forest biomass and an estimation of the costs of delivery within an 80 kilometre radius of Campbell River, and make available to potential biomass investors.

The final report will be made publicly available shortly, and the project team is currently exploring a potential second phase of work to further support the attraction of forestry-based investment in the area.

Consolidated Community Marketing Initiative
On October 27, 2012, British Columbia’s International Trade and Investment Representatives were in Campbell River for a special networking event with local businesses. Hosted by Rivercorp, in partnership with the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, the Representatives provided an overview of the services and how they can assist British Columbia companies looking to enter or expand in international markets.

The event took place at the Shelter Point Distillery, and included welcoming remarks from City of Campbell River Councillor Claire Moglove, as well as one-on-one consultation sessions between the Trade and Investment Representatives and individual businesses.

Agenda for October Trade and Investment Representative Event

British Columbia’s Trade and Investment Representatives operate 12 offices around the world, including eight across Asia. The Representatives were in British Columbia as part of a seven-day autumn road show that included travel to the Kootenays, the Northeast and Vancouver Island.

Also under the Consolidated Community Marketing Initiative, Rivercorp initiated a contract to develop a Site Selection Guide for Campbell River. This document will provide detailed baseline information on the community, such as statistics on labour, infrastructure, quality of natural resources and market characteristics, information that is critical to attracting potential foreign direct investment. The Guide will be completed early in the New Year and will be available via Rivercorp’s website. 

Communications

Reports

News Releases

Links

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Contact Us

Community Contacts

  • Vic Goodman, CEO, River Corp, 250-830-0411

Provincial Contacts

  • Provincial Lead: Lori Henderson, Economic Development Division, Ministry of Jobs Tourism and Skills Training, 250 952-0607
  • Media: Scott Colbourne, Media Relations, Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, 250 952-0163
  • Website: Darby Cameron, Economic Development Division, Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, darby.cameron@gov.bc.ca

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