The B.C. government and Blueberry River First Nations have reached a historic agreement that will guide them forward in a partnership approach to land, water and resource stewardship that ensures Blueberry River members can meaningfully exercise their Treaty 8 rights, and provide stability and predictability for industry in the region.

The StrongerBC Economic Plan is delivering support for people in rural British Columbia through a new fund that will diversify local economies, promote value-added innovation in the forestry sector and create thousands of good-paying jobs for British Columbians.  

More graduate students will benefit from a $3.75-million scholarship fund that will spark innovation, economic growth and help recruit and retain B.C.’s brightest minds.

More than $27 million in project grants that will help create jobs throughout British Columbia will also help increase the use of wood fibre that otherwise would have been burned as slash.

The provincial government has announced $69 million to fund a new series of measures aimed at supporting British Columbia forest workers impacted by mill closures and shift reductions in several B.C. Interior communities.

Over the course of a five-day tour that included 10 communities, Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, announced more than $137 million in new funding over the next few years on behalf of the provincial and federal governments.

BC emphasized the importance of creating enduring opportunities for Aboriginal communities through responsible resource development.