New partnerships on Vancouver Island and the mid-coast will strengthen the relationship between First Nations and the provincial government and create economic opportunities, Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Minister Mary Polak announced today.

Chief negotiators for Canada, British Columbia and the Tla'amin Nation (Sliammon First Nation) today initialled a Final Agreement. This initialling marks an important step toward a treaty that would bring economic and social benefits to the First Nation and the Powell River region.

Provincial and Aboriginal leaders will honour 20 Aboriginal youth for successfully completing the 2010-11 B.C. Aboriginal Youth Internship Program, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Mary Polak announced.

British Columbia's jobs plan will build on the Province's solid foundation of prudent fiscal management to attract investment and open new markets for B.C. products and services, defending and creating jobs for British Columbians, Premier Christy Clark said today.

As part of "Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan", to be formally released on Thursday, Premier Christy Clark today announced British Columbia will take four key steps to create a prosperous liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry and jobs, including making the Kitimat liquefied natural gas plant operational by 2015.

Premier Christy Clark and Taku River Tlingit First Nation spokesperson John Ward signed an agreement that creates 13 new protected areas and provides resource development opportunities and investment certainty in more than three million hectares (approximately 11,500 square miles) in the Atlin Taku region of northwestern B.C.