Our government is committed to building a strong economy that works for everyone and creates good jobs throughout the province.

A critical aspect of building a better B.C. is making sure our traditional industries remain strong.

Mining is an important industry that has economic impacts in every corner of this province. For example, the City of Surrey had 160 companies that directly benefited from the mining industry in 2017, spending over $76 million on local services such as engineering, equipment, parts and power solutions. This places the city third on the Mining Association of British Columbia’s annual list of communities across the Lower Mainland reaping the financial benefits of mining.

The BC Mining Jobs Task Force has been a key part of our commitment to fostering a healthy, thriving mining sector. This team of 12 dedicated professionals — including First Nations, labour and industry leaders — worked diligently over the last year developing recommendations to help our government bring even more certainty to the mining sector.

Based on the recommendations submitted by the task force, we were excited to announce our support this week during the Association of Mineral Exploration’s Roundup 2019 in Vancouver.

During the event, Premier John Horgan announced several key initiatives based on the task force’s final report to government.

To start, we are providing:

• $1 million for the development of a Mining Innovation Roadmap to foster innovation and new ways to collaborate;
• $1 million to continue the B.C. Regional Mining Alliance, which promotes mineral exploration and mining and Indigenous partnerships in our province;
• two tax credits — previously a temporary measure under the former government — now a permanent incentive to investors; and
• an increased investment in the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources to ensure resources are available to improve mining application processes, industry safety, economic growth and more.

When Budget 2019 is released in February, we should have even more details to share. Over the next three years, we plan to implement, develop and study the task force’s recommendations through a staged approach as we continue to build on our commitment for a better British Columbia.

I’m proud of the work that the Mining Jobs Task Force has done and look forward to realizing the positive impact of its efforts as we continue to build a strong, sustainable economy, deliver the services people count on and make life better and more affordable for everyone in B.C.

To read the release in Punjabi, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/OpEd_Mining_BC_Punjabi_MJTF_Jan29_406pm.pdf

To read the release in traditional Chinese, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/OpEd_Mining_BC_MJTF_Jan29_406pm-TCH_Edited.pdf