The Province will partner with communities in three regional economic development pilot projects as part of 'Canada Starts Here - The BC Jobs Plan'. A decision on a fourth community, a First Nation, will be announced soon.

The B.C. government has selected three communities for the Regional Economic Investment Pilot. They are:

* Campbell River.

* The Barriere to McBride corridor.

* The North Fraser communities of Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and Mission.

The pilot is aimed at attracting investment, identifying opportunities, economic diversification and job creation.

In each community, the pilot will begin with a local economic forum hosted by Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, where representatives from local government, business, industry, First Nations and academia will explore investment opportunities and share solutions in overcoming barriers. The provincial government will assist these communities by developing an intensified approach to capitalize on those opportunities.

The first economic forum will be held in the region of North Fraser on Thursday, Dec. 8. Forums in other selected communities will take place in January 2012. It is expected that all the economic forums will be completed by March 2012.

By the end of each forum, communities will have created an inventory of potential projects and an initial action plan on how best to implement them. The lessons learned from this pilot will then be applied across the province.

Working with employers and communities to enable job creation is one of the key pillars of the Jobs Plan announced by Premier Christy Clark in September. To accelerate growth the jobs plan leverages the strengths of B.C.'s most competitive sectors to bring new dollars into the economy from the province's most important trading partners. Those sectors are: forestry, mining, natural gas, agri-foods, technology, tourism, transportation and international education.

Quotes:

Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell -

"We want all regions in British Columbia to be part of our jobs plan. These pilots will help us to focus on specific job-creating projects. This is about working with our community and First Nation partners to create a sustainable economic future. I'm very excited about this project. It could have a profound effect on the prosperity of British Columbia."

Sandy Blue, director, Invest North Fraser economic partnership -

"Maple Ridge, Mission and Pitt Meadows have a ton of potential and we're working together to achieve our investment attraction and business growth goals. The Invest North Fraser initiative is the perfect example of communities that know how to effectively leverage the power of partnerships."

McBride Mayor Michael Frazier -

"Our local economy took a terrible hit over the last few years. All along we have been working on diversifying our economy and creating employment. This initiative will give a huge boost to our efforts. We're looking forward to working with other communities in the region to take advantage of investment opportunities."

Mayor-elect Walter Jakeway, Campbell River -

"The City of Campbell River welcomes the provincial government's initiative to pilot its jobs plan in the city. Over the past few years, the city has experienced the loss of several hundred jobs. With provincial support, we would like to make job creation and investment a priority not only for Campbell River but for Coastal BC as well."

Quick Facts:

* Campbell River, with a population of around 30,000, is situated beside the Discovery Passage, home to some of Canada's top tidal generation sites, as well as a natural transportation route north, south and to the Pacific

* The Barriere to McBride corridor includes: the Simpcw First Nation; the incorporated North Thompson communities of Barriere and Clearwater; the Robson Valley communities of Valemount and McBride; and the unincorporated areas in the corridor that are part of the regional districts of Fraser Fort George and the Thompson Nicola.

* The region has a higher percentage of university graduates than the B.C. average.

* The North Fraser region, located along the north shore of the Fraser River in British Columbia's Lower Mainland, encompasses Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Mission.

* The region covers approximately 600 square miles. A fast-growing population, affordability, diverse workforce, good transportation infrastructure and proximity to Vancouver and US border crossings make the North Fraser an attractive proposition for investors.

Learn More:

To find out more about BC Jobs Plan, visit: http://www.bcjobsplan.ca/

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Marisa Adair

Communications Director

Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation

250 356-9869

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect

BACKGROUNDER

For Immediate Release

2011JTI0139-001563

Dec. 1, 2011 Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation

Regional Economic Investment Pilot

'Canada Starts Here - The BC Jobs Plan' aims to create long-term jobs and investment throughout the province by building on key competitive advantages. To achieve this, the provincial government will engage with communities and support them in developing strategies to create lasting economic benefit and boost job creation.

Piloting the approach in a small number of regions allows more focus on key initiatives. It will also enhance government's understanding of how best to assist and streamline communities' economic development.

The four selected communities represent the diversity of community needs throughout the province, and include:

* Campbell River (medium-size city).

* The Barriere to McBride corridor (small rural communities).

* North Fraser (small urban area).

* A First Nations community.

Pilots were selected using the following considerations:

* Diverse community locations.

* Range of population sizes.

* Diverse economic challenges and opportunities.

* Strong indication of investment-ready projects.

* Demonstrated commitment to planning for the future.

* Strong local leadership.

* Community-level recognition of the value of non-monetary assistance.

* Alignment with key competitive sectors identified in the BC Jobs Plan.

Economic forums with key stakeholders will be held in each of the four pilot regions by March 2012. Through these sessions economic investment opportunities in each pilot area will be identified.

The Province will assist communities by providing expertise, and facilitating community and regional linkages to key partners, stakeholders and programs to advance investment opportunities. No funding will be provided to communities.

Selected projects will be implemented in the following six to 18 months. Once the pilots are complete, additional communities will have the opportunity to partner the government on investment opportunities.

Contact:

Marisa Adair

Communications Director

Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation

250 356-9869

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect