At the official opening of a brand-new FrontCounter BC office in 100 Mile House, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson also announced the expansion of the service's dedicated call centre.

The expansion and opening further supports the 'Canada Starts Here: BC Jobs Plan' by providing easier access to government services that will help to enable quicker job creation and support regional economic development.

The 100 Mile House location is the second FrontCounter BC office to open this year, and the 14th since January 2011. It is a key part of the Province's new integrated approach to the natural resource sector and will provide residents and businesses in the Cariboo region with a local office for their natural resource business.

FrontCounter BC's dedicated call centre provides free access to personalized help with natural resource inquiries and application packages from anywhere in the province. The call centre enhancements include three new permanent agents in the Chilliwack, Castlegar and 100 Mile House offices and advanced training for improved client service. Currently, the call centre handles more than 21,400 inquiries annually. The additional agents are being trained to meet the projected increase in inquiries.

FrontCounter BC is a single-window service for clients of the natural resource sector. FrontCounter BC was created in 2005 with eight locations, a dedicated call centre and online applications, and will continue to expand to more locations across B.C. in the coming months.

FrontCounter BC, 300 Highway 97, 100 Mile House, BC: http://flic.kr/p/bnEUCr

Quick Facts:

• FrontCounter BC offers more than 130 natural resource-related permits and authorizations at each location.

• FrontCounter BC provides services on behalf of 16 additional partner agencies.

• Since Jan. 1, 2005, over 47,000 authorizations have been processed.

• The FrontCounter BC call centre handles more than 21,400 inquiries annually.

Learn More:

The BC Jobs Plan: http://www.bcjobsplan.ca/

Find a FrontCounter near you: http://www.frontcounterbc.gov.bc.ca/contact/locations.html

FrontCounter BC: http://www.frontcounterbc.gov.bc.ca/

Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations: http://www.gov.bc.ca/for/index.html

Contact:

Brennan Clarke
Public Affairs Officer
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261