The B.C. government will promote priorities like clean energy, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fostering a skilled labour force today during a Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) capital visit.

Washington State Senator and PNWER president Kevin Ranker and PNWER CEO Matt Morrison are leading the 10 member PNWER delegation to Victoria. They will have the opportunity to meet with a variety of legislators, discuss shared regional priorities and gain insights into B.C. policy making and government processes.

It is also an opportunity for key partners to discuss the upcoming July 20-24, 2014, PNWER Annual Summit. PNWER selected Whistler as the location for this year’s summit, which will attract 600 key business leaders, legislators and government leaders from PNWER's ten states, provinces and territories as well as national leaders to discuss and address major issues impacting the region.

At the annual summit, PNWER delegates will collaborate on several priority issues such as energy, LNG, the environment, economic development, invasive species, trade, tourism, transportation and workforce mobility.

Quick Facts:

• Established in 1991, PNWER is the only statutory, non-partisan, non-profit, bi-national, public/private partnership in North America.
• PNWER is comprised of 10 jurisdictions: the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, and the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
• PNWER tackles regional issues through its 18 working groups, each headed by one public-sector and one private-sector chair. The working groups cover a variety of regional priorities such as border issues, market access, agriculture, energy, environment, and workforce development.

Learn More:

For more information on PNWER, visit: http://www.pnwer.org/

To learn more about PNWER’s 24th Annual Summit in Whistler, B.C. July 20-24, visit: http://www.pnwer.org/2014summit.html

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat
250 356-5963