After hearing resistance to the idea of shipping liquified natural gas from BC’s North Coast, the Member of Parliament for the province’s northeast corner said his constituents feel pride now that products from their region are now being loaded onto tankers.
In late June, the first tanker loaded with natural gas from LNG Canada’s terminal near Kitimat headed off to deliver cargo to Asia.
Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies Conservative MP Bob Zimmer said that represented a realized dream for people in his riding.
“There was a perception that some of the gas going to the coast was coming from other provinces, but it’s all coming from northeastern BC,” Zimmer said in a phone interview on Friday, Aug. 22.
“There’s the potential for other gas from other provinces to go through that line and get to the coast, but right now it’s all BC gas and it goes into a pipeline right at Groundbirch, a small community outside of Dawson Creek.”
While he said his riding is happy with that success, Zimmer hopes the country realizes the potential for other projects that the sector has.
“We’ve lost, it’s been estimated, between ($800 million to $1 billion) where the U.S. has been talking to other world markets and basically meeting those needs,” Zimmer said.
“Needs that could have been well met by our Canadian energy. So, it’s a lost opportunity. My hope is that the prime minister sort of wakes up to the reality that we have a great energy sector that can meet those needs and really steps up to get to those markets that seems like Trump is beating him to the punch on.”
Over the summer, Zimmer said his goal was to meet with stakeholders both in the communities he represents and in the territories in his role as the Conservatives’ shadow minister for arctic affairs and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.
In BC, Zimmer said while the federal government has announce some relief packages targeted at the lumber industry as it struggles to deal with rising American tariffs put on their products, what is really needed is a softwood lumber deal of the kind that the Conservatives secured when they were last in government.
Up north, Zimmer said there are concerns about Arctic icebreakers operated by Russia and China. While those countries say the vessels are serving in an exploration goal, Zimmer said he would describe them as attempt at surveillance.
In July, Zimmer attended a meeting of the City of Prince George’s Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, along with his provincial Conservative colleagues Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Kiel Giddens and Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird.
“I’m very much economic development-focused,” Zimmer said.
“I know Prince George is concerned about some of the issues around forestry, being the backbone of what Prince George is and does, so we’re just trying to get some things done and pressure applied … we have a very strong collection of mayor and council members that are really just trying to see a good economy Prince George and the area. I’m happy to work with them on that.”
Other summer activities for Zimmer have included attending community events like the Dawson Creek & Stampede, handing out King’s Coronation medals and talking to constituents at his offices.
In the April 25 federal election, Zimmer said a lot of Canadians voted for Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal Party based on the expectation that he would manage the Canadian economy responsibly.
As his party ramps up to return to Parliament next month with leader Pierre Poilievre once again a member after his Battle River-Crowfoot byelection victory in Alberta, Zimmer said they’re going to show the country that Carney hasn’t followed though on those promises and has mostly followed in the steps of predecessor Justin Trudeau.
“If anybody wants to sit down and have a chat with me, we’re always open and they just need to call our office and we’ll set up the meeting, whether it’s in Prince George, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek or otherwise,” Zimmer said.
