Less than two weeks after the United States hiked duties on softwood lumber and less than a week after tariffs on non-CUSMA-compliant goods went up to 35 per cent, Prince George’s Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs voted on Tuesday, Aug. 5 to focus its efforts on economic development for the rest of the years.
In a report attached to the meeting’s agenda, written by chair Coun. Garth Frizzell, he noted that other communities like New Westminster, Kelowna, Nanaimo and the District of North Vancouver have either launched committees or other efforts to draw in new businesses.
Given finite resources, Frizzell wrote, the intergovernmental affairs committee could direct staff to collaborate with the city’s economic development team to find strategies to address the economic uncertainty Prince George is facing rather than create a new body.
“There’s lots of talk about what’s going to be happening with forestry, but we don’t have a real clear risk profile of what’s going to happen and what would be the impact,” Frizzell said at the meeting.
“We don’t want to suddenly have a mill go down and have hundreds of high-paying jobs lost without any backup plans.”
He added that when the provincial and federal governments make grants or other funding available, Prince George needs to make sure supports are in place because the city has both a unique importance and unique vulnerability.
Coun. Susan Scott said she supported the idea as she believes that everything the committee does is connected to economic development. Coun. Kyle Sampson agreed, saying he felt this work went hand-in-hand with the committee’s work.
City staff recommended that the committee update its terms of reference to mention economic development. A motion approving that change was approved unanimously.
About an hour after the committee meeting ended, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced new supports for the softwood lumber industry during a visit to Kelowna.
He said the federal government would provide up to $700 million in loan guarantees for lumber companies, invest $500 million to “supercharge product and market diversification,” update federal procurement processes to require companies working with the government to use Canadian lumber, diversify international markets and provide $50 million for upskilling, reskilling and income supports for more than 6,000 workers in the sector.
Also on the economic development front, Frizzell said there is a rumour that the provincial government might withdrawing funding for technology entrepreneurship in Northern BC.
The committee reviewed a draft letter that would be sent to new Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation Ravi Kahlon should the withdrawal come to pass.
