Northern BC mostly shut out of provincial funding supporting resource sector projects, jobs

The provincial government is investing 8.6 million dollars in funding through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund to support eight new capital projects.

This was announced this morning (Wednesday) by Forests Minister Bruce Ralston and Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George.

The funding is through the province’s Manufacturing Jobs Fund.

However, very little of the money is geared towards northern BC, except $970,000 going to Coast Tsimshian Resources LP a forestry company fully owned by the Lax Kw’alaams Band, near Prince Rupert.

The funding will be for the acquisition of an industrial chipper and peripherals, which will allow increased utilization of its fibre basket while decreasing residual wood waste.

This will create a new business stream for Lax Kw’alaams Band while creating 108 direct and indirect jobs.

Ralston noted while the announcement was geared towards, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and parts of the Kootenays, there have been northern communities that previously benefited from this fund.

“There have been several projects in the region that have been funded in Mackenzie and Williams Lake for example and it is open to companies in Prince George specifically and other areas to apply as well.”

Other manufacturers receiving money from the Jobs Fund include:

* Revelstoke – Downie Timber Ltd. is a lumber-milling and remanufacturing wood processor. It will receive as much as $825,000 to purchase and commission a new debarker system, alongside facility upgrades that will enable the company to reduce reliance on old-growth fibre and optimize operations, while protecting 229 existing jobs within the company;

* Delta – Sunrise Engineering & Manufacturing Inc. is a fabrication facility that provides welding, machining and assembly services that specialize in the manufacturing and repairing of a wide variety of pulp mill equipment. It will receive as much as $805,000 for its project to acquire new advanced manufacturing equipment including four CNC machines that will increase their capacity and competitive advantage, improve efficiency and create five skilled jobs;

* Salmon Arm – Access Precision Machining Ltd. is an advanced manufacturing machining and fabrication service provider that manufactures custom machined parts for various industries including oil and gas, aerospace and commercial sectors. It will receive up to $800,000 to purchase seven new machines, including six CNC machines, to help grow its market in priority sectors with international exports, increase productivity and create as many as 18 jobs;

* Chilliwack – Yarrow Wood (2012) Inc. is a lumber remanufacturer, providing custom square and rectangular lumber remanufacturing for forestry companies. It will receive as much as $130,000 to upgrade equipment that will support profiling lumber in-house, including its moulder, infeed/outfeed and blower system, which will allow it to process a wider variety of value-added wood products using a broader scope of log species and creates as many as seven jobs; and

* Cobble Hill – C.W. Creative Woodcraft Ltd. is a cabinet and millwork manufacturer specializing in using local, second-growth fibre. It will receive as much as $286,000 in funding to support the expansion of its existing facility and the acquisition of new machinery to double its production capacity, optimize production, reduce waste and create as many as 14 jobs.

The BC Natural Resources Forum runs until tomorrow (Thursday) from the PG Conference and Civic Centre.