Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation for the Province of British Columbia, addressing the BC Jobs Plan, Pilot Project Forum on January 16, 2012 in Valemount B.C. Photo by Andrea Scholz

Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, will be leading the Province’s efforts to help the community of Burns Lake recover economically from the devastating fire that destroyed the Babine Forest Products mill.

As an initial step, Bell will be in Burns Lake on Friday with Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad to meet with local community leaders and organizations.

The Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation will work closely with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources and other ministries on short- and long-term economic development planning.

A rapid response team from the Province has been formed to work on economic recovery efforts, and the ministry will announce shortly who will lead it. The team will work with the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, the Village of Burns Lake, the Burns Lake Native Development Corp. and others to provide economic development and community transition expertise as part of the local response effort.

On Friday, Jan. 20, an explosion and fire at Babine Forest Products levelled the mill, killing two Burns Lake residents and injuring 18 others. The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General is co-ordinating emergency services for the community. WorkSafeBC is at the site – providing critical incident support for those affected – and investigating the incident.

Babine Forest Products is a joint venture between the Burns Lake Native Development Corp. and Oregon-based Hampton Lumber Mills. The mill employed about 250 people, making it the community’s largest employer.

“We need to work quickly and collaboratively with the community to develop a plan to support Burns Lake, its families and workers when the immediate crisis has eased. My ministry is leading government’s efforts to stabilize the community and see the community’s economic development objectives achieved,” said  Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation.

A $700,000 investment to help forest companies create jobs by turning their waste wood into high-value bio-products will address many of the recommendations from government’s Bio-Economy Committee, Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, said today.

The Bio-Economy Committee, chaired by John Yap, Parliamentary Secretary for Clean Technology, was formed in July to identify ways to expand B.C.’s bio-economy. Its report highlights the need for government to take a leading role in developing the bio-economy: www.gov.bc.ca/jti/down/bio_economy_report.pdf

As part of that role, the Province has provided $700,000 to FPInnovations, the world’s largest private, non-profit forest research institute, to gauge the extent of B.C.’s bio-economy today, and help industry identify cost-effective fibre available for new projects, including areas affected by the mountain pine beetle. This will help international investors identify opportunities in B.C., as well as give government the data it needs to develop programs and policies to help the province’s bio-economy expand.

FPInnovations will also assess mills in the B.C. Interior for opportunities to add innovative bio-product streams to their current operations. These products could be a combination of energy, green chemicals and other bio-materials, which can reduce waste, create jobs and improve the mills’ bottom lines.

Products being made from wood fibre today include renewable fuels, textiles, light-weight plastics, food additives, pharmaceuticals and oil. On the drawing board are things like bio-active paper products, including facial masks that deactivate viruses; composites for airplane structures; jet fuel additives; and a substitute for petroleum products used to manufacture rubber for tires.

FPInnovations will also examine how trucks used in the forest industry can reduce emissions and save energy, which may include using bio-fuels produced in B.C.

MLAs Yap (Richmond-Steveston), Bob Simpson (Cariboo North), Eric Foster (Vernon-Monashee), John Rustad (Nechako Lakes) and Ron Cantelon (Parksville-Qualicum) sat on the Bio-Economy Committee, which made five key recommendations in its report:

* Establish a clear, long-term bio-economy vision.

* Improve access to fibre and feedstock.

* Establish a technology development strategy.

* Develop markets for B.C. bioproducts and aggressively market

B.C.’s advantages.

* Integrate the bio-economy’s infrastructure needs into provincial initiatives.

The Province’s investment, funded within its existing fiscal plan, adds to the $600,000 FPInnovations has received from the federal government under the Transformative Technologies Research Program of Natural Resources Canada. With that funding, FPInnovations has been undertaking a series of research projects aimed at developing emerging and breakthrough technologies.

“This investment will help create jobs for families in rural communities all around B.C. by letting us get the most value from every tree we harvest, while helping the forestry industry protect the environment. It will also help us tap into new markets that we’re targeting through ‘Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan’,” said Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation.

The B.C. Federation of Labour is calling a jail term handed to Arthur Moore important, but light punishment, in the face of dozens of workers who may one day perish from asbestos related diseases, as a result of Mr. Moore’s actions.
Arthur Moore was sentenced to 60 days in jail today, in connection with his lead role in exposing dozens of workers to asbestos with no protection or training, after repeated warnings and orders from the Workers’ Compensation Board.  In his sentencing for civil contempt, the judge noted the importance of ensuring the integrity of Workers’ Compensation Board orders as a means of protecting worker safety.
“An important message is being sent today that if you willfully expose your employees to known carcinogens, you will end up in jail,” said Federation President, Jim Sinclair.  “Every employer has a duty to make work safe.  When they fail to do so through negligence or intent, the consequences must be real.”
Sinclair noted that Mr. Moore was a serious repeat offender, and that only after multiple court appearances and repeated violations has he finally been sentenced to jail.
“Had the legal system acted swiftly and clearly from day one, Mr. Moore may have been prevented from exposing many workers, some as young as 14, to deadly asbestos fibers,” said Sinclair.
Sinclair repeated calls for a strengthening of workplace safety requirements and for the use of the criminal code in cases of neglect causing serious injury and death.  He noted that in the Moore case, the sentencing was for civil contempt of court, with minor maximum penalties relative to those allowed under criminal code convictions.
“The judge today noted that the WCB and crown have the ability to bring criminal charges in cases like this,” said Sinclair.  “It is time the crown began to use its authority and the law to prosecute employers who willfully endanger the lives of their employees, and the case of Mr. Moore couldn’t be clearer.”
Asbestos related diseases are now responsible for more than half of work related deaths each year.  Fatal asbestos related diseases can take from 10 to 40 years following exposure to develop.

The BC Coroners Service has confirmed that a second individual has been found deceased in the debris of the Babine Forest Products sawmill, levelled by an explosion and fire on the evening of Jan. 20.

A specialized team of investigators from the BC Coroners Service Identification and Disaster Response Unit travelled to the scene on Jan. 22 to work alongside RCMP investigators in attempting to locate and identify the two individuals missing since the explosion and fire.

The first individual was located on the afternoon of Jan. 22. The search for the second individual began at the area of the site where the missing workers were most likely to have been at the time of the blast. This strategy was successful, and the second individual was located on the afternoon of Jan. 23.

The identities of the individuals have not yet been confirmed. Because of the devastating nature of the fire and explosion, further testing will be required to confirm identification.

The BC Coroners Service and RCMP have met with families of those two workers and notified them of their findings to date.

The BC Coroners Service expresses condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the missing and injured, and to the entire community of Burns Lake.

The BC Coroners Service has confirmed that one person has been found deceased in the debris of the Babine Forest Products sawmill, levelled by an explosion and fire on the evening of Jan. 20.

A specialized team of investigators from the BC Coroners Service Identification and Disaster Response Unit travelled to the scene on Jan. 22 to work alongside RCMP investigators in attempting to locate and identify the two individuals missing since the explosion and fire.

Although much of the scene remains unsafe to enter, one individual has been discovered deceased near the periphery of the scene.

The identity of this individual has not yet been confirmed. Because of the devastating nature of the fire and explosion, further testing will be required to confirm identification.

Two workers from the mill remain unaccounted for since the blast. The BC Coroners Service and RCMP have met with families of those two workers and notified them of their findings to date.

The BC Coroners Service and RCMP will continue to work with fire investigators, WorkSafeBC investigators and structural engineers in an effort to locate and recover the other missing individual, now presumed deceased. However, the devastation on site will make this a lengthy and difficult task.

The BC Coroners Service expresses condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the missing and injured, and to the entire community of Burns Lake.

Burns Lake Mill Explosion and Fire Update as of 12:00 pm Monday, January 23, 2012

Monday, January 23, 2012

·         Prince George- 1 patient, in stable condition, was transferred from UHNBC to VGH in Vancouver at 10:00 am today. 3 patients, in stable condition, remain at UHNBC.
·         Vanderhoof- 1 patient, in stable condition, remains at St. John Hospital.
·         Current number of patients in NH care: 4
o   Prince George: 3
o   Vanderhoof: 1
·         Total number of patients transferred outside of NH: 7
o   Vancouver: 4 (Including the patient transported today)
o   Edmonton: 2
o   Victoria: 1
o   These hospitals, or their respective Health Authority, will be able to provide status updates on patients in their facilities.
·         Total released: 8

·         Northern Health will have a representative at the Burns Lake Community Meeting tonight.
·         Northern Health extends a vote of thanks to everyone, including physicians, nurses and emergency responders who worked tirelessly in response to this incident.
·         Northern Health passes on our sympathy to family, friends, the community of Burns Lake, and the First Nations communities affected by this tragedy.

By Daniel Betts

"Our success depends on your success” Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, spent Monday, January 16 in Valemount where he hosted the B.C. Jobs Plan pilot project forum for the Barriere-McBride corridor. Photo by Andrea Scholz

Creating jobs and driving investment is the goal of the Barriere to McBride economic development pilot project. If successful, the formula will be applied to other regions of the province that need it. As Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, Pat Bell is responsible for implementing the pilot project. Minister Bell was happy to speak to the media while he was in Valemount, B.C., hosting the pilot project forum on Monday, January 16.

“Our success as a provincial government really depends on being successful in driving forward economies on a regional basis,” Minister Bell said.  According to Minister Bell it is very easy to consider larger centres like Prince George, Vancouver or Kamloops but smaller economic areas are much more challenging to push forward. Sometimes it happens by chance rather than planning, such as through the discovery of a mineral resource. In a significant region like the Robson Valley, Minister Bell doesn’t believe the B.C. Provincial Government has ever been engaged in the way that they are right now. The government is stopping to ask, “what can we do to work collaboratively with local business leaders, First Nations, and local government leaders to build a stronger economic outlook for the region?”

Minister Bell believes a measurement of success is somewhat subjective. “I think we will all know if we are successful a year or a year and half from now,” said Minister Bell. Having now identified what projects require focus, if significant progress toward completion of all the projects is made, this could be considered success. “I suspect we probably won’t argue whether it was successful or not. I suspect we will all say it either did or did not work”

Two other regional economic development pilot projects are being rolled out; Campbell River and the North Fraser communities of Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and Mission. Minister Bell sees the Barriere to McBride corridor as different from the other two regions because it includes many smaller communities such as Dome Creek, Tete Jaune and Dunster. With 12 projects identified during the pilot project forum it is easier to approach the projects under themes or umbrellas with three to four projects under each umbrella. Going forward, the pilot project team, a group of a dozen to 15 people will be very focused on the projects identified during the pilot project forum, both at a local level and at a provincial level. This team will identify all the elements needed to move the project forward, taking what falls under their specific jurisdictions and move the project forward with agreed upon timelines. “Everyone will know exactly what each other is doing. They report back as a team and measure their progress.”

Minister Bell noted, historically local communities have always tried to drive economic development for their region. “It’s pretty tough work to do,” said Minister Bell. “It’s whoever catches your attention to where you put your focus and this region has our attention. We want to try and work in a way that brings all of our efforts with all of your efforts. You have a very strong MLA. You have a very strong local team as well. The premier has provided us with a very strong mandate on this.” Minister Bell noted Premier Christy Clark is “absolutely focused on this job strategy. There is just nothing she cares about more than delivering on this job strategy.”

Minister Bell feels it is important to focus on the things we agree on. “Who am I to force on the Robson valley initiatives you may or may not like, so the first piece of it is to ask ‘What is it do you want to do? What is it that you want to be? Does everyone agree on that?’  If there are things we don’t agree on lets put them aside for now and focus on the things we agree on,” Minister Bell explained.

The new piece to the process, according to Minister Bell is aligning all levels of government, all levels in First Nations, business leaders, union leaders and academia to focus on those initiatives that bring real progress in a shorter period of time.

Minister Bell and his team expressed a desire to be completely transparent with the process and has promised regular updates on the progress of the project. Watch for regular updates and reports on this project in future issues of The Valley Sentinel.

Premier Christy Clark

Premier Christy Clark issued the following statement on last night’s explosion at Babine Forest Products near Burns Lake:

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured and with their families. I join all British Columbians in praying for their speedy recovery.

“There has been a remarkable response from across the region. I want to thank all the emergency responders, health officials and local officials for the incredible job done under very difficult circumstances.

“As officials remain on the scene, I want Mayor Luke Strimbold and the entire community to know they have the full support of government as they go through this very difficult time.”

·         NH called a Code Orange at 10:52 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012 extending from Prince George to Smithers. NH mobilized physicians, staff and supplies through the hwy 16 corridor up to and including UHNBC and Smithers.

·         NH has treated 19 patients with injuries that range from minor to critical and includes some with severe burns.

·         4 patients have been airlifted from Prince George — 2 to Edmonton, 2 to VGH in Vancouver.

·         8 have been transferred to UHNBC — 1 of those patients will be transferred to a Vancouver hospital, but is stable.

·         2 patients remain in Bulkley Valley Hospital in Smithers, 1 remains in St. John Hospital in Vanderhoof.

·         The remaining patients have been discharged and the Code Orange has been downgraded.

·         Northern Health extends a vote of thanks to everyone, including physicians, nurses and emergency responders who worked tirelessly in response to this incident.

According to an RCMP statement, at approximately 8:15 p.m. on Friday, January 20 the RCMP responded to a call about and explosion at the Babine Forest Products sawmill located east of Burns Lake, B.C., where 25 people were believed to be working at the time. The official cause of the explosion and fire is yet to be determine.

PRINCE GEORGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwire – Jan. 20, 2012)

The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue, accompanied by Bob Zimmer, Member of Parliament for Prince George – Peace River and Dick Harris, Member of Parliament for Cariboo – Prince George, today visited the Pineview Firehall in Prince George to promote a new non-refundable tax credit for volunteer firefighters.

“Every day in Canada, almost 85,000 brave men and women are ready to put their own lives at risk to protect the lives and property of their friends, neighbours, and even perfect strangers. Our Government recognizes these efforts and is proud to have introduced the Volunteer Firefighter Tax Credit,” said Minister Shea.

“Our volunteer firefighters are important members of our community and we can’t thank them enough for the invaluable work they do for the residents of Prince George,” said Bob Zimmer.

“I am delighted that our government is acknowledging the work of these courageous Canadians by offering this new credit,” added Dick Harris.

The non-refundable tax credit is available to any volunteer firefighter who serves at least 200 hours per year at one or more fire departments beginning on January 1, 2011. Services that make up those 200 hours include responding to and being on call for firefighting and other emergencies, attending meetings at the fire department, and taking courses in preventing and putting out fires. When an eligible firefighter claims the credit, they can reduce income taxes they have paid or will owe at tax time by as much as $450.

“This credit is one of several measures announced in Budget 2011 that will help Canadians and their families to keep hard-earned dollars in their pockets. I encourage all volunteer firefighters to learn more about the credit and to claim it when they file their 2011 income tax and benefit returns,” added Minister Shea.

For more information about the volunteer firefighter’s tax credit, go to www.cra.gc.ca/firefighter.