B.C. First Nations are reacting with anger to the governments decision to retroactively shorten the regulatory review for the Northern Gateway pipeline project in British Columbia.

“This incredibly stupid move on the part of the Harper government will only serve to expedite the battle in the courtrooms and on the land itself,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. He described the situation between B.C. aboriginals and the federal and provincial governments as “volatile.”

This “pipeline is going to traverse the territories of literally dozens and dozens of First Nations. And all of them have said very clearly that they do not support the Northern Gateway project and that they will do everything that they can to stop this project,” added Phillip.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs says the federal government will face battles in court and elsewhere if it seeks to speed up the environmental review process for the Northern Gateway pipeline. Darryl Dyck/Canadian PressIn Thursdays budget, the government announced a streamlining of environmental assessments so that major projects receive only one review lasting no longer than 24 months. The new, shortened deadlines would be applied retroactively to projects that are already being reviewed.

via Speeding up Northern Gateway review risks battle – Politics – CBC News.

PARLIAMENT HILL—Opposition MPs say a surprise allegation in the federal budget that Canadian charities are violating federal rules limiting their political advocacy is retribution for widespread opposition from environmental groups to the massive Northern Gateway oil sands pipeline across British Columbia.

The obscure provision in the budget Thursday to beef up the Canada Revenue Agency’s “enforcement tools” to monitor political activities of charities demonstrates the partisan nature of the Conservative government, opposition MPs said.

NDP MP Megan Leslie (Halifax, N.S.) told The Hill Times the measure is one of several provisions that show the budget, aside from its main thrust of public service spending cuts, is all “pipeline, pipeline, pipeline.”

“The over-arching theme here is this is a budget for the great pipeline to China,” Ms. Leslie said. “This is about pipelines, pipelines, pipelines, and at any cost.”

“Whether it is going after charities, who might have a different opinion, cutting the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy and cutting Environment Canada and not relying on science and evidence, or whether it’s going after the Environmental Assessment Act and weakening it, that’s what this budget says to me, it’s all about pipelines,” Ms. Leslie said.

The reference to political activities of charities was a needle in the haystack of the budget’s total $5.2-billion in broad spending cuts the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) is proposing for the next three years, with a projection that the spending reductions, combined with other economic forecasts, will result in a surplus by 2015, the next federal election year.

via Feds attack charitable sector in budget for being too political, say opposition MPs | hilltimes.com.

The fast-growing British Columbia economy is rapidly approaching a make-or-break moment.

The good news is the province is on the brink of a major development boom, fuelled by billions of dollars in new projects in the oil and gas, mining, construction, shipbuilding and transportation sectors. There is $2.9-billion worth of capital projects currently underway in B.C. and another $6.2-billion of activity forecasted over the next five years.

The challenge? The province is facing a looming shortage of skilled tradespeople as early as next year, as veteran workers begin to retire and not enough skilled workers are available to fill their jobs. Current trends suggest the province will face a skilled labour shortage of at least 160,000 by 2015.

B.C. can quickly close this gap by increasing apprenticeship opportunities for skilled tradespeople. The Industry Training Authority (ITA), a provincial crown agency responsible for overseeing the apprenticeship system in B.C., is working with industry, training providers, labour and government to ensure there are enough trained workers with the right sets of skills.

For employers, sponsoring and developing skilled workers through apprenticeship provides a bottom-line payoff and supplies a pool of highly-trainedtradespeople to meet company needs.

via Boom means opportunity.

Looking for a future? Or at least a decent job? Buy a parka and a thick pair of mittens and head north.

That’s the word from Central 1 Credit Union, which said Wednesday that northern B.C. will enjoy the province’s strongest economic growth both this year and next.

“We’re in the beginning of a transition phase in northern B.C. and central B.C.,” Central 1 chief economist Helmut Pastrick said of the company’s report, entitled Economic Analysis of B.C.

“In 2013, this will become even more apparent. Certainly, this will be a source of good job growth.”

Pastrick said demand for commodities — including coal, natural gas and copper — will drive northern growth, but the Lower Mainland will also benefit through providing such things as transportation, professional services, goods and administration services.

According to the report, the Lower Mainland has accounted for most of the province’s economic growth since the 2008 recession, but that’s about to change with signs of the northern turnaround already evident and prospects for new investment growing quickly.

The report concluded that B.C.’s three northern economic regions will see “above-trend growth.”

via Northern B.C. to lead province in economic growth: report.

 VANCOUVER — Enbridge Inc.’s proposed $5.5-billion Northern Gateway Pipeline won’t create nearly as many jobs as the company has proposed, says a new report by a left-wing think-tank.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives argues in “Enbridge Pipe Dreams and Nightmares,” that the Alberta-to-B.C. pipeline will create 1,850 construction jobs per year for three years and a “handful of permanent new jobs” when complete.

The report, released today, is the latest claim in the a contentious debate over the impact that the 1,177-kilometre dual-pipeline will have on the country’s jobs market.

Enbridge has long maintained that the pipeline will create 62,700 person years of construction employment across Canada over three years and 1,150 long-term jobs.

For author and economist Marc Lee, the report represents a shift in tactics for pipeline opponents who have until recently focused mainly on the environmental — not economic — impacts.

via Enbridge criticized over Northern Gateway job estimate | CTV Winnipeg.