The Government of Canada is investing in two local projects that will see Prince George host an economic development conference and investigate a new energy source for local greenhouse operations. 

Federal funding of $200,000 was announced today by Dick Harris, Member of Parliament for Cariboo-Prince George, on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification, and the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. The funding is part of the Community Economic Diversification Initiative (CEDI), under the federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program.

“Our government’s funding for these projects will help diversify the local economy of Prince George,” said MP Harris. “These investments will help community leaders make informed decisions on creating a sustainable and vibrant local economy.”

"The projects announced today are examples of how the Government of Canada is addressing the needs of communities affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation," said Minister Lunn. "Through this support, our government is helping impacted communities turn challenges into economic opportunities."

"We plan to offer a broad range of innovative, future oriented ideas – local as well as international – that have worked in areas facing similar economic issues. Our hope is that as result of this project interior BC regions and communities will be able to identify, and over time implement, new, solidly grounded approaches to revitalization that they believe will work for them,” said Tim Pringle, Executive Director of the Real Estate Foundation of BC.

Funding of $150,000 will help the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia deliver a Regional Economic Development Conference and follow-up forums in November 2008. This two-day conference will examine successful examples of regional economic development and rural revitalization and consolidate research.

An additional $50,000 investment will allow the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George to study the use of landfill gas for greenhouse operations. The study is part of the Regional District’s Landfill Gas Management Plan, and its commitment to provide residents with cost-effective and environmentally friendly waste management services.

"Since 2003, the Regional District of Fraser Fort George has been collecting landfill gas at the Foothills site and incinerating it as the first step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” says Regional District Chair Art Kaehn. “This funding will help us determine how we can harness the energy from the landfill gas for our operations, and most importantly, improve the environment for our residents.”

Managed by Western Economic Diversification Canada, the Mountain Pine Beetle Program Community Economic Diversification Initiative (CEDI) will invest more than $33 million over two years in communities most at risk from the beetle infestation.

The CEDI is part of the Government of Canada’s $200 million comprehensive response to mitigate the short-term and long-term effects of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation on B.C.’s forestry sector. The federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program is led by Natural Resources Canada, in collaboration with Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) and Transport Canada.

Western Economic Diversification Canada is a department of the Government of Canada that works in partnership with the provinces, industry associations and communities to promote the development and diversification of the western economy as well as to represent the interests of the West in national decision making.

For more information on the federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program, please visit: http://mpb.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/.

For additional information, contact:

Catherine Brown
Communications Officer
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Tel: (604) 666-1306
Cell: (604)-764-9381

Renee McCloskey
Manager of External Relations
Regional District of Fraser Fort George
Tel: (250) 960-4453
Cell: (250) 961-4421