Premier Christy Clark pledged to help British Columbia's communities prepare for LNG, and made announcements about crime reduction and the replacement of the George Massey tunnel, during a September 20 speech at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.
Clark announced two new programs designed to spread the hoped-for LNG wealth and help municipalities prepare for the oncoming boom.
A new buy-B.C. program will connect large multinational LNG producers with B.C.-based companies, Clark said.
"We can be the matchmakers," Clark said. "We can make sure those connections are made and that B.C. companies are getting the work."
The premier also promised $150,000 in grants to local governments in the northwest, targeted towards infrastructure assessments for towns that expect to be part of the LNG boom.
Municipalities will be able to access the funds to study the impact on water, sewers and roads as well as health and social impacts. The grant program will be run by the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development.
Continuing her emphasis on small-town B.C., Clark said Steve Thompson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, would also take on the rural development file.
Clark announced work would begin in 2017 to replace the George Massey tunnel with a bridge.
"We will be breaking the worst bottleneck in the Lower Mainland," Clark said.
Clark added that a crime-reduction panel has been struck, headed by MLA Darryl Plecas, to further reduce B.C.'s "already low" crime rate.
