3 March 2008
More good news for Nanaimo and B.C.’s growth.
Posted by Ryan Coffey under: Nanaimo Profile and Events; Nanaimo Real Estate Market .
I don’t have time to post on this site everyday, especially as the market gears up for spring, so I have to pick and choose which topics to write about. There are lots of stories popping up in the news these past couple of weeks that indicate growth in the area for real estate and beyond, and the following are a couple that have stuck out in my mind.
The first article below is about the $11,000,000 that is being put into the Nanaimo area by the B.C. provincial government to help it expand the airport and to help make the new convention center downtown more eco friendly. This is quite a significant sum for a town our size in my opinion.
The second is about B.C.’s minister of economic development, Colin Hanson, and the huge advertising campaign he and his ministry have undertaken in Toronto and Montreal to try to attract people from out there to out here. I just heard him interviewed on CBC radio, and some of the that came up in the interview were that:
-The labour shortage in B.C. is just as bad as the one in Alberta, just not as talked about in the press.
-B.C. has the lowest income tax in Canada
-The train stations which are completely covered with the ads (until March 31st) have the floors covered with daffodils and text saying something like “Right now in British Columbia, the daffodils are coming up.” While they’ve have minus 20 temperatures out in Ontario last week. Talk about rubbing it in.
And here is the link for the website the campaign is promoting:
http://www.canadaspacificgateway.ca
The articles follow…
Ryan Coffey
OUR $11m windfall
Premier delivers the cash for airport expansion and green projects at the PNC
Robert Barron , Daily News
Published: Saturday, March 01, 2008
Gordon Campbell had a pleasant surprise for Nanaimo on Friday morning.
Campbell was in the city to announce provincial funding totalling $11 million for the Port of Nanaimo Centre and the Nanaimo airport.
Campbell, flanked by Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen, said $5 million is earmarked for green projects at the PNC and $6 million will help expansion plans at the Nanaimo airport.
“Our government shares Nanaimo’s vision to create a strong, diverse and growing community and we’re proud to form partnerships and work co-operatively to accomplish these important projects,” said Campbell to a packed house in the nearly completed Shaw Auditorium in the PNC.
“Two years ago, Nanaimo’s city council and representatives laid out a vision for us of what’s possible for Nanaimo. I find it easy to work with a group that knows what it wants to accomplish.” The $5-million “green” investment in the $72.5-million PNC, intended for the facility to meet Silver LEEDs standards, will include a green roof, solar power generation, solar panel hot water heating, geothermal heating and cooling systems, as well as plumbing fixtures and controls, lighting and carpets.
The $6 million for the airport will be used to extend the runway by 480 metres to allow larger planes to land. The cash will also provide new high-density runway lighting and improved navigational instruments.
Mayor Gary Korpan thanked Campbell and Hansen for sharing the city’s vision for its future.
“The premier came through for us big-time with this announcement.” Jeet Manhas, chairman of the PNC advisory committee, said the government was so tight-lipped on the details of the announcement that he was surprised as everyone else with by the news of the new funding that brings the total provincial commitment to the centre to $14.3 million. “This is all new to us, so now we’ll have to go back over our plans and designs for the PNC and include green upgrades and improvements.” Mike Hooper, airport president and CEO, also said the $6 million for the airport was news to him Friday morning. “This really sets us off for Phase 1 of our expansion plans,” he said. “The whole mid-Island region has needed better service from our airport for a long time.” RBarron@nanaimodailynews.com
B.C. hoping to attract workers from Ontario, Quebec
Updated: Mon Mar. 03 2008 08:18:15
ctvbc.ca
The B.C. Government is hoping to attract workers in Ontario and Quebec to move out west.
The “Your Dream Job is Here” campaign’s goals are to promote B.C.’s economic and lifestyle advantages to 400,000 transit riders in Toronto and Montreal every day this month, announced Colin Hansen, Minister of Economic Development.
“In Toronto’s Union Station this promotional campaign will be ’station domination,’ covering the interior walls, floors, railings, turnstiles and fare booths with images of B.C.,” said Hansen.
“With the current skill and labour shortage in our province, the large format graphics in the subway stations will promote B.C.’s natural advantages and economic strength and the countless jobs we have available.”
Hansen is in Toronto today to launch a promotional campaign which will run till the end of March in both Union Station and Montreal’s Berri-UQAM Station.
Speaking with CTV’s Mi-Jung Lee on Canada AM, Hansen says British Columbia has experienced labour shortages in every sector, with the construction and hospitality area hardest hit.
A web site has also been set up to give interested people more information.
The government says both train stations were strategically chosen to reach an audience of professional, skilled and entry level workers and post secondary students.
“Building on our WorkBC Job Fairs held last week in southern Ontario, this campaign will take further advantage of Ontario’s high population density, new immigrants and diversified, well trained and educated labour force,” said Hansen.
According to Hansen, laid off workers in other provinces will be welcomed in B.C., where they will find jobs.
The government says there are an estimated one million job openings in the province over the next 10 years and only 650,000 people currently in B.C.’s K-12 school system, there will be 350,000 jobs that will need to be filled by workers from outside the province.
Still Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen is not apologizing for raiding skilled workers from Ontario and Quebec.
“B.C. has the lowest rate of income tax in the country.”
Hansen says the promotional campaign will cost B.C. taxpayers $382,000.
With files from The Canadian Press