Dear Editor,
Our province’s mineral exploration and mining sectors have generated some $700 billion in economic activity over the past 150 years, and along the way B.C. has become a global centre for mineral and coal exploration and development.
But there is enormous potential for even more investment, good jobs, and revenue in B.C. from exploration and mining.
We should always remember that mineral and coal resources in our province are typically owned by the Crown, which means that we all benefit from their development (First Nations included), just as we have for the past 150 years of mining and mineral exploration in this province.
The jobs, opportunities and economic potential are literally sitting there waiting for us to take the next step and make the next 150 years even more successful than the previous 150.
B.C. is incredibly blessed with mineral and coal resources, and there are many programs and grants available to train the women and men of B.C. to help them break into the mining sector. In fact, I am amazed at the training resources available and surprised that more young people are not taking advantage of them.
New mining projects and ongoing mineral development bring opportunity and jobs to our province, all of which can help to meet the social and economic demands of our growing population.
Jimmy Pelk, Langley