Government Launches Campus 2020: Thinking Ahead

The B.C. Government launched a major initiative focusing on the future of post-secondary education this week at BCIT’s Burnaby campus.

• By 2015, the number of trades workers retiring in British Columbia will be greater than the number of trades students graduating from post-secondary institutions.
• Campus 2020:Thinking Ahead is designed to build on the strengths of B.C.’s post-secondary education system while discovering new approaches to expand the network of learning opportunities across the province.
• The B.C. Government is inviting all stakeholders to help develop a new educational framework that will fulfill future employment needs within the province.

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Construction Starts on FAST Lane

Work has begun to extend the Highway 15 FAST (Free and Secure Trade Program) truck lane to improve the flow of goods at the Pacific Highway Border Crossing in Surrey, announced Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon and federal Transportation Minister Lawrence Cannon.

• FAST has been implemented at the border crossings to ease congestion and enhance security by pre-clearing certain classes of freight prior to arrival at the border.
• The Pacific Highway Crossing is the primary commercial vehicle crossing for the Lower Mainland and the fourth busiest commercial vehicle crossing along the Canada/U.S. border.
• It handles 75 per cent of commercial vehicle traffic in the Lower Mainland with more than 1.1 million southbound commercial vehicles crossing in 2002.

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Public Accounts Confirm Surplus, Debt Reduction

A strong economy, higher resource revenues and sound fiscal management helped generate a $3.1-billion surplus and a $1.5-billion reduction in provincial debt, announced Finance Minister Carole Taylor in releasing the 2005-06 audited financial statements. 

• Over the past year the economy has remained strong and the unemployment rate hit a 30-year low.
• Minister Taylor cautioned that resource revenues are volatile and the province must continue to make choices and investments that are affordable in the long term.
• The largest component of the budget is health care which rose by $885 million this year to $12.8 billion, a 7.7 per cent increase.

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Land Grant To UNBC Highlights New Relationship

The B.C. Government, with the support of Lheidli T’enneh First Nations, has given 248 hectares of Crown land to the University of Northern British Columbia for research, teaching and use in Nordic sports, nearly doubling the size of the Prince George campus.

• The land is part of 618 hectares of Crown land that was originally marked for UNBC’s use, but was not officially part of the Prince George campus.
• In 2004, the Lheidli T’enneh identified 370 hectares of this land as part of an area they wanted to include in their treaty settlement package.
• Negotiations between the B.C. Government, the Lheidli T’enneh and UNBC have resulted in boundaries being redrawn to accommodate Lheidli T’enneh interests.  The remaining 248 hectares have been transferred to the university.
  

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