Capital Report~September 26, 2008
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Premier Gordon Campbell joins B.C. Olympic and Paralympic athletes Tyler Mosher, Malcolm Howard, Carol Huynh, Simon Whitfield, David Ford and Travis Cross to celebrate how communities across B.C. are sharing in the spirit of the Games at the 2008 UBCM annual convention in Penticton.

Premier Announces End to Coquihalla Tolls

Tolls on the Coquihalla Highway will be removed immediately, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today during his annual address to the Union of B.C. Municipalities.

  • Approximately 3.4 million trips are completed across the Coquihalla Highway each year in British Columbia.
  • The total capital cost was $848 million, The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure anticipates that revenues collected from the tolls since its opening will have effectively offset those total capital costs by next month.

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Premier Launches Initiatives to Boost Rural Economies

Premier Gordon Campbell announced a host of new initiatives to support rural communities, including a major expansion of the Towns for Tomorrow infrastructure program, extending cell phone and Internet service, a new medical accommodation assistance program and a commitment to help communities utilize industrial resource roads to create better transportation networks.

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B.C. to Move Forward with Northwest Transmission Line

Premier Gordon Campbell has announced the Province will immediately start the environmental assessment process and First Nations consultation on the Northwest Transmission Line along Highway 37.

  • This is the first step towards building a powerline that has the potential to generate billions of dollars in capital investment, create thousands of new jobs and open economic opportunities on a global scale in the Northwest.

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Premier Presents 2nd LiveSmart BC Green Cities Awards

Nine outstanding local governments and two community partners have been selected as recipients of the provincial government’s second annual LiveSmart BC Green Cities Awards for demonstrating leadership and innovation in sustainability.

  • The Award winners showed excellence across a wide range of criteria, including livability, actions to address climate change, innovation and transferability.
  • The winners are: Taylor, Grand Forks, Smithers, Dawson Creek, Prince George, Surrey, Capital Regional District, City of Victoria, Dockside Green Ltd., District of Sechelt and Sunshine Coast Association for Community Living.

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Municipalities Receive Climate Action Incentive

The Province will offset the carbon tax for local governments who have committed to become carbon neutral by 2012.

  • To date, 133 local governments have signed the B.C. Climate Action Charter, pledging to become carbon-neutral by 2012.
  • Since 2001, the Province has provided $1.9 billion in additional financial support to local governments.

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Construction Begins on New Southern Medical School

Premier Gordon Campbell kicked-off construction for the home of the Southern Medical Program, which will train doctors in the Okanagan for the first time in B.C. history.

  • The groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction of the Health Sciences Centre, as well as UBC Okanagan’s new Arts and Sciences 2 Building, and the Engineering/Management Building.
  • When it opens in 2011, the new Health Sciences Centre will accommodate 32 first-year, full-time medical students.

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There are currently no interviews scheduled.

Quotes This Week

“Wow, wow is exactly about the way I feel about it. The Coquihalla is a heavily used commercial vehicle corridor, something like 700,000 commercial vehicles use that corridor every year. We probably contribute something in order of $25-$30 million in Coquihalla tolls. This comes as welcome relief.”
Paul Landry, President of BC Trucking Association. CKNW, September 26, 2008.

“It appears to be very good news and, you know, I think [he] certainly understands the challenges we face, especially in rural areas with respect to this. Our school district has certainly been on board as far as green initiatives are concerned. It’s what we’re trying to do.”
Terry Sullivan, Superintendent, Kamloops Thompson School District. CHNL, September 25, 2008.


Did You Know?

  • Six communities have been awarded $20,000 to further develop solar hot water systems and other solar initiatives in an effort to conserve and promote clean energy throughout the province. The increased use of solar energy technology is part of a broader sustainable energy strategy that will help the Province reach its goal of curbing greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020.
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  • A new booklet released will inform global markets and consumers about British Columbian forests and how they produce renewable, climate-friendly products that sequester carbon. The booklet provides science-based facts such as: Substituting a cubic metre of wood for concrete blocks or bricks can save 0.75 to 1 tonne of carbon dioxide.
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  • For the fifth consecutive year, the Province will match all donations raised during CanWest’s Raise-a-Reader campaign in British Columbia, Premier Gordon Campbell announced. The provincial government has been matching funds collected through Raise-a-Reader since 2004, and has contributed nearly $2.4 million to the CanWest campaign to date.

    • © 2007 Government Caucus of British Columbia. All Rights Reserved.