Investor aids
A couple of new tools, launched by the BC government this week, could help potential investors looking for more information about where to invest money in the province’s economy.
The BC Economic Atlas (BCEA) is a user-friendly, publicly available web-based mapping application that integrates and displays spatial economic and natural resource data to support business and investment opportunity identification, business-case analysis and investment decision-making.
Users will be able to map a variety of natural resources and economic information including natural resources data, land status, proximity to services and access to transportation, major projects inventory and employment and investment information.
“It’s exciting to see new technologies usher in new methods for government to provide services and information to people,” said Naomi Yamamoto, minister of state for tourism and small business.
BCEA was developed in a joint partnership between multiple ministries within the provincial government and cost $144,000 to build. It is designed to meet the government’s goal of providing open data to the public at no charge, said a government media release. More information is available online.
First Nations Economic Development Database (FNEDD), the second online tool, brings comprehensive First Nation economic activity data to the web in a searchable online format.
More than 1,100 First Nation businesses and potential business partners are registered in the online database, which also collects information from a number of public sources. The database includes details about First Nation communities, companies and economic development agreements, as well as their relationship to major projects throughout the province.
“Aboriginal businesses are growing and thriving in British Columbia,” said John Rustad, minister of aboriginal relations and reconciliation. “There are a great variety of successful business ventures and partnerships producing jobs and economic benefits for First Nations people and communities throughout the province.”
It was designed to help businesses and potential investors find the right opportunities and develop partnerships between Aboriginal Business and Investment Council and the ministry of jobs, tourism and skills training.
“BC’s First Nations are key to the economic prosperity of this province,” said Shirley Bond, jobs, tourism and skills training minister.
The database is available online.
Residents feel tremors
Some Powell River residents reported feeling minor tremors after an earthquake struck just after 6 pm, Wednesday, January 7.
The 4.8 magnitude quake’s epicentre was located 18 kilometres east of Tofino, on Vancouver Island’s west coast, about 100 kilometres from Powell River.
Several Powell River residents posted on social media after they felt the shake. Deputy Fire Chief Terry Peters, of Powell River Fire Rescue, posted a photo of the Courtenay Street station’s fire trucks moved outside as part of the fire service’s earthquake protocol.
Wednesday’s quake was the latest in a series that have struck off the BC coast, though recent ones have been located off the northern end of Vancouver Island, likely within the North American plate. Though these clusters of quakes are larger than normal, they do not increase the risk of a larger, more destructive earthquake, according to the Geological Survey of Canada. A large one is due, but geologists expect it to occur within the Juan de Fuca plate after it has become stuck trying to move under the North American plate.
Lost a watch?
Powell River RCMP are asking the public whether they are missing a Versace watch.
In the last week of November 2014, police were made aware that a unique Versace wrist watch had been pawned. “This watch is very expensive and is believed to have been stolen from the Powell River area within the last six months,” said constable Tim Kenning of the Powell River detachment.
Anyone missing a Versace watch is asked to contact Powell River RCMP at 604.485.6255.
