News Impacting Business In British Columbia
MAPS Canada Partners With Roots To Thrive
NANAIMO – MAPS Canada is pleased to announce its new partnership with the groundbreaking, non-profit healthcare organization Roots To Thrive, based in Nanaimo, BC in collaboration with the Snuneymuxw First Nation and Vancouver Island University.
Founded in 2019, Roots to Thrive is Canada’s first and only multidisciplinary, non-profit healthcare practice to legally offer evidence-informed, multi-week group therapy programs that include psilocybin-assisted and ketamine-assisted group therapy sessions.
See full report here.
BC Film Industry at an all Time High
BRITISH COLUMBIA – People seeking careers in B.C.’s motion picture industry now have a single point of access to knowledge and networks for entry, with distinctive equity opportunities for people from systemically excluded groups.
Activity levels across B.C.’s full-service motion picture industry are at an all-time high, with Creative BC estimating 450 productions spending $3.5B across the province in 2021. To be sustainable, competitive and to meet future growth needs, the film industry’s workforce must attract diverse, next generation talent.
See full report here.
Canfor Announces Reduced Operations
BRTISH COLUMBIA – Canfor Corporation announced that it will implement reduced operating schedules at its Western Canadian sawmills effective April 4, 2022 due to the cumulative effects of the unprecedented global supply chain crisis that has been ongoing for several months. The reduced operating schedules will remain in effect for a minimum of four weeks and the Company will continue to assess and make adjustments to operating schedules as supply chain conditions evolve.
See full report here.
Population Growth on Vancouver Island Continues
VANCOUVER ISLAND – Population on Vancouver Island grew by over 89,000 people from 2014 to 2021. To put this into perspective, population growth on Vancouver Island resulted in the addition of enough people to populate a city the size of Nanaimo.
Population is a key factor in Vancouver Island’s economic growth. Long known as a destination for retirees, Vancouver Island’s population is relatively older and the number of births is not sufficient to offset the number of deaths each year. Most growth in population has been due to people moving to Vancouver Island from other parts of BC and other parts of Canada. Vancouver Island also attracted 20 percent of international immigrants to BC between 2014 and 2021.
See full report here.
Penticton May Expand Fleet with E-Bike Pilot
PENTICTON – A report recommending the introduction of electric bikes (e-bikes) into the City’s vehicle fleet is set to come before Council during its April 5 meeting.
The proposed purchase and select use of four ‘cargo style’ e-bikes was identified as a sustainable alternative to gas powered vehicles which, at the present time, are difficult to procure due to global supply chain shortages and expensive to operate with current fuel prices. If approved, the e-bikes will be used for a variety of tasks under a pilot project, to evaluate their suitability for the City’s operation going forward.
See full report here.
