News Influencing Decision Makers in BC
Cecily Lawrenson
Lawrenson has stepped into the role of Vice President, Development at JA British Columbia.
George Abbott has been appointed as the new Chief Treaty Commissioner for British Columbia.
John Pino, Vice President of Commercial Lines at MacLeod Lorway Insurance, a member of Cal LeGrow Insurance & Financial Group, has been appointed as the Chair of the Canadian Broker Network. Warren Griffiths, President of FCA, has been appointed as the Vice Chair.
OPEN Technologies has recently entered into an agreement with the Zero Emissions Innovation Centre to provide Virtual Decarbonization Plans (VDP) to 100 buildings throughout British Columbia through the BC Retrofit Accelerator’s Strata Energy Advisor program.
Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) has officially paused all operations and laid off its entire staff due to a severe financial shortfall.
Meros House of Yogurt is opening in Yaletown neighbourhood at 1207 Hamilton St.
Tamara Pongracz
Tamara Pongracz, a board member at Construction Foundation of British Columbia, has been recognized with a 2026 YWCA Women of Distinction Award in Education, Training & Development.
Pushor Mitchell has been nominated for Best Law Firm in Kelowna.
A 12-bedroom home located at 5454 Stonebridge Dr., Whistler, has been sold for $20.5 million. The transaction, announced on May 6, was brokered by John Ryan of Unison The Ryan Group Realty.
The new Foundry Terrace centre, built through a partnership between BC Housing, Terrace & District Community Services Society and Foundry, has officially opened.
The BC Economic Development Association has officially approved the Strategic Framework for 2026–2028. This framework outlines a clear direction to enhance the profession, bolster economic resilience and recovery, foster connections within the system, promote advocacy, and maintain a sustainable association.
A rezoning application was filed by Unison Architecture Ltd. and developer 1517856 B.C. Ltd. to construct the hotel at 948 Howe St. The hotel will be constructed using a mix of concrete, steel, and mass timber, and will occupy a small 25-foot-wide lot.
Orion Construction has officially started work on Advanced Cyclotron Systems Inc.’s new 48,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Surrey.
KOLLAR Consulting has commenced operations from its new headquarters at 200-13571, Commerce Parkway, Richmond.
Malahat Skywalk has officially opened The Overhang, Canada’s first sky-high glass cube experience.
A property in Powell River featuring a golf course in the backyard has been listed for $1.68 million. The address is 5621 Allen Ave.
A new system developed by Skyward Wildfire Technologies to detect and avoid lightning strikes that could cause wildfires is being field-tested with a potential investment of up to $1 million by the government of British Columbia.
Rainforest Automation is working with FortisBC on a new Innovative Clean Energy Fund-supported project to improve real-time demand management for commercial and industrial customers, supporting grid reliability, energy flexibility, and peak demand management as electrification grows.
The Clean Energy Association of British Columbia (CEBC) has partnered with First Nations, the Province, industry, and BC Hydro to announce the 2025 Call for Power Awards. This initiative will promote four new wind energy projects through significant collaborations between First Nations and industry in the clean energy sector.
Moment Energy, the architect of the next generation of power infrastructure, announced it is building the world’s largest battery repurposing facility in Vancouver, BC over the next six weeks, a major step forward in scaling domestic energy storage infrastructure and the fastest in battery manufacturing.
The Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society and the University of Northern British Columbia signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on hospice and palliative care best practices research.
Upside Gold Corp. has signed a Claims Acquisition Agreement with a local prospector to acquire a 100% interest in seven mineral claims totaling approximately 273 hectares located on the northwest side of the Company’s Kena Gold-Copper Property in southeastern British Columbia.
The University of British Columbia has become the first institution outside of Europe to join the Eurolife Network, an alliance of premier biomedical universities.
Cabot Revelstoke is set to expand its first mountain golf and ski resort in British Columbia. The plans include the addition of the Cabot Revelstoke Mountain Lodge, an 18-hole public golf course, The Railyard short course, and a selection of luxury residences.
New direct flights between Ottawa and Kelowna have been officially introduced by Porter Airlines, increasing travel connections across Canada.
Infrastructure BC invited competent and experienced teams to submit bids for the provision of Facility Consultant Services in relation to the program’s development through an RFP placed on BC Bid (Opportunity ID 227968) on April 14. The RFP will remain open until May 26.
Infrastructure BC is reaching out to local contractors, suppliers, and businesses that are interested in collaborating or supplying products and services for the UHNBC Acute Care Tower Project.
According to Insolvency Insider: 5055 Joyce Holdings Inc. and 5055 Joyce Property Inc., entities tied to a near-complete mixed-use rental development known as the “Joyce 2” at 5083 Joyce Street in Vancouver, were placed into receivership on April 27 on application by subordinated secured lender OPTrust Joyce Financing Corp., owed approximately $109.2 million. Senior secured lender National Bank of Canada is owed approximately $165.6 million. The 360-unit project was substantially completed and partially occupied at the time of the filing, but the proceedings reveal approximately $15.5 million in cost overruns, more than $8.2 million in additional hard construction costs required to finish the project, and a growing wave of builders’ liens filed by contractors and suppliers. KSV is the receiver. Counsel includes Osler for OPTrust, Cassels for the receiver, Kornfeld for the companies, and McCarthy Tetrault for National Bank.”
According to Insolvency Insider: THC Biomed Ltd., a Kelowna, British Columbia cannabis producer and processor, obtained CCAA protection on April 21 after a rapid descent from tax pressure to insolvency. The company says CRA enforcement measures, including bank garnishments and payment redirections to customers, helped drain liquidity to just $287 by mid-April, while more than $3.35 million in tax arrears remained outstanding. At the same time, landlords moved to lock the company out of its production facility after missed rent, prompting an NOI filing days before the April 21 CCAA initial order. THC Biomed now aims to preserve operations, address licence deadlines, negotiate with CRA, and refinance or sell owned real estate as part of a restructuring backed by DIP funding from 2011329 Alberta Ltd. MNP is the monitor. Counsel is MLT Aikins for THC Biomed and Fasken for the monitor.”
On April 29, 2026, Northern Development held its AGM where Margo Wagner was acclaimed as chair of the Northern Development Board of Directors for another term. Board Executive Committee is as follows: Margo Wagner – chair; Barry Pages, chair, North Coast Regional District – vice chair; Julie Ziebart, provincial appointee – finance committee chair; Dan Rose, director, Peace River Regional District – committee member. The directors at large are: Lara Beckett, chair, Regional District Fraser Fort George; Doug Donaldson, provincial appointee; Rob Fraser, mayor, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality; Julie Maitland, mayor, District of New Hazelton; Mark Parker, chair, Regional District Bulkley Nechako; Wayne Plenert, provincial appointee; Fred Sam, provincial appointee; Jim Smith, director, Thompson-Nicola Regional District and Chief Leah Stump, provincial appointee.
The Northern Development Board of Directors has approved funding for nine projects during its second meeting of 2026, representing a $1.39 million investment into communities across Northern B.C. The approved projects reflect a continued demand for funding that helps communities move priority projects forward, with investments supporting a multitude of sectors such as housing, infrastructure and recreation. The project can be found here.
The District of Kitimat and Kitimat Chamber of Commerce have launched the final chapter of the Kitimat Bound initiative, a new Welcome Home campaign. Building on the momentum of the earlier Kitimat, B.C.: It’s Not For Everyone… campaign, this next phase shifts the focus from what makes Kitimat different to the many reasons locals are proud to call it home. Welcome Home celebrates the people who have chosen Kitimat, including both newcomers and those who have returned, and the roles they play in shaping the community. The campaign is anchored by a new collection of videos that features stories from real people who have chosen to build a life in Kitimat.
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