November 24, 2009
Program Provides Jobs for Northern Workers

Prince George– Workers in Prince George and Mackenzie benefit from more than $1.56 million through the Job Opportunities Program for pine beetle mitigation, hazard tree management, seed collection and trail maintenance.

“The Job Opportunities Program helps out people who need it most, our displaced workers,” says Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell. “Mackenzie is an outdoor recreation playground that these 68 jobs will help to maintain, thereby reducing the risk of wildfires in our forests and increasing safety for our people."

“These projects create 22 additional jobs in Prince George,” says Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond. “Every job counts especially in economic times like these. The added benefit is the important forestry work that will be done. I am very pleased to see Prince George continue to benefit from the Job Opportunity Program.”

Project details are as follows:

Mackenzie

• $595,352 to 4D Warner Enterprises Ltd. for the maintenance of 21 recreation sites and trails
• $388,900 to the District of Mackenzie for wildfire protection treatment on more than 100 hectares of both forest and urban lands, as well as development and widening of toboggan runs at a local snowboard park
• $120,000 to Summit Contracting for the removal of trees that pose a danger risk on the roadways leading into Carp Lake Park
• $22,103 to Noostel Keyoh Development Ltd. for the maintenance and development of recreation sites in Omineca Provincial Park

Prince George

• $399,210 to Seneca Enterprises Ltd. for seed collection for reforestation of Crown land in the Northern Interior forest region.
• $38,013 to DWB Consulting Services Ltd. for summarizing data and counting collections of Douglas fir bark beetle trap samples.

First announced in May 2008, the Job Opportunities Program is one component of the federally-funded, $129-million Community Development Trust. In July 2009, the provincial government committed an additional $30 million towards the program, which the federal government is matching on a project-by-project basis through the Community Adjustment Fund.

The Province’s contribution to the Job Opportunities Program is part of its commitment to provide stability for workers and communities, maintain the workforce during the economic downturn and help British Columbians gain new skills to be successful in the future.

For more information on this and other projects, visit Pat’s website at www.patbellmla.bc.ca and Shirley Bond at www.shirleybondmla.bc.ca

Go to www.cd.gov.bc.ca/cdt/ for more information about the Job Opportunities Program.

-30-