August/September Business View Magazine

218 219 on the same latitude as Red Deer,Alberta.We’re on transportation corridors; a major rail line and two major highways.The cost of doing business in this area is an advantage in itself.The cost of land, availability of skilled labor–we really see ourselves as an untapped market.” The lower B.C.mainland and the Okanagan region are saturated with residents and entrepreneurs.The Thompson-Nicola areas directly south of the CRD are becoming expensive and full.“So, now is the time for the Cariboo,” says Campbell.“We are the next area of the province that’s available.Housing is affordable, a lot of younger residents are moving here fromVancouver, Edmonton, Calgary- they can sell their house there for several hundreds of thou- sands of dollars, buy a nice home here on lakefront property, from $350,000 and up, and live mort- gage-free.We have bus access to schools in each municipality, and relatively good internet service for conducting business online. If you’re not looking at this region, 20 years from nowyou’ll be wishing you had.That’s the message we want to convey.” Tourists come for the recreation: the fishing, the lakes, boating, hiking, camping, horse-back riding. caribooregion cariboord.ca @CaribooRD Phone 250-392-3351 or 1-800-665-1636 Suite D, 180 North 3rd Avenue, Williams Lake, BC V2G 2A4 CARIBOO REGIONAL DISTRICT A jewel in the heart of British Columbia, Canada, the Cariboo Regional District is a great place to visit or call home. You'll find breathtaking landscapes, a wealth of recreational opportunities, and a vibrant economy. Welcome to the CARIBOO-CHILCOTIN BRITISH COLUMBIA BULKLEY- NECHAKO CENTRAL COAST MOUNT WADDINGTON COMOX- STRATHCONA SQUAMISH- LILLOOET THOMPSON-NICOLA C F H L G E B A D I J K 100Mile House Natalkuz Lake EutsukLake l l l l l l l l l l l Anahim Lake Charlotte Lake Hanceville DogCreek ForestGrove WilliamsLake Horsefly Likely McLeese Lake Nazko Kersley Quesnel Wells Quesnel Lake CanimLake Mahood Lake Taseko Lake Chilco Lake QuesnelR. ChilcotinR. FraserR. 26 20 97 0 500 1,000 250 km . District of 100MileHouse CARIBOO REGIONAL DISTRICT, BRITISH COLUMBIA PREFERRED VENDORS n Cariboo Regional District www.cariboord.bc.ca n Gibraltar Mines Ltd. https://www.tasekomines.com The heart of Taseko beats strongest in the Cariboo-Chil- cotin region, an area rich in minerals, steeped in Canadian mining history and the location of the famed Cariboo Gold Rush. Gibraltar, a copper-molybdenummine, is the second largest open pit copper mine in Canada. Gibraltar is among the largest employer in the Cariboo-Chilcotin region, employ- ing approximately 700 people. n Barkerville Gold Mines www.barkervillegold.com Barkerville Gold Mines (BGM) believes that success is built on partnerships. BGM’s strategic vision of staged production, strong organic growth program and sustainable development is our commitment to the long-term prosperity of our partners and communities in the Cariboo. BGM is proud to be part of the rich mining heritage in the Wells–Barkerville area and looks forward to expanding our contribution to the Cariboo region for many years to come. There have been huge trails developed for moun- tain biking, thanks to the Northern Development Initiative Trust Fund and other grants plus many volunteers.The sport has become extremely popu- lar in the area. First Nations cultural events are an- other big tourist draw.Wagner says,“We have really worked hard to enhance our relationship with First Nations.We saw tremendous cooperation during the fires last summer and their help continues to be phenomenal.” Two major infrastructure projects have just been completed–a new $21 millionWest Fraser Events Centre arena complex in Quesnel, and a $15 million upgrade to the Aquatic Centre inWilliams Lake. According to Campbell,“These are the biggest proj- ects ever done in the CRD.We’re making our own investments in the region and hoping that provides businesses and individuals with the confidence and stability to do the same.We use the word ‘resilience’ a lot, especiallyafter thewildfire event.Recovery is directlyconnected to the event,whereas resiliency is an objective that exists whether there’s an emergency or not.Big publicprojects like these put dollars into the economyand demonstrate that the communities of the Cariboo aren’t going anywhere.They’re not in decline,we’re looking forward to growth.” STRONG RELATIONSHIPS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE HEART OF THE CARBIBOO