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44 INVEST in BC 2 0 2 3 Official Publication of the BC Economic Development Association. In special partnership with BCBusiness. CARIBOO ▷ 100 Mile House ▷ Barkerville ▷ Mackenzie ▷ McBride ▷ Prince George ▷ Quesnel ▷ Valemount ▷ Wells ▷ Williams Lake SHARE OF B.C. POPULATION 4% A century and a half ago, the Cariboo became a destination for fortune-seekers from around the world after gold was discovered on Williams Creek, near modern-day Quesnel. The Cariboo Gold Rush inspired the construction of the first wagon road to connect the British Columbia interior to the coast. Today the region remains the hard-working heart of the province. It is not only home to resource industries such as forestry and mining but a staging area for projects throughout northern B.C. With the University of Northern B.C. in Prince George, it is also a hub for innovation in areas as diverse as seniors' care and environmental remediation. In contrast to some other regions, the value of major projects proposed or under construction in the Cariboo has continued to creep upward in recent years. Largest among them is the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, about $4.5 billion of whose budget is being dispensed in the region. As the de facto business hub of northern British Columbia, Prince George has also seen an uptick in business from megaprojects in neighbouring regions, including the Coastal Gaslink natural gas pipeline, the LNG Canada liquefaction plant at its western terminus in Kitimat and the Site C dam near Fort St. John. Northern Crossroads The central Interior is leading the way to the energy transition CREDITS