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52 INVEST in BC 2 0 2 5 Official Publication of the BC Economic Development Association in special partnership with BCBusiness. EMPIRE HYDROGEN ENERGY SYSTEMS N O R T H C O A S T / N E C H A K O S mithers, the hub of economic development, recreation and culture in Northern BC's Bulkley Valley, is bursting with opportunity. The town serves a regional population of 15,000, connected to major urban centres by Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway), Smithers Regional Airport, and the CN Rail line, which links the bustling Port of Prince Rupert to global markets. Entrepreneurs, businesses and site selectors seek opportunities to grow and thrive, drawn by the town's skilled labour and vibrant, growing community. The local economy includes forestry, mining and exploration, healthcare, government services, education, retail, and tourism sectors—and entrepreneurs are delving into the diversity by exploring cluster development and leveraging the region's transferable labour base. Visit the Town of Smithers website for business develop- ment support, including infor- mation on commercial space, business opportunities, statistics, and growth opportunities. Discover Smithers at smithers.ca/invest-smithers or connect on , or @TownofSmithers WELCOME TO SMITHER'S— NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA'S HIDDEN TREASURE S M I T H E R S Town of Smithers: ecdev@smithers.ca Ph: 250-847-1600 www.smithers.ca Where Meets Ambition Adventure Smithers is an economic, recreation, and cultural hub, off ering a strategic location, vibrant community, and skilled workforce. With a sophisticated transportation network providing direct connections to major urban centres, it's a place where business, lifestyle, and adventure come together. Whether you're launching a venture or looking for balance, it all starts here. GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC RIM Prince Rupert, meanwhile, is at long last coming into its own as the North American port served by transcontinental railways that is closest to Asian markets. Its Fairview container terminal, opened in 2007, continues to take business from more congested ports in Metro Vancouver and the U.S. West Coast. Port upgrades in progress include the $1.35-billion Ridley Island Energy Export Facility, a liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and methanol terminal, as well as South Kaien Logistics Park and CANXPORT, to support transloading, container storage and breakbulk operations. With the completion of Wolverine Terminals' marine fuelling project, which allows visiting ships to refuel using fuel barges, "now we're a full-service port," says Paul Vendittelli, the City of Prince Rupert's director of economic development and transportation. In June, Trigon Pacific Terminals committed a further $750 million to build a second LPG terminal at its existing bulk terminal capable of exporting 2.5 million tonnes of LPG beginning in 2029. Part of the effort to create a "hydrogen corridor" providing the emission-free fuel for heavy equipment and transport trucks between Prince George and the North Coast, Empire Hydrogen Energy Systems this year set up portable fuel stations in Smithers, Kitimat and Prince Rupert. Prince Rupert is also working with Hy2gen Canada to develop a facility on city-owned Watson Island to produce and export hydrogen and hydrogen-based feedstock. And last year Source3 Energy X signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Terrace and the Kitselas First Nation to develop a clean hydrogen hub at the Skeena Industrial Development Park in that city. Though the forest industry in the northwest, as in other regions, has been hampered by timber supply declines, low commodity prices and tariffs, innovation points to new opportunities. In late 2024, for example, Chrysalix Venture Capital of Vancouver committed funding to Deadwood Innovations for the purpose of building a plant in Fort St. James that can turn aspen and other waste wood into lumber using a thermo-chemical process. The project, in partnership with the Nak'azdli Whut'en First Nation's Nak'azdli Development Corp., promises to make use of wood hitherto left to rot. • HYDROGEN CORRIDOR: Empire Hydrogen set up three fuel stations in the Northwest