Portrait: adam blasberg
The geography of British Columbia has
always been its biggest asset. There is an
undeniable magnetism to the Pacific coast,
which draws, in ever-increasing numbers,
both people (tourists and immigrants,
enamoured with the natural beauty and
temperate climate of the place) and trade
(Port Metro Vancouver is the largest port
in the country, and fourth largest in North
America). Of course, what's good for people
isn't always good for trade, and vice versa.
Back in 1871, environmental and First
Nations concerns weren't quite what they
are today, to put it mildly. That was the year
B.C. was lured into Confederation with the
promise of a railway that would connect it
to the rest of Canada. Trade and eco-
nomic expansion was the imperative,
and nothing could stand in the way
of the Canadian Pacific Railway's
builders: not the Rockies (blasted
through with abandon) nor the lack
of a local workforce (thousands of
Chinese labourers were imported to
build the tracks, in what amounted
to slave labour). The "Last Spike"
was driven into the ground almost 15
years later, on November 7, 1885, in
Craigellachie, B.C., and we've never
looked back.
A case can be made that today's
proposals for pipeline expansion
across B.C. follow in the historical
footsteps of the
CPR. The difference
this time is that, whereas the
CPR
linked the nascent provinces of
Canada, including B.C., today's
pipelines mostly connect resource-
producing prov inces (namely
Alberta) with export markets (the U.S. and,
increasingly, Asia), with B.C. reduced to the
role of passive host. Yes, there are jobs to
be created in the building and maintenance
of pipelines, and yes, it's important for B.C.
to play a part in Canada's national energy
policy. But at what cost—and to what end?
These questions underpin this month's
package on Canada's Pipeline Debate (p. 37).
From interprovincial politics, to negotiations
with First Nations, to how other industries
might be affected by pipeline expasion,
we look at the story from all angles. Join in
the debate at BCBusiness.ca/pipelines.
C O N T R I B U T O R S
Matt O'Grady, Editor-in-Chief
mogrady@canadawide.com / @bCbusiness
editor'sdesk
y
Victoria-based Globe and
Mail correspondent Justine
Hunter outlines the political
manoeuvring behind the
pipeline deliberations in "A
Rockies Relationship" (p. 38).
She says she was "struck by
how conciliatory Jim Prentice,
the new Alberta premier, has
been toward B.C." Hunter has
also reported for the Vancouver
Sun, National Post and CBC.
oCToBer's mosT
popular sTories
on BCBusiness.Ca
Entrepreneur of
the Year 2014: and
B.C.'s winners are...
A look inside
2014's (massive)
Entrepreneur of the
Year gala
Vancouver's
(temporary) tech
boom
Vikram Vij: a
businessman
unlike any other
Vancouver's Jericho
Lands finally sold
after two decades
(maps)
/careers /people /tech-science /tourism-culture /real-estate
12
BCBusiness december 2014
Calgary-based photojournalist
Joey Podlubny ("All Along
the Gateway, " p. 54) says he
focused on shooting the human
element of the pipeline debate,
noting that "this story is not
just about a pipeline; it's a story
about how people want to live."
A 2013 Western Magazine
Award winner for best photo
essay, Podlubny has also
worked for the Calgary Sun and
the City of Calgary.
The Lines of
History
N e x T M O N T H
B.C.'s Best Cities for Work
We rank each city in the
province based on its
job prospects.
