Overwhelming Support for “Get It Done” Agenda for BC’s Resource Sector Emerges at Inaugural Resource Works Forum

VICTORIA, British Columbia, Sept. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A powerful and unified call to action to build British Columbia’s resource economy and bridge the urban-rural divide emerged from the inaugural Get It Done BC forum, hosted by the Resource Works Society. The sold-out, full-day event drew 150 leaders from municipal and Indigenous governments, industry, and policy circles to the Union Club of British Columbia on September 22, setting a clear, pro-development tone for the start of the 2025 Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) conference week.

The forum provided the platform for the formal launch of the Alliance of Resource Communities, a new coalition of mayors dedicated to ensuring the voices of resource-dependent regions are central to the province’s future. The day featured candid discussions on energy affordability, economic reconciliation, and the urgent need for policy and regulatory certainty to advance major projects.

“The energy in the room was unmistakable,” said Stewart Muir, Founder and CEO of Resource Works. “From mayors and Indigenous leaders to industry executives, we heard one unified message: it's time to stop talking and start building. ‘Get It Done BC’ wasn’t just a forum; it was the start of a movement to unlock British Columbia's prosperity by championing our resource sectors and the communities they support.”

A highlight of the day was the “United Mayors, One Message” panel, which saw mayors from across the province speak with one voice about the critical importance of resource industries to every British Columbian.

“As long as we're collaborating and working together and remembering each other, our voice gets louder,” said Kermit Dahl, Mayor of Campbell River, who spearheaded the creation of the Alliance of Resource Communities. “If we can bring more of us together and speak as one voice, then we will be heard.” Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West lamented the disconnect between urban centres and the regions that generate the province’s wealth, stating, “Our future is determined by as much of what happens outside of the Lower Mainland as what happens inside of it.” Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog delivered a direct message to the provincial government, warning that “the rural urban divide in this province is worse than it's ever been” and that the government must be seen as “friendly to rural British Columbia”.

The day’s agenda also included a keynote address from the Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, who stressed that BC Hydro needs to take on more risk to drive economic development and get projects built. A subsequent panel on energy affordability, featuring Energy Futures Institute Chair Barry Penner, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, and strategist Bill Tieleman, drilled down on the real-world consequences of policy on residents and businesses. Mayor Locke highlighted the urgent need for more energy supply, noting that major industrial and housing developments in her city are being stalled. “We have to really put our shoulder to this one,” she said. “This is critical to all of us. It's critical to the success of this province.”

“This event shattered the myth of a divided province,” said Margareta Dovgal, Managing Director of Resource Works. “We saw a powerful consensus emerge around practical, common-sense solutions for energy, infrastructure, and affordability. The launch of the Alliance of Resource Communities here is a testament to the collaborative spirit we need, and Resource Works is proud to have provided the platform for this critical step forward.”

The successful day concluded with a networking reception that attracted several hundred guests, further solidifying the growing momentum for a “Get It Done” approach to securing B.C.’s economic future.

As part of its commitment to providing fact-based research, copies of Resource Works' recent landmark report, Shaping the Peace: Balancing Energy, Environment, and Reconciliation in Northeast BC, were shared with all attendees and have been distributed to dozens of municipal leaders across B.C. Recordings of the panels and speeches from the Get It Done BC forum will be made available in the coming weeks.

About Resource Works Society: The Resource Works Society is a Vancouver-based non-profit that communicates the importance of British Columbia's resource sectors to the province's social and economic well-being. It provides context and research for a fact-based discussion of B.C.'s natural resource economy.

Media Contact

Margareta Dovgal
(604) 518-4469
margareta@resourceworks.com

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