The Alliance seeks to rally communities across British Columbia into a powerful collective voice to support resource industries, including aquaculture, forestry, mining, LNG, and tourism, all of which are facing growing regulatory uncertainty and economic pressure.
By Fabian Dawson
Campbell River on Vancouver Island, known as the “Salmon Capital of the World” for its aquaculture and wild fisheries industries, is leading a bold new effort to unite resource-based communities across British Columbia.
The city is spearheading the creation of an Alliance of Resource Communities, which will be introduced next week in Victoria at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) conference and the parallelGet It Done BC forum, hosted by Resource Works.
The Alliance aims to unite municipalities across the province to advocate for resource industries such as aquaculture, forestry, mining, LNG, and tourism, which are all facing mounting regulatory and economic challenges, said Rose Klukas, Campbell River’s Director of Economic Development and Indigenous Relations.
“Regulatory uncertainty seems to be the challenge for every sector. Businesses are telling us it’s becoming harder and harder to stay and grow in BC and Canada,” Klukas told SeaWestNews.
“We want to align ourselves and say, we hear you, federal government… we hear you, provincial government. You’re looking for ways to improve the economy. We have the industry and Indigenous experts that can tell you how to keep aquaculture, forestry, and other resource sectors growing in BC.”
“For every job created in aquaculture or LNG or forestry, at least three other jobs are created in the community,” Klukas said. “Small businesses are supported by these well-paying jobs, and the investment that industry makes into communities is realized through more taxation for government to offer the programming they need.”
At the UBCM, Campbell River has filed a resolution calling for the creation of formal engagement protocols that would require provincial ministries and resource development proponents to consult with regional directors and local governments on projects within their jurisdictions, ensuring local perspectives are included in decision-making.
A key goal of the Alliance is to bridge the disconnect between urban and rural communities when it comes to resource industries.
To make that connection tangible, Campbell River has been organising familiarisation tours for politicians and decision-makers. Recently, local officials hosted a tour of Grieg Seafood’s aquaculture operations in Gold River, giving visitors an up-close look at fish farms and a chance to speak directly with industry experts.
“We’ll be doing the same in October with Mowi’s facilities in Sayward,” Klukas said. “Sometimes you get a better understanding if you see firsthand what you’re hearing about in the media.”
The groundwork for the Alliance was laid last June when Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl invited every mayor and regional district chair in British Columbia’s resource-dependent communities to join “a collective advocacy movement aimed at amplifying the voices of resource communities across BC.”
“Together, we can amplify our shared concerns, influence policy decisions, and drive change that will support the long-term growth and resilience of resource communities,” Dahl wrote.
Furthering that message in an op-ed published in the Vancouver Sun yesterday, Dahl and 10 other mayors wrote:
“It’s time for an alliance of community leaders from all corners of the province to come together and strongly advocate for a secure and brighter economic future through the responsible development of our abundant natural resources.
“It’s our natural resources industries that largely pay the bills, deliver healthy paycheques, and backstop health care, education and the critical services we rely on. The world wants our natural resources, and we need the jobs and revenues they provide.
“Resource jobs aren’t just in rural BC. Office towers in Vancouver are filled with white-collar resource workers. Technology plays an increasing role in natural resources with many of those jobs in urban centres across BC. The future of all BC communities is deeply connected to our natural resources and has always been the case,” the mayors wrote.
Resource Works President & CEO Stewart Muir welcomed the move to create an Alliance of Resource Communities.
“Resource communities have been Canada’s engine room for a century,” he said. “When they stand together – municipal leaders, Indigenous partners, industry – they don’t just advocate for themselves, they advocate for every British Columbian who depends on responsible resource development for jobs, public revenue, and climate-smart exports.”
Brian Kingzett, Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA), said the Alliance could help bring stability and science-based decision-making to aquaculture and other resource industries that have faced years of regulatory uncertainty.
He said the sector is ready to respond to Prime Minister Carney’s “elbows up” call for economic growth, with the potential to generate $2.5 billion in annual output and 9,000 jobs by 2030, growing to $4.2 billion and more than 16,000 jobs by 2040, provided the right policy framework is in place.
“This growth can go hand in hand with innovation, continued stewardship agreements, and stronger partnerships that bring sustainable prosperity to coastal resource communities and our First Nations partners at a time when Canada and BC need it most,” Kingzett added.
Next week’s events in Victoria are being held as BC’s faces a deepening fiscal crisis, with the province’s 2025/26 First Quarterly Report projecting a record deficit of $11.6 billion, or 2.6% of the economy. This marks the largest shortfall in the province’s history, far surpassing the $5.6 billion COVID-era deficit.
The BC Business Council (BCBC) warns that without a clear fiscal anchor and a stronger focus on private-sector economic growth, B.C. risks further credit rating downgrades, which have already occurred four times in as many years.
“In the face of large government-budget deficits, weak private-sector job growth, and global uncertainty…BC must take bold steps to strengthen its economic resilience. Growing our economy by supporting the development of our resources makes sense,” states BCBC in a statement on their website.
(Main image shows Rose Klukas, Campbell River’s Director of Economic Development and Indigenous Relations)