By Cheryl Jahn

Natural Resources Forum a record-breaker

Jan 19, 2024 | 2:50 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Twenty-one years ago, the Natural Resources Forum looked vastly different.

“At the start, it was a very grassroots-led organization that was led by Pat Bell and Shirley Bond,” explains organizer, Sarah Weber, President & CEO, C3 Alliance Group. “And they had a great vision of bringing people together to talk about natural resources. I think it had a bit more of a regional focus.”

And now the event attracts some significant players, both within industry such as the CEOs from industry, giants like LNG Canada, Rio Tinto and Enbridge, as well as political heavy hitters, such as Premier David Eby, Opposition Leader Kevin Falcon, and the federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson.

More than 1,400 delegates registered for this year’s event, the highest number in more than two decades. It is where deals are done.

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A lot of private information is exchanged for sure,” says Weber. “And then we have this media room where there’s been a number of announcements this week, and I know some of them were made on location, but people are planning to make announcements during this week because there are so many people here listening and stories being told.”

The energy sector is growing fast in BC, hydrogen production, being the latest. “I think there’s so much going on in the resource sector, it’s not going to be hard. And the word is getting out. Like our our keynote speaker, Cynthia [Hansen] from Enbridge yesterday. She’s from Texas. People that are traveling from Ottawa to speak.”

And while the Conference and Civic Center was packed to the brim, it is the perfect location and city to host this event.

“It’s just the perfect size of town. You can’t get away. People take it seriously. And we’ve seen cabinet ministers here for three days straight.”

And for Weber, it’s back to work for her and her team to plan next year’s Natural Resources Forum when the energy sector landscape undoubtedly will have changed again.