To the editor:
Despite what some well-funded special interest groups and even some politicians during this current municipal election would have us believe, B.C. needs to encourage foreign investment and the economic development that goes with it. Nowhere is this more important than in the mineral exploration sector—a sector that not only has a low impact on the environment but is also one that can sustain many more good-paying B.C. jobs than it does at present.
I find it truly unfortunate that the anti-economy activities of various special interests have placed such a damper on efforts to explore our province’s rich mineral deposits. This is shameful. B.C. is larger than Texas, France and Germany combined and yet much of it remains unexplored. Imagine the potential mineral wealth that could literally be hidden beneath our feet in this geologically diverse region of the planet.
Instead of caving in to special interests and letting them cripple our B.C. economy with their fear-mongering agenda, we should be encouraging mineral exploration and the investment that supports it and welcome it as an important part of a strong provincial economy. The benefits that mineral exploration can bring are almost limitless, and with the proper encouragement these benefits have the potential to ripple through every part of our province.
Jessica Marte,
Burnaby
