As we start the new year, and discuss growth sectors in B.C. for 2015 and beyond, many people might be quick to underestimate the contribution that mining and exploration make to B.C.’s economy.
In 2013 for instance, the mining industry added $511 million in direct payments to the provincial government and its various agencies. The number of people working in B.C.’s mining industry also increased in 2013, directly employing 10,720 people. Over the next 10 years, the B.C. mining industry is expected to require a surprising 16,770 new workers to meet the needs of mining expansion and retirements.
These are impressive stats for a vital B.C. industry that rarely gets recognized as one of the bedrocks of our B.C. economy.
The mining industry definitely carries its weight.
Jesse McClinton, Victoria