British Columbia’s coal industry generated $3.2 billion in provincial GDP in 2011 and contributed $715 million in tax revenue. But many British Columbians are only just beginning to appreciate the significant economic contribution the industry makes to
CAC President Ann Marie Hann at Wolverine Mine, BC operated by Walter Energy.
the province and its people, says Ann Marie Hann, president of the Coal Association of Canada. “Coal is essential to British Columbia as a catalyst for economic development, international trade, investment in B.C. communities and the employment of thousands of British Columbians,” says Ms. Hann. “With 12 billion tonnes of potentially mineable resources, coal can help ensure that B.C.’s economy remains strong for years to come.”
The value of the coal industry to B.C. was underlined earlier this year with the publication of a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC) that was commissioned by the association. It found that coal comprised 22 per cent of the province’s total exports in 2011. While Japan and South Korea were the biggest markets for B.C.’s metallurgical coal, rising demand in China points to a steady growth of the export market in the years ahead.
Read more in the Globe and Mail Special Section on BC Coal (May 1, 2013)
