.__ RECEIVED BRITISH SEP O 1 ?011 COLUMBIA CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE

Ref: 62454

AUG 3 0 2011

Mr. Hugh Nicholson President owntown Business Improvement Association nd Avenue Pri e George, B.C. V2L 3B6

Dear Mr. Nicholson:

Thank you for your letter of August 21, 2011, expressing strong support for the establishment of the Wood Innovation and Design Centre (WIDC) in downtown Prince George. You also requested that the government consider relocating staff of the Ministry of Forests (now called the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations) to WIDC.

WIDC is envisioned to bring together builders, architects and engineers to advance the commercialization of innovative wood frame buildings, and exemplify our expertise and global reputation in wood construction, engineered wood products and building design.

The centre, together with its programming, will have a sustaining impact on the long term success of the forest sector which has been a pillar of the provincial economy and an important component of the government's jobs agenda. It takes concerted efforts of governments and the business community to bring the project lo fruition. As such, I appreciate the support your organization has shown.

Regarding the relocation of government staff, I have shared your letter with my colleagues, the Honourable Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, and the Honourable , Minister of Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government, for their consideration.

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Ministry of ,Jobs, Office of the Minister Mailing Address: Location: Tourism and Innovation PO Box 9071 Stn Prov Govt Room 138 Victoria BC V8W 9A8 Parliament Buildings Phone: 250 356-2771 Victoria BC r-ax: 250 356-3000 Mr. Hugh Nicholson Page 2

Again, thank you and to your Board of Directors and the members of the Prince George Downtown Business Improvement Association, for your support for the WIDC.

I look forward to working with you to bring WIDC to reality.

Sincerely, ORIGINAL '31GNED BY

Pat Bell Minister pc: Honourable Steve Thomson Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

Honourable Stephanie Cadieux Minister of Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government

Honourable , MLA Prince George Valemount

Mr. , MLA N echako Lakes

/ His Worship Dan Rogers and Members of Council City of Prince George

Ms. Dana Hayden Deputy Minister Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation th August 12 , 2011 RECEIVED

SE P O i ?n11 Mr. Minister of Tourism, Jobs and Innovation CITY MAN I-•C ·" .'S OFFICE 103-770 Central Street CITY OF F:,,•, ·;e GEORGE Prince George, BC V2M 3B7

Dear Pat:

On behalf of the Prince George Downtown Business Association, representing over 250 members in downtown Prince George, we would like to voice our strong support for the creation of a Wood Innovation and Design Centre (WIDIC) to be located in downtown Prince George.

While much has been said and written on the Centre since it was first announced in the Throne Speech in 2009, and the details of exactly what the Centre would look like are still to be determined, we felt it was important that our opinion was registered on behalf of our members.

At the same time, our Board of Directors would encourage you and your government to take a serious look at relocating the provincial Ministry of Forests to Prince George as a tenant of the WIDIC. Not only would this lend major support for the business case for constructing the WIDIC, but at the same time it would mean 400 to 700 high paying government jobs located in downtown Prince George. This would provide a major boost to our local economy, while locating the ministry close to the BC's major resource commodity, our forest.

Thank you for taking the time to consider our request and on behalf of our members we thank you for your support of this initiative.

Regards

Hugh Nicholson President Prince George Downtown Business Improvement Association

cc. Mayor Dan Rogers City of Prince George Members of Council City of Prince George Shirley Bond MLA Prince George Valemount John Rustad MLA Nechako Lakes

P1 ince George Downtown Business I rnprovernent A~soc1Jt1on 1406 Second Avenue. r, ,nee George, BC V2L 3fl6 Phone: [2~0) 614 1330 Fax· 614 l'oS0 info@dow ntownprincegeorge.com www.downtownprincegeorge.com