PAST EVENT

Vancouver roundtable & dinner

December 4, 2025
Vancouver, B.C.

CWF gathers stakeholders in Vancouver to chart path for future energy development

British Columbia is at the heart of Western Canada’s energy innovation. The province has product to meet growing global demand; the question is how can it take advantage of this abundance while keeping energy affordable and reliable.

To chart the path for B.C.’s energy future, the Canada West Foundation brought together leaders and experts from government, industry, regulators and Indigenous communities for a roundtable discussion and dinner panel in Vancouver.

The message was clear. B.C. is rich in natural gas at a time when global demand is increasing, but to grow the sector, policy and regulation must be stable and predictable.

A special thanks to the events’ sponsors who were represented by Richard Wong, Vice President, Regulatory & Operations, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and Roger Dall’Antonia, President and CEO of FortisBC.

Roundtable

Fuelling Growth: B.C.’s Natural Gas Advantage 

With new LNG projects opening and more on the horizon, B.C. has the opportunity to supercharge its reputation as a stable provider of clean energy.

At the afternoon roundtable, moderator Bridgitte Anderson, President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, guided conversation through several key discussion points:

  • Major LNG projects will need workers, which means training and workforce development.
  • Bottlenecks in the supply chain must be removed.
  • Project success rests on the inclusion and leadership of Indigenous communities.

We would like to offer thanks to special guest Hon. Tim Hodgson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, who attended virtually and offered his insights.

Watch for a “What We Heard” report, where we will share key insights and learnings from this in-depth conversation.

Dinner

B.C.’s Energy Advantage: Where Supply Meets Power & Policy

The dinner panel discussion brought together Hon. Glen Clark, former Premier of British Columbia and Chair of the Board of BC Hydro; and Crystal Smith, former Elected Chief Councillor of the Haisla Nation, to focus on harnessing the advantages of B.C.’s evolving energy landscape.

Gary Mar, the Canada West Foundation’s President and CEO, moderated the forward-looking dialogue where several notable points were made:

  • The majority of B.C. residents support energy growth, stability and exports, while balancing ecological priorities.
  • Cedar LNG is the first Indigenous majority-owned LNG project in the world, and there are multiple opportunities for other partnerships on pipelines and LNG projects.
  • B.C. has great opportunities to expand its electricity capabilities, and markets in the U.S. are growing.
  • The province has energy from both hydro and natural gas, but to achieve affordability and reliability, both need to be integrated into future plans.

The Canada West Foundation hosts events like this across Western Canada to build bridges between stakeholders, provinces and the federal government to forge a stronger West.

Thanks to event sponsors for their generous support