BC History

This is the fourth in a series of short films made by the Bill Bennett Social Credit government in 1982.

This is a very interesting dig

In 1982 the BC Social Credit government created a series of pro-government short films to help with the flagging popularity of the party in power in the run-up to the next general election. This one was about the large Northeast Coal Megaproject. In the early 1980s the BC government pushed for the development of the northeast coal deposits near Tumbler Ridge. A group of Japanese steel mills agreed in 1981 to buy 100 million tonnes of coal for US$7.5 billion over 15 years... from the Quintette mine and the Bullmoose mine. Tumbler Ridge was expected to have over 10,000 people living there but this did not come to pass. The global price of coal fell a lot in the 80s leading to the Japanese wanting a price reduction and a reduction in the amount of coal. The reduction in demand and then the closure of the Quintette mine in 2000 meant that Tumbler Ridge lost about half its population. There are new coal mines in the area and there is a lot being exported but the employment levels never have come close to what was suggested in the early 1980s.

The Hotel Belmont on Granville Street in 1932. It opened as the Barron Hotel and went through a number of name changes through the years until the Belmont name was reinstated by the current owners. (B&W image held in the City of Vancouver archives, #A18337).

In 1982 the BC Social Credit government created a series of "Province Report" short films to show all the great work the government was doing. They were hosted by broadcaster Fred Latremouille. This is the first one and focuses on a series of large megaprojects in the province and all the jobs being created during the early 80s recession.