Publications Will Help to Increase Understanding of Issue

June 15, 2005 for immediate release

Publications Will Help to Increase Understanding of Issue

June 15, 2005 for immediate release

The University of Northern British Columbia today marked the conclusionof the Northern Coastal Information and Research Program (NCIRP) with therelease in Prince Rupert of the final twopublications in the research series, UNBCCommunity-Collaborative Studies on British Columbia Offshore Oil and Gas.

The photo at right shows former Northern LandUse Institute Director John Backhouse speaking at the news conferencetoday in Prince Rupert. The event was held at the new Northwest Community College / UNBC campus in the community.

“NCIRP has played a key role in the ongoing discussion aboutone of the most critical issues in British Columbia today,” said Dr. Charles Jago, UNBCPresident. “I want to recognize those involved with the program for their hardwork and their commitment to raising the level of dialogue and understandingabout offshore oil and gas.”

Research conducted through NCIRP has accomplished three keyoutcomes:

• It has produced a series of seven publications that will add substantially to the understanding of BC offshore oil and gas issues;
• No other recent studies have involved as much participation, collaboration and input from residents of the Queen Charlotte Basin (QCB); and,
• NCIRP publications will allow the people of BC, and specifically residents of the QCB, to better inform themselves and take a greater role in discussions and decision-making around offshore oil and gas.

Voices From The Coast: The Collected Stories of Coastal BCCommunity Members Involved in the Research and Discussion of Oil and Gas is a collection of interviews with local citizens ontheir experiences with the oil and gas issue. All of the people profiled in thepublication have been members of the Community Guidance Group, two-dozenresidents of diverse backgrounds who hold a wide spectrum of opinions on theoil and gas issue. The second publication, Undercurrents2: A Citizens’Guide to the Projects, Publications and Outcomes of the Northern CoastalInformation and Research Program, provides anoverview of NCIRP.

“Voices From TheCoast exemplifies the level of commitment toworking with communities upon which NCIRP was founded,” said Dr. Max Blouw,UNBC’s Vice-President of Research. “Each of the research reports in this serieswas unique in the way it undertook community collaboration. All broke newground and gave local people an unprecedented role in the analysis of keyissues about offshore oil and gas.”

NCIRP has been a program of UNBC’s Northern Land UseInstitute. Funding was provided by the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines. Copiesof all seven publications in the NCIRP series can be downloaded fromwww.unbc.ca/nlui/ncirp or ordered at cost from Debbie Krebs: fax (250)960-5746; email krebsd@unbc.ca

CONTACT

Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media & Public Relations,UNBC – 250.960-5622