Resource, Energy, British Columbia, (and International): 

1. ”Methane from beneath sea floor buoys Japan’s hopes for securing its own #energy source http://j.mp/14MwiUm _Fire from Ice

2. #allAfrica: South Africa: Water Is Critical for Socio-Economic Development, Says Deputy Minister Thabethe http://j.mp/10k4cHg

3. Importance of Diversifying [Your Startup’s] Workforce – The Accelerators – WSJ http://on.wsj.com/11m1i5T #friends and #cofounders

4. With China focusing on ‘quality not quantity’ growth – 2013 slowdown may not be the end of the world | Economist http://j.mp/ZHMttf

5. ”Suncor failed to notify public about Port Moody spill” Yes, and so did two governments: http://j.mp/111AURl #BCpoli

(and just posted, but promising to be popular..)

6. The economic stakes (and #bcpoli party stance): Key economic sectors and what they bring to B.C. http://j.mp/10k436w

For me it was an important realization that coal is alive and well in BC; and maybe for a limited time. It’s not clear just how long coal has, probably enough for BC to figure it out, BUT it is still a product that is second only to BC’s exported Wood products (all) in BC at $6.1 billion. That’s serious stuff. If anything, coal will suffer first in the US due to cheaper, and friendlier sounding Natural Gas.

Fortunately, 36% of our coal goes to the EU, and 25% of it goes to mainland China. The EU has been fluctuating wildly since 2007, while the China market continues to improve. Naturally, we also provide a great amount of Natural gas. It’s probably our next best option for export.

It is known that coal is unfriendly to the climate. Its GHG emissions are tremendous, and even larger when we factor in transport costs. The US EPA is not afraid to broadcast that at home, it’s becoming a threat. Here’s what BC’s looking at in the near future other than its massive coal export industry:

• Growing Natural Gas opportunity, which BC knows something about: Shell submits Kitimat LNG plans for environmental review. A possible 6 new projects, and BC is in, and interested. From that article, the plans are all provincial, “Recently, B.C.’s environment ministry asked federal Environment Minister Peter Kent to allow the province to undertake much of the review under a federal-provincial memorandum..“. Zero provincial borders are crossed, as opposed to the Enbridge and Transmountain projects (for pipeline and pipeline twinning). Naturally, natural gas has its opponents. And additionally , many are echoing the concern about its expected market overseas, and the length and strength of that intended market. Too many projects; not enough released market research. Although in support, much like the BC Liberals, the NDP recommends that BC approach the LNG development with caution on revenue forecasts. 
• For any development, there’s great spinoff opportunity. Importantly, BC must provide services to pipeline industry and energy industry if these plans start to come through. This could be many years but we certainly get the feeling most projects will be helped through by the Federal government. The private sector, town and community relations play a big part of this. They must meet early with communities.

British Columbia is looking at its greatest export and revenue options. It would love to diversify and do so for the sake of the economy. It’s up to us to stay caught up. Development is being sped up by the political process – an upcoming BC election – and the fact that Canada and BC are displaying the fear of missing out.

Until next time, there’s your resource, business & export update. More to come as pipelines, resource exports and energy continue to heat up.

This post is not about pipelines; which (I believe) causes us to focus on Alberta rather than look at what is happening closer to home. We have BC business to learn about. I know that a big portion of keeping Canada and BC from the post-recession doldrums means increasing foreign investment. (Or for many, Canada’s recession hasn’t quite happened yet. Scary). BC is marketed overseas as successful and up-and-coming both, which could be true.

It’s up to us to know what’s going on in our vast province if we want to think (or know) that we’re a strong province. Strong is: aware, knowledgeable, and participatory. You are participating by being a consumer of minerals, metals and energy; start there. Quit denying you’re a consumer.

Below are images taken from a federally supported BC Mining and Energy marketing package. It was produced at the end of 2011 and distributed in several languages, educating, and marking BC for investment opportunity. First some highlights in point form:

• 33 companies (and perhaps more to come) have investment or interest in BC resources or land, 
• Natural gas is a growing area of interest for BC development (this you have probably heard), 
• BC is Canada’s largest exporter of coal (produces $5.8B), and 3rd globally by volume of coal extracted. Copper is also important at $1.48B in production value, 
• BC fancies Asia and Southeast Asia as key export market in the near future, 

Here is an article about incoming LNG development: LNG Big and Fast, Are You Ready?
Link to the proposed Pacific Trail Pipeline (official) to Kitimat. Partnerships are in place.

That’s it, actually. That’s my summary as to not overwhelm. More to come as I get caught up, and try to help others do so too.

A slideshow of info you can pause and browse:

Patience: If there’s one thing that can ‘make you’ in business and help you reach success, it’s patience. Patience doesn’t mean that you wait around for good things to happen. It’s not about waiting – it’s about letting past and current actions mature so that they create the ideal situation for you to move forward. In order for patience to work you have to have set a few things in motion. Start listing things that will take you to your next desired stage. Set in motion what you can handle (go big), then get working on the others as the ones in motion are maturing. Patience is knowing the steps, acting on them, and believing in them.

Thick Skin: You have thick skin when you believe in yourself. When I was very young I was often told by adults around me that I was hard-headed, that I was stubborn and cheeky. Like most kids. Don’t loose this curiosity for danger. I put myself in working situations that are increasingly difficult. I get pushback, and I get told I may be doing it wrong (okay not often). Young and dumb. Luckily for them I am: I am here to create change and enable progress. That is why the right people ask me to stick around – to progress where they have not been able to. I’ll be young and dumb till I’m not.

Knowing and Believing: Thick-skinned people have thick skin because we know and believe in what we are doing. We don’t flip-flop when we have think skin. Or more precisely, when we do change our minds we do so with ease and with reason. People who know and believe will strive for action even if we’re not sure if we have all the data – we know that we need to move now or we will fail. We believe it’s always now or never.

Helping Others: I firmly believe that we cannot help others truly and properly until we have the resources accumulated by helping ourselves first. That does not mean we have to be rich with cash to help others. It means we need to be rich with time, rich with experience, and maybe rich with cash for those reasons. If you do not help yourself first, the amount you’ll be able to give to others will be poor. It won’t be enough until you make yourself rich with something first. Think mentorship; how experienced or confident would you like your mentor to be? Quite, I would think. Your mentor has taken the time to be rich in something first, then has reached out to help others like yourself.

———————–A personal note:

I’ve been too busy hiding in my thick skin. Thick skin is not a place to hide in; it’s a desired state to work from.

I hope this post gave you something. Good luck, and be patient. 

Bloodvein First Nation, a community located almost 210 km north of Winnipeg, recently celebrated the completion of a 2.5-km access road linking the community to a 1,000-km road network under construction ..

Dorky, I know. But Oh what 2.5kms of road can do for a community! A lot. Two minutes comfortably closer to Winnipeg.

Bloodvein First Nation (marked A on map) is north of, and across the lake from Gimli, Manitoba. To get their one travels by backroad, ferry and seasonal ice roads. It is also 530km north of Fargo North Dakota. That’s far enough.

However, the all-season road is still under construction and an additional 27 km of road and four bridges must still be built to complete the link to Bloodvein. A year-round connection to Winnipeg is anticipated by 2014.

Bloodvein First Nation workers have undertaken a significant amount of pre-construction work on the all-season road, particularly wilderness clearing, site preparation and gravel crushing. In turn, that experience and the profits from earlier contracts have allowed the community to form its own construction company, Bloodvein First Nation Construction Inc. (http://www.firstperspective.ca/)

But, wait it’s still another 1000kms north until you meet Nunavut at Manitoba’s northern border. Imagine the direct impacts when roads are finally built.

Why does it take so long for communities to win such basic needs? At the moment only the communities being noticed are being funded (or this story about tourism wins: ADB funds road to Vietnamese temple). In order to partner on the new building of roads, the Ministry of Transportation has to meet the community halfway. In one example, a new construction company is born in the Bloodvein nation itself, which helps to finish the connection to the rest of Manitoba. This is a double boom, and Canada’s Ministries don’t want to be involved in single booms where there’s still little initiative at the end of that road.

First Nation infrastructure should improve community experience. For tourists, citizens, or developers entering a town or community, it has to feel good when they arrive. Until now that has been a difficult goal to achieve for a Canadian nation or aboriginal community but it is slowly improving. So many of these communities have been left behind; treated like second-class communities for so long that our government doesn’t want to finish roads that end in what should not be seen (what they’ve been creating since the 60′s). Poverty. Frustration.

Nations who feel left out should not be afraid to reach out and try to meet Canada half way. For some that may be a difficult sentence to read. That does not mean they have to “colonize”. That does not mean giving in. Making a strong decision for an entire community is not easy, starting at gathering community strength makes it easier. Look straight at your assets and act with them.

It means that strength gets noticed. Strength gathers strength, and vibrant communities start at home.

Cooperatively, and in 6 months of work we have:

• Funded eight (8) funded projects for the nation and community,
• Created opportunity for one full-time and two part-time postions,
• (are) Waiting for news on 5 more project proposal submissions, and
• Submitted a total of $345,000 in project funding requests YTD.

Recent funding successes include:

• Community Ec dev and revenue development programs (x2) funding from federal sources,
• Elders travel funds, recreation (equipment) related funding,
• Lands and Referrals related funds (NRT Direct Support) supporting governance & consultation with the government and proponents, and
• Building Community Through Ditigal Stories program with Tsawout’s SNEPENEKS Cultural Society (via Royal Roads University & Vancouver Foundation)

Much respect and thanks to the team I have the pleasure of working with at Tsawout First Nation.

Let’s see what the rest of the year brings!

I have tried to write about this recent poll: finding up to 75% (in BC and Alberta) think that Aboriginals receive too much funding – but never quite finished my thoughts. They’d turn negative. Political. Confused. Hateful? .. Yes, just like the heavily politicized area of native/aboriginal/first nation politics in BC and Canada. It’s crazy.

– and I’ve now I’ve come sidetracked.

Luckily, I ran across this article on a temple in Vietnam: a temple that was largely saved by the tourism industry.

Finally, I had my outlet on what I think about what Canadians think about “the funding of aboriginal communities”: it is vastly misunderstood. 

One, there are more types of funding than most think, leading them to believe our tax dollars are being wasted.

Second, where funds are being wasted, they are being mis-applied. We spend far too much time adding to the wrong places (Bill Hansen), and so many people never see money. For the communities it is not about the money. Oh yes, there are some for which it is – most communities are divided throughout all worlds, yes?

Believe me, it’s massively hard to regulate and the government can’t simply disappear because that would be pretending they’re innocent in this whole fiasco.

As someone who has been working close to (and partaking in) this scene for roughly 6 years I’ve seen the division in the reserve, policymakers, and communities regarding today’s government care: For more than anyone in Canada, that feeling of the Queen’s Royal Subjects remains strong. It’s devastating.

Think. One can’t pull away too quickly before community revenue systems are at least semi-operational and self-sustaining. Remember, this system of reserves and land battles essentially began in the 1850′s. Some were trying the best they knew how to make something work for the British, while considering the needs of the local population. (Funny, we know).

But now we have to get back to that temple in Banteay Chhmar, Vietnam. It’s a communiy owned initiative that has a major goal in mind: save a heritage and spiritual temple. What a treat! .. (read the article):

Although its out-of-the-way location is a problem, tourism infrastructure and the financial benefits that go with it have been growing year after year.

In 2007, when the program was established, 281 people visited Banteay Chhmar, which archaeologists believe was built by King Jayavarman VII during the Angkorian period.

Those 281 people brought roughly $3,000 to the local economy and the community got noticed. A development bank (ADB) is now adding funding to pave the roadway after the community boosted its revenue to $10,000 just recently.

Back home, there is a local initiative to raise a new longhouse for people of Tsawout First Nation. It’s moving faster now but as you can see they are a LONG way from their goal. Fundraising is an arduous job and it can’t be done by traditional aboriginal method: the government won’t build it (they may help later), they can’t expect a business organization to step in. A community needs to start the businesses or initiatives that lead up to it.

Wouldn’t it be great if they could get people to start visiting and boosting their economy just a tad beforehand. Share some culture. Educate the rest of us. Bring visitors and spenders to boost just that cause – get locals used to tourism, and (proposed) development that is heading their way in the next few years. Honestly, their community is about to become a larger part of “our” community.

Unattractive as one may think this is, the upcoming value-added opportunity is massive. Perhaps a community can come to its own rescue and start to help rebuild a cultural centre where their people can culturally thrive, and get the respect their history, heritage and culture deserve.

Local tourism is local education, and I for one, am hungry for increased local culture. I am also looking for cool things to do. Victoria itself cannot offer everything. The Butterfly Gardens are fun once, and Sidney’s markets can only take me so far.

Local First Nation tourism and event development could be a blast, and it can help cultures survive by the community’s doing and choice. Songhees First Nation (Victoria/Esquimalt) is working on several business investments, and which I gather are going quite well. It starts with their Songhees Wellness Centre and their recent ship-building and Victoria Gorge dredging partnerships.

It’s not easy, plus it’s a full generational process, 25 years minimum and that’s IF the youth, a key component, are enthusiastic, confident, and involved.

Help the government let go: communities can come to their own rescue.

EDIT: (End note) Businesses, have you thought of partnering up where you think Aboriginal communities are unfairly receiving government funds. For those that complain, what are you doing about it?

hey Canadian settlers who complain that aboriginal/native communities get too much funding: partner up, make business & u might benefit.

— Torbjørn Rive (@torbjornRive) August 23, 2012

“Writing itself is a mental labor, but finishing an entire book is closer to manual labor ..” – Haruki Murakami

It may already be a trying and harrowing experience by the time you get your project from idea to action stage – but this is exactly where the pushing needs to happen. Ususally the pushing requires the help or work of others , and that mental energy required is another extra experience. This is where your action feels like manual labour. You dig and push.

I come to realize this as I stop, relax, and think a little on my insecurities. Realizing they are simply signals – there’s still a choice required for how one acts on them.  This is where you lean on your confidence, whatever you have of it, and act the part you’ve chosen.

Explode your current bubble. Reach too far over the water. Works well for business productivity explosions.

Anyhow — listen,   these are your insecurities. You do with them as you please.

Well done again VNFC, Unity Drummers, and the Nisga’a dance and drum group.

My previous post explains what I was looking forward to. Specifically, this one covered here and the gathering at Tsawout (Saanichton) later in the week on Thursday. **If you want to see a photo full size you’ll need to click it, then click through once again to get the actual size.

There was no way I was going to miss this active gathering. This stuff moves me. And the kids and families make me happy. It’s the kids; it’s all about the next generations.

1. Start on Sunday the 17th in downtown Victoria. At Centennial Square (also Spirit Square) there will be dancers, drummers and a whole lot of fun at the First Peoples Festival this year. Times Colonist article and also Saanich News article. I know I’ll be there because the Nisga’a (group) dancers are fantastic. See you there! (I’m ridiculously excited for this one)

2. Celebrations at Tsawout First Nation (Saanichton) on Thursday June 21st. This event is getting bigger every year and this year is no exception. Bring your kids to this one!

3. Also, later in the week if you’re in Nanaimo you can get to the Multicultural Festival on June 23rd (Sunday). Canada.com article link here.

4. Finally, if you’re elsewhere in Canada or BC have a look at AANDC’s site on Aboriginal Day Celebrations. It’s not a massive list but I have a feeling they will be adding to it over the next few days.

Speaking of the Nisga’a dance group I saw them last year at VNFC’s Aboriginal Day celebrations and totem raising at VNFC itself. See my blog post from last year. It was a great event and especially because their new totem was raised by the community, and people came from all over BC to witness it.

Post below in the comments your questions or additions please!

This isn’t an extensive list but I thought getting the word out about VNFC’s Spirit Square celebrations in Victoria on Sunday was important. That’ll be a special, loud, and festive gathering.

A blog brings a business to life. Here at thinkwest management we strive to be alive. We know that the work you do is important to you. It is your lifestyle. It is your family.

If I didn’t have the work life blend that I’ve achieved, I wouldn’t be myself. When you express yourself as an individual, I believe, you do your best work and it’s more likely you’ll put hobby-like attention into your art.

Since I’ve read lyfestyle design folk expressing, you’re good at what you do when it’s a hobby ..It’s funny that I still ponder and try to figure out what it is that makes me tick and work hard. Do I love to write that much? Maybe it’s the research and execution combined that make it work for me.  .. and what is it, is my hobby to complete things?  To achieve?

No idea.
But that’s okay.

Your work is how you achieve – so make it a story.

Think of it this way: many of the best blogs are autobiographical. We like to know what interesting people are doing / what successful people are doing. What sets them apart? Will I find clues ..sprinkled throughout their twitter feed and blog?

What I do know is: leave a trail of interestingness and you will gain trust. Where you are paid to achieve, leave a slipstream of success and all the small failures will be swept aside.

Be ridiculously positive.

What’s your story, and how do you tell it?

Doing business: seven (7) more grant opportunities: Proposals being submitted for Tsawout First Nation. Now 16 planned for the year and perhaps more. Working hard with the SNEPENEKS project with Tsawout.

Building business: meeting new contacts, pondering time to submit a proposal to local RFP — work for an historic, social organization in Victoria. (will not disclose yet)

Taking mentorship action: helping Student Leaders Link match new mentors to business-minded students. Also, have submitted an application to enter The Chamber’s — Prodigy Group mentorship program.  Let’s see who I get!

Now, I must leave the house and get back to veggie garden updating << twitter media grid.

Seedlings have been planted, more are in the growing trays. Yes, that is a business growth metaphor.

It’s going.

A healthy, multi-tasking consultant holds volunteer positions to connect with people. This is how I know that Creatively United for the Planet (facebook page) is actively planning and carrying out a celebration in April. Their team has already been hard at work for months, and recently I’ve been involved by lending my dashing handsomeness by signing up as a volunteer model to show some Vintage Funk and Hemp and Co. clothing. Care to see me on the catwalk? Check the links above.

On that very same day (Saturday Apr 21st) I’ll be helping Prodigy Group with their Amazing Race. I also have a small role on Community Connections with the Prodigy Group — part of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce.

Finally, a healthy consultant (that’s me) also puts a roof over his head and food on the table. That is how I can be very excited to be growing thinkWest’s portfolio alongside Tsawout First Nation who are blasting forward impressively with revenue development, cultural development, and regional partnerships.

To list briefly, I’m currently working with Tsawout First Nation:

1. Fundraising and material donor engagement to raise the new Longhouse.

2. Submitting a slew of funds to support Elders travel, and youth cultural engament programs.

3. Funding economic opportunities programs, and 5-year planning projects by partnering with the federal government,

4. Building a large, 3-part cultural project that can be funded by the Province’s (BC) Community “Gaming” grants, and,

5. Developing the initial stages of a Agricultural production feasibility study (via IAFBC and Growing Forward),

We are building on successes here at Tsawout. Since I’ve joined we’ve brought in 3 funds successfully, waiting on the results for others, and are working on many more all the way into October (and hopefully beyond).

This update only takes us through May — you’ll have to come around again to see what Tsawout is up to through a busy-looking summer.

Care to connect? Suggestions or questions? Comment below or hit my Contact page.

Canada’s first National Aboriginal Tourism Conference took place in Osoyoos, B.C. from March 28-30, 2012 with 180 participants from across the country having shared details of their growing industry and considered ways to increase collaboration to develop new high-quality Aboriginal tourism destinations that will attract more visitors from around the world. The three-day conference … (link to AtBC Site)

I spoke on the second day about cultural programming, and funding for your tourism venture. This link takes you right to my presentation (17 mins) << (Update: sorry, trying to find the new link!!), or the link to the AtBC site to the full corporate page which includes links to ALL of the presentation PDFs, shared openly.

SUMMARY: In my presentation I spoke about the seven key steps to building your business-case, and looking for ways to fund your aboriginal tourism venture:

1. Choosing your angle
2. Deckchair Assessment
3. Looking at case studies
4. Viable Programming for cultural / on-reserve ventures
5. Importance of Big Players (partners)
6. Importance of in-kind (and examples)
7. Your land and the ownership model

Again, have a look at the presentation here.

I’m so thankful that Keith Henry and Aboriginal Tourism BC invited me out to speak and I hope to do it again soon!

Along with actually doing it – of course – I’d love to keep speaking and sharing my knowledge about funding ventures, and other ways to work on aboriginal & indigenous economic development.

You Can’t Please Everyone. 

Stated more as a not-to-do: Stop Trying To Be Important To Everyone. Focus on what makes you important to a select group of people.

I finally applied it, and it started working immediately. The faster you learn that you have to reject a fair amount of ‘potential work’, the quicker you can get to succeeding in your top goals.

There are many external factors (and people) critical to your success with a group of people. There will be positive people that will bring you the right information or point you in the right direction. There will also be people that will darken your path.

You Can Start By Disrupting. 

Beware: Prepare for that disruption. You have to be notable and trustworthy already when you get on peoples nerves. You need to have, in the end, DONE SOMETHING GOOD. Something productive.

If you’re going to innovate & if you’re not pushing peoples limits, you’re not doing it right.

Importantly, don’t be surprised when nothing happens. You don’t know what others are thinking, so you can only be ‘pretty sure’ that you’re disrupting the status quo.

Finally, I find that the job is never done. Knowing whom to keep happy is a tightrope that social entrepreneurs and consultants must use to their advantage and with patience.

I’m hoping that this post becomes a non-issue. Hoping that you knew this already, or don’t like the sound of it all and will continue on with your day so that things turn out normal. I hope you say, “Hmmph, well ..” and move along.

But when you DO get to disrupting I leave you with this: Have good humour, patience, follow through, and most importantly think creatively and act quickly before you allow emotions to sway you.