Kamloops, Okanagan cities benefit from provincial mining activity

Kamloops leads all British Columbia municipalities when it comes to supplying the province’s mines, according to data collected on behalf of the B.C. Mining Association.

Kamloops has approximately 390 suppliers who sold $219 million worth of mining related equipment and services in 2017. Results of procurement data collected by iTotem between May and August was released at last month’s Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention in Whistler.

The data covers 2017 cumulative procurement spending as self-reported by the province’s participating mining operations, according to a B.C. Mining Association media release.

The major municipalities of the Okanagan also reaped economic benefits from the mining industry, with Vernon the home of 25 suppliers providing $19,750,000 worth of goods and services, Kelowna with 70 companies supplying $6,450,000, and Penticton the base to 25 companies supplying $5,450,000 worth of materials, goods and services to the province’s mining industry.

A total of 3,000 B.C. suppliers provide $1.35 billion worth of materials, goods and services to six metal mines and seven coal operations in the province last year.

B.C. is Canada’s largest producer of copper, the second largest producer of silver and the only producer of molybdenum. Each commodity is critical to the development of solar panels, wind turbines and clean energy vehicles.


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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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