Timmins Chamber of Commerce policy sees national support

A policy created by the Timmins Chamber of Commerce to streamline environmental assessments for business has received unanimous support from delegates at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's annual general meeting, Oct. 3-5 in Victoria, B.C.

The policy, crafted jointly with the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, seeks to eliminate the requirement for separate assessments for both the provincial and federal governments. Instead, the policy advocates for a system using a "one project – one assessment" approach with the intent of eliminating the doubled workload for businesses and the related costs that can incur.

"The fact that the same concerns with environmental assessment are felt by businesses in British Columbia indicates we are on the right track advocating for change at the federal level," said Fred Gibbons, president of the Timmins Chamber, in a release.