B.C.'s Economy

B.C.'s economy competes on the world stage, with industries such as forestry, mining, fishing and agriculture playing an important role, and new industries such as eco-tourism, agri-tourism, film, and high-tech continuing to grow at a rapid pace. The city of Vancouver acts as an important financial and industrial centre, and with its location on the west coast, also acts as an important transportation hub.

Doing Business in B.C.

• British Columbia is Canada's gateway to the Asia-Pacific and is economically and geographically part of the northwest region of North America.
• While forestry*, mining*, fishing* and agriculture* remain important to B.C.'s economy, there is strong growth in new industries such as *eco-tourism, *agri-tourism, film and high tech.
• Our educational, transportation and telecommunications infrastructures are among the most modern in the world.
• *Small businesses make up over 98 per cent of the province's businesses, and now employ more than one million British Columbians.
• Over the last eight years, over 100 tax cuts have been introduced. As a result, B.C. now has some of the lowest taxes in North America.

*For the Province of B.C.'s Guide to the B.C. Economy please visit:
www.guidetobceconomy.org

*For more information on the forestry industry in B.C. please visit: www.naturallywood.com

*For more information on the mining industry in B.C. please visit:
www.gov.B.C..ca/fortherecord/mining/mi_economy.html?src=/economy/mi_economy.html

*For more information on the fishing industry in B.C. please visit:
www.britishcolumbia.com/information/details.asp?id=35

*For more information on the agriculture industry in B.C. please visit:
infobasket.gov.bc.ca/portal/server.pt

*For more information in eco-tourism in B.C. please visit:
bcecotourism.ca

*For more information on small businesses in B.C. please visit:
www.smallbusinessbc.ca
www.InvestBC.com
BC Small Business Profile
2009 Small Business Roundtable Annual Report

*For more information on the ocean and marine industry in B.C., please visit:
www.oceanmarinespace.com

Hollywood North

• British Columbia is the third-largest film and television production centre in North America - after New York and Los Angeles.
• The film industry is now a $1.2 billion industry in B.C. and directly employs about 35,000 people.
•  Indirect jobs generated by the industry fuel the construction, tourism, and small business sectors.

*For more information on the film industry in B.C. please visit:
www.bcfilmcommission.com

Tourism

• Tourism contributed $13.1 billion to the provincial economy in 2008, up 35 per cent since 2002.

• The most popular categories of tourism activity are outdoor recreation, city activities and visiting attractions and cultural events.

*For more information on the tourism industry in B.C., please visit
Travel & Tourism