In keeping with Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transportation North Americas’ (CILTNA) goals of educating its members and promoting professionalism in the logistics and transportation field, the Pacific Chapter held the September 2014 conference “The Rewards and Risks of Western Resource Trade: Towards a Meeting of the Minds”. This fall conference was part of the Gateway Series event series.

Debate on the risks and rewards of western resource trade has grown in recent years, with interest groups on all sides seeking to shape public opinion. Difficult questions require answers. Are there enough agreed upon facts for a true debate? How can widely divergent views on resource extraction and export be reconciled? Is a hard collision of interests and values unavoidable, and if so, what price do we pay?

The conference brought together those representing a range of interests and viewpoints. CILTNA members from the transportation and logistics sector, consultants and academics, and our many student members will be joined by guests from the media, First Nations, all orders of government and NGOs advocating greater environmental protection and conservation.

With CILTNA as a non-partisan forum, speakers reviewed the current state of the resource development debate. The aim was to educate and inform each other and move towards a meeting of the minds on how to answer the difficult questions.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

· Breakfast Keynote – “Commodity Trade Rewards and Risks: The Current State of Play” Christopher Harvey, QC, Senior Environmental and Constitutional Lawyer, Mackenzie Fujisawa LLP, Honorary Board Member, West Coast Environmental Law Association

· BC Government Official – Provincial government policies: Resources, First Nations, Environment (TBA)

· Panel Discussion – Moderator, David Gillen, Ph.D. Director, Center for Transportation Studies, Sauder School of Business, UBC

· Industry Perspective – Ian Anderson, President, Kinder Morgan Canada

· First Nations Perspective – Judith Sayers, Ph.D. Strategic Advisor, former Chief, Hupacasath First Nation, Adjunct Professor, Peter B Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria

· Environmental Perspective – Tom Gunton, Ph.D. Director, Resource and Environmental Planning, SFU and former DM of Environment, BC

· Luncheon Keynote – Andy Calitz, CEO, LNG Canada

The Canadian Sailings article “CILTNA Vancouver conference underscores the need for new approaches to western Canadian resource development” provides some conference highlights and speaker’s remarks. Conference proceedings can be downloaded from this web link.