Kiel Giddens speaks about the resource economy with the familiarity of someone who has lived it. Because he has. Giddens, MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie, positions himself as a labour critic and a consistent voice for B.C.’s resource industries.
Before politics, Giddens worked across forestry and mining while studying. He later spent more than a decade in energy development. Those experiences shape how he approaches policy today.
“I first really got involved in the resource sector because it helped me pay my way through university,” he says.
That early exposure left a lasting impression. He saw how resource jobs support families and communities. He also saw how those realities often get lost in policy debates.
Now representing a region anchored in forestry, mining and energy, Giddens carries that perspective into the legislature. He frames the sector not as one part of the economy, but as its foundation.
Communities tied to resource fortunes
Giddens describes northern B.C. as deeply connected to resource activity. Prince George and Mackenzie rely on it for jobs, services and local life.
“Our economy is connected to the resource sector; it’s intrinsically linked.”
Yet he argues those sectors are under pressure. Forestry, in particular, faces global and domestic challenges. He points to policy uncertainty as a key issue.
“What we’ve heard consistently is public policy here at home is having a big impact on the certainty those sectors need.”
That uncertainty affects more than balance sheets. It shapes whether companies reinvest and whether workers stay.
For Giddens, the stakes are personal and local. In many towns across Northern BC, people wear many hats. Resource workers are also coaches, volunteers and small business owners or customers. When mills close or projects stall, the effects ripple across entire communities.
The permitting problem
One of Giddens’ central concerns is permitting, and how long timelines and unclear processes hold projects back.
“Fast-tracking permitting is absolutely critical,” he says, “but you have to build a framework for doing that.”
He points to delays that can stretch years for basic approvals. That, he says, discourages investment and slows job creation.
Giddens calls for clearer processes and better resourcing within government. He also stresses the need for meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities.
“You have to have the right resources and the right people equipped to make the right decisions,” he says.
He believes companies are already adapting. Now, policy needs to catch up.
Lessons from a decade in energy
Giddens draws heavily on his experience with major energy projects. He spent 12 years working on what is now a fully operational natural gas pipeline.
“I worked for 12 years on [TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink pipeline] project… this is countless hours of work by many people to get this across the line,” he says.
His role focused on community engagement across northern B.C. That meant difficult conversations and long-term relationship building.
For him, the lesson is clear. Projects succeed when they listen.
“Ultimately, this project went ahead because it listened to communities,” he says.
He argues that this approach should apply across the sector. Not only for large projects, but also smaller developments that sustain regional economies.
A call to stand with workers
That community-focused mindset is why Giddens returns often to workers and families. He points to recent mill closures and uncertainty in forestry as urgent concerns.
“We have to actually provide that certainty… so that workers know there’s a clear pathway,” he says.
He urges political leaders to act collectively. In his view, supporting the resource economy is not optional. It is essential.
That message carries into his outlook for the year ahead as he expects debates around certainty, reconciliation and leadership to intensify.
But for Giddens, the direction is straightforward. Resource industries must remain central to B.C.’s economic future.
And the people who power them need to know they have backing.
Ian Biana writes for the Resource Works Accelerate team and can be reached at [email protected].
Resource Works News
