By Shannon Waters The B.C. government has big plans to tackle the $13.3-billion deficit racked up in recent years. The key to getting the province back in the black, according to Finance Minister Brenda Bailey, is stoking B.C.’s economic engine. The fuel? More money from the natural resource sector, especially mining and natural gas. The new budget banks on significant increases in revenues from minerals and metals as the province courts critical minerals projects. Meanwhile, natural gas revenues are also expected to boom as liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects get off the ground. “Six major LNG projects are complete, underway or reaching final investment decisions this year,” Bailey said in her budget speech. “We’re doing all this in partnership with First Nations, moving projects forward with confidence and clarity.”…





