"In Fort St. John a lot of products are getting transported by truck to Dawson Creek and further from there. Our goal is to keep things local and get it back on the rail system and off the roads."
Larry Houley, President, North Pine Farmers Institute
Positive Economic Impacts in Fort St. John
The acquisition of the rail head and elevator by the North Pine Farmers Institute creates new opportunities for the agricultural industry in the Peace River Regional District. With the reduction in transportation costs associated with the adoption of rail as the primary method of transporting products farmers can now afford to reinvest more heavily in their farms and the region.
This reinvestment will in part help with the diversification of the agricultural industry as the ease and reduced costs of transportation will allow the agricultural community in the North Peace region to explore new markets such as bio-fuels. The acquisition of the rail head, the elevator, and the surrounding land also creates opportunity to lease out a portion of the land to other businesses creating additional revenue for the North Pine Farmers Institute.
In a region that is fairly dependent on natural resources having a strong agricultural sector helps to insulate the region against fluctuations in the world economy that traditionally have heavy impacts on one or two resource economies.
