BC Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation talks economic development at 2026 BCNRF

Jan. 21, 2026, the Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert, BC Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation gave a keynote at the BC Natural Resources Forum (BCNRF).  Amidst the address, he alluded to challenges the province faces, both historically in terms of repairing poor relations with First Nations, and in terms of trade, referencing Prime Minister Carney’s Davos speech and economic tensions with the USA.

CFURadio caught up to the Minister in a scrum following the speech. There, we were able to ask how economic activity referenced at the forum was advancing reconciliation in the province, and how it was being encouraged. Amidst the conversation, Chandra Herbert mentioned the Province’s Equity Finance Program which could encourage investment, and reflected what he felt he was hearing from constituents on the use of natural resources, “Let’s make sure we’re value-adding all we can. So that it’s local people getting the work where that’s possible, and that those local people are able to then turn those skills into other opportunities. New jobs. New options.”

Have a listen.

- Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Stay tuned to CFURadio 88.7FM & www.cfur.ca/listen-live for local news, updates, events, & information. Due North airs weekdays at 7am & 5pm.


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Premier David Eby Addresses Crowd at BCNRF 2026

For the fourth year in a row, the sitting Premier of BC has addressed attendees of the BC Natural Resources Forum (BCNRF) at the downtown Civic Centre in Prince George—Lheidli T’enneh. The event witnessed record attendance this 2026 with its aim to connect various parties interested in, and affected by, resource development in BC’s north.

NDP Premier David Eby opened the event on January 20th with a keynote address, highlighting challenges & opportunities emerging amidst an ongoing trade dispute with the USA, a desire to diversify trading partners and deliver the Province’s natural resources to new markets. CFURadio’s summary of this address also contains some of the obstacles mentioned, such as demand for skilled labour, the value DRIPA legislation provides, and the efficiency of BC’s permitting processes. The Premier’s keynote in it’s entirety can be found on www.cfur.ca.

We present this full length address edited for clarity. The summary can be found on frequencynews.ca

- Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Speech summary, presented on frequencynews.ca

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The Offspring Concert

It’s the end of January - how is your New Year’s Resolution coming along? Mine was to see more live music, which landed me on the floor of CN Centre on January 27, shoulder to shoulder with a crowd ready to scream along to The Offspring and Bad Religion.

I’ll be honest: I haven’t really listened to punk in years. But during my formative teenage years, Warped Tour was the highlight of my year and its lineup the foundation of my musical education. I caught Bad Religion when they came to Calgary in ‘09, so I thought I was more familiar with them than the headliners. Luckily, I had a few days to re-acquaint myself with The Offspring’s discography and realize that I knew a lot of their music (and it rocks). 

Making my way to the floor during Bad Religion’s opening chords, suddenly I felt fifteen again: a little anxious about the future, trying to figure out the world, and losing myself in driving music and anonymity of a surging crowd. But maybe it's not just nostalgia. Punk has always been political, so indulge me for a moment: in a time when the geopolitical climate feels unstable, rage-inducing, and disorienting, I'm once again anxious about the future and confused about the world. Getting lost in punk music and that anonymous, pulsing crowd felt really good. Turns out, it might be time to listen to punk again.

Bad Religion’s opening set brought me back

There is one important difference from my teenage self, though: I remembered earplugs (but not enough, unfortunately, for the three separate people I overheard wishing they’d brought some).

The stage was set for a goofy and engaging concert from the intermission. I’d barely call it an intermission - I didn’t want to leave and miss any of the action. There was an inflatable blimp floating overhead, filming the audience and dropping packs of guitar picks; a gorilla shooting t-shirts off the stage; and a suite of silly moments on the crowd camera.

The Offspring entered the stage to an enthusiastic countdown from the audience and an explosive rendition of “Come Out and Play”. I was flying solo, but it wasn’t hard to find a clump of friendly and enthusiastic fans who were as excited to dance and sing-along as I was. The crowd was a pretty diverse cross-section of ages, ranging from elder punks to pre-teens (who were THRILLED by the many opportunities to scream curse words over the course of the concert).  The dynamic show offered constant surprises and delights - even beyond the memorable musical performance. (The XL beach balls flooding the crowd during “Why Don’t You Get a Job” and the Wacky Waving Inflatable Tube Guys during “Pretty Fly For a White Guy” were particular favourites of mine).

Despite the prevalence of props, some of the most special moments were the stripped down ones: The banter between Dexter and Noodles was fun and natural - you could tell they’ve been playing together for a long time. A white grand piano rolled out for “Gone Away,” accompanied by a sea of phone lights offering a collective tribute to those no longer here, packed an emotional punch.

Another sign I am no longer 15: for the last few years I have no patience for encores - I’m sleepy okay?! But when The Offspring left the stage, I surprised myself by enthusiastically chanting for one more song and dancing just as hard when they closed with their (actual) last song “Self-Esteem.”

As I enter the depths of the winter semester, The Offspring concert was the perfect study break. If lead singer, Dr. Dexter Holland, can get a PhD in Molecular Biology while also selling out the CN Centre... I guess I can finish my master’s. 

BANDCAMP