MP says he ‘honestly hopes’ promises around northeast B.C. resource development materialize in 2026

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The member of parliament (MP) for Prince George, Peace River and Northern Rockies hopes promises around resource development in northeast B.C. come to fruition.

That’s what Bob Zimmer told Energeticcity.ca in an interview conducted as 2025 draws to a close

“We’ve seen some good things happen [with oil and gas development], we see Carney making promises about getting resource development in our area, but one thing that Liberals are great at is making promises, so we’ll see if they actually deliver, but I honestly hope they do,” Zimmer said. 

Zimmer shared specific concerns regarding the forestry sector, noting the loss of mills in the region throughout the years. 

“It’s not like we don’t have enough trees to harvest, we just don’t have the softwood lumber deal, and we’re not competitive enough to bring those trees to market,” Zimmer said. 

“We have great forest heritage, and we just need to keep advocating and fighting.”

When asked about the federal budget in relation to northeast B.C., Zimmer remarked on the “notable absence” of the Taylor Bridge from the infrastructure projects listed, explaining sometimes necessary projects are listed individually.

Zimmer also raised concerns about the national debt, which the Conservative Party accuses the prime minister of being set to increase over the next five years.

When asked about the recent leadership change in the Conservative Party of B.C., Zimmer stated he “supports the conservative movement,” and offered well wishes to whoever becomes the new leader of the party. 

Zimmer shared his new year’s resolution for 2026 was to be more patient, especially in Ottawa. 

“I find it a challenge sometimes…sometimes it gets very competitive [in Ottawa], and it’s not just competitive for the sake of when we need to win, but we really do care about what’s happening to our citizens…and we fight for them, and so at times it gets heated,” Zimmer said.