CAPP: Fort St. John is top spender in natural gas supply chain industry

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Between 2018 and 2024, Fort St. John reportedly led the entire province in both spending and business engagements in the natural gas industry.

That’s according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers’ (CAPP) recently-published report called Natural Gas Builds B.C., assessing spending and developments in the industry over the last few years.

The report also indicates that, compared to 2018, 57 per cent of communities in B.C. saw increased supply chain spending in 2024, including 19 municipalities within the Peace River Regional District (PRRD).

The Peace region is home to a large number of natural gas-related projects, including oil rigs owned by ConocoPhillips, Enbridge’s existing pipeline infrastructure and the in-progress Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline.

In 2018, the report claims B.C. municipalities spent $1.2 billion on supply chain-related expenditures, a number that reportedly increased by more than 100 per cent to $2.5 billion in 2024.

The number of B.C.-based companies engaged for natural gas supply chain projects also rose from 1,670 to 1,805, an increase of about 8.1 per cent. Fort St. John spent the most and engaged with the most vendors out of any community in B.C. in both years, according to the report.

The amount of money being spent on Indigenous-affiliated vendors in B.C. rose even more sharply, from $79.4 million to $390.1 million – an increase of more than 390 per cent. The number of active Indigenous-affiliated vendors in B.C. also rose from 75 to 115, a nearly 52 per cent increase.

Once again, Fort St. John engaged with more Indigenous-based vendors, and contributed more money to them, than any other community in the province in both 2018 and 2024.

The total amount spent by Fort St. John on natural gas supply chain expenditures in those six years reportedly comes out to over $6.2 billion, with the city engaging with 610 vendors each year on average.

The next two largest spenders in the province were the City of Dawson Creek, with roughly $1.36 billion spent in that time frame, and the PRRD, which spent roughly $1.31 billion. 

Dawson Creek reportedly engaged with 250 vendors on average each year, while the PRRD worked with 300 on average annually.

“Here in northeastern B.C., the positive impacts of natural gas investment reach far beyond the major cities,” Fort St. John mayor Lilia Hansen said. “Smaller communities and rural areas have seen new businesses emerge, local infrastructure improve, and young people build their futures close to home. 

“Supply chain spending in this sector means more than just economic growth,” she added, “it brings stability, opportunity and a sense of pride to places that might otherwise be overlooked. The energy industry is helping ensure that prosperity reaches every corner of our region.”

To view the full 48-page report, look below.

This news comes after a group of medical professionals and First Nations representatives called for the provincial and federal governments to stop approving new liquified natural gas projects until they conduct a health and safety review of the industry.