B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology was in Port Alberni on Friday, meeting with government and industry leaders in the Alberni Valley.
One of his stops was at the airport where he toured the Coulson Aviation facility, and learned about their firefighting contracts in California and Australia
Minister Bruce Ralston says they should be working in this province as well.
“It’s a bit ironic that a B.C.-based company that has such a strong foreign uptake of their services and products, yet they’re having some trouble cracking the BC market,” he said.
A recent provincial press release claimed the province is looking into technology that would allow aerial firefighting at night – something Coulson Aviation has already patented and put into use in other countries.
Ralston said he will take the issue up with the Minister of Forests.
