A day of networking, learning opportunities – Creating Energy gears up for another year
For decades, the Peace Region has been the centre of the oil and gas service industry. Out of that role as an industrial hub rose a conference that brought together industry leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, businesses and government officials to share knowledge and collaborate to further the natural resource industry in northeastern BC.
This year’s Creating Energy Conference will take place on April 21 at the Pomeroy Hotel, starting at 8 a.m., and ending at 7 p.m. following a Powering Connections dinner, and a presentation from Stewart Muir about Shaping the Peace.
Conferences like this, held in the North, are important in ensuring that business owners, entrepreneurs and the public know what going on in the industries that support the region. Usually, we find gatherings of this type in larger centres like Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto, which can create challenges for small businesses who want to participate/attend. Having such meetings in the larger centres, also tends to overlook the unique needs, skills and ideas found in the North.
Back in the early 2000’s the annual conference was Oil and Gas Week, complete with parade, Trade Show and a couple of days of sessions where attendees could learn from others in the industry.
In more recent years, as industry has evolved, so has the conference. Still organised by the Fort St. John and District Chamber of Commerce, the line up now includes Indigenous voices as well as innovators and project proponents from the renewable energy sector.
For example, last year’s Creating Energy Conference included a session with Andrea Warren and Cyndi Bonn who spoke about Transforming the North with sustainable energy through their ground-breaking initiative, led by Fort Nelson First Nation, Tu Deh-Kah Geothermal. Although the project was still in the early stages during the 2025 conference, the pair were optimistic about the socioeconomic benefits of the project and had already seen some benefits for their community as a result of utilising geothermal technology.
A different renewable source of energy is on the plate for next week’s conference. This time, attendees will have the chance to learn more about wind and solar power through hands-on experiments.
Donald Pettit and Greg Dueck of Peace Energy Cooperative will be conducting a session on Harnessing the Sun and will discuss how they’ve turned solar energy into a practical and cost-effective option in northeastern BC.
Whether it’s called Oil and Gas Week or Creating Energy, this conference, tailored to the unique characteristics of the natural resources industry in northeastern BC, is a source of valuable information for any business owner. Along with networking and learning opportunities, participation enables local business owners and entrepreneurs to keep their finger on the pulse of the industry, without taking extra time away from their business.
For full details about the Creating Energy Conference and to register, visit the Fort St. John and District Chamber of Commerce. Registration for the event closes at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14.