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The Value of Cross-Border Relations between British Columbia and Washington

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The Value of Cross-Border Relations between British Columbia and Washington

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    1. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 1 The Value of Cross-Border Relations between British Columbia and Washington Sukumar Periwal Washington Joint Legislative Meeting Presentation Vancouver, BC November 14, 2007

    2. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 2 BC and Washington: Best Friends Washington and British Columbia are not just neighbors. We are best friends. Governor Christine Gregoire October 7, 2006

    3. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 3 What we have in common Shared history and values Shared geography Economic links trade and investment Infrastructure interdependence Shared institutions Ongoing cooperation

    4. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 4 Important economic partners Washington accounts for 19% of BCs total international trade Canada is Washingtons #2 trading partner Exports contributed to nearly half of all new jobs in Washington over the last 30 years Expansion of Canadian companies contribute 3900 jobs in Whatcom County and generate sales of $409 million Expansion of US companies create 9100 jobs in BC Lower Mainland and sales of $705 million

    5. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 5 Shared environment Airsheds (and air pollution) Watersheds (aquifers, rivers, ocean) Migratory species (salmon, grizzly bears)

    6. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 6 BC-Washington Memorandum of Cooperation, October 2005 demonstrate cross-border and international leadership through joint initiatives enhance mutually beneficial relations extend cooperation in the areas of trade, 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games, environment, tourism, technology, education and transportation Strong bilateral cooperation

    7. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 7 Cooperation agreements signed on: emergency management public health emergency response cross-border transportation mobility climate change and ocean conservation Joint actions on combating crystal meth shared economic and tourism Opportunities Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Joint work on enhanced drivers license project Climate change and conservation BC-WA Annual Joint Cabinet Meetings

    8. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 8 Emergency preparedness: no news is good news Pacific Northwest Emergency Management Arrangement (PNEMA) brings together state and provincial emergency management directors PNEMA-B signed in 2006 by Premier Campbell and Governor Gregoire enabling cross-border cooperation (although not clear if border agencies are on board) Pacific North West Economic Region has run critical infrastructure protection Blue Cascades exercises since 2001 Next major critical infrastructure protection event in December 2007 (Microsoft campus, Redmond WA)

    9. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 9 Partnering with other Pacific Coast neighbours and US states and Canadian provinces to address climate change Western Climate Initiative Climate Registry A new Pacific Coast Collaborative to address and build on unique challenges faced by coastal jurisdictions Fall 2007 New areas of cooperation

    10. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 10 Bilateral cooperation Successful BC-Washington Environmental Cooperation Council for over a decade Strong mutual support on fighting forest fires BC-WA public health collaboration annual conferences Multilateral cooperation and regional partnerships Pacific North West Economic Region Pacific North West Emergency Management Agreement (PNEMA) Pacific North West Environmental Directors regular meetings Many other areas of cooperation British Columbia is an active member of the Pacific North West Economic Region PNWER represents an excellent way to network with regional policy makers and build strategic alliances on issues of common concern PNWER has provided a platform for BC to advocate for its position as an Asia-Pacific gateway and to advance other international and intergovernmental prioritiesBritish Columbia is an active member of the Pacific North West Economic Region PNWER represents an excellent way to network with regional policy makers and build strategic alliances on issues of common concern PNWER has provided a platform for BC to advocate for its position as an Asia-Pacific gateway and to advance other international and intergovernmental priorities

    11. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 11 Major challenge: Canada and the U.S. need to work together with BC and Washington on border issues The Canada-U.S. border is not like the U.S.- Mexico border Canada and the U.S. are working closely together on anti-terrorism, law enforcement, and intelligence Unilateral measures (e.g. WHTI passport requirement) hurt cross-border tourism and trade without increasing real security Border crossing between BC and Washington must be improved well before the 2010 Olympics

    12. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 12 The Canada-US border is not like the border with Mexico Focus on border with Mexico shapes US border policy and personnel Political sensitivity to treating US-Canada border differently than US-Mexico border

    13. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 13 Coordinated law enforcement works July 22, 2005 law enforcement officials disrupt 110 meter tunnel between Lynden, WA and Aldergrove, BC 5 arrests 3 in Canada, 2 in US

    14. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 14 WHTI is hurting our economies Cost of passport for family of 4: US$ 358; Cdn$ 248 Convention cancellations and less cross-border travel as a result of uncertainty and lack of clarity on identity document requirements January to April 2007: US same day visitors to BC dropped 12.7% Expected increase in wait times in line-ups at the border as a result of increased scrutiny of identity documents

    15. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 15 BC and Washington are leading the way on better identity documents Mutual recognition of each others identity documents is the basis for cross-border travel, commerce and reducing fraud State and provincial responsibility for foundational documents - basis for authenticity of passports and drivers licenses Leading the way with better documents and user-friendly solutions: BC-WA enhanced drivers license initiative (to be launched January 2008)

    16. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 16 February 2010: the world is watching 2010 Olympics are a once in a lifetime opportunity to brand the Pacific Northwest as a global location of choice The Olympics are embedded in a real-world security context border delays and transportation challenges Failure to manage border congestion is not an option before the real-time eyes of 3 billion TV viewers

    17. BC Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat 2007 17

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