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The Nechako Environmental Coalition was involved in several environmental health legislation campaigns, which included the development of the National Pollutants Release Inventory, achieving federal legislation for dioxins and furans, preventing diversion the Nechako River from industrial diversion and regulation of formaldehyde emissions in the MDF industry.

In 1996, the Nechako Environmental Coalition made an appeal to the Deputy Director of Waste Management regarding the upholding of the issuance of a waste management permit to Canadian Forest Products Ltd. (Canfor), which allowed Canfor to discharge emissions to the air from a proposed medium density fibre board (MDF) plant in Prince George.

Northern BC Archives & Special Collections is an administrative unit of The Geoffrey R. Weller Library located on the 4th floor of the Library Building. In February 1992 informal discussions began regarding the establishment of an archives to preserve the University’s history. In 1996 a committee drafted “The Plan for a UNBC Archives” that expanded on these ideas and outlined the need to establish an archives of Northern BC that would preserve, acquire and provide access to public and private records related to the history and culture of Northern BC. Hence, the position of Archivist was created and the Northern BC Archives was officially opened in November 2000. The Archives also houses rare book collections and maintains the University’s artworks and artifact collections. - The mandate of the Northern BC Archives is to acquire, preserve and provide access to materials of permanent value related to the institutional history and development of UNBC and its institutes and to acquire, preserve and provide public access to archival materials of value related to the history and culture of Northern British Columbia. The Archives will serve research and scholarship by making these records available to researchers, university personnel, students, faculty and the general public.

The purpose of the Prince George Railway & Forestry Museum Society is to preserve and interpret the history of the railway, the industries and the culture that grew around it in the Prince George area and Northern BC. Through the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of artifacts of historical significance related to the railways and industrial development in Central B.C. and the provision of educational, hands-on experience to the public through static and operating displays, the PGRFM is dedicated to displaying the lifestyles of the people involved in the railways and industrial development in North Central B.C.

The Prince George Railway & Forestry Museum Society has been collecting equipment and artifacts since 1984. It has been open to the public on city-owned land on Cottonwood Island, just north of downtown Prince George and adjacent to the CNR yards, since 1986. Operated by the volunteers of the Central British Columbia Railway and Forest Industry Museum Society, the Museum attracts about 10,000 - 15,000 visitors each summer, making it a significant tourism generator for Prince George.

In 1995, the Prince George Retired Teachers' Association (PGRTA) established the Education Heritage Committee whose mission is to preserve and maintain archival material, artifacts, and photographs representing the educational history of School District No. 57. The Education Heritage Committee's four main projects are to collect artifacts and photographs, oral history accounts from retired teachers in the Central Interior of British Columbia, local newspaper articles dealing with education in the Prince George area, and prescribed British Columbian textbooks.
The PGRTA Education Heritage Committee visits local schools and has collected and catalogued nearly 2400 items of heritage value. In addition, members of the committee have transcribed several oral histories and have compiled articles from seven different local newspapers dating from 1910 to 1919. The Education Heritage Committee's textbook collection consists of approximately 2500 books and is currently housed at the University of Northern British Columbia. For their dedication and outstanding contribution to the local history of the Prince George region the PGRTA Education Heritage Committee was awarded the Jeanne Clarke Memorial Local History Award on February 18, 2001.

Simon Fraser University (commonly referred to as SFU) is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000 students and 950 faculty members.

The Prince George Historical Society was formed when Constance Cox donated indigenous artifacts to the Prince George Rotary Club. Beginning in 1954, Ian Evans spearheaded a group to display this collection, eventually organising a Historical Society. This society in turn decided to set up a museum in the Civic Centre. There was debate over the name, but the newly formed society was finally named Ft. George District Historical and Museum Society, as a chapter of the B.C. Historical Society. Fort George District was an electoral district for 1956, and extended east to Tete Jaune Cache, west to Cluculz Lake, south to Woodpecker, and north to the Pine Pass.

"Over the Edge" was established in 1993 as the first student media publication available at UNBC Prince George campus.

Over the Edge Newspaper Society is an independent organization run by UNBC students that produces Over the Edge Newspaper bi-weekly.

Originating in 1994 under the Northern Undergraduate Student Society, Over the Edge ran for 10 years under NUGSS and has run independently since October 2004 producing the only student newspaper on campus.

Over the Edge prints all varieties of content, primarily submitted by students, including news stories, arts and entertainment stories, reviews, creative writing, comics and photography.

Northwood Pulp was established in 1961 when Canadian corporation, Noranda Mines Limited, diversified into the British Columbia forest industry. Partnering with the Mead Corporation of Dayton, Ohio, Noranda Mines Ltd. purchased the Sinclair and Upper Fraser Sawmills, both east of Prince George. After the purchase of these two sawmills, as well as the proliferation of others, there became an excess of waste wood products generated by milling in the central interior of British Columbia. To meet this specific waste reduction need, and to expand into a new wood fibre market, the Mead Corporation and Noranda Mines built Northwood Pulp Mill in 1964-1965. Northwood Pulp Mill was, and still is, a processing plant dedicated to the conversion of waste wood chips to pulp and paper products.

In 1980-1981 an expansion was added to the mill which effectively doubled Northwood's capacity for the making of pulp kraft paper from waste wood chips.

In 1999, the Canadian Forest Products (a.k.a. Canfor) acquired all of the shares of Northwood Inc.; a purchase which included the Northwood Pulp Mill, Prince George Sawmill, North Central Plywoods, Rustad, Houston and Upper Fraser operations, the Kyahwood Forest Products joint venture and J.D. Little Forest Centre. This acquisition gave Canfor the unique designation of being Canada's largest producer of softwood lumber and kraft market pulp.

In February 2006 Canfor effectively separated its pulp business from its wood products business; a strategic move which resulted in the transfer of its northern softwood kraft pulp and paper business, including its Northwood Pulp Mill, Intercontinental Pulp Mill and Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill, together with associated management and employees (now referred to as the “Pulp Income Trust”) to an indirectly owned limited partnership known as the “Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership”.

The University Senate and Board of Governors – including all of the Board committees and most of the Senate committees – are supported in their activities by the University Secretariat. In addition, the Secretariat is responsible for the organization of major university ceremonies, especially the annual convocation and installations as necessary. The University Secretary is the Freedom of Information Protection of Privacy (FOIPOP) Officer for the University.

The Office of Regional Operations is responsible for the development and delivery of services to students at campuses across northern BC. Many services are provided locally, as well as over the Internet, via email or on the phone in conjunction with the Student Success Centre at the Prince George Campus. Regional Operations maintains three regional campuses, as well as an office at the Prince George campus.

UNBC memorandum from Chris Conway to All Staff identifies the 1992 Contacts Directory as the first edition of a document intended to provide an introduction to key individuals and organisations for new staff, and to provide a ready-reference for frequent contacts.

The Office of Communications fosters the public image of UNBC by creating strategies, materials, and activities that promote the University. Their areas of activity include publications, alumni relations, official UNBC websites, media relations, and public presentations that aim to market UNBC's programs, research, and community connections.

The Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) in partnership with institutions and organizations worldwide, offers training for applied linguistic fieldwork. Topics for courses include phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, discourse, cultural anthropology, language learning, linguistic field methods, sociolinguistics, literacy, language program planning, and translation. In programs in partnership with religious institutions, SIL facilitates the application of linguistic studies to the translation of Christian scriptures.

The North Central Plywood plant in Prince George was a sawmill that produced 185 million square feet of plywood annually and employed approximately 250 people. The sawmill closed in 2008 after it was destroyed by a fire.

The Prince George Chamber of Commerce represents and promotes the city's economy, education system, crime prevention programs, environmental, cultural, and governmental concerns. This encourages business, residential and industrial development, broadening the tax base and providing employment.

The Prince George Chamber of Commerce has presented the Business Excellence Awards since 1985. The Awards recognise companies, organizations and/or individuals for outstanding business achievement. Awards are given in a range of categories covering various areas of business and are open to members and non-members alike

The Prince George Community Foundation was incorporated on October 25, 1995 by a group of community leaders who saw the potential long-term benefits the foundation would offer to the residents of the Prince George Region.

The signatories of the incorporation documents were:

Jan Christiansen, Barrister and Solicitor
George Paul, Manager of the City of Prince George
Tom Steadman, Businessman
Ron East, Businessman
Murry Krause, Consultant

The signatories called the first annual meeting on February 20, 1996 at which time Beverly Christensen was elected the foundation's first president. Elected to serve on the executive with her were vice-president, Ron East, secretary-treasurer, George Paul and recording secretary, Judy Dix. Elected as the founding directors of the new community foundation were: Daphne Baldwin, Bob Harkins, Rev. Lance Morgan, Noreen Rustad, Tom Steadman and Vasso Vahlas. The directors later appointed Bob Buxton as a director and treasurer of the foundation.

The foundation's constitution and bylaws provides that the Mayor of Prince George may automatically become a director of the foundation. At the time of the foundation's incorporation, Mayor John Backhouse accepted a position as a director On November 16, 1996, following his election as mayor of the City of Prince George, Colin Kinsley also agreed to serve as a director of the foundation.

The first public event held for the foundation was a gala tribute-roast for Mayor Backhouse held October 5, 1996 at the Civic Centre.

In response to the growing need to provide services to urban Aboriginal people, in 1971, the Federal Government, through the Department of the Secretary of State, introduced the Migrating Native People's Program, which provided core funding to Friendship Centres. Over the next ten years this initiative led to fourteen new Centres being established in BC, attesting to both the need and community support existing across the province.

In these early years, Friendship Centres were primarily perceived as a place where Aboriginal people could drop in and have a cup of coffee; a place where they could socialize with their own people and receive emotional support. During these formative years, Friendship Centres offered few direct services as their primary role was to refer people to existing social services agencies.

The Prince George Native Friendship Centre (PGNFC) has grown and continues to be one of the largest and busiest community service delivery agencies in Prince George. The PGNFC provides culturally appropriate programming to meet the community's unique and diverse needs, including educational, employment, health, and social programs.

The Prince George Métis Elders Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving quality of life for our Elders, as well as educating our community on what it means to be Métis. The Society raises awareness of Métis culture through community involvement (For more information visit: http://www.pgmetiselders.com/ )

The Finance Office is responsible for all administrative activities of a financial nature at UNBC.

Those responsibilities with a direct impact on student life include:
student fee assessment and collection
disbursement of all cheques including scholarship and bursary cheques
payroll for teaching assistantships and all student jobs
administration of research grants and fellowship income

The Fraser Basin Council (FBC) is a non-profit society that advances sustainability in the Fraser River Basin and across BC. Established in 1997, the Council is a collaboration of four orders of government (Federal, Provincial, Local and First Nations) and those from the private sector and civil society. FBC helps bring people together to find solutions to sustainability issues, and works on such issues as flood management, smart planning for communities, climate change action and adaptation, air quality, green fleets, sustainable watersheds and fisheries, and sustainability reporting and education.

The Office of the Registrar is responsible for many aspects of a student's life. The Office handles undergraduate and graduate admissions, including assessment of transfer credit; registrations; records management, including student records, student appeals, and transcripts; and scheduling, including courses and exams.

In addition, the Registrar's Office interprets the collection and dissemination of information for the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and prepares for production many University publications, including the Undergraduate and Graduate Calendars.

Update Magazine is the UNBC Magazine for alumni and friends of the university.

The Northern holds a place in the foundation of the Northern region of British Columbia. Not only is the store a recognized cornerstone of Prince George, it's a landmark. Opened in 1919, only four years after the City of Prince George was incorporated, Alex Moffat and partner Frank Whitmore bought out the Northern Lumber Company and renamed it the now famous "The Northern".

During the 1920s, most of Alex and Frank's customers were loggers, prospectors, and homesteaders arriving to settle the region. With such a diverse clientele, Alex and Frank established an inventory of building, farming, and in-home supplies which is still honoured to this day. When the store first opened, there was so much growth in the region that a second location was opened up in the Wells area in the mid-1920s.

A varied and large inventory helped The Northern survive the Great Depression in the 30s, along with the help of a small gold rush in the Cariboo during that time. Business didn't exactly boom during this economic dry spell, but the store developed a reputation for customer service above and beyond what other stores could offer. From cashing pay cheques to extending credit, The Northern etched out a unique position in the economic development of the region, and the Province.

Despite a fire in the main store on Boxing Day 1933, The Northern managed to grow and evolve when other businesses faltered. In fact, growth was strong enough to require a move to a new location at Third Avenue and George Street (1934), then another to Third Avenue and Quebec Street two years later.

The 40s were also a challenge. The Second World War had a mixed effect on The Northern. Troops and work crews stationed in Prince George kept the store hopping, but both locations felt the strain of heavy taxes imposed by the Government's War Effort. When the war finally ended, Alex and Frank sold the Wells location and began construction on a new building adjacent to the store's operational location. Moving to the corner of Third Avenue and Brunswick Street would turn out to be a huge success: The Northern occupies 1386 Third Avenue to this day.

By 1946, Frank Whitmore had sold his share of the business to Alex Moffat, who arranged for his son Harold and the company's Secretary-Treasurer, Thompson Ogg, to take on a partnership role. As the years passed, The Northern became more and more a family business. By 1949, Alex's sons (Donn, Gilbert [Corky], Earl, John and Keith) were partners along with another employee named Hilliard Clare. Eventually, The Northern included all the Moffat children; in 1951, Betty, Alice and Joyce (Alex's daughters) became equal partners. Just a short four years later, Alex chose to retire, leaving The Northern in the capable hands of his children.

The Northern continued to expand under the direction of the next generation of Moffats. In 1956, the top-floor apartments were vacated and renovated to accommodate the evolving and growing business. A customer parking lot was paved in 1957, the first paved lot in Prince George. When Alex passed away in 1963, his son Harold became company president.

Under Harold's direction, The Northern expanded further with the purchase of the neighbouring Five & Dime store in 1965. And growth continued. It was during the 70s that Harold opened AMCO, a subsidiary wholesale company, a few blocks away on Queensway Avenue. To this day, both AMCO and the Northern Appliance Centre are located there.

Harold's political ambitions ultimately placed him in the office of Mayor of Prince George from 1970 to 1979, so his brothers took over much of business at The Northern and the sister companies.

Today, The Northern continues to thrive under the direction of a third generation of Moffats, and members of the fourth generation are presently employed there.

1930s began with a sawmill in Whonnock, BC.
1963 incorporated as Yorkston Lumber Co.
1963 name changed to Whonnock Lumber Co.
1967 converted to a public company.
1967 name changed to Whonnock Industries.
1979 Sauder Industries acquired a controlling interest in Interfor (since transferred to the Sauder family's Mountclair Investment Corporation holding company).
1988 name changed to International Forest Products Ltd.
1995 buy Weldwood Operation
1996 close Bay Lumber Operation
2000 sell Flavelle Mill
2001 Buy Primex Mills
2001 Close Fraser Mill
2002 Close MacDonald Operation/Open Sumas Operation
2004 Close Squamish Operation
2005 Buy Crown Mills
2005 Buy Floragon Mills
2005 Close Marysville and Field Operations
2006 Sell Saltar and MacKenzie Operations
2008 Buy Portac
2008 Close Queensborough Operations

The Interior University Society was incorporated in 1987 after organizational efforts initiated by Tom Steadman, Bryson Stone and Charles McCaffray. The society’s objectives were to promote the establishment of a university in Prince George, B.C., later to be known as the University of Northern British Columbia. The first president of the society was Prince George lawyer W. Murray Sadler. The Society launched a membership campaign in 1987, retained the services of Dr. Urban Dahllof to undertake a feasibility study, and conducted a survey to determine the support level in northern B.C. for a university. In October, 1988, the society’s proposals and studies were presented to the provincial cabinet. In 1989, an Implementation Planning Group was established, chaired by Horst Sander. The planning group completed its study and reported to the government in December of 1989, recommending a full-status university be established in the north.

The Interior University Society was incorporated in 1987 after organizational efforts initiated by Tom Steadman, Bryson Stone and Charles McCaffray. The society’s objectives were to promote the establishment of a university in Prince George, B.C., later to be known as the University of Northern British Columbia. The first president of the society was Prince George lawyer W. Murray Sadler. The Society launched a membership campaign in 1987, retained the services of Dr. Urban Dahllof to undertake a feasibility study, and conducted a survey to determine the support level in northern B.C. for a university. In October, 1988, the society’s proposals and studies were presented to the provincial cabinet. In 1989, an Implementation Planning Group was established, chaired by Horst Sander. The planning group completed its study and reported to the government in December of 1989, recommending a full-status university be established in the north.

Industrial Forestry Service Ltd. (IFS) is a natural resource-based consulting firm with offices in both Prince George and Dawson Creek, BC, which specializes in multi-phase resource development activities, forest seedling production and silviculture research. IFS has also been involved with land and resource development in British Columbia for over 50 years and provides the following services: stream classification, GPS surveys, access development, road and bridge engineering, cruising and timber evaluation and mapping. (For more information please see company website: http://www.industrialforestry.ca/index.shtml )

In 1936, the Woodpecker and United Districts Women's Institute was established in the Central Interior region of British Columbia, just outside of Prince George. In 1955 it became known as the Woodpecker-Hixon Women's Institute, and from 1963 onwards has been called the Hixon Women's Institute. In 1992, with the assistance of Moreen Thorp, Bernice Monroe, Leslie Kaehn, the Hixon Women's Institute undertook a history project which resulted in the publication of “Footsteps of our heritage : a history of Hixon, Woodpecker, Strathnaver”. (For more information see also: “Hixon Women's Institute fonds : 1936-1976” held at the British Columbia Archives)

Haida people have occupied Haida Gwaii (also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) since time immemorial. Their traditional territory encompasses parts of southern Alaska, the archipelago of Haida Gwaii and its surrounding waters.

The Legislature of the Province of Canada (now parts of Ontario and Quebec) created the Geological Survey of Canada in 1842. The first director was William Logan, a Montréal citizen educated in Scotland. The headquarters for the Survey was in Montréal where Logan took on an assistant named Alexander Murray, a formal naval officer. Together, they began the task of mapping out the geology of a country that stretched from 5514 kilometres between coasts. The Geological Survey of Canada continued to expand into an organization with many employees conducting rigorous exploration, making maps, producing reports, and maintaining a public museum. Confederation in 1867 brought new challenges to the Geological Survey. The new provinces of Manitoba, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island increased the area of operations. In 1871 the Survey mounted an expedition to investigate the geology and mineral resources along the proposed railroad routes. In 1870, Canada purchased Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company. This immense area stretched across the country from Ontario to the Rockies and north to the Arctic. This was the beginning of the age of Canadian exploration. The uncharted areas of the west and arctic were difficult and dangerous but exciting. The Survey collected observations on geology, botany, and zoology.

Wet'suwet'en (also known as Hwotsotenne, Witsuwit'en, Wetsuwet'en, Wets'uwet'en) are a First Nations people who live on the Bulkley River and around Broman Lake and Francois Lake in the northwestern Central Interior of British Columbia. The name they call themselves, Wet'suwet'en, means "People of the Wa Dzun Kwuh River".

The Wet'suwet'en are a branch of the Dakelh or Carrier people, and in combination with the Babine people have been referred to as the Western Carrier. They speak Witsuwit'en, a dialect of the Babine-Witsuwit'en language which, like its sister language Carrier, is a member of the Athabaskan family.

The traditional government of the Wet'suwet'en comprises 13 hereditary chiefs, organized today as the Office of the Hereditary Chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en, or the Office of the Wet'suwet'en in BC government terminology (the government does not recognize their hereditary rights). The Office of the Hereditary Chiefs is the main political body of the Wet'suwet'en and is involved in the negotiating process for an eventual treaty with the British Columbia government. In the past, they were co-complainants in the Delgamuukw v. British Columbia case, which sought to establish recognition of the hereditary territorial rights of the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en Confederacy.

Gitxsan (also spelled Gitksan) are an indigenous people whose home territory comprises most of the area known as the Skeena Country in English (Git: means "people of" and Xsan: means "the River of Mist"). Gitksan territory encompasses approximately 53,000 square kilometers of land, from the basin of the upper Skeena River from about Legate Creek to the Skeena's headwaters and its surrounding tributaries. Part of the Tsimshianic language group, their culture is considered to be part of the civilization of the Pacific Northwest Coast, although their territory lies in the Interior rather than on the Coast. They were at one time also known as the Interior Tsimshian, a term which also included the Nisga'a, the Gitxsan's neighbours to the north. Their neighbours to the west are the Tsimshian (aka the Coast Tsimshian) while to the east the Wet'suwet'en, an Athapaskan people, with whom they have a long and deep relationship and shared political and cultural community.

The Geoffrey R. Weller Library is located at the north end of campus. The attractive four-story building is currently the largest building on campus. One of the main architectural features in the library is the atrium, which fills the main working area with natural light. -

The Library is home to the Northern British Columbia Archives, which is devoted to the preservation of Northern British Columbia’s history. The Archives holdings include records of the Cassiar mining community, photographic and cartographic materials related to the development of transportation and communication links in Northern BC and the genealogical records of the Carrier-Sekani Tribal Council. -

The Library was named after one of the people most responsible for shaping the University’s initial development. Geoffrey Weller was the University's Founding President and held the position until 1995, when he returned to teaching as a Professor in the UNBC International Studies program. He was largely responsible for setting out the five major themes of the University – environment, northern studies, women’s studies, First Nations studies and international studies. Dr. Weller passed away in July of 2000 at the age of 58. The UNBC Library was renamed Geoffrey R. Weller Library in 2000 in honour of his memory.

The First Nations Studies Program at UNBC focuses on various issues: contemporary issues ; research methods (including oral history) ; First Nations languages and cultures ; land and resource use and environmental philosophy ; art and material culture ; religion and spirituality ; the state, gender and legal issues.

Educational Media Services provides state-of-the-art media services to the University community and offers options to improve teaching, learning and research methodology at UNBC. EMS offers full Media (Audiovisual) services to the University and Prince George Community.

The UNBC Convocation Office is responsible for the organization of convocation events.

The University of Northern British Columbia's Conference and Event Services provides services such as accommodations, catering, meeting space, audio-visual, and conference management.

In 1755, the British Crown established the British Indian Department, and responsibility for Indian Affairs rested on the Superintendents of Indian Affairs from 1755 to 1841. After 1843, the Governors General held control of Indian Affairs, but usually delegated much of their responsibility to a series of Civil Secretaries. In 1860, the responsibility for Indian affairs was transferred from the government of Great Britain to the Province of Canada and the responsibility for Indian Affairs was given to the Crown Lands Department Commissions Responsible for Indian Affairs.

The federal government's legislative responsibilities for Indians and Inuit derive from section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867 and responsibility was given to the Secretary of State for the Provinces Responsible for Indian Affairs. In 1876, the Indian Act, which remains the major expression of federal jurisdiction in this area, was passed and a series of treaties were concluded between Canada and the various Indian bands across the country. The responsibility for Indian Affairs and Northern Development rested with various government departments between 1873 and 1966. The Minister of the Interior also held the position of Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs after the Indian Affairs Department was established in 1880. In 1939, federal jurisdiction for Indian peoples was interpreted by the courts to apply to the Inuit. A revised Indian Act was passed in 1951.

From 1950 to 1965, the Indian Affairs portfolio was carried by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. On October 1, 1966, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development was created as a result of the Government Organization Act, 1966. Effective June 13, 2011, the department was renamed the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

The Northern Development part of the department has its origins in the Department of the Interior, a body created by then Prime Minister John A. Macdonald for the purpose of administering the Dominion Lands Act of 1872. When the Department of the Interior dissolved in 1936 (with the Natural Resources Acts transferring control over natural resources to the Prairie provinces), Indian Affairs fell under the purview of the Department of Mines and Resources. However, the need for social and health-care services in the North led to the establishment of the Northern Administration and Lands branch in 1951, which led to the creation of the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources in 1953. This became the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in 1966 and then the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development in 2011.

The Department of Marine and Fisheries was created on July 1, 1867, although it did not receive legislative authority until May 22, 1868.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, frequently referred to as DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada’s scientific, ecological, social and economic interests in oceans and fresh waters. The Department’s guiding legislation includes the Oceans Act, which charges the Minister with leading oceans management and providing coast guard and hydrographic services on behalf of the Government of Canada, and the Fisheries Act, which confers responsibility to the Minister for the management of fisheries, habitat and aquaculture. The Department is also one of the three responsible authorities under the Species at Risk Act.Its mandate includes responsibility for the conservation and sustainable use of Canada's fisheries resources while continuing to provide safe, effective and environmentally sound marine services that are responsive to the needs of Canadians in a global economy.

DFO is responsible for several organizations, including the Canadian Coast Guard and the Canadian Hydrographic Service.

The Charles E. Goad map making company was established in Montreal, Quebec, in 1875. In its business of creating fire insurance plans, the Charles E. Goad map making company was the most comprehensive company in its coverage of Canada. By 1885, the company was firmly established in Canada and by 1910, Goad and his surveyors had created fire insurance plans for more than 1300 Canadian communities. When Charles E. Goad died that same year, the company was taken over by his three sons, who continued to run the business under the name Chas. E. Goad Company. In 1911 an agreement was reached between the Chas. E. Goad Company and the Canadian Fire Underwriters' Association, by which the Goad Company was to create and revise plans for the Association exclusively. The Canadian Fire Underwriters' Association was founded in 1883 for the purpose of standardizing fire insurance rules. This agreement ended in 1917, and in 1918, the Canadian Fire Underwriters' Association established its own plan making department. It was named the Underwriters' Survey Bureau Limited. At the same time, the Bureau acquired the exclusive rights from the Chas. E. Goad Company to revise and reprint the Goad plans. The Goad Company, which continued to exist until 1930, stopped producing fire insurance plans. In March 1931, the Underwriters' Survey Bureau purchased all of the assets of the Chas. E. Goad Company, including copyright. The Underwriters' Survey Bureau continued to produce fire insurance plans for the cities and towns in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes. The Canadian Fire Underwriters' Association remained responsible for the production of plans in the western provinces and the B.C. Underwriters' Association was responsible for plans in British Columbia. In 1960, these regional operations were amalgamated with the production of plans under the centralized Plan Division of the Canadian Underwriters' Association. In 1975, the Association changed its name to the Insurer's Advisory Organization, and at the same time, decided to cease fire insurance plan production and sell all plan inventory. This was the end of 100 years of continuous fire insurance plan production in Canada.

In January 1908 the Canadian Society of Forest Engineers was established to oversee the professional interests of foresters across the nation. The objectives of this Society were: (1) to advance the members in the theory and practice of forestry by the discussion of technical and professional topics; (2) to promote a better mutual acquaintance among Canadian foresters and to cultivate an esprit de corps among members ; and (3) to promote, in Canada, the interests of the forestry profession as a whole.

In 1925 the Society undertook the publication of a "The Forestry Chronicle" which became the official publication of the Canadian Society of Forest Engineers and its successor, the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF). In 1950, the Federal Minister of Lands and Forests incorporated this successor, and the CIF took over as the national membership of forest practitioners. To this day the objectives of the CIF include the advancement of stewardship of Canada's forest resources, the provision of national leadership in forestry, the promotion of competence among forestry professionals, and the development of public awareness of Canadian and international forestry issues. The Canadian Forestry Institute - Cariboo Section was established ca. 1951 and encompasses the entire northern half of the province of British Columbia.

The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources was established in 1899 under its first name, the Dept. of Mines, by the Department of Mines Act (SBC 1899, c. 48). Prior to that, the earliest regulation of mining in the province was implemented under the Gold Fields Proclamation of 1859 with the appointment of two gold commissioners by Governor James Douglas for the Colony of British Columbia. A gold commissioner was first appointed in 1864 for the Colony of Vancouver Island. The commissioners registered claims, issued licenses and adjudicated disputes with the advice and aid of elected district mining boards. The establishment of a provincial government with British Columbias entry into Confederation ultimately led to a Minister of Mines Act (SBC 1874, c. 16) in 1874. The Provincial Secretary also served as the Minister of Mines. In 1895, the Bureau of Mines Act 1895 (SBC 1895, c. 3) brought together all government offices connected with the mining industry. A provincial mineralogist was appointed who reported to the Provincial Secretary and Minister of Mines. In 1899, the Department of Mines Act created a separate department and minister. The Bureau of Mines remained in place as the technical division of the department and was also responsible for the certification for assayists. Revisions to the Department of Mines Act in 1934 and 1937 abolished the bureau and completely reorganized and centralized the department, dividing the functions into four branches: Administration Branch under the chief gold commissioner; Assay Branch under the chief analyst and assayer; Mineralogical Branch under the chief mining engineer; and Mines Inspection Branch under the chief inspector of mines. The department had responsibility for all matters affecting mining, including the collection, publication and circulation of information relating to mining, administration of all mining laws, and the operation and maintenance of the Provincial Assay Office, laboratories, sampling plants, and the maintenance of the Museum of Minerals. The functions and responsibilities of the department remained relatively stable until 1953 when responsibility for administration of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act and the Coal Act was transferred from the Department of Lands and Forests. A Petroleum and Natural Gas Branch, headed by the Chief Petroleum Engineer, was established and the department was renamed the Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources in 1960 (SBC 1960, c. 107). In 1976, it was renamed the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum Resources (OIC 3199/76). The mandate of the ministry was enlarged again in 1978 to include responsibility for energy matters from the disestablished Ministry of Energy, Transport and Communications. Energy resources include natural gas and oil, coal, and electrical power. The ministry was renamed the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources (OIC 3018/78). The ministry was disestablished in 1996 as part of a government-wide reorganization (OIC 197/96). Its duties, powers and functions, other than those related to the Utilities Commission, were transferred to the newly established Ministry of Employment and Investment.