TIABC Voice of Tourism Newsletter – February 7, 2025

The original owner of my house installed such an elaborate heating system, it could have met the needs of our entire cul-de-sac let alone a single-family home. The utility room was jammed full of copper pipes, a hot water tank, an electrical panel, and a massive boiler powered by natural gas. And while I appreciated the consistent temperatures, low energy bills, no furnace filters to replace or ducts to clean, my hydronic heating system was unreliable and required frequent repairs to the point where my plumber was on speed dial.

One cold winter day when he arrived in a new Mercedes Sprinter van for yet another service call, I was finally convinced to replace the complex heating infrastructure with a high efficiency boiler that took up a quarter of the space and would pay for itself in a few years through energy savings and little-to-no maintenance.

It should be noted that the new system was installed prior to the widespread promotion and adoption of heat pumps, as well as the introduction of provincial and municipal regulations vis-a-vis natural gas usage.

I reflected on my boiler experience while attending Fortis BC’s Future Energy Landscape conference this week where attendees heard several experts discuss opportunities, advancements, and issues surrounding energy within the context of provincial climate change objectives, sustainability measures, affordability, and other considerations. The information presented prompted me to contemplate the implications for the tourism sector and TIABC’s role on this file.

Seems the topic of energy is front and centre these days. Whether it’s related to fast-tracking major project approvals (e.g. pipelines), tariffs, personal consumption, types of power systems, carbon taxes, new technology, electrification, sustainable aviation fuel, new regulations or bylaws, it’s a subject that is hard to ignore. Even the mandate letters issued to several cabinet ministers specifically mention goals for energy transition, low-cost energy, approvals for clean & low-carbon energy infrastructure, and more.

As one might expect at a Fortis BC-hosted forum, a major focus was on renewable natural gas, (RNG) which one speaker suggested is as integral to the gas grid as wind and solar is to the electrical grid. In simple terms, RNG is essentially the same as natural gas but sourced differently from waste like manure, sewer sludge, and landfills where emissions are captured and converted to renewable natural gas.

For the record, other experts at the workshop highlighted the use of hydrogen, solar and thermal energy, electricity, and gas-powered heat pumps as options for owners of homes, commercial buildings and manufacturers to consider. Suffice it to say, I’m learning more about energy than I ever imagined to help inform eventual TIABC policy work in this space.

One key takeaway from the conference referenced data by economists that showed when energy prices increase by 10%, economic growth drops by 15%. If that’s true, then it’s yet another reason for BC’s tourism industry to stay on top of the evolving energy landscape to not only encourage all levels of government to advance policies that lead our province to a more sustainable future, but also to ensure that all forms of available energy are clean, abundant, and of course affordable.

When a zone valve on my boiler system malfunctioned in late fall, I renewed acquaintances with my plumber who promptly fixed the problem. But when it happened again a couple of weeks ago, I pulled out my power-sucking, portable electric heater as a stop-gap measure until my favourite tradesman returned from Hawaii. While I have yet to review my Hydro bill (or plumber’s invoice), at the very least I am grateful for an alternate energy source I can access during emergencies to stay warm on those cold winter days when my high efficiency boiler shuts down.

Walt Judas
CEO, TIABC