This week's print edition will be the last to carry the on-staff reporting work of long-time Business in Vancouver reporter Nelson Bennett, who retired Friday after close to 14 years with the publication.
Bennett joined BIV in April 2011 after several years working for the Glacier Media-owned Richmond News, where his assignments included coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
At BIV, he covered a range of beats, including B.C.’s technology sector, before carving out a niche in resources reporting that became integral to the newsroom’s brand and journalism offering. This included in-depth enterprise reporting on the decline of British Columbia’s forestry sector, comprehensive coverage of the political drama surrounding the Site C dam, years’ worth of stories on major infrastructure projects that succeeded (LNG Canada Phase 1) and failed to launch (Petronas), and analysis of the state of B.C. fisheries, be it salmon returns, or the evolving fish farm economy.
In many cases, Bennett’s work in these areas—sectors of our economy that remain critical to the growth, sustainability and prosperity of our province—was unmatched. His body of work in resources reporting has provided a service not only to BIV subscribers, but to audiences across the province. He had a rare combination of breadth and depth of knowledge that included a technical understanding of mining, carbon capture and other activities that isn’t easily earned.
We’re grateful to Bennett for his years of incisive reporting, in-depth coverage of critical economic and business issues, dedication to journalism and overall positive contributions to BIV’s culture, teamwork and brand.
Our newsroom wishes him all the best in his next chapter, and we’re proud to publish his final on-staff piece on the risks facing Canadian LNG as Alaskan LNG gets a presidential boost. We also note it’s his final “on-staff” piece, as his editor holds out hope he may find time in retirement to write an occasional freelance piece on the topics he knows so well.
