Since signing into Canadian Confederation in 1871, British Columbia has become one of the nation's most prominent economic and cultural entities. Our industries and cities have changed the B.C. landscape over the past 125 years, and the 1990s have been a time of reevaluation, a time for both reflection and foresight. Industrialists and conservationists, governments, First Nations, and everyday people are working together to better use our finite resources, and to better protect the environment that gives us our livelihoods and enviable quality of life.