Hon. Jack Austin Announces Retirement
- Feb
- 19
Hon. Jack Austin, Chair and Director of Centermount Coal Ltd, has stepped down from those offices, effective February 17th, 2014, after a term of nearly five years.
In that period, Centermount Coal Ltd. acquired four key metallurgical coal licenses in the Elk Valley of British Columbia, bordering on the operations of Fording Coal, owned by the Teck Group. Centermount Coal Ltd., privately owned, has invested some $20 million in exploration and development with the objective of defining a deposit of commercial value.
Mr. Austin has moved on to work with other groups.
When it comes to Canada’s relationship with China, few Canadian officials are as experienced as former Senator and Federal Minister Jack Austin. For the past 40 years, Austin has been one of the most influential Canadian voices in Ottawa’s relationship with Beijing, particularly with his work on promoting bilateral ties. “The reality for Canada is we must trade, and we must trade with those who build our economy, and that’s why China is a very significant No. 2 priority in our trade strategy. We need to learn how to sell into that market, and that’s why you want a bilateral agreement,” states Austin.