The region known as the North Peace has always been rich in oil and gas reserves. In 1952 oil and gas was discovered in Fort St. John and the immediate vicinity, officially establishing Fort St. John as the oil and gas capital of B.C. In 1957 the refinery in Taylor, BC (14 km south of Fort St. John) was built along with the West Coast transmission Pipeline to the south. To this day Fort St. John continues to boom due to its prosperous oil and gas industry.