Woodfibre LNG is now the proud owner of 212 acres of industrial waterfront land. The final $21.8 million sale of the Western Forest Products Inc. land was announced late on Friday by the forest products company.
The land used to house the Woodfibre Pulp and Paper Mill and is now slated to become a liquefied natural gas export facility a few kilometres southwest of downtown Squamish.
“It means we’re taxpayers,” said Byng Giraud, Woodfibre LNG’s vice-president of corporate affairs.
“Even with the site in its current state, we are one of the largest taxpayers in town. We are also employers with our community office staff and the staff we have taken on from the site. We now have about eight employees in town…. It is nice. We think we are becoming a little bit more of the community.”
Giraud said there are a number of derelict buildings and old jetties remaining on the property that need to be removed. He said further remediation of the site, to make certain it is safe, will be done in the coming weeks and months.
Woodfibre LNG is currently heading into the third week of its 45-day public comment period in its application for an Environmental Assessment Certificate. The comment period ends March 9.
