The District of Squamish has cast its eye on the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Howe Sound.
On Thursday (June 5), municipal officials announced they had selected members for a community committee to help district staff objectively assess the proposed Woodfibre Natural Gas development.
“We received a large number of high-calibre applications from highly educated, deeply experienced individuals representing a range of backgrounds,” district CAO Corien Speaker said.
The committee will provide input to both council and Woodfibre proponents as the project progresses through its environmental review process. The committee’s members-at-large offer expertise across tourism, manufacturing and energy industries, with a strong focus on the environment and resource management, as well as engineering, stated a district press release.
“The end result is a balanced committee that will ensure staff obtains all relevant information on this proposed project, which will in turn serve council and our community very well as council assesses this project,” Speaker said.
The committee includes representatives from organizations such as the Squamish Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Squamish and the Squamish Climate Action Committee. Faculty members of Squamish’s two universities — Capilano and Quest — will also sit at the committee table.
The district-organized committee is putting the cart before the horse, said Tracey Saxby, the co-founder of My Sea to Sky, an organization raising concerns regarding LNG. The committee is viewing the project as through it is a done deal, Saxby said. While it is important to mitigate any foreseeable issues with the LNG export plant, the district needs to examine whether the plant should be built in the first place, she said.
Residents’ voices must be heard, Saxby added, noting district officials should gauge whether the local population is for or against the facility.
My Sea to Sky plans to host a series of upcoming LNG information meetings, she said.
“We are also hoping we will be able to bring in experts to talk to the [district] committee,” Saxby added.
