On Canada Day (July 1), those involved in the Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS) saga for the past three, 10, or 30 years may finally find out whether the ministers of environment and tourism, culture and arts will allow the massive year round resort to move forward.
And if early media reports are accurate, the assessment did not go well.
A Vancouver Sun article published Wednesday (May 19) states a confidential report secured solely by the paper shows "B.C. regulators give [GAS] a failing grade."
The final environmental assessment (EA) report and recommendation from the EA office was sent on Tuesday (May18), according to Brittany Speed at the EAO.\
EAO representatives declined to share the staff recommendation accompanying the final report.
But if the final report is at all similar to its wintertime draft, the ministers will be receiving a document outlining unaddressed concerns over potentially detrimental environmental effects on water supply, fish and fish habitat, wildlife and wildlife habitat and the potential safety hazard of the proposed 50-foot dams.
In April stakeholders such as the District of Squamish and The Squamish Lillooet Regional District were sent the confidential EAO draft report and invited to send their recommendations.
Project environmental assessment director Graham McLaren said the proponents were also sent a copy of the draft EAO report, but they did not answer outstanding questions. Rather, GAS proponents promised to resolve the issues outlined in the draft within a year after receiving the EA certificate.
GAS's vice-president of project approvals, George McKay, has said he saw the EA certificate as merely "one step along the way, not nearly the end of the road," when speaking with The Chief on April 26.
Minister of Environment Barry Penner and Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, Kevin Krueger will decide GAS's future, and McLaren said he thinks they will have a tough time making a decision.
He said normally, the EAO recommendation is provided only after stakeholders and proponents find agreement over the project.
"And then the ministers normally agree but in this case there's not a lot of agreement," he said.
A member of the local opposition group, Save Garibaldi, Jessica Reid made it clear she thinks an EA certificate would be more than a stepping stone.
"If the ministers give GAS a certificate, without the support of the EAO and in light of the massive opposition, it will be both undemocratic and potentially illegal."
