It felt good to put close to 4,000 signatures of mainly Squamish residents opposed to the Woodfibre LNG on West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Jordan Sturdy’s desk, Melyssa Hudson says.
“It feels really satisfying because we have brought these voices to leadership,” the co-founder of the anti-LNG group My Sea to Sky added, noting the ball is now in his court. “A large number of his constituents oppose this.”
On Friday, Oct. 8, a dozen Sea to Sky Corridor residents representing My Sea to Sky, Concerned Citizens of Bowen Island and Propeller Strategies delivered a total of more than 6,000 names of people – from all three groups – who don’t want to see the proposed liquefied natural gas export facility built on Howe Sound at Squamish. The event was timed to coincide with the expected release of the provincial and federal Environmental Assessment report, which has been delayed, according to officials.
My Sea to Sky started collecting signatures in April, when the organization launched its declaration. The declaration focuses on the recovery of Howe Sound’s ecosystem and aims to ensure it is not threatened, Hudson said. The more people learn about the project, the more nervous they are becoming, Hudson said. It has brought people out of the woodwork who have never before been involved in activism, she said.
“There has been a lot of community dialogue in this process.”
Hudson believes the controversial issue has seeped into how Squamish residents may cast federal election ballot on Oct. 19. My Sea to Sky is encouraging people to get out and vote, Hudson added.
“I was surprised by the number of people who said they were voting Green because of the LNG project,” she added.
My Sea to Sky members are not holding their breath that the EA report will be in their favour.
The process conducted by the Environmental Assessment Office has been disappointing and serves to approve rather than reject industrial projects, the group stated in a news release.
Having gone through the FortisBC pipeline and Woodfibre LNG pilot assessment process, “it is abundantly clear that they lack integrity,” My Sea to Sky member Delena Angrignon stated in the release. The method needs to change to ensure that major projects meet the goals of environmental, economic and social sustainability, she noted. “This one doesn’t.”
People are opposed to Woodfibre LNG for many different reasons, Hudson said. She hopes the recent petition will let politicians know that the opposition is not just some “rag-tag” group, but rather a serious organization providing residents with an outlet to engaging in opposition in a meaningful way.
“This issue has created a lot of community building,” Hudson said.
Sturdy said he received the petition at his office in Horseshoe Bay. He plans to present the lists at legislature in Victoria next week.
“I would say that they are of interest,” he told The Squamish Chief, adding he will make government aware of the concerns. “They are certainly something to take note of.”
Sturdy’s office has received approximately half a dozen petitions for various causes during the course of his term, he said, and this is one of the larger declarations. However, he said, verifying petition signatures, especially forms completed online, is difficult.
“People from all over are signing these things,” Sturdy said.
He said he doesn’t necessarily agree with the wording used in the My Sea to Sky declaration, which states, “Woodfibre LNG project is based on faulty economics, will harm marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and poses an unacceptable health and safety risk for the communities of Howe Sound.”
Sturdy said he wants to see the provincial and federal Environmental Assessment before coming to any conclusion. The project has not solidified its processes, including whether it would use an air- or water-cooling system, he said.
“Once the Environmental Assessment is released, then I think it is more the time to be in a position to judge the proposal,” Sturdy said.
