This just in: the anti-Woodfibre LNG movement is gaining traction in Squamish and neighbouring communities. On the day this column was filed, over 300 people had replied to the Squamish Chief’s online poll related to the proposed Woodfibre LNG facility. The results were revealing. Forty-two per cent of respondents supported the project, 5o per cent opposed it, 7 per cent were sitting on the fence and 1 per cent had no idea there was an LNG proposal.
It should be noted that the following warning appeared at the bottom of the page containing the survey: “This is not a scientific poll.” In other words, the results should be taken with a grain of salt. Besides, as we have recently discovered, even top shelf pollsters can get it wrong. Just ask former NDP leader Adrian Dix. The experts ranked him far ahead of the Liberals just prior to the last provincial election. When the only polls that counted closed, Dix was left shaking his head wondering what went wrong. Accordingly, we should be careful with hasty prognostications.
However, when it comes to the LNG issue, some jurisdictions have already tipped their hand. This past spring the Village of Lions Bay council adopted a resolution calling for a ban on liquefied natural gas tankers in Howe Sound because of safety and environmental concerns. Mayor Brenda Broughton said that continuing the recovery of the Howe Sound ecosystem will be paramount to the economic development of the region. Village officials went even farther and sent a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Christy Clark calling for a ban on LNG tanker traffic. Town councillors in Gibsons have followed a similar path. They gave unanimous support to a motion calling on the federal government to ban the passage of LNG tankers through Howe Sound and adjacent waters. That motion claims carriers would interfere with marine traffic, put ecologically sensitive areas at risk, and have a negative impact on development. As a follow-up, they’ve sent out an all points bulletin to other communities around the Salish Sea to fight for a ban on LNG traffic.
But before we rush to judgement, let’s wait for the recommendations from the DOS-appointed Woodfibre LNG feasibility committee and the yet-to-be released federal and provincial environmental assessment. No doubt, those revelations could play a significant role in shaping the outcome of a municipal referendum that will likely be held on this contentious issue in November.
