Skeena-Bulkley Valley NDP MP Nathan Cullen will be hosting a series of events across the northwest this fall to discuss the potential impacts of liquefied natural gas (LNG) development in the region.
“Across the Northwest, people are hearing about LNG, but as a new industry we don’t necessarily know all that much about it. Our goal is to bring those individual conversations under one roof, and bring people the best information possible,” reads a press release sent out Friday, Oct. 25.
“We’re experiencing a major transition in the Northwest. It’s more important now than ever for people who live here to have their say in guiding how that economic development happens. We’re a resource economy and we want to ensure that resource development respects the values we hold as citizens of this place,” reads the release.
The tour, which is being coordinated with the advocacy group Friends of Wild Salmon, will bring together LNG proponents, local First Nations, economic development groups and environmental organizations, and other community partners for presentations and discussions, continues the release. LNG Canada, which is proposing to build an LNG export terminal in Kitimat, is one of the confirmed attendees, said Cullen's Ottawa office.
Cullen will moderate the discussions. Possible questions to be considered include: What kinds of opportunities will LNG bring to the local economy and workforce? What kinds of environmental impacts will LNG have? Will companies act upon what they hear from First Nations and communities during consultations? And what kind of legacy will LNG leave for our region?
The tour will be in Terrace on Nov. 13 at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre. Stops in Smithers, Kitimat, and Prince Rupert have been confirmed, with plans for a tour of the eastern part of the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding early in the new year.