'Floatel' won't be allowed to house LNG workers near Squamish, B.C.
Plans to use a renovated cruise ship to house more than 600 workers at a liquefied natural gas facility near Squamish, B.C., have been voted down by the local council.
The ship arrived in B.C. waters in January after a 40-day journey from Estonia, where it had sheltered Ukrainian refugees, but the District of Squamish had yet to approve the Woodfibre LNG Ltd. plan to operate the so-called “floatel.”
Squamish councillors voted four to three against a one-year permit at a meeting on Tuesday, where those opposed to the plan raised concerns about the safety of women and girls, traffic issues, waste management and potential natural hazards.
Coun. Lauren Greenlaw told the meeting that she has experienced sexual violence first-hand throughout her career working in the resource industry, and she is troubled about a lack of information and measures to protect the community.
“My biggest concern is (that) we as a municipality do not have sufficient safeguards in place to protect us from negative social impacts, and we can't really fully understand the cumulative impacts ... with the information that we have,” she said.
Mayor Armand Hurford said the province's environmental assessment certificate for the project was amended last year to add a section related to gender-based violence, including a requirement for a gender and cultural safety plan.
The plan is not currently available to the public, he said.
The mayor proposed a motion to approve a one-year temporary use permit with the possibility of one three-year renewal, rather than an initial term of three years.
Hurford said the floatel's performance over the first year would provide clarity for the renewal discussion, but the motion was rejected.
The meeting heard that the mayor or any of the four councillors who voted with the majority could bring the motion back for reconsideration within 30 days.
Coun. John French voted in favour of granting the permit for the floating work camp, saying the Woodfibre facility has approvals from the B.C. and federal governments, as well as the Squamish Nation, and construction is underway.
“Denying this permit is not going to stop the project,” he said, adding the floatel is “basically what the community asked for” when it came to housing workers.
“Many people in Squamish made it clear, they fear the out-of-town workers. They also made it clear, there's comfort in knowing the bulk of the workforce won't have access to recreation, entertainment and leisure opportunities in Squamish.”
The vote took place a week after the district held a public meeting about the floatel plan.
Greenlaw said she had tallied the feedback and found 92 per cent of submissions opposed the approval of the floatel. Among the people who spoke in favour of the project, she said about half “were directly financially benefiting from this project.”
Several councillors with the district noted in Tuesday's meeting that the LNG project was not at issue, rather the decision was whether to allow the floating work camp.
Woodfibre LNG had been planning for workers to start living on the ship this spring on the shores of Howe Sound, outside Squamish.
In a statement last fall, Woodfibre president Christine Kennedy said it has always been a priority to ensure construction “has as little impact on Squamish as possible.”
Tracey Saxby, executive director of the advocacy group My Sea to Sky, issued a statement saying Woodfibre knowingly chose to take the risk of bringing the vessel into B.C. waters without approval from the district to anchor it at the site.
“Community members, who are on the front line of this LNG export project, raised concerns about human rights impacts for women and girls, worker safety and well-being, traffic safety, and waste disposal,” she says in the statement.
There are “so many unknowns,” she says, and the company's application is missing key information the community needs to make an informed decision.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot multiple times in attempted assassination
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.