Major projects like Woodfibre LNG and others underway across British Columbia provide real opportunities for local employment and procurement contracts, including for workers that otherwise might have to leave their hometowns to find steady work in their industry.

Increasingly, modern industrial projects are finding ways to align with environmental goals as well as indigenous priorities while creating long-term employment and economic benefits. We're proud to be doing that at Woodfibre LNG.

Keeping up traditions

For over 100 years, Swiy̓át (the Woodfibre LNG site's traditional Squamish Nation name) has provided industrial opportunities for generations of local families. Before Woodfibre LNG could start pre-construction on the former pulp mill site, we invested over $12 million in remediation, which has created regional procurement contracts. Site preparation activities are currently underway to prepare for construction, which starts in September this year with work including concrete recycling, landfill capping, green zone activities, soil remediation, shoreline rehabilitation, and habitat offsetting.

First of its kind 

In March this year, we announced our Roadmap to Net Zero, which will make the LNG facility the first in the world to achieve net zero emissions, by the time it is operational in 2027. Since the very beginning, Woodfibre LNG has prioritized emissions avoidance and reduction opportunities.

The Woodfibre LNG Project has regulatory approvals from the federal and provincial governments and is the first industrial project in Canada to recognize a non-Treaty Indigenous government, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), as an environmental regulator. As a result of consultation with the Squamish Nation, Woodfibre LNG made important design changes to minimize concerns about impacts to the marine and air environment, including:

  • Changing the location of the facility from floating to on-land
  • Selecting air cooling technology for the facility, rather than seawater cooling, which uses less energy

This first-of-its-kind partnership – coupled with the unique features and geography of the site have collectively allowed Woodfibre LNG to be the lowest-emission facility in the world, with a carbon intensity of 0.04 (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per tonne of LNG).

Locals first

Construction of the Project starts this September, which will see up to 800 people work at the Woodfibre site during peak construction. Woodfibre LNG gives hiring priority to qualified Squamish Nation members and local workers first, followed by British Columbians and then other Canadians. The joint priority is to create a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace that brings benefits to the Project's Indigenous partners and local community.

Within the next four years, the Project will create 100 new operations jobs that will remain for the 40 year lifecycle of the Project – all while operating at net zero emissions from 2027. Vancouver's world renowned reputation as one of the best cities to live, work and play relies on our collective ability to develop transformative and innovative projects responsibly, and in a way that creates lasting opportunities for those of us who reside in this beautiful province.

I invite you to join me on June 8 at Greater Vancouver Board of Trade's first-ever Major Projects Forum, to learn more about Woodfibre LNG's approach to net zero and to continue the discussion around how energy truly can align with environmental goals and indigenous priorities while creating responsible opportunities for British Columbians.

About Christine Kennedy:

As President of Woodfibre LNG, Christine Kennedy is responsible for leading the project through construction. Ms. Kennedy's current focus is to reach commissioning of the world's most innovative and sustainable liquefied natural gas export facility ever built. Ms. Kennedy brings more than 25 years' experience in senior management roles in the natural resource sector, government, and international market development. Prior to joining WLNG, she held senior roles in the provincial government and the forest products and renewable energy sectors. Ms. Kennedy was recently the Deputy Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness and previously the Associate Deputy Minister in British Columbia's Office of the Premier.

About Woodfibre LNG:

Woodfibre LNG strives to achieve business objectives through a quintuple bottom line approach, where results are mutually beneficial to the Community, Country, Climate, Customer and Company. The Woodfibre LNG Project is operated by Woodfibre Management Ltd, a privately held Canadian company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Woodfibre LNG facility is being built on the site of the former Woodfibre pulp mill site, which is located about seven kilometers southwest of Squamish, B.C.

Woodfibre LNG will source its natural gas from Pacific Canbriam Energy, a Canadian company with operations in Northeastern British Columbia. Pacific Canbriam is an industry leader in sustainable natural gas production. Woodfibre LNG and Pacific Canbriam Energy are subsidiaries of Pacific Energy Corporation Limited.