Editor:
In response to Bonnie Nicol’s letter, “This time it’s our inland waters”, (Coast Reporter, Feb. 5), I appreciate her engagement in this issue. Beyond that, I disagree with her on several points.
I have said this publicly before, and I will say it clearly again: I am not pro-LNG, but I am pro-process. West Vancouver council decided, without hearing the other side, to oppose a project in the jurisdiction of a different municipality. After I publicly disagreed with their decision, mayor and council agreed their own process was flawed; they invited the proponent to their council, and I applauded council publicly for hearing both sides of a story before reaching judgment.
I also publicly advocated to the Environmental Assessment Office for an open house on the Coast, which Coast Reporter staff writer Christine Wood mentioned in her article on Jan. 22, “No local meeting for LNG project.” Like Ms. Wood and Ms. Nicol, I was disappointed by their refusal to a meeting on the Coast, but in Ms. Wood’s article, she mentioned that Coast residents who wanted to do so would have been able to participate in hearings in Squamish, West Vancouver or Bowen Island.
Undeniably, Squamish and the Howe Sound area are in need of a boost to our economy. I also know that our quality of life, economy, and the environment are inter-related and intertwined. It’s why I say the “environment is the economy.” Regarding Woodfibre’s proposal, there will be an environmental assessment — a thorough review of all aspects of the project — which will undoubtedly recommend conditions for approval, if the project is approved at all.
These are decisions, which should be reached by experts who are independent and objective. I support a robust process that will take into account all considerations relevant to British Columbians — a sustainable environment, value-adding jobs, and sustainable economic growth.
John Weston, MP West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country
