The Village of Hazelton council met last week and heard two delegations, one from concerned community members and one to explain a bioheat business opportunity.
First up was a presentation by Kispiox Valley residents Graeme Pole and Carole Ponchet about their concern regarding the number of pipelines being proposed through northern B.C., and the seven liquid natural gas conversion plants needed to condense raw natural gas for transportation.
Three of the plants are proposed for the Kitimat area, two in the Prince Rupert area and one is as yet without a specified location.
Pole raised one evident point of contention.
“BC Hydro has already stated that there is no way they can provide enough electricity to power the LNG plants,” Pole said.
He also questions the exact economic benefit for the Hazelton area if the pipelines were to be built.
“When you do talk to Spectra ask them exactly how many jobs will be available for people here,” Pole pleaded.
“Are we just going to ship everything we have away and be left with an empty bag in 20 years?”
Ponchet noted local rivers and inherent food supply is a resource that shouldn’t be put in jeopardy.
“A lot of people here live off the fish in the river and we can’t be playing with that,” Ponchet said.
“This area is too special to risk losing for a bit of money.”
Mayor Alice Maitland responded.
“I think you’re preaching to the choir,” Maitland said.
Some councillors disagreed.
“Whose choir?” Nick Marshall said.
“This seems to be people that are looking for work against people that don’t want to work.”
Maitland assured all in the room any decision regarding pipeline development would happen only after all the facts were heard.
“We aren’t saying no to every proposed project,” Maitland said.
“But we can say they have to be done a certain way.
“Lets remember that we’re just about the last wilderness in North America and we’re valuable just as we are.”
Ponchet urged council to visit Pole’s website dedicated to providing information on all proposed pipelines in northwestern B.C. titled nomorepipelines.ca.
Rick Connors, Gitxsan Development Corporation CEO, then presented a potential bioenergy plant that would be located near Wrinch Memorial Hospital.
The purpose of the presentation was to attain a letter of support from council.
The Evergreen BioHeat plant would be able to heat homes in Hazelton for a fraction of the cost of
current BC Hydro or pellet stove costs.
“The technology is not new,” Connors said, pointing to several large cities in Europe that use bioheat, but there is also more local useage.
“We just did the ice arena in Burns Lake.”
“We’re looking to expand the system to the residential community as well.”
To complete the infrastructure in Hazelton a web of pipes would have to be laid through the town to all main amenities, such as, the schools and the hospital.
A feasibility study must be completed to determine the total cost of the project.
Council was undecided as to whether or not to support a feasibility study of the bioheat plant.
Jack Mattson was awarded the contract to reinforce the dike on the Skeena River next to Old Hazelton.
Mayor Maitland was nominated to become a member of the Aboriginal Community Consultative Group, a group that would work with local RCMP to engage the aboriginal community.