The sun was shining and the grill was full on Thursday afternoon as Pacific NorthWest LNG hosted a public barbecue in Port Edward.
As dozens of residents sat to enjoy a meal and staff with Pacific NorthWest LNG team members circulated to talk to those in attendance, environmental advisor Brian Clark and community relations advisor Derek Baker were busy flipping burgers and serving up hot dogs.
“We’re here to basically say thank you to the community of Port Edward for being so welcoming to us and to hear from them about the project,” said Baker during a break in the lineup.
“We’re really pleased with the turnout. It’s a nice sunny day and it is great to see so many people come out.”
Among the staff at the barbecue were several team members who had flown in from Vancouver, something Baker said was an important part of hosting the community event.
“We want to make sure that if people have questions about the project, we have the expertise on-hand to address those questions as completely as possible,” he said.
“We always welcome the opportunity to speak to people about the project and answer any questions they may have, whether that be at an open house, in the office, at meetings or at public events like this one.”
Among those enjoying the food and fellowship was Mayor Dave MacDonald, who said he was pleased with both the turnout and the commitment of the company.
“We always appreciate any time a company that wants to do business is Port Edward engages with our residents and something like this in certainly welcome. Pacific NorthWest LNG has always made themselves available to the people of the community,” he said.
Pacific NorthWest LNG has made a conditional positive final investment decision and is awaiting approval from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency before making a final decision on the proposed Lelu Island terminal.
“People are curious about where we are at with the project, which we are continuing to move ahead,” said Baker.