Pacific NorthWest LNG, the company proposing to build an LNG export facility on Lelu Island, and a consortium led by Malaysian gas Petronas, has leased two floors in Park Place tower on Burrard Street.
The space, which equates to approximately 35,000 sq. feet and can hold approximately 75 staff members, will be solely used for operations by Pacific NorthWest LNG (PNW) employees for their Port Edward-based terminal.
“It’s dedicated solely for this project,” said Spencer Sproule, senior advisor, corporate affairs for PNW.
“The corporate staff will be there. Essentially it’s the accounting division, finance, some engineering staff - it’s a whole mish mash. So some people will be based in Vancouver and some people continue to be based in Prince Rupert - that would actually expand if the project proceeds to construction, but it’s the corporate functions of Pacific NorthWest LNG that will be located in that office,” Sproule added.
The company is currently performing renovations on the space and Sproule mentioned that the company will be looking to move in before the end of its first quarter of 2016.
Much of the staff that is already based in Vancouver, but the increased level of staffing presence will be made corresponding to the construction phase, added the spokesman.
In Port Edward, PNW is currently operating out of offices at the old Port Edward school, and contractors have been working around Lelu Island, conducting survey and modelling initiatives to gather scientific background to help inform the project and its proponents going forward.
Protestors have been occupying the site, saying that the location of the proposed terminal is harmful to salmon-spawning habitats in Flora Bank and the eelgrass habitat that Flora Bank hosts.
The company has been adamant that the project will be operated away from the salmon habitat and that its modelling projections show no pivotal damage to the environment.
The company has also adapted the project to include a suspension bridge that juts out the terminal from the shore.
A final decision by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) of the federal government on the project has not yet been made, however speculation indicates that the decision may fall in the coming weeks.
Sproule has not been given any indication by the CEAA as to the timeline of its decision.
“That’s why we’re securing more room in Vancouver - so we can have all our staff in one building, linked on two floors. Instead of scrambling, we’re getting ready,” he said.
“I wish I did [have that timeline] but that’s really under the purview of the federal government. It’s their ... process.”