Port Edward council unanimously voiced their support of LNG terminals on the North Coast after seeing one first-hand during a trip to Malaysia earlier this month.
At the Nov. 26 meeting, each of the councillors gave their thoughts on their visit to Petronas world headquarters, an LNG export terminal and the training facility for those in the industry, and everyone involved spoke to how impressed they were with what they saw.
"I would feel very comfortable with an LNG terminal on Lelu Island or Ridley Island. I would know there would be do danger to our lifestyle, and there was no noise and no smell ... it's not an offensive industry, it's very clean," said Coun. Murray Kristoff.
"Everything is done according to a plan. Nothing is left to chance and it is all done to the highest standard possible ... I haven't got any concerns," said Coun. Knut Bjorndal.
Along with the cleanliness of the terminal and the operation, councillors said it was quite apparent that safety was the number one priority for the company the workers.
"The safety measures there are incredible. It's all about safety, nobody does any job until they have worked on a simulator for it ... it's quite incredible," said Coun. Christine McKenzie, who called the trip "a once-in-a-lifetime experience".
"Everyone is assessed on their capabilities ... and they're all graded by the highest level professionals.
Outside of terminal operations, councillors said they were very impressed with what Petronas does for the community.
"They have several outreach programs they support. It's not just about being a company and making money," said Coun. Dan Franzen, who added nobody in town and at the hotel had anything bad to say about the company.
"Their social and community licence is very high on their list and they have done a very good job with it," said Coun. Bjorndal.
Chief Administrative office Ron Bedard said what he got most from the trip was the opportunities available to people in the region with the development of LNG.
"There are opportunities for awesome training for the people of the North Coast ... they are willing and planning to take people from Prince Rupert and Port Edward over to Malaysia and train them on how to run a plant," he said.
"The cadet program is three years, and what an opportunity for our young people," added Mayor Dave MacDonald.
Herb Pond of the BG Group, who was in the gallery for the meeting, said what council saw is indicative of the LNG industry.
"The industry as a whole has very high safety standards and exceptionally high training standards," he said.