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Community support is the bedrock of the Coastal GasLink project

From the City of Dawson Creek to the coastal District of Kitimat, the 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink project spans dozens of local and Indigenous communities.

From the City of Dawson Creek to the coastal District of Kitimat, the 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink project spans dozens of local and Indigenous communities.

“At Coastal GasLink, our success is measured by the breadth of support we see every day from Indigenous and local communities across our project route,” says Kiel Giddens, Coastal GasLink’s manager of Public Affairs and a Prince George community member.

“Seeing everyone come together, from local leaders to our workers and contractors, to safely build this project and support one another has been so inspiring for us.”

“Our future is being built every day with support from communities, allowing us to achieve important construction milestones,” notes Giddens

There are more than 3,500 women and men, many of them from Indigenous and local communities along the project route, safely working on the project.

For Vanderhoof Mayor Gerry Thiessen, Coastal GasLink is part of their community.

“With everything that’s happened in 2020 and the highs and lows of the forest industry, having a consistent project like Coastal GasLink become part of the community at a time when we’ve needed it has proven to be a real positive benefit to Vanderhoof,” says Mayor Thiessen.

Likewise, Dawson Creek Mayor Dale Bumstead shared how the project builds community. “People come to our communities and our cities to live and have a great job and a great quality of life. And that’s what this will do for us,” says Mayor Bumstead.

The project has also created valuable contracting opportunities for local and Indigenous-owned businesses, allowing them to expand their businesses, employ members, and build future opportunities.

Saulteau First Nation is one of those communities. “We’ve had a lot of opportunities brought to us through Coastal GasLink, which has been supremely beneficial for our membership and the nation as a whole,” says Chief Justin Napoleon from the Saulteau First Nation.

“I think that’s been the greatest benefit for us, being able to take on projects ourselves and employ our members.”

Of course, it’s not only contracted businesses that benefit from the project—local coffee shops, furniture providers and manufacturers, to name a few, are all helping to build Canada’s largest private-sector project.

“We are really looking forward to the energy this is going to bring to our area and our businesses. Seeing a project like this in our area is huge and very much needed and appreciated,” says Mayor Sarrah Storey of the Village of Fraser Lake.

“The project is not only being built to benefit northern people and communities today but also to leave a lasting, positive legacy for decades to come,” concludes Giddens.

 

Coastal GasLink - Community support from Coastal GasLink on Vimeo.