District of Mackenzie council unanimously approved a motion voicing support for temporary workforce accommodations to be built near the community to allow for proposed work relating to an Enbridge natural gas pipeline expansion at its Monday, Aug. 11 meeting.
As previously reported by The Citizen, Enbridge is proposing an expansion to the branch of the Westcoast Energy pipeline that carries natural gas from near Chetwynd to the Canada-U.S. border at Huntingdon/Sumas in the Fraser Valley.
In May, Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and McLeod Lake Indian were announced to be part of a consortium made up of 36 First Nations purchasing a 12.5 per cent minority stake in the pipeline for $715 million.
As part of that work, Enbridge would install new compressor stations and pipeline loops, including near Mackenzie and Hixon.
In the Mackenzie area, two new pipeline loops and a compressor station would be installed. To accommodate workers during construction, Enbridge is proposing to build temporary accommodations for up to 700 people.
Another proposed temporary accommodation site would house up to 150 workers near Powder King in the Pine Pass.
At a Regional District of Fraser-Fort George board of directors meeting in Mackenzie on June 19, Enbridge representatives said that workers on the Hixon leg of the project would likely stay at already-existing accommodations rather than a temporary site.
An Enbridge report attached to the agenda for the Aug. 11 Mackenzie council meeting summarized feedback the company received during a July 15 open house held in the community.
Enbridge said residents attending the open house expressed support for the economic development and employment opportunities the project could represents, but also expressed concern about the potential strain the project could have on local services and infrastructure like available housing or the hospital.
In response to these concerns, the company wrote that it assigned Seanna McDonald as a community liaison to engage directly with the community.
It also said it was developing a socio-economic effects management plan to minimize disruptions the site could cause for Mackenzie, with elements devoted to addressing gender-based violence and human trafficking.
Conversations are also being had with Northern Health to discuss health concerns and Enbridge said it would strictly enforce a code of conduct and after-hours respect policy for workers.
To prevent strain on local services, Enbridge said it would hire independent medical providers to serve the workforce, improve or restore road infrastructure as required and have the provider of the accommodation hire a caterer to feed the workforce.
At the Aug. 11 Mackenzie council meeting, Coun. Jesse Wright brought up the health-care issue and asked McDonald whether pharmaceuticals or prescriptions would be included in the company’s plan.
He said that other communities where similar work had occurred has said that access to prescriptions had been an issue.
Mayor Joan Atkinson noted that Mackenzie has nine doctors and one pharmacist.
“It’s important that they arrive in Mackenzie with all of the prescription drugs that they need while they’re in the community,” Atkinson said.
McDonald said she didn’t have an immediate answer, but it was on a list of items to be addressed.
“It’s definitely on the list for our socio-economic effects management plan and coming up with ways to mitigate that concern, whether it’s sourcing from PG or other areas,” she said.
The resolution expressing support for Enbridge’s temporary workforce accommodations was approved unanimously.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
