We were informed recently – Sept 2025 – that the TERMPOL for Woodfibre LNG was done. Finally in Jan 2025, and took about twelve years(!). It was published June 2025. Of course, now that the project is pretty much a ‘fait accompli’, it is too little and far too late. A position we head already in 2018, seven years ago…So yes, Transport Canada is giving Woodfibre LNG an easy ride.
It is clear that both Transport Canada and the proponent are responsible for taking this long. Transport Canada is known to be slow, but this slow? It’s also something the proponent can’t really hide behind, because it decided to put the review – which voluntarily – on hold from 2016 to 2022.
- 1) We reviewed parts of this TERMPOL report and learned right away that no one is looking out for the safety of communities that will be most exposed to the risks of LNG super tankers traversing at close proximity: Bowen Island and West Vancouver.
- 2) The report conveniently repeats the lie that is the 2015 EA’s conclusion that the project “…will not have significant adverse effects to the environment.” As if WLNG’s herring spawn review wasn’t a total joke, and that DFO, BC EAO, and EAAC(IAAC) weren’t asleep at the wheel. And as if the green house gas emissions from the end burning of the project methane gas simply disappears and doesn’t contribute to the climate crisis and global heating. So it all about: Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth” (Joseph Goebbels).
- 3) The report assessed possible ferry vessel conflicts as follows: “BC Ferries operates a terminal in Horseshoe Bay with regular departures bound for Nanaimo, Bowen Island, and the Sunshine Coast. The ferry provider doesn’t anticipate any conflicts with the Woodfibre LNG transits that warrant additional routing measures outside of the existing package.” In short, this is not a honest assessment. BC Ferries knows damn well that the Horseshoe Bay terminal – as any taking ferry from this terminal regularly that the terminal is prone to delays = unreliability of its scheduling. It’s therefore simply disingenuous to suggest otherwise.
- 4) The report uses the dated Census population stats of 2016 to calculate the risk of LNG tankers for the Howe Sound population centers, when the 2021 Census numbers have been available since 2022.
From looking up just a few things in this report, we conclude that this TERMPOL report is not a serious report, very much in line with the 2015 Environmental Assessment of the Woodfibre LNG project.
But that all didn’t/doesn’t matter, because Woodfibre LNG was donating large sums of money to the BC Liberals who formed cabinet while the EA for this project was in process. Woodfibre LNG also donated to the BC NDP, the party that now forms cabinet. So it got what it wanted
All of this reeks of corruption, putting communities at risk and all to make a billionaire richer.
