Port of Prince Rupert orders protesters to end Lelu Island camp
Lelu Island is slated for a proposed liquified natural gas plant
The Prince Rupert Port Authority has ordered protesters to stop construction of a camp on Lelu Island, the site of a proposed LNG export terminal on B.C.'s North Coast.
The port says it consulted with the leadership of local Coast Tsimshian communities before it issued the notice to campers on Monday.
The proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG plant to be built by Petronas at Lelu Island could be the largest private-sector investment in B.C.'s history, valued at $36 billion and estimated to create 4,500 construction jobs.
While the project has been approved by some of First Nations in the area, some members of the Lax Kw'alaams First Nation have been protesting the project for the past eight months by constructing an encampment.
Lelu Island is at the mouth of the Skeena River, B.C.'s second largest salmon-bearing river, which is causing potential environmental concerns for members of the First Nation.
Port tells land occupiers to stop
The port says it has the authority to order the removal of the camp.
The President of the Port of Prince Rupert Don Krusel said, "We respect the right of any individual or group to express their opinions concerning port development if it is done in a safe and peaceful manner. However, raising makeshift structures does not meet that definition and has not been authorized."
The federal government has yet to make a decision on whether to allow the proposed LNG project to proceed.