Regarding the letter that questions Woodfibre LNG’s commitment to Squamish and hiring locally. published April 1.
Woodfibre is committed to providing local jobs. We’ve stood by this promise since our project was first proposed and will continue to do so through construction and facility operation.
Hiring preference will be given to Squamish Nation members and Squamish residents. This isn’t empty “spin.”
It’s a commitment that we’ve made to the Squamish Nation, the B.C. and Canadian governments, and to the Squamish community.
It also applies to business and contracting opportunities. Woodfibre LNG has a procurement process that gives local businesses priority status, even in the pre-construction phase. Proof of this can be found by speaking to the seven Sea to Sky businesses that we contracted as part of our site clean-up work.
Of course, not all of our construction workforce can come from Squamish. There simply aren’t enough available workers in our community to fill that requirement. But be assured: if you are qualified, available, and live in Squamish, your resume goes to the top of the pile.
Our discussions with the provincial government regarding the potential for temporary foreign workers are focused on jobs for which skills do not currently exist in the community or in Canada. The number of workers will be a small percentage of our overall workforce. The reality is we do not currently have an LNG industry in this country, and as such, some more specialized jobs don’t yet exist here. It is our hope that the Woodfibre project will help train more Canadians in these specialized areas for the future.
But don’t just take our word for it.
Developing a local hiring strategy was actually a key component of our environmental approval. As part of that, Woodfibre LNG was required to develop both a local hiring and a local training strategy for this project. Both of these strategies will be monitored and reported on so the community can see the data for itself. We are also required to provide information regarding job opportunities and subcontracting business opportunities to the local community. In addition, Woodfibre is required to design and deliver programs to support First Nations employment and contracting opportunities, skills training and education opportunities.
These are just a few examples of our commitment to Squamish and the Sea to Sky corridor. To the best of our ability, we will strive to keep benefits local. That’s how we ensure Woodfibre LNG is and will continue to be a contributing member of the community now and for years to come.
Rebecca Scott, director of communications,
Woodfibre LNG
