I was surprised by the council’s enthusiasm about receiving $1.5 million in taxes from WLNG.
[“Woodfibre LNG could be taxed almost $1.5 million by District of Squamish in 2025,” published Feb. 27.]
For a company like WLNG, $1.5 million is such a minimal percentage of the company’s projected profits. I am aware that Canada is known for having an embarrassingly low tax rate for oil and gas companies, but that shouldn’t mean that receiving a penny more is a cause for celebration.
What is worse is that we have been tricked into believing this represents money going back into our community. A good portion of the money seems to be going towards increased policing which is resulting from safety concerns from the project itself. This begs the question: Why is WLNG not picking up the bill for the extra policing requested as a result of their project?
These community concerns are a result of the company’s project, not a result of what community members want for the community–like improving facilities and community recreational facilities for example. As such, this should be seen as WLNG expense, not a city expense. This is a perfect example of private funds being passed onto the public.
While $1.5 million dollars is still nothing for a company like WLNG, and also not very much for a city budget, I am sure there are many residents who could name many ways in which that money could actually benefit the community.
Maryam Adrangi
Brackendale
