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| Mayor Dave MacDonald has outlined the District of Port Edward's response to Tuesday's cancellation of the PNW LNG project |
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Mayor of the District noted that the news had been received with very mixed feelings and had required a few days for the District's Council to process the events of the week.
The correspondence to residents offers up reassurance that the efficient day to day operations of running "one of the nicest locations on the BC coast" will continue.
On the theme of the announcement of the cancellation, Mayor MacDonald notes that the news was not anticipated, as the District had signed off on potential tax agreements and was looking forward, to working with their First Nation and other partners to moving forward with infrastructure development to meet the service demands that would have come with the construction of the LNG facilities, along with the rapid development and community growth.
Mayor MacDonald observed as to the hard work that had gone into the preparation and planning as well as to how some plans may have to be delayed for now.
"All the hard work and planning that has been put into place will continue to be available and useful for future development ... We will continue to work towards seeing Wampler Way road become a reality, maybe not now but certainly in the future. This will support community partners in developing the land in and around Wampler Way for business and residential growth"
Mr. MacDonald also highlighted the strengthened relationships with the areas First Nations communities, something that he says the District will continue to work with towards more new projects and opportunities.
He also had appreciation for the hard work of the Prince Rupert Port Authority, particularly with Ridley Island and the growth in and around Prince Rupert. As well he noted the cooperative spirit from the District's relationships with those stakeholders in the region that will see the rail crossing issues in the community resolved over the summer.
He also noted that phase one of the Senior's housing project in the community will bring eight affordable houses to the District this year, with the potential for more housing opportunities in the future.
He closes his letter to residents by noting some of the benefits that had come with the arrival of Pacific NorthWest in the community over the last five years.
"Although the PNW LNG will not go ahead, many community events and local project such as the restoration of North Pacific Cannery benefitted from PNW donations and supported these projects"
Looking towards the future, Mayor MacDonald reminds residents of the District that the councils philosophy of being "Open for Business" will continue, while also thanking the larger region for its support and the opportunity for Port Edward to be engaged in discussions about projects that can have a positive impact on the region.
You can review the Port Edward Mayor's full commentary for the community here.
Mayor MacDonald's letter to residents is just the latest of correspondences from local politicians related to the Pacific NorthWest LNG cancellation.
Also heard over the last 48 hours have been MLA Jennifer Rice, as well as MP Nathan Cullen.
That leaves only Prince Rupert Mayor Lee Brain as keeping a low profile when it comes to most talked about news event of thew week in the region.
As of Friday morning, the City had still not issued any form of information release for the public related to the decision from Petronas to bring to an end its North Coast plans., whether through the city website or Mayor Brain's Facebook page
For more items related to the now cancelled project see our archive page here.
More notes on developments from Port Edward can be reviewed here.
Meanwhile the full-time Mayor of Prince Rupert remains silent.
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