Lelu Island is an island of the Range 5 Coast Land District, of British Columbia, Canada,[1] located in the Skeena Estuary between Smith and Ridley Islands.[2] Historically it has been inhabited by area First Nations.[2] Immediately southwest and associated with the island is the Flora Bank, a unique geomorphic feature supporting a critical fish habitat.[3]
Native name: Lax U’u’la | |
|---|---|
 The North End of Lax U’u’la in Winter | |
  Lelu Island | |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 54°11′59″N 130°17′19″W / 54.19972°N 130.28861°W[1] |
Proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG export facility
editPetronas made a proposal for a liquefied natural gas export facility on this island in 2013. In September 2015, members of Lax Kw'alaams Nation began occupation of a camp on the island in opposition to the facility.[4] In April 2016, the Prince Rupert Port Authority ordered a stop to construction of the camp.[5] In September 2016, the Canadian federal government approved the project[6] with 190 conditions, but members of the Lax Kw'alaams nation maintained their camp opposing the project.[7]
The proposal had previously been opposed by unanimous vote but then supported[8] by John Helin the mayor of the Lax Kw'alaams First Nation while still finding opposition among its hereditary chiefs, and is supported by Premier of British Columbia Christy Clark.[9]
On July 25, 2017, Petronas announced they were abandoning the proposed export facility.[10] The reasons for ending the project included market factors as well as political opposition.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b "Lelu Island". BC Geographical Names.
- ^ a b Prepared by Adrian Clark (13 December 2013). "Aboriginal Use and Occupancy of Lelu Island, 1793 to 1846" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-09-30.
- ^ Prepared by Asit Mazumder (June 2016). "Pacific NorthWest LNG Project: A review and assessment of the project plans and their potential impacts on marine fish and fish habitat in the Skeena estuary" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-09-02.
- ^ "B.C. First Nations divided over Lelu Island LNG amid protests". CBC News. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ "Anti-LNG protesters in Prince Rupert told to stop camping at Lelu Island". CBC News. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ "Ottawa approves Pacific NorthWest LNG project for B.C. coast". CBC News. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ "Indigenous campers stage year-long protest to keep LNG at bay on Lelu Island, B.C." CBC News. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ McCarthy, Shawn (18 March 2016). "Lax Kw'alaam Band gives green light to Pacific NorthWest – with conditions". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ Lukacs, Martin (20 March 2016). "By rejecting $1bn for a pipeline, a First Nation has put Trudeau's climate plan on trial". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- ^ "TransCanada Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project – Overview". www.transcanada.com. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ "What killed the $36-billion Pacific NorthWest LNG project?". Global News. Retrieved 2018-03-17.