Eagle Spirit Energy updates Lax Kw'alaams community on oil terminal proposal

Eagle Spirit Energy would
like to develop an oil shipment
terminal at Grassy Point

While members of Lax Kw'alaams Band were attending meetings last week and providing their input to their elected council on issues related to the Petronas plans for Lelu Island, another discussion was apparently taking place in the community on another energy project.

Last Friday proponents of the Eagle Spirit Energy Project were also in Lax Kw'alaams, delivering another update when it comes to their plans for an oil terminal development near the community.

Earlier this week, a collection of  Lax Kw'alaams residents offered some background on that session by way of a media release, offering up some impressions related to the May 8th presentation.

According to the information backgrounder, the purpose of the meeting last week was to request community permission for the signing of an Exclusivity and Benefits Agreement related to their proposed oil shipment terminal for the Grassy Point area.

A proposed development that would see upgraded/refined crude delivered by pipeline to the shipment terminal near the Lax Kw'alaams community.

Some of the notes from the session as delivered by the media release, offered up perceptions from the community related to economic and social conditions at Lax Kw'alaams and how some in that community believe that the Eagle Spirit proposal is one worth supporting.

"We have lost our opportunities in the fishing industry, our children are going to school hungry sometimes, many elders live in poverty, and many youth feel there are no opportunities. We have to say yes to projects that protect the environment and offer us real opportunities in a way that respects the environment and our culture."

Other commentary from the Friday meeting also outlined what some believe Eagle Spirit offers as part of their proposal.

"Our community has taken a first step to building a better future where we have a real partnership based on trust. We are looking forward to developing this project further with Eagle Spirit."

It should be noted however, that while the media release suggests some support for the proposed project in the community, at the moment there is no mention of last Friday's meeting on the official Lax Kw'alaams Band Council website or through the community's Facebook page.

Nor, is there any form of response to some of the claims from the press release of this week.

Also missing from any public notes through those community information options is an indication as to what stage, if any, the proposal may be at with the Band Council.

You can review the full information release related to the Eagle Spirit meeting of Friday here.

There hasn't been much information related to the Eagle Spirit plans of late, what has been provided in the past can be reviewed from our archive page.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review