FortisBC is considering leasing land in the old BC Rail property in the Industrial Park to support its Eagle Mountain to Woodfibre LNG pipeline project.
If the lease does pull through, Fortis would be using the land at the BCR Properties Ltd. on Government Road, which is part of District Lot 4262, according to a statement the company issued to The Squamish Chief.
The parcel identifier of the land is 013-336-282.
This lease would be for a construction laydown yard to assist with tunnelling activities associated with the upcoming pipeline that will supply the Woodfibre export facility with LNG.
“We are currently assessing the opportunity to use a portion of this land to support pipeline construction activities starting in 2023,” reads a statement from the company.
“There is insufficient space to use the lease area as a construction laydown yard beyond 2023.”
Due to the insufficient space, Fortis is still pursuing its application for a temporary use permit for a laydown yard up the Mamquam River Forest Service Road, the statement said.
“We continue to work with the District of Squamish on the temporary use permit application we have submitted for our proposed construction laydown yard near the intersection of the Mamquam River Forest Service Road and Powerhouse Springs Road,” reads the message.
Fortis did not directly answer a portion of The Squamish Chief’s request for comment, which asked if the BC Rail lease was being considered due to the possibility that — even if the temporary use permit on the Mamquam River FSR is approved — the site will still not be ready in time for the beginning of the pipeline’s construction.
Separate from the laydown yard, the utility also has a temporary use permit application for a workers’ camp that will temporarily house employees for the duration of the pipeline’s construction. If the application succeeds, that facility is expected to be built on a seven-hectare property owned by Lafarge Canada.
It would be built and operated by ATCO. It would have 576 beds, with a peak of 600 workers in the summer of 2025.
That area would be accessible via the Mamquam River FSR, up Powerhouse Springs Road. It’s also close to Quest University, which has prompted some speculation that Fortis may consider renting out the university’s facilities. Fortis has neither confirmed nor denied these rumours.
