With the general local election to be held on Oct. 17, this will come back to the incoming board.
The discussion was sparked by a director's report submitted by outgoing Area D director Tony Rainbow, who is retiring after this term.
He floated the idea that perhaps the SLRD could get a share of the Woodfibre LNG property tax paid to the District of Squamish.
In the report, Rainbow included a recommendation that “considering the current and future impact of the WLNG operation on the shores of Howe Sound and on the communities of Britannia Beach and Furry Creek, the SLRD Board appoint a committee to meet with the District of Squamish council to consider the sharing of the property taxes to be paid by WLNG.”
“This money would be held in trust by the SLRD to be spent mostly in Britannia Beach, but also in Furry Creek and along the shoreline of the sound on both the east and west shores,” Rainbow wrote.
“B.C. has no provision for taxing a company to mitigate the effects of its activities on communities that are outside of the jurisdiction that collects the property taxes … The only entity that can mitigate this situation is the regional district of which the District of Squamish is a named member.”
Rainbow said at the meeting that his proposal was a response to concerns and complaints he receives often from Britannia Beach and Furry Creek residents.
Rainbow said he understood that once construction is complete, WLNG will use less obtrusive lighting, but there will “obviously” be noise from flaring, and increased shipping which will affect local residents and infrastructure, he said.
Rainbow’s report also states that after construction is complete, the operation of the plant will have less impact on Squamish, but the impacts in Britannia Beach specifically will continue for decades to come.
He said in the meeting that given Howe Sound is a UNESCO Biosphere Region, and will be impacted by the LNG project, the SLRD should be doing what it can to address those impacts.
“We were very proud to express our support for the biosphere region. And what does that mean? I think it probably means that we should consider impacts on the sound from industry within our region.”
In the meeting, Rainbow said the Britannia Beach dock needs a “significant investment” to withstand “the kind of marine traffic that we're going to be getting over the next 40 years.”
Rainbow acknowledged, however, that since submitting his report he understands that there could be legal implications of his proposal, which need to be understood more fully.
“We need to understand what those implications are. … I guess what I'm hoping is that this board will demonstrate that it does understand the impacts on Area D residents, and we are prepared to do something to assist,” Rainbow said.
Thus a motion was put forward by Chair Jen Ford to recommend to the board that staff look at impacts of the project.
“I don't want to get too prescriptive. … I would like our staff to have the ability to go and engage in this process and come back to a future meeting with what they find out,” Ford said.
“We've understood through all of the years that we've all attended Howe Sound Community Forums that regional districts often are forgotten,” she also said.
“We saw, certainly in the past, Britannia Mine’s impact on Howe Sound and the biosphere and the glass sponge reefs. It is our responsibility to steward these lands and waters responsibly so we certainly want to have those conversations.”
Village of Pemberton director Mike Richman seconded Ford’s motion.
“I totally empathize with the communities down there getting impacted,” Richman said. “It's something that we see across the province, and I'd be happy to take part in addressing that. So I support the motion and look forward to the conversation.
District of Squamish director Jenna Stoner called the impacts of WLNG on residents of Howe Sound East “substantive.”
“This is an important conversation to be having. I appreciate seeking some direction on how we might be able to seek compensation for those impacts in ways that will involve the community and the company,” she said.
As noted, the issue will come to a future board meeting for consideration.
As part of the 2026 General Local Elections currently underway, the SLRD director positions for Area A and D directors are to be elected by voting (as opposed to acclaimed).
Find out where to vote on election day, Oct. 17, on the SLRD’s website.
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Ina Pace is The Squamish Chief's Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) reporter.
This reporting was produced through the LJI, which supports original civic journalism across Canada.
By Ina Pace and Jennifer Thuncher, The Squamish Chief | Copyright 2026, The Squamish Chief. All rights reserved.
