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This time it IS in my Backyard! I’m a Stakeholder, not an International Expert

This time It IS in my backyard! Can I practice what I preach?
Originally published on Triple Pundit – http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/08/time-backyard-can-practice-preach/
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Looking out from my backyard near the proposed site of a major LNG facility |
Last week a major LNG project was announced for my backyard, 2 ½ miles from my home on Vancouver Island in Canada and right beside where I love to catch prawns and crabs with my little boat.
Major resource project. In my backyard.
It is a partnership between an Indigenous Tribe, the Malahat First Nation and Steelhead LNG of Vancouver. The project is a floating LNG platform to liquefy natural gas for export to global markets. It is planned for Indigenous owned land just down the shore from my home of nearly 20 years. See project description here. On the surface it seems an ideal example of an Indigenous/non-indigenous business partnership; strategic and impactful.
But, for me, suddenly I am not the ‘international expert’ but one of the ‘local stakeholders’. And already I am being bombarded with outrageous ‘facts’ seeking to ensure I oppose the project. It is different, but somehow still the same.
Here is what I know (or don’t know, as the case may be).
Certainty? Are you kidding? Despite the claims and the certainty of opponents and proponents, we don’t know the social, environmental or even economic impacts with any degree of certainty. They will become known as things move forward. An informed, vigorous and comprehensive discussion is necessary in order to know if this project makes social, economic and environmental sense.
The Malahat Tribe is economically marginalized and deserves better. The Status Quo is not fair. Surrounded by non-indigenous people who are relatively comfortable economically, the Malahat First Nation has 80% unemployment and has somehow been excluded from much of the economic opportunity that has occurred around them over the past 100 years.
The Malahat Nation created a huge socio-economic development opportunity for themselves, they deserve a chance to see if it can be developed in an acceptable way.
Steelhead LNG is impressive. For some time I’ve admired how Steelhead has engaged and consulted First Nations and developed collaborative partnerships and mechanisms for ensuring local benefit and value from Steelhead’s LNG projects.
Not just sideshow value, but meaningful upside participation and long-term value creation. It is impressive. They have integrated Corporate Social Responsibility into their core business strategy. I was so impressed that I have had Steelhead’s CEO address one of my Corporate Social Responsibility programs.
Opposition helps make the project better. No project comes out of the gate without room for improvement. The probes, queries and analysis of investors makes the financial and business model stronger.
Similarly, social and environmental opponents and criticism help to identify opportunities to improve social impacts and environmental performance.