Energy Hearings
The Northern Gateway Joint Review Panel has released its schedule for first round hearings for the Northern Gateway Pipeline.
The panel will visit most of the towns along the pipeline route and the coast. One surprise is that the bulk of the northwestern hearings will be held in Prince Rupert, not Kitimat as expected. Kitimat, where the pipeline will reach the sea and where the terminal will be gets just two days of hearings. There will be eight days of formal hearings in Prince Rupert. While this may be a logistical decision, there isn’t that much accommodation available in Kitimat, the decision shows that the panel seems to consider Kitimat no different than any other community along the pipeline route. Prince Rupert is not on the planned pipeline route (at least at this time) There are also six days of hearings in Edmonton, which is logical, since that city is the headquarters of the energy industry.
Here is the schedule as posted on the website of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
| Location | Venue | Date and Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kitimat, BC | Riverlodge Recreation Center 654 Columbia Avenue West |
10 and 11 January 2012 Starting at 9:00 a.m. |
| Terrace, BC | Sportsplex 3320 Kalum Street |
12 January 2012 Starting at 1:00 p.m. |
| Smithers, BC | Hudson Bay Lodge and Convention Centre 3251 East Highway 16 |
16 January 2012 Starting at 9:00 a.m. |
| Burns Lake, BC | Island Gospel Fellowship Church 810 Highway 35 |
17 January 2012 Starting at 1:00 p.m. |
| Prince George, BC | Ramada Hotel Downtown 444 George Street |
18 January 2012 Starting at 6:00 p.m. |
| Edmonton, AB | Wingate Inn Edmonton West Hotel 18220 – 100th Avenue |
24, 25, 26, 27, 30 and 31 January 2012 Starting at 9:00 a.m. |
| Fort St. James, BC | Royal Canadian Legion, Branch no. 268 330 – 4th Avenue East |
2 February 2012 Starting at 9:00 a.m. |
| Bella Bella, BC | Heiltsuk Elders Building | 3 February 2012 Starting at 6:30 p.m. 4 February 2012 Starting at 9:00 a.m. |
| Prince Rupert, BC | North Coast Meeting and Convention Centre 240 – 1st Avenue West |
16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 February 2012 Starting at 9:00 a.m. |
| Masset, BC | Howard Phillips Community Hall 1590 Cook Street | 28 February 2012 Starting at 9:00 a.m. |
| Queen Charlotte City, BC | Queen Charlotte Community Hall134 Bay Street | 29 February 2012 Starting at 1:00 p.m. |
| Grande Prairie, AB | Quality Hotel and Conference Centre 11201 – 100 Avenue |
26 March 2012 Starting at 6:00 p.m. 27 and 28 March 2012 Starting at 9:00 a.m. |
| Courtenay, BC | To be determined | 30 and 31 March and 2 and 3 April 2012 Starting at 9:00 a.m. |
Other locations where the venue availability and logistics have not yet been confirmed include: Klemtu, BC, Hartley Bay, BC, Kitkatla, BC and Bella Coola, BC.
After the Panel has heard all oral evidence, it will then hear oral statements and will follow this estimated schedule.
| Estimated Time Frame | Activity |
|---|---|
| Late March – July 2012 | Oral statements from registered participants who live in or near the proposed Project area. |
| September – October 2012 | Final hearings where the applicant, intervenors, government participants and the Panel will question those who have presented oral or written evidence. |
| November 2012 – March 2013 | Oral statements from registered participants who do not live in or near the proposed Project area (i.e. Kelowna, Port Hardy, Victoria, Vancouver, and Calgary). |
| April 2013 | Final argument from the applicant, intervenors and government participants. |
That schedule means that the Joint Review Panel will not make any decision on the pipeline until the end of 2013. In the original schedule, final arguments were to be held in June 2012, with a final decision in early fall.