Grassy Point terminal project, north of Prince Rupert, gains ground as it would steer shipping traffic away from sheltered coastal waters.

The Coast Tsimshian village of Lax Kw'alaams north of Prince Rupert could be poised to become a liquefied natural gas centre with significant advantages over Prince Rupert and Kitimat after the province announced it has received four new LNG proposals. All four identify Grassy Point, across the harbour from Lax Kw'alaams, formerly Port Simpson, as the potential site for a terminal, reports 'The Vancouver Sun'.

The Coast Tsimshian are already involved in talks with the energy players in the nascent LNG industry in the northwest and are generally supportive of it. Of the nine proposals now before the government, six are within Coast Tsimshian territory - two at Prince Rupert and the four new proposals at Grassy Point.

Lax Kw'alaams is located on Chatham Sound, 25 kilometres north of Prince Rupert. It offers the advantage that tankers would have a direct route to Dixon Entrance from a terminal there.

Citing a member of the Coast Tsimshian economic development team, The Vancouver Sun reported that not all are likely to be built, but it was acknowledged that Grassy Point offers significant advantages over Prince Rupert.

Source: The Vancouver Sun