The District of Kitimat will hold a referendum to gather opinion from area residents about the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway project, the district announced January 7.
District council had stated two years ago that once the National Energy Board's Joint Panel issued its report on the project, it would turn to residents to get their input.
"The reason [for waiting until after the report was issued] would be that as the panel went through its stages, people could pick up on both sides of what was being presented," Ron Poole, chief administrative officer for the District of Kitimat, told Business in Vancouver.
"Something before that seemed a bit premature, not having all the information there."
The panel issued its report December 19, approving the project subject to 209 conditions. The January 6 District of Kitimat council meeting was the first since the holiday break.
The general sentiment of area residents is difficult to gauge, Poole said, so it is not possible to predict the referendum results at this time.
"Kitimat is an industrial community," Poole said. "We had a pulp mill, we had a methanol plant and of course we have Rio Tinto Alcan.
"At the same time, there are people that are very much concerned about this type of product in the area – a very pristine area. I couldn't even begin to [predict the results of the vote]."
The questions to be asked and voting dates will be determined in the coming weeks.
Poole said the questions may not be restricted to just whether or not residents approve of the project.
"Do we want to ask things such as marine safety? We have the proposal by David Black regarding an oil refinery, so they are going to have to wrestle with the question of, is it just the Northern Gateway or are we going to ask other questions?"
Council is set to decide on specifics of how the vote will be delivered at its next meeting on January 13.
