Thursday July 31, 2025 | KITIMAT, BC [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC] – Posted at 8:10 am
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Heading all the way to Kitimat in northwest BC, Premier David Eby and Adrian Dix brought to the attention of British Columbians, Canada and the world that BC means business.
The timing fits nicely with BC’s claim to become ‘the economic driver of Canada’, something Eby has been promoting in recent weeks, including at the recent meeting of Canada’s Premiers in Ontario earlier this month.
Not only will the revenue from the LNG Canada facility at Kitimat bring long-planned tax revenue to the Province of BC (something that former Premier John Horgan brought across the finish line) but this truly does position BC far more into the position of being “the economic engine of Canada” that Eby has been saying as of late.
And it shows BC as a leader in climate solutions given that the demand for fossil fuels will not soon abate in growing nations across the world where LNG will be a lower-emission fuel option to replace oil and coal.
As the press conference rolled on July 30, the fifth shipment of LNG Canada to Asia was currently underway, noted LNG Canada President and CEO Chris Cooper. The first shipment went out on June 30 to export markets overseas, said Cooper. Since then, three more LNG cargo shipments have happened.
The first LNG carrier to sail from the LNG facility was promoted by LNG Canada last year as an upcoming ‘watershed moment’.
Together with local First Nations and the Province, these shipments represent the launch of a new industry, said Cooper at yesterday’s media availability outdoors in nice weather. He highlighted jobs, and the economic and social benefits for people, and new revenues for government.
“It took many years of dedication and hard work by thousands of people to reach this point,” said Cooper.
Cooper took the lead at LNG Canada in April 2025, at the completion of Phase 1 construction (led by outgoing LNG Canada President and CEO Jason Klein), to advance the LNG Canada commissioning and start-up program and move into safe and responsible operations while continuing to work towards a potential Phase 2 expansion.
Milestone for BC:
At Wednesday’s outdoor announcement at Kitimat, Premier Eby seemed relaxed and nearly jubilant.
Dix seemed to show bravado and great pride at this accomplishment having been long involved in the politics that led to this moment for the province.
Many political hurdles were surmounted in recent years, including in 2019 with then-leader of the BC Green Party calling the LNG industry in BC “the biggest sellout for future generations.”
It was the BC Liberals under then Premier Christy Clark that first ignited interest and momentum in the LNG industry for BC. The NDP inherited that huge economic driver and Horgan’s new NDP government took it to the finish line.
In 2018, the LNG Canada CEO at the time, Andy Calitz, said that construction would continue on the Kitimat facility despite pipeline opposition.
With a final investment decision of $40 billion made in October 2018 providing a green light to both the LNG Canada export facility and Coastal GasLink’s pipeline to proceed into construction, the years of work with First Nations, including elected and Hereditary Chiefs, municipal, provincial and federal governments, northern communities, and thousands of people working in industry in BC, came to fruition.
Shipments:
Hundreds of jobs and billions of dollars in economic growth will result from the first shipments of liquefied natural gas from LNG Canada to Asia.
The shipments mark a historic milestone for British Columbia diversifying its trade relationships and securing its clean energy future.
“The first shipments of made-in-B.C. energy across the Pacific come at a pivotal time for our province and the country we love,” said Premier Eby.
“LNG Canada’s first shipment to Asia is a major milestone and one that positions B.C. and Canada to meet growing global demand, while highlighting our commitment to responsible energy development,” said Dix.
Building new economic strength:
“Projects like LNG Canada are the reason that B.C. will be the economic engine of a more independent Canada. It creates good jobs, opportunities that let young people build a life here in the North and generates the revenue we need to improve public services everyone relies on,” said Eby.
Premier Eby’s recent trade mission to Asia confirmed strong demand for responsibly produced energy from B.C., demand that the LNG Canada project is helping to meet.
Investment will pay off:
LNG Canada is the largest private-sector investment in Canadian history, with $40 billion committed to building the export facility in Kitimat and associated infrastructure. The project is expected to contribute 0.4% to Canada’s GDP once fully operational.
Approximately $6 billion in contracts have gone to B.C. and Indigenous businesses. The project was built in partnership with the Haisla Nation and other Indigenous communities.
The LNG Canada project has created thousands of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for people in the North and across Canada.
Since the final investment decision, the project and associated pipeline have employed 65,000 workers over roughly a six-year construction period, including more than 40,000 Canadians who have worked on the site since the start of construction.
At peak construction, there were more than 9,000 highly skilled workers at the LNG Canada site in Kitimat. More than 300 full-time permanent jobs have been created at the Kitimat facility.
Clean operations:
The Kitimat facility is seen to be one of the cleanest of its kind in the world.
Emissions are 35% lower than the best-performing global facilities, and 60% lower than the global average.
“British Columbia will produce some of the lowest-emission LNG in the world. It is imperative that we get our clean-energy resources to global markets so that we can deliver a stronger, more diversified economy for people and communities to benefit from,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions.
LNG Canada:
LNG Canada is a joint venture comprised of Royal Dutch Shell plc, through its affiliate Shell Canada Energy (40%); PETRONAS, through its wholly-owned entity, North Montney LNG Limited Partnership (25%); PetroChina Company Limited, through its subsidiary PetroChina Canada Limited (15%); Mitsubishi Corporation, through its subsidiary Diamond LNG Canada Ltd. (15%); and Korea Gas Corporation, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Kogas Canada LNG Ltd (5%). It is operated through LNG Canada Development Inc.
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