A Kitimat resident鈥檚 frustration over construction noise near her home has prompted council to ask LNG Canada to formally address her concerns as the company prepares for remedial work at the Minette Bay South salt marsh.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how they have permission to cause such a huge disturbance right next to me,鈥� said Vivian Moon, whose home sits about 90 metres from the project site. 鈥淲hen they last did this I couldn鈥檛 get away from the noise and vibration. I would retreat to the other side of the house only to be hit with the LNG pile driving banging away. Once I was awaken at 6 am and checked my phone to see if there was an earthquake.鈥�
Moon, who spoke during the April 15 council meeting, criticized LNG Canada鈥檚 interpretation of local noise bylaws. She said the company鈥檚 plan to stop noise-generating work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. still violated the District of Kitimat鈥檚 regulations, which call for quiet hours between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. in winter and 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. during summer months.
LNG Canada is seeking access to a portion of District Lot 471 to conduct corrective work in the southern salt marshes, using roads and a laydown area developed under a previous lease. The project, part of federally mandated fisheries offsets, was constructed between 2019 and 2022. Monitoring since then has revealed deficiencies that now require repairs.
Council had issued a public notice on March 20 regarding its intent to allow continued access to the site. Moon was the sole respondent during the comment period, expressing her concerns about noise, vibrations and a lack of prior notification dating back to 2018.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 notified in 2018 when this first started with falling trees even though my door is only steps away,鈥� she said, also recounting how her previous complaints were not escalated. 鈥淎nother time I had called the RCMP about the noise because it was after 11 p.m. They did come down but didn鈥檛 think there was anything that could be done. I gave up but here we are again.鈥�
Councillor Gerry Leibel introduced a motion supporting the option that includes a request for LNG Canada to engage with Moon over her concerns. 鈥淩equesting LNG Canada to do this is not unreasonable, and I suspect they would do this anyway. This just puts it on paper that we鈥檙e asking them to consult with the property owner,鈥� said Leibel.
Alaura Bruce, project lead for LNG Canada, said the company has already engaged with Moon and was 鈥渕ore than willing鈥� to continue the dialogue with her and other Strawberry Meadows residents. Bruce emphasized that the current work is smaller in scale than the original construction and added that LNG Canada would shut down operations if noise levels exceed allowable thresholds.
Bruce outlined steps taken since September 2024 to address community concerns, including multiple monthly communications, in-person meetings, advance notice of public comment periods, and a commitment to conduct noise monitoring throughout the project. LNG Canada has also pledged to follow bylaws, avoid truck routes through residential areas, reduce equipment idling and use quieter machinery where possible.
District CAO Warren Waycheshen told council the revenue from this new agreement could be reallocated to one of several reserve funds, including the Ecological Restoration and Minette Bay West Reserve. This followed concerns from resident Lani Gibson, who questioned why funds from the use of parkland might go into the general budget when the original lease funds supported environmental projects.
Council will revisit the matter in a future session to finalize the financial allocations.
