B.C. greenlights LNG pipeline despite First Nation opposition

THE#BCBIZDAILY
Plus, waiting for the feds to deliver on pot and making it easier to sell strata land for development

Pipe permission
TransCanada Corporation has received final permits from the BC Oil and Gas Commission for the construction and operation of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline project. The permits cover the entire 900-kilometre route from north of Hudson’s Hope to near Prince Rupert plus the construction of three compressor stations and a meter station where the gas will be delivered to the Pacific NorthWest (PNW) LNG facility on Lelu Island.

The project has not yet received approval from the federal government approval or Lax Kw’alaams Band, which has issued a statement saying it is not in active negotiations with Pacific Northwest LNG. Earlier this year, the band rejected a $1-billion offer from Pacific Northwest LNG, who have proposed a seperate terminal on the island.

Pipe dreams
Just 11 marijuana dispensaries have cleared the first hurdle to receiving a business licence from the city of Vancouver—there were 176 applications—but other cannabis capitalists are counting on the federal Liberals’ election promise to legalize marijuana. At least one dispensary owner is hoping the Canadian Cannabis Coalition will appeal and secure injunctions for the stores that have had their applications denied to buy time until marijuana is legalized federally, and American investors are taking an interest in Canadian cannabis-related businesses.

Strata sphere
Proposed provincial legislation would make it easier for strata property owners to terminate the strata and sell the land, according to a blog post by a lawyer at Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP. If the legislation is passed, owners could cancel a strata plan with a resolution passed by an 80 per cent vote; currently it must be unanimous. The changes would make it easier for owners to avoid costly repairs to strata buildings approaching their end of life and sell the land, potentially seeing a significant gain on their investment, depending on the land’s value and redevelopment potential.