The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, along with Crime Stoppers, are offering a private reward of up to $100,000 for any information leading to the arrest and charge of those who raided a Coastal GasLink work camp in February and caused millions of dollars in damage.
Nearly ten months have passed since the RCMP initiated their investigation into acts of violence and extensive damage inflicted at the work camp near Houston, B.C. in February.
The people working on this pipeline are highly trained and skilled and are building an incredible national legacy of which we can all be proud,
ICBA President Chris Gardner said in a statement issued Monday. Their expertise and hard work should be upheld as an example of Canadian ingenuity and exceptionalism. They deserve no less than a full investigation and the assurance that the perpetrators of this attack will be held accountable and brought to justice. ICBA is proud to stand up for construction and energy workers and offer this reward.
Shortly after midnight on February 17, Houston RCMP was called to the Marten Forest Service Road CGL security reported that about 20 people, some armed with axes, were attacking security guards and smashing their vehicle windows at their work site.
Police attended and discovered various objects placed along the route on the forestry roads in order to impede passage. Downed trees, tar covered stumps, wire, boards with spikes in them, and fires had been lit throughout the debris at the 41 km mark, and an old school bus blocked the 43 km mark.
The RCMP has conducted a number of interviews and followed up on several leads. However, there has not been any new tips or information received in recent months that would positively identify the people responsible for these violent acts.
The amount of destruction and extreme violent behaviour by these criminals went far beyond the scope of protesting an issue,
said Supt. John Brewer, Gold Commander of the Community-Industry Response Group. They have victimized innocent individuals who were simply doing their job. We know there are people out there who have information on these perpetrators, and we’re urging you to do the right thing and call us. Allow the police to hold them accountable.
Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers executive director Lina Annis said Crimestoppers is pleased to support the endeavour and information passed onto Crime Stoppers can be provided anonymously.
It’s reasonable to assume someone with knowledge of such a crime might fear retribution if they spoke with anyone about it. But please be assured, Crime Stoppers never collects personal information. In the decades we’ve been in operation, we have never identified any of our tipsters. They are never contacted again by us or the police or have to testify in court. We encourage anyone to contact us about any crime, whether it’s relatively small in scope, or as costly and dangerous as this case.
Anyone with information about this incident or know who the individuals are, is asked to please contact the Houston RCMP at (250) 845-2204. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a message on their website at Solvecrime.ca.
