The proposed Northern Gateway pipeline project is now officially headquartered in Prince George.
Enbridge vice-president for western access and Prince George native Janet Holder opened the new office on Friday afternoon, calling it a homecoming for her and a change in philosophy for the company.
"It was almost a year and a half ago that the concept came up for the need to change the way we managed this project," Holder said at a reception that included local community, business and First Nations leaders. "I sort of put up my hand and said, 'I think I'd love to do this.' I didn't realize at the time that I'd actually be coming back home."
Northern Gateway is part way through the lengthy regulatory approval process for the $6.5 billion project to ship diluted bitumen from Alberta to Kitimat. If the National Energy Board and the federal cabinet give the project a green light, the company said the pipeline could be operational by 2018.
The project has run into significant opposition in B.C. and Enbridge president Al Monaco has admitted his company erred by originally running Northern Gateway out of its Alberta offices. Holder said the opening of the Prince George facility shows the company's change in thinking. By locating in Prince George, Holder said the new headquarters can service some communities located very close to the proposed right of way, like Fort St. James.
"We want to be part of the community," she said. "Basically it's who we are as a company, we really do believe we need to give back to the community, we need to be part of the community."
The new digs are located in a storefront at Parkwood Place, but Holder isn't worried about any potential security issues with the walkup location.
"We have some level of security, which of course any company would have," she said. "Frankly, I don't think we would have felt comfortable in a secure office tower, that would have just not been us, that's not what we're about."
If the pipeline secures regulatory approval and no court challenges stand in its way, the company will open a second office in the Prince George area to serve as the regional hub of operations. Enbridge also has offices in Vancouver and Kitimat.
National Energy Board hearings into the project resume in Prince George on Thursday at the Columbus Community Centre.
