An offer to council from the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) to cohost a meeting regarding the proposed Enbridge pipeline was accepted by councillors last week.
Ross Hoffman, chair of First Nations studies at the university asked council, via a letter, if they would be interested in facilitating a public education forum on Enbridge's Northern Gateway project.
According to Hoffman, the forum will provide an opportunity for local residents to become informed about the Northern Gateway project through listening to a range of perspectives on the merit of the project.
Proposed speakers include; a representative from Enbridge, a local community member who supports the project, a representative from the local community who does not support the project and a representative from local a First Nation community.
"We envision these forums taking place over a series of evenings from Feb. 28 to March 4, 2011."
Councillor Eileen Benedict said that she feels council should accept the invitation to cohost the local event.
She went on to say that it would be a good idea to accept as council with the help of the Lakes Economic Development Association were considering holding a similar forum sometime this year.
“The pipeline is proposed to come through pretty close to our community so it is important, I think we should cohost," Coun. Benedict added, A motion was made and approved by councillors to offer to cohost the up and coming meeting, however no formal. The decision to cohost comes after council refused an invitation to cohost a locally organized pipeline forum as well as opting out of the ThinkPipeline Tour that stopped in Burns Lake last year,.