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Khelsilem wasn’t available for an interview on Thursday, but in his statement said holding Woodfibre and Fortis accountable during the lifespan of the liquefied natural gas plant, including through to its decommissioning, is the First Nation’s next priority.

“As agreed by the proponents, we will be co-developing management plans for the project and will have our own monitors on the ground to report on any non-compliance with cultural, employment and training conditions,” Khelsilem said.

Negotiating the impact and benefit agreements were a condition of the Squamish Nation’s own environmental assessment of the Woodfibre LNG proposal, and a key issue for the company to resolve before starting construction.

“With this vote (by the Squamish Nation) and what the provincial government has done, there are really no domestic issues that should hold us up,” said Byng Giraud, Woodfibre’s vice-president of corporate affairs.

Giraud said the company still has to team up with Squamish Nation representatives to write nine management plans governing environmental protection, but Woodfibre expects to issue notice that it is proceeding with construction early in 2019.

“Notice and the start of construction are two different things,” Giraud said. “Notice means we’re authorizing money for long-lead items.”

Giraud expects significant work to start on the site, the old Woodfibre pulp and paper mill site southwest of Squamish on Howe Sound, next fall.