Ski town letter raises eyebrows

EDMONTON •Themayorof Whistler, B.C. has written to 20 international energy companies — including two with bases in Canada — asking for money to compensate for the effects of climate change on the community.

The letter, dated Nov. 15 and signed by Mayor Jack Crompton, requests companies “begin taking financial responsibility for the climate-related harm caused in our community by (their) products.”

“We are writing to ask your company to commit to pay a fair share of the costs of climate change being experienced by Whistler. Communities around the world are increasingly expecting you to take responsibility for your products,” says Crompton’s letter.

The list of companies to which Crompton sent the letter includes Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and the Calgary offices of PetroChina. The other recipients include four Russian companies, five from the United States, and companies based in Italy, Brazil and France.

In the copy of the letter addressed to CNRL president Tim McKay, Crompton argues that Whistler, with around 12,000 permanent residents — and a few thousand seasonal workers — will bear a heavy burden as a result of climate change. In 2018, the letter says, the town spent $1.4 million on “wildfire protection” and predicts that climate modelling means less snow will fall on the ski area, harming the main local industry.

Talk of the letter has bounced around downtown Calgary in recent weeks, eliciting chuckles from those who work in the oil and gas industry. In the energy publication BOE Report, Terry Etam wrote: “Whistler spends heavily to attract tourists from around the world, perhaps you would like to step up and declare your responsibility for, and contribution to, increased CO2 emissions?”

Canadian Natural Resources replied to the mayor’s missive Friday, with a lengthy letter from McKay extolling the virtues of the sector, and asking Whistler to support “market access” for Canadian energy. “When you consider the facts above, I believe that you will come to the same conclusion that we have — Canada can and should be a leader when it comes to managing the impacts of climate change and reducing GHG emissions,” the letter said.

In a statement to the Post — provided in response to a request for an interview with the mayor — Crompton acknowledged that Whistler “benefits greatly from visitors who are able to travel here because of fossil fuels.”

Most visitors to the town — it receives three million annually, the letter says — motor along the Sea to Sky Highway, which was expanded for the 2010 Winter Games. More than 22,000 cars travel the highway each day, according to the municipality’s transportation report. And Whistler’s 12,000 residents themselves have more than 7,000 registered passenger vehicles.

“Our goal was not to ignore our own role in climate change but to encourage change and action on climate change,” said Crompton’s statement.

Cameron Proctor, the chief operating officer of PrairieSky Royalties, a firm that manages royalty lands, told the Post they were disappointed in the tone of the letter sent to CNRL and, as a result, was no longer going to attend a major investor conference CIBC is putting on in Whistler in January.

“We think that there’s a lot of misinformation energy floating around out there about Canadian energy,” Proctor said. “There’s not a lot a lot we can do today to correct that misinformation … but one thing we can do is vote with our feet and vote with our wallets.”

CNRL spokeswoman Julie Woo confirmed Friday they’ve backed out as well, but she had no additional comments when asked why.

In a video posted on Facebook Thursday night, Crompton said the purpose of the letter was to join a call to action on climate change. “I sincerely regret that anyone felt unwelcome,” he said.

West Coast Environmental Law, a firm that has helped draft letters for other municipalities, worked with Whistler on the letter and provided mailing addresses for the energy companies. Andrew Gage, a lawyer with the firm, said the goal was to start a conversation about who ought to pay for the effects of climate change.