New Pipeline points North from Squamish

Squamish is going to see its fair share of construction this summer. The most obvious is the Sea to Sky highway upgrades. Some Whistler commuters might be wondering what the new black and yellow “SURERUS” signs northbound on 99 near Alice Lake are for?

Another infrastructure project is taking flight from our locale. Fort St. John based Surerus Pipeline has announced that it will be building a natural gas connector line from Squamish to Whistler.

Until now, propane has been the mainstay of the RMOW. Natural gas produces lower CO2 emissions than propane and pipelines have a better safety record than rail for transporting propane. Currently propane is transported to Whistler with rail cars.

The actual pipeline is owned by Terasen Gas and Suereus actually won the contract through Kiewett and Sons.

Surerus President and founder Brian Surerus stated “We are pleased to see that a significant portion of the work being undertaken to make Whistler and area ready to host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games is being completed by a major pipeline construction firm based in Northern BC – extending the benefits across the Province.”

The local economy should see some benefit as well. During the 90 day project, approximately 25 people will work on the project. The pipeline will stretch from Depot Road to Rubble Creek.

“Our crews are camping, staying in hotels and renting condos in Squamish. We will be obtaining our fuel and lots of services in Squamish. There also will be some local hiring.” Says Surerus.

It seems that Squamish has only just begun to fill its role as an infrastructure epicenter for 2010.

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