Building Canada’s LNG dreams

Christian Courier spoke with David Bakker, a superintendent with Monster Industries, about Canada’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) ambitions. Earlier this year, the federal government announced that Canada is on its way to becoming an LNG superpower with a goal of exporting 100 million tonnes per year. Canada exported its first shipment of LNG on June 30, 2025, from Kitimat, B.C., a facility that is equipped to export 14 million tonnes per year and employed up to 50,000 people during the building phase; now it has 300 full-time employees. If all of the current projects underway are completed, Canada will be about halfway to its ambitious export goal. The federal and B.C. governments are framing these projects as key to national sovereignty and trade diversification. 

Meghan Kort: From your perspective on the ground, do you think the current LNG projects in B.C. are having a positive impact on local economies?

David Bakker: Large projects create significant opportunities for local and Indigenous contractors, and once facilities move into operations, they also create long-term, well-paying skilled jobs. There are also broader benefits. Large industrial projects support local businesses, training opportunities, community organizations and social programs. They bring skilled workers and investment into communities that may not otherwise see that scale of economic activity. One challenge is attracting and retaining specialized workers in remote communities. LNG expertise has historically been based overseas or in larger urban centres and convincing people to relocate to northern B.C. can be difficult. Canada is still developing some of that expertise domestically.

MK: Have you heard anything about Asian markets shifting away from LNG? Are there real signs that the demand for LNG might not be as high as what the federal government initially hoped when they stated the 100 million tonne goal?

DB: Three of LNG Canada’s five joint-venture partners are Chinese, Japanese and Korean companies, and another is Malaysian. These companies made a very large, long-term investment in the project. I think it is reasonable to assume that future demand and Asian energy markets were heavily considered before those investments were made. Each joint-venture partner takes and markets its own share of the LNG produced in Kitimat, and the facility is strategically positioned to serve Asian markets. LNG Canada also has a 40-year export licence, so this was clearly developed as a long-term project rather than something based on only a few years of demand. I don’t claim to be an expert on geopolitical energy markets, and those markets could certainly change over a 40-year period. But from the project side, there is clearly substantial confidence from major international energy companies that there will continue to be a market for LNG.

MK: Do you think there’s a gap between what most Canadians know about LNG and the reality?

DB: I don’t think most Canadians fully appreciate the scale of these projects or the effect they have on local, provincial and national economies. Even living in northern B.C., it can be difficult to understand how large a facility like LNG Canada really is until you are involved with it. I also think there is a major knowledge gap around how natural gas gets from the ground to an LNG carrier. The extraction, transportation, treatment, liquefaction and loading process is extremely complex. I work directly around the cooling and liquefaction side of the industry, and I’m still constantly learning about it. I do think Canadians would benefit from understanding the complete process before forming strong opinions about the industry.

MK: What is exciting to you about the future of LNG and Canada? Do you think there is a good news story that critics are missing?

DB: Coming from an industrial construction background, having the largest private-sector energy investment in Canadian history essentially in my backyard is pretty incredible. What excites me most is seeing the opportunities it creates for people in northern B.C. People are getting trades training, developing specialized skills and moving into high-paying careers without necessarily having to leave their communities. These projects aren’t just statistics about exports or investment. They translate into apprenticeships, careers, local businesses and ultimately meals on Canadian families’ tables.

MK: For Christians who are concerned about creation care and think fossil fuels should stay in the ground, what would you say?

DB: I think we’re past the point where the question is simply whether society should use fossil fuels at all. Modern society still relies heavily on them in transportation, heating, manufacturing, agriculture and many other areas. To me, the more practical question is: how do we meet those needs while reducing the environmental impact as much as reasonably possible? Natural gas is used around the world for home heating, electricity generation and industry. Alternatives such as electricity, coal and other energy sources all have their own environmental impacts, depending on how they are produced. That doesn’t mean environmental concerns should be dismissed. Quite the opposite. Industry needs to be developed and operated responsibly, with strong environmental standards, monitoring and accountability. I think Canada’s opportunity is to demonstrate that natural resources can be developed while maintaining very high environmental expectations.