Police vehicles damaged or destroyed in suspected torching in Smithers

In what police suspect was a targeted attack, eight vehicles, including four RCMP cruisers, were damaged or completely destroyed by fire in a Smithers hotel parking lot early morning Wednesday.

At 4:30 a.m., RCMP were called to the scene at the Sunshine Inn, located at 3880 Fourth Ave. in the community 371 kilometres west of Prince George.

"Preliminary investigation indicates this is an arson and we are asking for the public's assistance in providing information so that the person, or persons involved may be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," RCMP Cpl. Madonna Saunderson said in a statement.

Police issued photos of the incident gleaned from video surveillance cameras from surrounding business and are asking for any dashcam video from people who were travelling between Houston and Smithers or New Hazelton and Smithers between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Wednesday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Smithers RCMP at 250-847-3233.

The community of 5,700 people is in the region where a controversial portion of the Coastal GasLink pipeline is currently under construction.

A site about 60 kilometres south of Houston, in turn 61 kilometres west of Smithers, was the scene of blockades by a group opposed to the project that led to an RCMP raid and a series of arrests over six days between Sept. 27 and Nov. 29, 2021.

Nineteen of the people arrested are facing criminal contempt of court for allegedly violating a court-ordered injunction against blockading the site. The matter has been transferred from Prince George to B.C. Supreme Court in Smithers and closer to where most of those arrested live.

And in February, a group of about 20 people wearing masks and camouflage and wielding hatchets caused millions of damage to heavy equipment parked in the area before vanishing into the wilderness. No arrests have been made in relation to the incident.

Asked if any of the vehicles damaged Wednesday were Coastal GasLink's, an unidentified spokesperson for the project's parent company, TC Energy did not answer directly, saying that according to news reports, a number of RCMP and emergency response vehicles were damaged.

"We are thankful that no one was injured during this attack. Whatever the motivation, these types of attacks, including today’s, have no place in Canada," the spokeperson said in an email.

"Our top priority remains the safety of those in the area, including our workforce, contractors, and Indigenous and local community members. Out of an abundance of caution, we have enhanced security measures at our worksites in the area. As the situation evolves, we remain in close contact with our prime contractors, our workforce, and the authorities."

The 670-kilometre pipeline is being built to deliver natural gas from the B.C. Peace to a liquified natural gas facility under construction in Kitimat.

The project is more than 75 per cent complete and employs more than 6,300 people, the spokesperson said.

"We are proud of the relationships that we have with Indigenous and local communities along the project corridor, including with all 20 elected Indigenous groups along the route, and those we have signed option agreements with for 10 per cent equity in the project. We are focused on safely completing construction to deliver lasting benefits for Indigenous and local communities, BC, and Canada for decades to come."