Apparent Arson On Edge Community Smithers Exclamation

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The small town of Smithers was already a tense community with issues ranging from COVID-19 to divisions over resource projects to a general feeling of rising crime.

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So the apparent arson early Wednesday, which destroyed or damaged eight vehicles, including four RCMP vehicles, sent shockwaves through the system.

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Smithers Mayor Gladys Attrill said Thursday, “We’re just trying to get out of a time when people felt insecure.” There are, and things like this happen.

And while there’s the lure of communities to think that the conflict over the coastal gaslink pipeline project is the source of crime, Atrill says it’s not particularly helpful at this point.

RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Madonna Sanderson did not provide an update Thursday on the investigation into the incident, which she characterized as an apparent targeted attack on an emergency services vehicle.

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However, Atrill said one of the RCMP vehicles was reportedly bearing the letters C-IRG, but said the incident was shocking and did not rush to conclusions.

“I understand how people come to such conclusions,” Atrill says. “This is only my view at this time. The RCMP is in the early stages of its investigation, but we cannot help ourselves by speculating or making the situation any more dramatic.” .”

Smithers feels that’s at the heart of the pipeline’s problems. This has benefited local businesses, but continues to be opposed by some hereditary chieftains of the Wetthweten Indigenous people, a town of 5,400 people.

“It’s been hard for the community, no doubt about it,” Atrill says. “Some people are very much in favor of industrial development, some are very much against it. And there is also the issue of indigenous rights.”

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And according to local resident Etienne Saint-Onge, part of the community’s reaction seems to have been wrapped in general frustration over the prevalence of crime and the lack of consequences. He said there was an underlying feeling that it was terrorism, an attack on police over the issue.

“But there are also a lot of people who are angry because our town is getting a little out of control in terms of violence and intrusions,” he added.

Etienne recalls being stabbed in town recently, knows other people who have been robbed, has his own bike stolen, and has his hands tied because the police lack the resources to make an arrest. There seems to be

“So people are leaving… someone has to do something,” St-Onge said.

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Atrill said there was growing concern, but the official statistics supporting that sentiment are outdated, but further fears have sparked debate about resuming Smithers Citizen’s Patrol Volunteer surveillance program.

Former volunteer Bob Bobick said interest in the volunteer program waned during the pandemic, but increased over the summer, and a community meeting was set for re-establishing the patrol in early November.

St-Onge said he fears people will “start ranting and then ranting at everyone.”

“We have a social problem now, and if we don’t speak up, the social problem will continue,” St-Onge said.

depenner@postmedia.com

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