Secret Funding Revealed Behind Anti-Chlorine Campaign in North Vancouver
In North Vancouver, a recent online campaign against a local chlorine production facility has been exposed as secretly funded by a rival company. The campaign, operated under the guise of “Keep North Vancouver Safe,” aimed to halt chlorine production at Chemtrade Logistics Inc., which operates a significant chemical plant in the area.
An investigation has uncovered that this campaign is backed by K2 Pure Solutions, a competitor of Chemtrade. K2 Pure Solutions, a company co-founded by David Cynamon, who also co-owned the Toronto Argonauts, is using the campaign to influence local government and public opinion against Chemtrade’s chlorine production.
The “Keep North Vancouver Safe” website, which masquerades as a local environmental group, has promoted alarming messages about potential chlorine disasters. Ads featured dramatic warnings about invisible chlorine gas and highlighted past chlorine accidents to sway public opinion.
Local politicians have criticized the campaign for its lack of transparency. District of North Vancouver councillor Lisa Muri and other officials expressed frustration over the anonymity of the campaign’s backers, arguing it undermines honest discourse. The campaign’s impact is currently under scrutiny as Chemtrade negotiates a lease extension for its plant, which is crucial for its operations.
K2 Pure Solutions and the public relations firm Crestview Strategies, responsible for the campaign, have defended their actions, claiming they aimed to inform residents about the potential risks associated with chlorine production. However, critics argue that such covert tactics, akin to “astroturfing,” compromise democratic transparency.
The revelation raises concerns about the ethics of using disguised campaigns to influence local politics and highlights the need for clearer regulations on grassroots lobbying efforts.