Anarchist-Affiliated Channel Highlights McElhanney Vehicle Fires in British Columbia
Executive Summary
On August 10, 2025, two McElhanney Consulting Services trucks were destroyed in suspicious fires in Smithers, BC. While no group has directly claimed responsibility, an anarchist-aligned website published detailed context linking the incident to opposition against the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline, implicitly framing it as part of an anti-extractivist campaign. The post situates the fires within a broader strategy of disrupting corporate logistics and targeting contractors connected to fossil fuel infrastructure projects in western Canada.
Key Judgments
Key Judgment 1
The timing and framing of the anarchist post suggest it is intended as an implicit claim of responsibility, despite lacking a formal statement.
Evidence: The BC Counter-Info submission appeared within hours of local media coverage and included anti-PRGT rhetoric, a list of corporate actors involved, and prior incidents targeting McElhanney vehicles.
Key Judgment 2
McElhanney’s role as a contractor providing GIS, engineering, and road design support for PRGT likely makes it a recurring target for sabotage by anti-pipeline activists.
Evidence: The anarchist post explicitly names McElhanney as involved in PRGT field data collection and road design, and connects this to earlier arson in Terrace, BC, in September 2024 against the same company’s vehicles.
Key Judgment 3
While police have labeled the fires as “suspicious” and are soliciting public tips, there is currently no publicly released evidence confirming arson or linking the event to a specific actor.
Evidence: RCMP statements to local press describe loud bangs from the blaze, an ongoing investigation, and no suspect information; no group has claimed direct responsibility in open channels.
Analysis
The incident in Smithers appears consistent with a pattern of direct action targeting corporate contractors linked to controversial resource extraction projects in British Columbia. The BC Counter-Info post reframes a developing criminal investigation into a political act of resistance, embedding it in a broader anti-extractivist narrative that rejects engagement with formal political channels.
The “Against Extractivism” content appended to the post provides an ideological framework, casting PRGT as part of a colonial-capitalist system that must be disrupted through sabotage of logistical networks. The emphasis on mapping corporate actors, construction sequences, and logistical dependencies suggests an audience of potential sympathizers who might replicate or escalate similar actions.
Given the overlap with the September 2024 Terrace arson targeting McElhanney vehicles, the Smithers fires may be part of an ongoing campaign against PRGT-linked contractors. However, absent direct attribution, the connection remains circumstantial.
