BC Hydro awards largest single contract for Site C

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The provincial government and BC Hydro have announced a 1.5-billion dollar contract for the Site C hydro-electric dam on the Peace River, the largest single contract ever awarded by BC Hydro.

Awarding the pact — to ACCIONA Infrastructure, Petrowest Corporation and Samsung — means the mega-project is now almost unstoppable.

Premier Christy Clark says she’s not concerned the dam could be derailed by legal challenges.

“Although there are always going to be legal challenges in this world to any kind of infrastructure project, I”m really confident that the courts will find that BC Hydro has done its job.”

Clark says construction will employ First Nations and people in the northeast first, other BC residents second — and will put 15-hundred people to work before the dam is up and running by 2024.

The West Moberly First Nation is one of several groups with outstanding legal challenges against the megaproject over concerns about the impact flooding and the creation of a new lake will have on the Peace River and the surrounding valley.

Moberly Chief Roland Willson described the province’s decision to carry on with construction as a “standard tactic” used against opponents of infrastructure projects.

“They try and get as much done to go in front of the courts and say, ‘Well look, we’ve spent all this money. You can’t shut us down now,”’ he said in an interview on Wednesday.

“I hope (the province) doesn’t get too far involved because there’s still a strong possibility we could get this project shut down.”

Ken Boon of the Peace Valley Landowners Association was similarly disappointed by the news, adding that B.C. is “making a big mistake” by pushing the project forward in the face of ongoing legal battles.

Boon dismissed what he saw as the province’s disproportionate focus on the employment that would be generated by Site C.

“If you’re going to spend $9 billion of public money you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that lots of jobs are going to be created,” he said.

Boon added that his group, which is also suing the province, is not opposed to job creation: “We’re arguing that there are a lot better ways to create those same jobs without destroying a river valley, and probably getting more bang for your buck.

“This is stupid to the last drop of the Peace River.”

The Sierra Club of B.C. also spoke out against the contract, which spokeswoman Ana Simeon described as another step toward flooding the Peace River Valley and destroying a “unique food oasis” capable of producing food for a million people.

Premier Christy Clark dismissed concerns over the legal wranglings, saying she was confident in the years of preparation work done by Hydro.

The clean energy that Site C will produce is vital to Canada’s contribution to fighting climate change, she said.

“There is no better example of environmental protection and job creation in British Columbia I would argue no better example in all of Canada,” she said. “It doesn’t get cleaner than hydro.”

The partnership that is expected to be awarded the $1.5 billion contract made up of Acciona Infrastructure Canada, Petrowest Corporation and Samsung is one of four groups shortlisted in April of this year. BC Hydro predicted the eight-year contract would create 1,500 jobs at its peak.

Opposition New Democrat Leader John Horgan said he wants the premier to send the entire project the B.C. Utilities Commission for a review on whether to proceed.

“I think we’re building it before its time,” said Horgan. “I’d rather have someone else other than Christy Clark tell me this is a good idea.”

Horgan suggested an NDP government would consider cancelling the project even if construction was underway following the 2017 B.C. election.