Site C Check In: Latest stats show more than 3,000 workers onsite

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The latest statistics released for the Site C Clean Energy Project show more than 3,000 people were working at the Peace River site in January.

In total, there were 3,186 workers. Of those, 78 per cent were from B.C.

There were 697 workers from the Peace River Regional District — that’s 27 per cent of the construction and non-construction workforce. And of that, 27 per cent were from the local area.

January saw a slight dip in apprentices, from 121 in December to 102.

According to BC Hydro, there are 10 temporary foreign workers onsite in specialized construction and non-construction positions. Additionally, there were 52 management and professionals working for Site C construction and non-construction contractors through the federal International Mobility Program.

The January snapshot showed the project employed 293 Indigenous people. The data was provided by onsite construction and non-construction contractors required to report on Indigenous inclusion in their workforce. Workers voluntarily self-declare their Indigenous status to their employer.

January also saw 381 women working for Site C construction and non-construction contractors.

Beyond workforce data, the Site C team announced changes to the work schedule as the summer months approach.

In March, crews began nighttime log hauling in the Cache Creek, Old Hope Road and dam site areas. Hauling takes place from around 10 p.m. to 10 a.m.

Officials noted the night hauling will assist the team in co-ordinating with local mills’ new nighttime operating hours. It also reduces the potential for heavy trucks to damage roads during the spring thaw and warmer daytime temperatures.

The project team expects the frequency of trucks to stay the same – an average of one or two trucks an hour. Log hauling will end early this month.

BC Hydro acknowledged it has a traffic management plan that ensures compliance with all legal traffic requirements. A dedicated safety person will be onsite and the hauling crew will have daily meetings to discuss safety, road usage and key traffic periods.

The approximately $10.7-billion, 1,100-megawatt Site C hydroelectric dam is slated to produce enough energy to power the equivalent of about 450,000 homes per year in B.C. Construction started in the summer of 2015 is will be completed by 2024.