Ending months of speculation, Premier John Horgan announced Monday that construction of the Site C dam on B.C.’s Peace River will continue even though the cost of the troubled project has climbed to $10.7 billion and the government faces a potentially pricey legal challenge from First Nations. “This is a very
Continue readingAuthor: Sarah Cox
As Site C Decision Looms, Peace Valley Locals Agonize Over Potential Loss of Homes, Livelihoods
Days away from a final decision on Site C, Peace Valley landowners have launched a “Home for the Holidays” campaign featuring photographs of families who would lose their homes to the $9 billion dam and appealing to the NDP government to terminate the project. Ken and Arlene Boon, who appear in
Continue readingSite C Decision Will be Made Any Day Now — What the Hell is Going On?
An independent review of the Site C hydro dam was pegged as the solution to a long and bitter battle over the fate of the $9 billion project championed by B.C.’s former Liberal government. The bombshell review gave the new NDP government plenty of new ammunition to terminate Site C, which
Continue readingNDP Union Heavyweights Come Out Fighting for Site C
The NDP’s trade union base fired another missive today in an attempt to persuade the B.C. government to greenlight the Site C dam, as party insiders and union donors to the party continue to ramp up lobbying efforts in support of the $9 billion hydro project. The Allied Hydro Council of
Continue readingB.C. Government Failing to Keep Data on Freshwater Resources Amid Fracking, Forestry Frenzy: Report
Canadians are among the world’s top water guzzlers, with each person using enough water, on average, to fill almost 13,000 bathtubs each year, and pay little for the privilege. For example, in B.C., oil and gas companies pay pennies on the dollar compared to regular users for their water usage. But
Continue readingDigging for The Truth on Site C Dam Job Numbers
Site C jobs are often cited as a main reason to proceed with the $9 billion dam on B.C.’s Peace River. But how many jobs would Site C actually create? Are there really 2,375 people currently employed on the project, as widely reported this month? DeSmog Canada dove into Site C jobs
Continue readingHudson’s Hope Goes Solar As Town Faces Site C’s Biggest Impacts
Solar-powered curling, anyone? Or what about solar-powered sewage treatment? Hudson’s Hope, the municipality that would be most affected by the Site C dam, is going solar with a blast. “It’s starting to look like a real, honest to goodness twenty-first century solar community,” said Don Pettit of the Peace Energy Renewable Energy
Continue readingSite C Dam Costs Could Escalate 40%, Says Auditor’s Report
The Site C dam project faces “significant schedule and cost pressures” that could inflate its final price tag to more than $12.5 billion, according to a new report by one of Canada’s leading auditing firms. The report, by Deloitte LLP, was commissioned by the B.C. Utilities Commission as part of an
Continue reading‘Stop the Losses’: Former BC Hydro CEO Calls for Cancellation of Site C Dam
The decision to proceed with the Site C dam was “reckless and irresponsible” and continuing the project will result in a “series of devastating high electricity rate increases” that will lead to job losses and business failures, the former President and CEO of BC Hydro has told the B.C. Utilities
Continue readingEXCLUSIVE: BC Hydro Spent $20 Million Quietly Buying Land for Site C Before Dam Was Approved
BC Hydro spent more than $20 million quietly buying up Peace Valley property for the Site C hydro dam in the four years before the project was approved, according to documents obtained by DeSmog Canada. The cost of the land purchases has never been publicly disclosed by BC Hydro, and only
Continue readingIt’s Finally Happening: Site C Gets Its Date with the B.C. Utilities Commission
David Vardy has a message for British Columbia about continuing work on the Site C dam while the project undergoes a quick independent review by the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC). “My comment to British Columbia is a big red sign saying ‘Stop.’ This is crazy. Don’t go ahead with this
Continue readingWhat You Need to Know About the B.C. Utilities Commission and the Site C Dam
Until 11:13 on Monday morning, the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) had a website that was as much of a snoozer as its name. It had tiny lines of text and looked like something that harkened back to the horse and buggy days of the World Wide Web. Just as all eyes
Continue readingYear-Long Wait for Site C Dam Budget Docs ‘Disturbing’: Expert
Are you curious to know the results of our Freedom of Information request for an updated budget and timeline for the $8.8 billion Site C dam project on B.C.’s Peace River? So are we. We were told by former energy minister Bill Bennett’s office that we would have the information
Continue readingSite C Dam Late for Key Milestones Under BC Liberals, Report Reveals
B.C. Premier Christy Clark made headlines last month when she claimed that even a few months delay in evicting two Peace Valley families from their homes could add $600 million to the Site C dam project tab. When Premier designate John Horgan asked BC Hydro to hold off forcing families from
Continue reading‘We Just Want the Truth’: Commercial Customers Warn B.C. Hydro’s Forecasts Could Lead to Costly Oversupply
An association representing B.C.’s commercial sector and business interests says it has compelling evidence that B.C. Hydro has over forecasted electricity demand over the past 50 years — leading to anticipated revenues “that won’t show up” and creating a large existing electricity surplus roughly equal to the power from the
Continue readingB.C. Government Delays Release of Site C Budget Docs Until After Election
After many months of delay and an attempt to charge almost $1,000 to release an updated budget and timeline for the Site C dam, the B.C. government has finally agreed to provide new information about the most expensive publicly funded project in B.C.’s history. But the public will not be
Continue readingLogging Crew Mobilizes Near ‘Irreplaceable’ Wetland, Slated for Site C Flooding
A “landmark” wetland and birding hotspot in the Peace River Valley is slated to be destroyed by the Site C dam, after the B.C. government preserved it as a model conservation project. The area around Watson Slough, which provides habitat for two dozen bird, plant and amphibian species vulnerable to extinction,
Continue readingLogging Crew Mobilizes Near ‘Irreplaceable’ Wetland, Slated for Site C Flooding
A “landmark” wetland and birding hotspot in the Peace River Valley is slated to be destroyed by the Site C dam, after the B.C. government preserved it as a model conservation project. The area around Watson Slough, which provides habitat for two dozen bird, plant and amphibian species vulnerable to extinction,
Continue readingBC Hydro Shows Trump-Style Attacks on Media Can and Do Happen in Canada
When Donald Trump held his first news conference this month following his election as U.S. president, observers worldwide decried his shameless attack on the media and his critics. In an onslaught against the press, Trump labelled CNN “terrible” and “fake news,” lambasted the digital-media powerhouse BuzzFeed as a “failing pile of garbage,” then
Continue readingBesties? BC Hydro and Premier’s Office Too Close for Comfort, Experts Suggest
Fast-tracking Site C dam construction before May’s provincial election is an unusual decision driven more by politics than need, according to a Canadian expert in Crown corporations who suggests the relationship between BC Hydro and the Premier’s office may be “too close for comfort.” Luc Bernier, the former head of the
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