Over 5,000 workers at Site C project in November

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Compared to record-breaking months in October and September, BC Hydro reported a decrease in workers at the Site C dam in November.

BC Hydro said there were 5,238 workers at the project in November 2022.

Over 3,500 of the workers are B.C. primary residents, which is 68 per cent of the total workforce, the report stated.

There were 1,015 residents from the Peace River Regional District employed at the dam site, accounting for 23 per cent of the workforce in November.

The number of apprentices at the project increased from 185 in October 2022 to 197 in August.

The report also provides the number of Indigenous people that worked at Site C, adding that workers voluntarily self-declared their Indigenous status to the employer. There were 386 Indigenous workers at Site C in November.

BC Hydro said 558 women were working at the dam project in November, a decrease from October.

Site C workforce broke four records in 2022.

Bob Gammer with BC Hydro said the increase was due to the amount of work being done at Site C, as many projects are completed or nearing completion.

“With all of those [projects] going on, 2022 was the busiest construction year for the Site C project,” Gammer said.

“We expect employment numbers to decline in 2023 and 2024 as we get to the completion of the project, and then it will be fully in service in 2025, is our expectation.”