4,778 workers at Site C in January

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Site C dam project started off the new year with 4,778 workers in January, an increase of 302 compared to December.

According to BC Hydro’s latest employment statistics, 935 people working on the dam in January were Peace region residents, accounting for 24 per cent of the workforce.

There were 3,308 B.C. residents working on the dam, or 69 per cent of the workforce.

The number of apprentices at the project increased from 166 in December 2022 to 174 in January. There were also 350 Indigenous workers and 505 women working on the dam.

According to the report, no temporary foreign workers were in specialized positions on the site. There were 26 management and other professionals working for Site C construction and non-construction contractors through the federal International Mobility Program.

In January, the sixth and final turbine runner arrived at the project. Last month, the first of five 600-tonne turbine rotors was installed into the Unit 1 generator pit inside the Site C generating station.

According to BC Hydro’s quarterly report for Site C released in December 2022, the reservoir at Site C could be getting filled as early as 2023.