Council awards slope stability study for the Old Hope Road

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – After City Council concluded their process to find a suitable vendor to assess the stability of the Old Fort, BGC Engineering Inc was awarded the slope stability study.

Due to the significant slide that took place on the Old Fort Road and the implications to the City, the study will give City staff a baseline to use in future slope analysis studies.

The study will also identify areas where a further geotechnical study will need to occur prior to any development, and identify future potential capital improvements related to City infrastructure.

In 2018 the landslide in the Old Fort area did not directly affect any City infrastructure, precautionary measures were taken and contingency plans were developed for the possibility of impacts to the City’s infrastructure.

The Micro Hydro station had to be shut down for a period of time due to the collapse of the BC Hydro power lines west of the station.

In 2019 Council approved two projects related to slope stability. One specifically relating to City infrastructure, the North and South Lagoons discharge lines, the raw water supply main, the South Lagoons, and stormwater discharges including the Buffioux coulee.

The second project was related to slopes adjacent to developed lands or lands that could be developed in the future, within the City boundaries.

The budget for each of these two projects was $100,000, totalling $200,000.