Site C jobs booming

Photo: Glacier Media

Employment on B.C. Hydro's Site C dam set a new record for the second straight month in June.

The workforce increased to a new record of 4,634 workers in June 2019, including new highs for the number of apprentices and indigenous and women workers on the project, according to the latest report from B.C. Hydro.

The workforce was up 249 workers from May, which had also set record workforce numbers.

"This increase reflects the scope of work on the project on and off site with project components like the diversion tunnels, the roller compacted concrete spillway buttress, the generating station and the Highway # 29 realignments at Cache Creek west and at the Halfway River," project spokesman Dave Conway said.

In June, there were 829 Peace Region residents employed as construction and non-construction contractors, an increase of 67 month-over-month, and representing 18% of the project’s total workforce. 

Local workers make up 21% of the construction and non-construction workforce total of 3,930 workers, which includes work at the dam site, on transmission corridors, reservoir clearing, public roadworks, and camp accommodations.

There were a total of 3,521 workers, or 76%, from B.C. working for construction and non-construction contractors, and in engineering and project team jobs.

BC Hydro reports 189 apprentices, 361 indigenous people, and 538 women were working on the project in June. Those are also the highest numbers to date on the project.

The bulk of the project's construction and non-construction workforce continues to be heavy equipment operators, with more than 700 employed on the project. There were more than 550 labourers and more than 350 engineers tallied.