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Site C dam inquiry to hear from Nanaimo residents

Oct 10, 2017 | 3:45 PM

NANAIMO — The Site C dam might be 1,300 km away, but people in Nanaimo will get a chance to voice their opinions on the megaproject.

The BC Utilities Commission is hosting a community input session Tuesday, Oct. 10 starting at 6 p.m. at the Coast Bastion.

The Commission is gathering input as they prepare to write a final report to the provincial government by Nov. 1.

The New Democrat government asked the Commission to determine the economic viability of the massive hydroelectric dam on the Peace River, near Fort St. John. The review began Aug. 9.

The NDP campaigned on having the project reviewed by the commission, a practice that was once standard in B.C., before the previous Liberal government’s clean-energy laws allowed some projects to bypass the regulatory agency.

A preliminary report issued by the Commission in late September said there was not enough information in several areas to recommend whether the project should proceed. The panel did conclude in its preliminary report that as of June 30 when BC Hydro submitted its most recent quarter-end report, the project was on track for its planned completion in 2024, but did not have enough data to determine whether the project is currently on budget.

The $8.8-billion project has faced fierce opposition from local First Nations, landowners and farmers. The dam is two years into construction and employs more than 2,000 people in northeastern B.C.

You can learn more about the inquiry and listen live to Tuesday’s session here.

— With files from the Canadian Press

 

island-news@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NanaimoNewsNOW