B.C. government set to announce decision on future of Site C dam project Friday

The B.C. government is expected to determine the future of the Site C dam Friday morning.

Premier John Horgan and Energy Minister Bruce Ralston are holding an 11 a.m. press conference to announce whether the province will continue funding the project or stop construction.

The $10.7 billion dam on the Peace River is dealing with geotechnical issues on the right bank of the valley and expected cost overruns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The geotechnical issues are expected to increase the price of the project. It is unclear if the province can proceed safely with the project considering the issues.

The announcement will be carried live here on the Global BC website and on BC1.

Horgan’s cabinet has reviewed a report by former deputy minister of finance Peter Milburn to determine if it would be fiscally prudent to complete the project even with the additional costs. The report has not been publicly released.

2:17Open letter calls for work on Site C dam to be stopped

In January, the government announced it has asked two international experts to evaluate the potential construction issues.

Construction on the hydro-electric dam started in 2015 and was originally approved by the governing BC Liberals. The original price tag for the construction was set at $8.7 billion.

Horgan’s NDP government decided in 2017 to continue with the project despite protests from environmental groups and First Nations, with the then-new premier calling it “a difficult decision.”

It is unclear how much the project is currently budgeted at for completion. The province has noted around $6 million has already been spent on the project.