BC Hydro and Fort St. John sign Community Agreement for Site C

April 22nd, 2016

FORT ST. JOHN – BC Hydro and the City of Fort St. John announced today that they have concluded a Community Measures Agreement for the construction of the Site C Clean Energy Project. This agreement is the culmination of extensive consultations undertaken by the City and BC Hydro regarding the potential impacts of the project for the community of Fort St. John.

“More than three years ago we started a conversation with the community about Site C,” said Lori Ackerman, Mayor of Fort St. John. “The features of this agreement are a direct result of those discussions and will serve to protect the interests of our community.”

“The agreement includes measures that will provide a meaningful benefit for the residents of Fort St. John while helping mitigate the impacts of the project on the local community,” said Jessica McDonald, President and CEO, BC Hydro. “We are pleased to reach a final agreement with the City of Fort St. John.”

Today’s signing of a Community Measures Agreement between BC Hydro and the City of Fort St. John concludes an agreement-in-principle that was announced in February 2016.

“I’m very pleased to see the agreement with BC Hydro and the City of Fort St. John finalized,” said Pat Pimm, MLA, Peace River North. “The Site C project is delivering a lot of benefits for Peace region communities. It’s good to see many of the measures in the community agreement starting to flow into Fort St. John.”

One of the measures in the agreement is a donation of $75,000 to non-profit organizations within Fort St. John that were identified by the City. Below is a list of the recipients:

• $20,000 to support Community Bridge, a community-based charitable organization that offers a network of counselling and support services in the Peace River-Liard area.
• $20,000 to support the Fort St. John Women’s Resource Centre, a society committed to promoting equality and well-being to the women of this community through education, advocacy and social justice.
• $5,000 to support Abbeyfield Houses of Fort St. John, a society that provides seniors, in their local communities, with a home of their own in a small household according to the Abbeyfield Pattern.
• $5,000 to support the Fort St. John Community Arts Council, which is working for a better community by supporting and developing the arts and culture.
• $5,000 to support the North Peace Justice Society, whose mission is to foster a safe and caring environment, by administering the Restorative Justice Program when a crime has been committed or disputes have occurred.

• $5,000 to support the Fort St. John Public Library, a community cornerstone, providing a variety of information and support for lifelong learning in a welcoming, entertaining and safe environment.
• $5,000 to support the Fort St. John Literacy Society, a non-profit organization which has been dedicated to promoting literacy for all individuals and groups throughout Fort St. John and the local region since 1990.
• $5,000 to support the Fort St. John North Peace Museum, which is dedicated to the collection, preservation, storage and display of items relating to the history of the North Peace River area for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations.
• $5,000 to support the BC SPCA North Peace Branch, whose mission is to protect and enhance the quality of life for domestic, farm and wild animals in B.C.

BC Hydro continues to work with other Peace region communities to reach community measures agreements. To date, agreements have been reached with the Districts of Taylor and Chetwynd. Discussions are continuing with Hudson’s Hope and the Peace River Regional District.

Contact:
Lori Ackerman,
Mayor Fort St. John
[email protected]
250 787-8160

BC Hydro Media Relations
604-928-6468