Fort St. John, B.C. – It has been one year since construction started on the Site C  project which  BC Hydro says  remains on schedule and on  budget.

In May, the $9 billion dollar project had  just over 1,500 workers on the site, including 107 apprentices. Nearly 80% of those workers are  from BC.

The  project is starting to have an impact on  Fort St. John,  says  Fort St. John Chamber of Commerce President  Tony Zabinsky “There are local companies that have been able to get on board Site C and take advantage of that.  As that construction activity moves forward, we’re hoping to see a greater impact for  Fort St, John and Peace region area  businesses.”

The  Site C construction has  come at a time when the oil and gas sector  is  slow,  and for companies that can diversify  their activity, Zabinsky says it means  “a balanced budget” he adds, “They may be able to offset their revenue by being able to get on board with Site C  if their diversification meets the current Site C  demands.”

“We are seeing a lot more traffic in regards to people coming and going  who are involved in Site C.” says  Zabinsky “Talking to some of the restaurant owners,  they are saying they are seeing  more people coming and eating  at their establishments so that’s good news.  In the housing sector,  we haven’t seen a big increase in activity  as of  yet.”

BC Hydro has  accommodation for  about 1,200 workers on  site  for  workers,

The Ft. St.John Chamber is planning a business to business event for late September “We want to get those businesses involved so they can meet the major proponents  of Site C.”  It will be a “speed dating” style session where businesses can meet the proponents and  try to match their  services with the needs of the project.