Highway 37 Project Now In Hands of Provincial Ministries

Friday, January 14, 2011 04:00 AM

Prince George, B.C. – A new clock has started ticking for the review of the Highway 37 electrical transmission line project.

The project review documents are now in the hands of the Provincial Ministry of Forests, Mines and Lands and the Ministry of the Environment. The two Ministries have 45 days to make a decision to either issue a certificate, not to issue a certificate, or ask for more information.

The Federal Environmental approval is also needed, and that department is working with its Provincial counterparts to try and complete its work within the Provincial time frame.

The transmission line is estimated to cost $404 million dollars, of which the Federal Government has pledged $130 million and AltaGas has committed $180 million in exchange for access to the Provincial power grid. The balance is expected to be shared by the Province of B.C. and companies which want to tie into the line.

If approvals come without delays, construction of the 344 km line could start in the spring meaning the line would likely be completed by late 2013.

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Posted on Friday, January 14, 2011 04:00 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: mwk on January 14 2011 9:11 AM

This will be a great project for North Eastern BC. Right now the North East doesn't have much going on. I bet in large part to having no easy access to electricity.

Think about how different our own lives would be if we had to think about how to get the lights on, use a computer, TV and on and on.

Getting electricity out there means businesses and people will start moving to these areas and begin developing this part of the Province. This will likely have a big impact on Terrace and area as it's the jumping off point to Highway 37. This area could use some development too. When was the last time $400M was being spent in this area.....

WIN for BC and WIN for the North period.

Posted by: giterdun on January 14 2011 9:49 AM

This is a great project for the northwest. Too bad we have to wait for all the baby kissin, the chest puffin and the back slappin to end before we get a shovel in the ground. Arn't the bureaucrates and the politicians wonderfull.

Posted by: buzzbomb on January 14 2011 10:42 AM

MWK.....

this power line is not headed to the NE.
Its heading N from Terrace to the mines that are under development.
Take a look at Copper Fox mines.

Posted by: gamblor on January 14 2011 10:57 AM

The Valemount/McBride region has been in line for a power line much longer, is much greater need and the benefits will be seen much sooner. But let's go build a popsickle-stick bridge to nowhere instead.

Posted by: giterdun on January 14 2011 11:58 AM

The northwest area that we are talking about,Copper Fox, Galore, Shaft creek and dozens of others is probably the most highly mineralized area in the world. The mineral finds are enormous. The sooner we get power there, the better.

Posted by: seamutt on January 14 2011 8:12 PM

Valemount, McBride have been tied to the grid for 15 years or so. Fed by a 138KV line out of Kamloops to Valemount

Posted by: acrider54 on January 15 2011 7:53 AM

Yes seamutt but have no back up like in a case like the fires in 03. They should be building a 138kv from PG to McBride as a loop. Kamloops to Valemount is a latteral line and when that goes out they are all out.

Posted by: gamblor on January 15 2011 11:54 AM

...and its a distribution line, not transmission so ipp's and mines are out of the question. Anyhow, the new line should go through from PG like acrider said, which is NOT grid-tied. The fact the transCanada runs through an unserviced corridor is shameful.