Employment on BC Hydro's Site C dam increased to a new record of 4,385 workers in May 2019, including new highs for the number of apprentices and indigenous and women workers on the project.
There were 762 Peace Region residents employed as construction and non-construction contractors, an increase of more than 150 month-over-month, and representing 17% of the project’s total workforce.
Local workers make up 21% of the construction and non-construction workforce total of 3,648 workers, which includes work at the dam site, on transmission corridors, reservoir clearing, public roadworks, and camp accommodations.
There were a total of 3,395 workers, or 77%, from B.C. working for construction and non-construction contractors, and in engineering and project team jobs.
BC Hydro reports 173 apprentices, 346 indigenous people, and 530 women were working on the project in May. Those are also the highest numbers to date on the project, BC Hydro said.
The bulk of the project's construction and non-construction workforce continues to be heavy equipment operators, with nearly 700 employed on the project. There were more than 500 labourers and just under 350 engineers tallied. There were nearly 400 carpenters and scaffolders employed.
Workforce numbers are collected monthly from contractors, which are also required under contract to report on indigenous inclusion and women participation on the project.
The figures do not include indirect or induced employment, BC Hydro says, while figures are not broken down by full-time or part-time work.
