More than 700 businesses participate in networking sessions

FORT ST. JOHN – BC Hydro and its contractors have completed the latest round of Site C job fairs and business networking sessions in northern B.C. More than 5,000 job seekers and over 700 businesses attended the events in Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Mackenzie, Prince George, Quesnel and Tumbler Ridge.

"The construction of Site C is providing an important opportunity for British Columbians to find work and business opportunities, particularly during some difficult times in the natural resource sector," said Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy and Mines. "Our government believes in Site C; as our population and economy continue to grow, Site C will bring guaranteed long-term clean energy to meet increasing demands while providing much needed jobs."

BC Hydro was joined at the job fairs and business sessions by some of the contractors working on the Site C project, including Peace River Hydro Partners (main civil works), ATCO Two Rivers Lodging (construction and operation of Site C worker lodge), along with companies providing site preparation and security services.

“The purpose of the job fairs and business sessions is to facilitate local employment and contract opportunities on Site C construction,” said Jessica McDonald, President and CEO of BC Hydro. “We want to make sure that local and Aboriginal businesses and workers have every opportunity to benefit from this project.”

Although the latest round of the job fairs and business sessions have been completed, people interested in jobs on Site C construction are encouraged to apply directly to the companies working on the project:

• Site C jobs are being posted on the websites of WorkBC and Employment Connections.
• BC Hydro is providing the names and contact information of contractors working on the Site C project.
• Find out more about the types of jobs being hired for Site C construction.

Businesses interested in working on the Site C project are encouraged to:

• Register with the Site C Business Directory.
• Register with BC Bid (www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca) to receive information about Site C procurements.
• Monitor the Site C website for business opportunities.

The construction of Site C will create 10,000 person-years of direct construction employment over the eight years of construction and approximately 33,000 person-years of total employment through all stages of development and construction. Peace River Hydro Partners alone — through its hiring entity Petrowest Corporation in Fort St. John — will require 600 workers by early summer of this year, before peaking at 1,500 workers in 2018.

“We are very pleased with the response from the job fairs,” said Ardith Brule, Human Resources Director for Peace River Hydro Partners. “We received several thousand resumes and are in the process of reviewing them. There are a lot of good candidates that we will interview in the coming weeks to fill various labour and management positions.”

“The construction of Site C is providing an economic boost for northern B.C. and the province,” said Jon Garson, President and CEO, B.C. Chamber of Commerce. “We’re pleased to have partnered with BC Hydro to host the job fairs and business networking sessions. This is an important project for B.C. and its construction is creating needed employment and business opportunities.”

Construction of the Site C Clean Energy Project started in July 2015 and will be completed in 2024. Once built, Site C will provide clean, reliable and cost-effective electricity for more than 100 years.

Background:

Below is a breakdown of participation at the job fairs and business-to-business networking sessions by community.

2016 Job Fairs/B2B Sessions

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