B.C.’s New Democrat government will continue building the Site C dam, choosing to finish the contentious project started by the previous Liberal government rather than pull the plug during mid-construction.
Premier John Horgan made the announcement in the legislature’s library Monday, the same location almost three years earlier that Liberal premier Christy Clark first announced the province would proceed with the $8.9-billion dam.
At the same time, Horgan revealed the estimated cost of Site C would increase by $1.657-billion, because several contracts are already over budget and more financial risks face the dam in the future. The new project cost is now estimated at $10.7-billion, factoring in an increased risk contingency fund.
Horgan’s cabinet spent nine hours over three meetings debating its decision and concluded to proceed on Dec. 6.
Rob Shaw – Vancouver Sun – December 11, 2017.