Keep the Peace Blog

The Peace Valley Environment Association was formed in 1975 to counter the proposal by BC Hydro and Power Authority to build the Site C dam and power station on the Peace River, 18km upstream from Taylor and 6.5km southwest of Fort St. John, BC.

The development of the Peace River valley between the Peace Canyon and Alberta border had been the subject of continuing study at BC Hydro for a number of years prior to 1971 when engineering studies were undertaken. From 1976 until 1980, BC Hydro concentrated on building a case for the development of Site C. These studies culminated in their application for an Energy Project Certificate.

The Peace Valley Environment Association, together with the West Coast Environment Law Association, The Society for the Promotion of Environmental Conservation, the Sierra Club, and many other groups and individuals combined to mount a vigorous campaign to stop BC Hydro from flooding the valley. This campaign was successful in convincing the British Columbia Utilities Commission that BC Hydro’s application should be refused.

Between 2011 and 2014, a joint federal provincial environmental assessment (EA) was undertaken to determine whether an environmental certificate should be issued to facilitate plans to construct Site C dam.  Unfortunately both the federal and provincial government saw fit to issue the certificate, against many recommendations of the Joint Review Panel as well as numerous experts. Details on the EA for Site C can be found here.

Since the issuance of the EA certificate, numerous court actions against the project have been taken by various First Nations communities as well as the Peace Valley Landowner Association (PVLA). Details on the court cases by the First Nations can be found here and those of the PVLA can be found here.

As of this time, December, 2015, there are still outstanding court cases on Site C by both the First Nations and PVLA to be heard. Additionally, PVEA continues to work with its many allied groups, including Sierra Club BC, Wilderness Committee, Y2Y, various Treaty 8 First Nations and others to urge politicians at both the federal and provincial levels to stop this completely unnecessary and devastating project.

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