ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023 | VOL. 79 NO. 2
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Warm welcome for New Year’s babies Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca Four first babies of 2023 were welcomed into the world across Northern B.C. on New Year’s Day. In Fort St. John, Marilyn Walter was born at 8:06 a.m. at the hospital birthing centre to parents Marena and Mathias Walter of Fort St. John, according to Northern Health. She weighed six pounds, 13 ounces. In Dawson Creek, Tyrell Wiebe was born at 1:10 a.m. at the local hospital to parents Lisa and Jay Wiebe of Gordondale, Alta, according to Northern Health. He weighed nine pounds, one
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ounce, and joins his siblings Lucas, Cameron, and Brooklyn, the health authority said. In Prince George, baby Paxton was born at 12:45 a.m. at the local hospital to parents Chelsea and Dave of Prince George, according to Northern Health. He weighed seven pounds, 15 ounces, and is the first child for the family, the health authority said. And in Terrace, baby Kim was born at 9:44 a.m. at the local hospital to parents Bella and Chan of Terrace, according to Northern Health. She weighed seven pounds, three ounces, and joins her siblings Stella and Christina, according to Northern Health.
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Above: Mathias and Marena Walter with baby Marilyn, Fort St. John’s first baby born in 2023. At right, baby Tyrell, the 2023 first born in Dawson Creek, with mom and dad Lisa and Jay Wiebe, and siblings Lucas, Cameron, and Brooklyn.
Site C more than 70% complete First power by 2024 or sooner, says BC Hydro Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
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It was a year of record-high of employment at the Site C dam construction site outside Fort St. John in 2022. And BC Hydro says the earth fill dam crossing the Peace River is now 87% complete, saying progress last year “puts us in a good position to complete the remaining work on the dam” in 2023. The $16-billion project saw four record employment peaks throughout the summer and fall, first in June with 5,209 workers and up to a record 5,554 workers in October, according to figures from BC Hydro. There were 5,238 workers reported in November, the latest available data from the Crown utility released this week. BC Hydro spokesman Bob Gammer says there was also a new peak set for women employed on the project at 589 in September, a record that was broken with 621 in October. In the latest filing to the BC Utilities Commission, president and CEO Chris O’Riley
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From left to right: construction of the Site C spillways and stilling basin weirs, penstocks, powerhouse and operations building as seen in November 2022.
says overall construction on the project is now more than 70% completed, with the earth fill dam now standing at an elevation of 445 metres. “This past year was the busiest construction season yet on Site C and work continues to advance in all areas – with some parts of the project already completed or nearing completion,” O’Riley wrote in the Dec. 20 filing. Close to 90% of concrete has been poured for the dam’s powerhouse, where the first
generating unit is being installed. The penstocks, spillways, and approach channel “remain on track for completion in 2023,” according to O’Riley. And along Highway 29, realignments were 90% complete as of the fall and expected to be finished this year. New bridges at Farrell Creek, Lynx Creek, Cache Creek, and Dry Creek have all been opened. A new bridge crossing the Halfway River will open later this year.
The next important project milestone is filling the reservoir, which O’Riley says “could occur one year early in 2023.” “We are on track to complete the project in 2025, which includes a schedule for achieving first power in 2024,” O’Riley said, adding, “In the event reservoir filling occurs in 2023, the project would potentially be able to deliver first power as early as 2023.” Continued on A14
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