Preparation work has begun for a seismic upgrade to the Ladore Dam to ensure it can withstand a major earthquake and that water keeps flowing.
The Ladore Dam is one of three in the Campbell River hydroelectric system, along with John Hart and Strathcona dams, and all three are being upgraded.
Work on the Ladore Dam is expected to cost $297 million to $379 million. Aecon EBC Ladore General Partnership is the contractor on the project.
By the time seismic work is completed on the three dams, the total cost could be $1.25 billion to $1.78 billion, a B.C. Hydro official said.
The Ladore Dam was built in 1949 and its powerhouse was completed in 1957.
As part of the work, its three steel spillway gates will be replaced, with new equipment and upgrades to meet current reliability standards.
Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl said in a statement that the project will not just improve seismic safety across the Campbell River system, it will create about 70 jobs a year until it’s completed in 2029.
He noted that the Island is in the most seismically active zone in B.C.
B.C. Hydro said it has had consultations with First Nations, government agencies, residents and others during project planning.
Chief executive Chris O’Riley said B.C. Hydro has been assessing earthquake hazards at its dams and related facilities and upgrading them as required “for many decades.”
The Ladore project will improve the reliability of the spillway gate system, along with its power supply, control and telescommunications, O’Riley said.
B.C. Hydro is temporarily closing the road across the Strathcona Dam on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Feb. 7 to March 7 to allow for construction work for the Strathcona Dam water discharge upgrade project. The road will also be closed on Saturday, Feb. 15.
The trees beside and within the Upper Campbell Reservoir foreshore area by the dam and along the downstream spillway channel will be removed, it said.
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