Click on image to download a PDF of the map.
Check out our "10 reasons why you should be concerned
about this project" page. You can also
download a map of hydropower projects in the region here.
A large private power project is proposed for the Ryan River, an important grizzly bear recovery area near Pemberton. The public has a limited time to speak up and stop this project.
Some things you should know:
Toronto-based Regional Power Inc., a subsidiary of a multi-billion dollar corporation, Manulife Financial, is proposing to construct a large 145 megawatt private hydropower project on the Ryan River.
This project will involve building a dam (or “weir”) across the river, drilling a 9.5 km long tunnel through the slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain, creating nearly 8,000 dump-truck loads of waste rock and dirt, and building 26 km of new transmission lines above Pemberton Meadows Valley and through the Pemberton Creek, Miller Creek and Rutherford Creek valleys.
The BC government has started a gold rush amongst private corporations, who are staking our public streams and rivers for their private power production, even though this power is not needed and expensive to purchase. Over 600 rivers have already been staked by private companies province-wide.
BC Hydro has been ordered by the provincial government to buy power from the private producers, and to pass the significant added costs on to the public’s monthly hydro bill.
The Sea-to-Sky corridor is ground zero for private power projects. Currently, over 100 private power projects are proposed for development in this area. Planning for each project is evaluated on a “one-off” basis, not assessing the cumulative impact of multiple projects on the landscape. Each project involves building river diversions, access roads, powerhouses and transmission lines.
The Ryan River is one of 11 rivers in this area recommended to be completely off-limits to private power development through the Sea to Sky Land and Resource Management Plan community planning process.
Write to the Minister of the Environment:
Honourable Barry Penner
env.minister@gov.bc.ca
Send copies to:
Derek Griffin, Environmental Assessment Office
eaoinfo@gov.bc.ca
Andrew Radzik, Wilderness Committee
andrew@wildernesscommittee.org
