Big risks and costly fixes: What went wrong with Site C detailed in new B.C. Hydro report

VICTORIA — B.C. Hydro completed 40 years worth of state-of-the-art studies into the geotechnical risks at Site C before the start of construction in 2015.

But the government-owned utility discounted the findings as “low risk” albeit with “high consequences” if they materialized.

Nor did Hydro make provisions in the budget to cover the cost of those “high consequences” if the risk estimation was proven wrong.

Alas for Hydro ratepayers, the risks did materialize in the form of tension cracks on the north bank of the Peace River in 2017 and growing displacements in 2018 under the right bank foundations for the dam, spillways and generating station.

The fixes blew huge holes in the budget, delayed construction by a year and raised

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