Times Staff
Trans Mountain has requested an option to lease property owned by Thompson-Nicola Regional District in Clearwater for a construction camp.
The land is located immediately east across the road from the TNRD’s eco-depot.
The site was formerly occupied by the Camp Two sawmill.
In a letter presented to the TNRD board during its June 15 meeting, Trans Mountain proposed leasing the 29 acre piece of land for $43,500 per year.
The land would be used to house workers, if and when Trans Mountain’s proposed expansion of its pipeline goes ahead.
According to information provided previously by the pipeline company, construction is scheduled to start this fall with land clearing and construction of temporary sites.
Camp construction will take place during the first three months of 2018.
Actual construction of the new second pipeline will move in a generally north to south direction in the North Thompson Valley. It will begin in January, 2018 and continue until June, 2019.
The workforce is expected to peak with 700 workers in the Blue River area in the summer of 2018, with the peak of 700 moving to Clearwater that fall.
There will be a full service construction camp in Blue River with capacity for 550 people.
In Clearwater, there will be a sleeper-only camp with capacity for 350 people. A sleeper-only camp means the workers staying there will need to provide their own meals, etc.
Hotels, motels, RV parks and rentals will be used to accommodate to those who don’t have room in the camps.
Further south in the valley, reactivation of the existing second pipe from Darfield to Black Pines (just north of Kamloops) will take place from May, 2017 to January, 2019.
Restoration and post-construction monitoring along the route will start in 2019 and continue past 2020.
Trans Mountain anticipates spending $4.5 billion for goods and services on the project.
The company is committed to providing opportunities for Aboriginal, local and regional residents.