Skip to content

   

Home › Projects & operations › Projects › Bridge River system upgrades

Bridge River system upgrades

Aerial view of the Bridge River powerhouse
Bridge River 1 Units 1 to 4 at Shalalth on Seton Lake.

We're working to renew the Bridge River electricity system which is about 300 kilometres north of Vancouver in the traditional territory of the St'át'imc Nation.

Over 20 projects are expected to take place in the system. Planning work and design for some projects has been underway since 2015, while others are getting started or ongoing. Construction for several projects has already been completed while others are in progress.

Explore some of our major projects:

Subscribe below for Bridge River System capital project updates.

What's new

Join us at upcoming drop in events to learn more and share your feedback

We're hosting a series of in person, drop in events this May to share updates on the Bridge River System Upgrades and to hear community feedback on proposed improvements to Lillooet Pioneer Road 40 (Road 40).

These informal, come and go events are designed to make it easy to connect. There are no formal presentations. Community members are welcome to walk through project storyboards, speak one on one with subject matter experts, ask questions, and share feedback at any time during the event.

Questions or feedback about the presentation or project? Email us.

Upcoming events:

Location and dateEvent details

Gold Bridge
Saturday, May 16, 2026
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Haylmore Heritage Site season opener:
Haylmore Ln, Gold Bridge, B.C.

Visit our booth for information on the La Joie Dam Improvement Project and share your feedback on project access options and proposed improvements, including Road 40 and the Gun Lake Airstrip.

Seton Portage/Shalalth
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
5 – 7:30 p.m.

Sk'il' Mountain Community School, Crane Hall:
100 Sk'il' Mountain Road, Shalalth, B.C.

This is a drop in event with no formal presentation. Learn about ongoing work and planning as part of the Bridge River System Upgrades and share feedback on proposed Road 40 improvements related to the La Joie Dam Improvement Project.

Dinner will be available while supplies last.

Lillooet
Thursday, May 28, 2026
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Canada Post, Lillooet: 627 Main St, Lillooet, B.C.

Visit us next to the Lillooet Canada Post building, where we’ll be sharing information and gathering feedback on proposed improvements to Road 40 related to the La Joie Dam Improvement Project. Information about the Bridge River Transmission Project (BRTP) field activities will also be available.

Bridge River Transmission Project: Field work in preparation for construction in fall 2026

Starting this spring, BC Hydro will be completing environmental and archaeological field work to support planning for the Bridge River Transmission Project as we prepare for construction to start as early as fall 2026.

Small field crews will also be refreshing and adding markings (flagging tape and wooden stakes) along some of the nearby project access roads and clearing areas as well as conducting maintenance activities as needed. This work will help inform project planning and ensure construction is carried out responsibly.

You can find more information in our field work notification [PDF, 197 KB].

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we proceed with this essential work.

System overview

Our Bridge River system is about 300 km north of Vancouver and consists of the La Joie Dam and Powerhouse (Downtown Reservoir), Bridge 1 and 2 Powerhouses (Terzaghi Dam and Carpenter Lake Reservoir), and Seton Dam and Powerhouse (Seton Lake).

Bridge River system upgrade project map

View project map [JPG, 2.7 MB] at a larger size.

What we're doing

We're renewing the Bridge River hydroelectricity system, located in the territory of the St'át'imc Nation. This system's proximity to the Lower Mainland helps us operate the electrical system more efficiently.

We're making a significant investment in these 63 to 70-year-old facilities, including several major projects in the region.
 

Why we're doing it

The electricity generated on the Bridge River system accounts for about 6% of BC Hydro's total generation. Together, these facilities can generate 556 MW of power, increasing to 593 MW once the Bridge 1 Units 1 to 4 Generator Replacement project is complete.

With infrastructure between 63 to 70 years old, these projects will address dam safety and reliability issues, allowing us to generate clean power for British Columbians, while working to mitigate our operational impacts on the environment.
 

Consultation

St'át'imc Nation

In 2011, St'át'imc Nation and BC Hydro signed a historic set of settlement agreements to address all past, present and future impacts related to the existing infrastructure in their territory. Those agreements guide our relationship today and provide a framework for how we'll continue to work together into the future.

We're committed to maintaining a relationship with the St'át'imc Nation that is built on respect and understanding. We're working together to incorporate St'át'imc interests into our project planning and implementation, and creating economic opportunities for St'át'imc businesses and people to be part of our projects and ongoing operations.

Stakeholders

Engagement and consultation with stakeholders including local governments, residents and businesses located near the project are a key part of the process.

Communications and updates come through many channels including:

  • Public presentations to the District of Lillooet and Squamish Lillooet Regional District
  • Open houses at key project milestones
  • Local ads
  • Bi-annual Bridge River newsletter
  • Project websites
  • BC Hydro social media posts
     

Reports and documents

Newsletters

Contact us

If you'd like to learn more about the project, please contact us at:

Email: projects@bchydro.com
Phone: 604 623 4472
Toll free: 1 866 647 3334
 

Get email updates

To receive information about the Bridge River System Upgrades Project by email, please fill out the form below.

Fields marked with * are required.

If you decide that you are no longer interested in receiving email from us, simply unsubscribe.

BC Hydro is collecting your personal information (specifically, name, and email), for the purposes of the Bridge River System Upgrades Project and will be used to contact you in the future about project updates, correspondence and notifications about future consultation opportunities. This is done in accordance with BC Hydro's obligations under the Utilities Commission Act and under the authority of the Hydro and Power Authority Act. Data may be stored outside of Canada. If you have specific questions about the project or privacy concerns, please contact projects@bchydro.com.