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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

April 2025

We recognize our work can have impacts. That's why we commissioned the Bridge River and La Joie Access and Accommodation Studies as part of our upcoming capital project work in the Bridge River System, happening over the next 10 to 15 years.

You can view the Bridge River report highlights [PDF, 2.1 MB] and full report [PDF, 167.6 MB], as well as the La Joie report highlights [PDF, 14.3 MB] and full report [PDF, 328.5 MB].

The recommendations in these reports require further evaluation. We'll assess the feasibility of the leading alternatives as well as how to minimize community impacts and maximize long-term benefits.

We anticipate the feasibility phase will take about 18 months, during which we'll carefully evaluate all factors to determine the best solution, with a strong focus on community well-being. Stakeholder and public engagement will play a key role in shaping the project.

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
 

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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.