Trans Mountain kicked off pipeline construction in British Columbia with work beginning in the City of Kamloops. Construction preparation has begun for the Kamloops Urban Area (KUA) pipeline section that is 7 km in length and will take approximately 7 months to complete.
“The start of pipeline construction in Kamloops, British Columbia is another key milestone for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project – it is good news for workers in the region and an important step forward on the path to building this critical piece of infrastructure,” says Ian Anderson, President and CEO of Trans Mountain Corporation. “We know these are challenging times for many communities and we are pleased to be able to contribute safely to the economy in Kamloops. Trans Mountain knows that getting to work is important, but it must go hand in hand with a strong and unwavering commitment to the safety of our workforce and communities.”
Over the month of June, a workforce of 30-50 people will be in the City for the start of Expansion Project pipeline construction and this will increase to approximately 600 people at peak construction in the late summer or early fall. Working co-operatively with the Kamloops Accommodations Association, Trans Mountain has identified local hotel and service providers who have confirmed their ability to meet the COVID-19 measures we require including food service, extra cleaning requirements and a dedicated area for our workforce to get COVID-19 screening before they go to the worksite. Trans Mountain will work with a small number of hotels to provide these services in June and will include additional properties as the workforce builds throughout the coming months.
Construction spending in the Kamloops area is expected to be more than $450 million over the next two years with additional workforce spending of more than $40 million for goods and services at local businesses. After expansion, Trans Mountain’s annual contribution to the City of Kamloops in taxes will increase by $1.2 million to $2.8 million.
Trans Mountain has signed a Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) with the City of Kamloops that will see a $700,000 contribution toward funding community projects. Trans Mountain also has a partnership with Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops that will see a $500,000 contribution over 20 years toward funding annual awards for students in Trades, Social Work and Applied Research programs, and the Environmental Science graduate program.
“We are pleased that Trans Mountain is getting this portion of the project underway in Kamloops. As we face the new realities of today, we are confident in the measures they have put in place to ensure the safety of our community, and we are excited about the economic activity for local businesses and workers the Project will bring over the next few years. This Project will help us with our economic recovery plan and provide much needed benefits to our City,” said Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian.
Trans Mountain also has a Mutual Benefits Agreement (MBA) with Tkemlups te Secwépemc that will provide significant employment and business benefits for the community.
“As we keep our Member’s interests at the forefront, Trans Mountain’s commitment to provide direct benefits to our community has resulted in training, employment, and contract opportunities for Tkemlups te Secwépemc members as well as provided support for needed community infrastructure upgrades” said Chief Rosanne Casimir. “During these unprecedented times, we are continuing to protect the health, safety, and well-being of our community members, and appreciate Trans Mountain’s openness and attention to communities.”
Trans Mountain’s first priority is the health and safety of our workforce, their families and our communities. In response to the evolving pandemic, we have implemented COVID-19 mitigation and preventative measures such as staggering work shifts, implementing a work-from-home approach when possible, following physical distancing wherever possible, temperature testing, implementing protocols if working in close proximity is required, enhanced cleaning and sanitization, and use of appropriate PPE at our worksites.
Kamloops is part of Trans Mountain’s BC Interior construction area that begins at Black Pines (approximately 40 km north of Kamloops) and runs to the Coquihalla Summit. It includes approximately 185 kilometres of 36-inch pipeline and 18 valve assembly installations, as well as three pump stations.
