Listen to this article
Estimated 2 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.
B.C. Hydro says a family of ranchers in Vanderhoof, B.C., is wrongfully blocking access to properties that would allow its crews to clear the way for the North Coast Transmission Line, a $6-billion project the federal government has labelled as “nation-building.”
A petition filed in B.C. Supreme Court last week alleges that Kenneth Fawcett, Carolyn Fawcett and others have wrongfully prevented the Crown corporation from accessing properties under rights-of-way that permit crews to conduct maintenance and construction work.
The respondents own Little Valley Farms, a multi-generational family-owned beef producer, and Kenneth Fawcett is the president of the B.C. Breeder and Feeder Association.
WATCH | Prime Minister Mark Carney announces the North Coast Transmission Line as a ‘nation-building’ project:
Prime Minister Mark Carney announces next round of nation-building projects
Prime Minister Mark Carney announces next round of nation-building projects
The petition says the transmission line, once built, will “become an essential part” of the province’s hydro infrastructure and crews need access to the lands for forestry, archaeological, environmental and surveying work before construction can begin.
The utility’s petition says it has reached agreements with other landowners along the line’s route for access outside of areas covered by existing rights-of-way, and has been in talks with the respondents since 2023 without reaching agreement.
The petition says delaying the first phase of construction could have “broader implications,” including rate hikes for customers, economic impacts and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
The petition has not been tested in court and the respondents have not filed a reply.
