While jobs are important to the Sechelt (shíshálh) Nation, so are the territory’s salmon stocks, and that’s why the Nation will wait to move forward in partnership with BluEarth Renewables Inc. on three run-of-river hydro projects in Narrows Inlet.
Sechelt Nation Chief Calvin Craigan said BluEarth is ready to start construction “fairly soon,” and that the move will mean jobs for band members, but currently salmon are using the waterways that would be disrupted.
“Fish stocks are really heavy right now,” Craigan said Tuesday. “I was in the air yesterday at Narrows and there were almost 80,000 fish in the river system. There’s probably an equal amount or even more in the ocean system so you can anticipate there are close to 200,000 salmon waiting to get into the system right now.”
Craigan said the natural spawning cycle had to be protected.
“That’s got to be a priority. We’ve always ensured that nothing disturbs the natural way of the fish.”
Finding the right time to build will depend largely on environmental concerns, Craigan said, noting both the Nation and BluEarth are investigating ways to mitigate environmental impacts.
BluEarth wants to build three small run of river hydro-generating stations in Narrows Inlet on Sechelt Nation territory, creating 33 megawatts of energy.
The project includes the building of five main components, which are a 19-megawatt generating station at Chickwat Creek, a seven-megawatt generating station at Upper Ramona Creek and a seven-megawatt generating station at Lower Ramona Creek, as well as transmission lines and a collector substation.
