North Coast Transmission Line: camps, trades, pay

When work starts

BC Hydro’s Phase 1 plan for 2026 includes clearing the strip of land for the line. It also includes building or upgrading access roads, bridges and culverts. It plans to start building the line itself, such as putting up towers, in summer 2027. On the Williston to Beaverly section, the new 500-kilovolt towers go up from 2028. Phase 2, which runs west toward Terrace, is expected to start in 2027 and be complete by winter 2032.

Sources41

Most hiring is through contractors. Apply to those companies. BC Hydro says it will post project job openings at bchydro.com/ncelectrification. For jobs on BC Hydro’s own team, check its careers page.

BC Hydro plans to share who the contractors are on its website and at public and First Nations events. It says it intends to hire local and regional workers where it can.

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Where the work is, and the camps

• Phase 1 runs from the Williston Substation near Prince George to the Glenannan Substation near Fraser Lake. Phase 1 is a 165-km, 500-kilovolt (kV) line. The full project would add transmission lines alongside existing lines from Prince George to Terrace, and north to Bob Quinn substation.[5][3]

BC Hydro needs temporary camps in the Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Telkwa and Terrace areas. It plans the Phase 1 camp at the former Canfor site near Engen, for up to 350 workers from 2027 to 2031. Smaller mobile camps may be needed to fill gaps. BC Hydro has not said what rotation, shift length or travel allowance camp workers will get.

BC Hydro plans to move about 85 per cent of the former Site C camp to camp sites between Prince George and Terrace. That includes all 21 dormitories. Work planned through September 2026 includes preparing the Vanderhoof camp site. It also includes taking apart the Site C units to move them.

Camps will meet Provincial Industrial Camp requirements. BC Hydro’s measures for the local area include:

• A Project Worker Code of Conduct.

• Searches for alcohol or drugs that are not allowed.

• Training in cultural awareness, gender and cultural safety, preventing violence and sexual harassment, and addictions awareness.

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Trades

BC Hydro expects these construction jobs, among others:

• Powerline technicians and power cable technicians.

• Electricians, welders and millwrights.

• Carpenters, equipment operators, labourers and truck drivers.

Sources4

Trades typical for a transmission line

• Powerline Technician

• Industrial Electrician

• Construction Electrician

• Heavy Equipment Operator (Excavator)

• Heavy Equipment Operator (Dozer)

• Carpenter

• Ironworker (Reinforcing)

• Concrete Finisher

• Mobile Crane Operator

• Construction Craft Worker

These trades are typical for a transmission line, not jobs posted on the North Coast Transmission Line.

Pay in B.C.

Hourly · British Columbia · Data from 2023 to 2024 · Dated November 19, 2025

B.C. ticket rules for the compulsory trades are on the page LNG projects in B.C. So is the 2027 change for crane operators.

Sources10

How many workers

Two forecasts from B.C., for different things:

• About 1,400 workers at peak construction, across Phase 1 and Phase 2.

• About 9,700 direct full-time jobs at the industrial projects the line is expected to support. Those are not jobs building the line.

These are forecasts, not open jobs.

Sources14

Who is building it

• BC Hydro is the organization behind the project.[11][3]

• Stellat'en, Nadleh Whut'en, Saik'uz and Lheidli T'enneh First Nations say they are First Nations partners with BC Hydro on Phase 1.[6]

What has happened

• November 13, 2025:

  the project was referred to the federal Major Projects Office.[5][3]

• September 3, 2026:

  the federal government and its partners broke ground on Phase 1.[5]

First Nations

• First Nations have the opportunity to co-own up to 50 per cent of the new transmission line. B.C. says work is ongoing to finalize co-ownership agreements by the end of 2026.[5][3][1]

• BC Hydro says its partnership with First Nations includes opportunities to supply goods and services, get training and find work.[4]

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