FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Peace River North MLA Dan Davies says that he’s concerned about BC NDP leader John Horgan’s request of BC Hydro to hold off on signing contracts for construction of the Site C dam.

Davies says that the 1,100 megawatt dam that is being built on the Peace River is a project that is important for the province, and that it is hasty to call for the stoppage of signing new contracts. “There’s already many contracts that have been let out,” said Davies. “The amount of infrastructure that is already in place. I myself know, from working down there, how much concrete we’ve put in, the buildings that are already in place down there. There’s a lot of work that’s already been done on this. I guess our job moving forward is going to be sticking to our message.”

Davies says out that the province already uses a lot of energy, and that the rate of electricity usage will increase. He pointed out Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson’s push for less usage of natural gas and more usage of electricity by residents, as well as the increase in demand for electric vehicles. “We need to be looking at the future of British Columbia, making sure that we have a guaranteed power source for the citizens of B.C., as well as providing that environment for welcoming industry to our province.”