BC Hydro has started the process to find a general contractor for the Ladore Spillway Seismic Upgrade Project.

The planned seismic upgrade to the Ladore spillway gates will enable the facility to continue to safely pass water downstream following a major earthquake or during a major flood event.

On Wednesday, BC Hydro Spokesperson Stephen Watson says public safety is their highest priority, and they’re committed to delivering safe and reliable electricity to customers.

The Ladore Dam was built in 1949 and its powerhouse was finished in 1957.

The concrete dam is about 38 metres tall and 95 metres long. Water from the Lower Campbell River reservoir enters a 520-metre-long tunnel through rock and flows to the powerhouse downstream.

Ladore is the middle hydroelectric facility on the Campbell River system, with the Strathcona Dam upstream and the John Hart Dam downstream.

Watson says that the project will improve the reliability of the spillway gate system, along with its power supply, control, and telecommunications, and that once the upgrade is completed, Ladore Dam will meet dam safety guidelines.

The project still requires regulatory and funding approvals to proceed.

The project may generate about 70 jobs per year over about three years.

B.C. Hydro has been meeting with First Nations, government agencies and other stakeholders as it plans the process.

Anyone interested in following the three dam projects, including sub-contractors and those looking for work, can visit Major Projects BC.