Employment at the Site C dam grew by 279 jobs in May, with 4,868 workers reported, according to the latest figures from BC Hydro.

Year-over-year, the dam’s workforce is up more than 1,600 workers from last May, when the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly scaled back construction and sent nearly 2,000 workers home.

As of Tuesday, July 6, there were 1,560 workers reported at camp, including zero in self-isolation at camp, and six workers isolating at home.

There are no active cases among the workforce, according to BC Hydro, which has reported 98 COVID cases among Site C workers since the start of this year, and 128 since the start of the pandemic last March. 

Of the total May 2021 workforce, about 1 in 5 workers remained local, with 989 Peace region residents employed by construction and non-construction contractors, up 70 month over month.

There were 3,425 B.C. workers, or 70%, working for construction and non-construction contractors, and in engineering and project team jobs.

Heavy equipment operators, labourers, engineers, and carpenters and scaffolders accounted for an estimated 2,100 workers and 43% of the workforce for the month.

There were about 500 construction managers, supervisors, and other professionals, technicians, and office staff reported for the month.

There were fewer than 100 workers in other various trades reported, including boilermakers, crane operations, electricians, health workers, mechanics, millwrights, miners, and welders.

BC Hydro reported 168 apprentices for the month, down 18 from April, as well as 372 indigenous workers (+6), and 500 women (+31) working on the project.

There was one temporary foreign worker employed in a specialized position, BC Hydro said, and another 33 managers and other professionals working under the federal international mobility program.

The workforce reached a peak high of 5,181 workers last October.

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