Benefits to the Squamish Region

Economic Benefits

It is estimated that $10 million will be spent on local shops, services, sub-contractors, and workers over the project construction period.

To ensure maximum benefit from the Ashlu project to the community, as many local suppliers and contractors will be used as possible. Most of the labour force will be hired locally and the project staff will be living within the Squamish community. As a good comparison to the benefits likely to be received by the Squamish community, capital in excess of $10M was invested in local services while construction of the 49 MW Rutherford Creek run-of-river project was underway. A total of $4M was invested into the local economy during the construction of the 7 MW Brandywine Creek run-of-river project.

Other benefits of the Ashlu Green Power Development:

  • Access to sixty full-time, high-paying construction jobs for 2.5 years to construct the project.
  • Local hire preference to qualified trades and workers.
  • Local hires include any requirement for electrical, mechanical and construction trade skills, which former Woodfibre employees possess.
  • An estimated $10 million spent locally in the community, based on actual local spending from the Rutherford Creek IPP near Pemberton.

Environmental Benefits

  • A continuous source of clean green renewable hydro energy with minimal impact on the river eco-system
  • An expansion of the Ashlu Creek salmon spawning ponds that will help restore the fishery in the Squamish River system that was lost due to previous logging practices. This project is a joint project with the Squamish Streamkeepers.

Social Benefits

  • Partnering with the Squamish Nation and helping to restore presence and economy back to their traditional territory - a land the Squamish Nation gains great spiritual value from. The project will also help bring them back into a position of once again controlling their own destiny.
  • The residents of the upper Squamish will receive ongoing revenue from the Ashlu Green Power project in order to further community projects that they deem valuable.
  • The Squamish Nation has expressed a desire to form a community association so that the local residents and the Nation can work cohesively on matters of mutual interest and remain close neighbours.


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