Chronology of the Ashlu Creek Hydro Project Development

The following details the years of commitment Ledcor Power has devoted to the Ashlu Creek Green Power Project.

1989
Oct 25 Water license application submitted for Ashlu Creek

1994
Dec Ashlu Creek project submitted to Province under BC Hydro call for proposals for IPPs (total of 44 projects submitted)

1995 
Aug Ashlu Creek short-listed as one of top 10 projects by BC Hydro

1996
Apr BC Hydro selects two wood waste projects to proceed ahead with contracts
Ashlu further short-listed to top 5 remaining projects
Jul Ledcor meets with Province and BC Hydro for evaluation
Aug Independent Power Producers Review Panel (appointed by the then Premier) ranks Ashlu the best BC Hydro short-listed run-of-river project on the basis of corporate costs, transfer payments (taxes and rentals) to the provincial and municipal levels of government, and its social and environmental impacts. This panel included the Assistant Deputy Ministers of Environment Lands and Parks and Employment and Investment, and the Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines.
Oct BC Hydro completes evaluations; Province stops IPP process - Ashlu Creek shelved

2000
Nov 17 Ledcor initiates discussions with Squamish Nation

2001
Apr 12 Begin aquatic (fish), vegetation and wildlife studies environmental baseline studies

2002
Aug 26 Aquatic studies submitted to Fisheries & Oceans Canada for referral
Sep 30 Archaeological Overview Assessment, preliminary field reconnaissance, and Traditional Use Studies are completed with the Squamish Nation
Nov 5 Ledcor hosts Ashlu open house in Squamish (1 of 6)
Dec 3 Ledcor hosts Ashlu open house in Upper Squamish Valley (2 of 6)
Dec 6 Ministry of Energy & Mines confirms that the project site has been covered by a mineral reserve
Dec 16 Ashlu Creek project submitted to BC Hydro under call for proposals for green power generation

2003
Mar 7 Development Plan for project submitted to Land & Water BC (LWBC) lands division to begin permitting process;
Ledcor voluntarily activates the Canadian Environmental Assessment (“CEA”) review process
Mar 31 Ashlu Creek short listed by BC Hydro (30 projects in total); Ledcor prepares pricing bid
Apr 25 Generator Interconnection preliminary study application submitted to BC Hydro
Jun 21 Squamish Nation begins kayaking survey on Ashlu Creek
Aug 25 Call for Tenders application submitted to BC Hydro for final project selection
SLRD gives 1st reading of rezoning bylaw
Sep 29 BC Hydro awards Electricity Purchase Agreement to Ashlu Creek (16 projects in total selected)
Oct 16 Squamish Nation completes kayaking survey on Ashlu Creek; results submitted to Canadian Coast Guard for evaluation
Nov 25 SLRD hosts Ashlu public information session in Squamish (3 of 6)

2004
Feb 25 Approval received from Provincial Agricultural Land Commission
Mar 16 Formal agreement with the Squamish Nation is signed and concluded
Apr 25 Systems Impact Study is initiated with the BC Transmission Corporation (“BCTC”)
Apr 26 SLRD gives 2nd reading of rezoning bylaw
May 17 1st SLRD public hearing in Squamish
July 5 Ministry of Forests (Squamish Forest District) project referral comments are answered to obtain approval
Jul 30 Ashlu information office opens in Squamish
Aug 3 Ledcor hosts Squamish Valley residents community meeting (4 of 6)
Aug 10 Ledcor hosts two Squamish Valley residents community meetings (5 of 6)
Sep 13 SLRD hosts Ashlu public information session in Squamish (6 of 6)
Sep 14 District of Squamish supports the project (referral from SLRD)
Sep 27 SLRD revises 1st and 2nd readings of bylaw
Sep 28 Ministry of Water, Land & Air Protection complete referral of project
Oct 5 District of Squamish reverses its September 14 decision and withdraws support of the project
Oct 14 Environment Canada and Canadian Wildlife Service provide final approval as per CEAA screen;
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Habitat Protection division) provides draft approval of the fisheries authorization for the Harmful Alteration, Disruption or Destruction (“HADD”) of fish habitat requirement as per CEAA screen;
Ministry of Environment (formerly Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection) provides final approval of project as per CEAA screen; and
Ministry of Transportation (formerly Canadian Coast Guard) provides draft approval of navigation authorization as per CEAA screen
Nov 17 2nd SLRD public hearing in Squamish
Ministry of Transportation (formerly Canadian Coast Guard) provides final approval of navigation authorization
Dec 16 LWBC issues the offer of land tenure and a draft copy of the conditional water license
Dec 17 SLRD postpones 3rd reading; schedule a 3rd public hearing for January 2005

2005
Jan 10 3rd SLRD public hearing in Squamish
Jan 11 SLRD denies 3rd reading for rezoning for the project;
Systems Impact Study is cancelled with BCTC
Feb 28 Ashlu information office in Squamish is closed
Jul 5 Final discussions with Fisheries and Oceans Canada is concluded with respect to short-term compensation for steelhead during construction of the project
Nov 30 Grizzly bear monitoring program is concluded; the final report will be issued in February 2006 to re-address questions by local area residents
Dec 6 Ledcor re-applies for rezoning to SLRD
Dec 20 Tree Farm License 38, where the Project is located, is transferred from Interfor to the Squamish First Nation; land procurement for the proposed DFO salmon habitat enhancement project concludes

2006
Jan 30 SLRD meets and discusses Ashlu rezoning re-application; the application is deferred until an IPP strategy is implemented for the Sea-to-Sky area by the Province
Feb 4 Squamish Nation and Ledcor host a roundtable workshop with residents of the Upper Squamish Valley
May 9 Squamish Nation and Ledcor host a second roundtable workshop with residents of the Upper Squamish Valley



back to top