Crews have been busy throughout the BC Interior; surveying, flagging and staking, as well as locating utilities along the right-of-way. Work is also continuing at the Black Pines and Kamloops Terminal pump stations, as well as on the 24km Kingsvale transmission line.

In response to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Trans Mountain and our contractors have been working diligently to ensure adherence to all advice and direction from government and health officials both provincially and federally. Our first priority has and will always be the health and safety of our workforce, their families and our communities. We are constantly monitoring the guidelines from health officials and we have taken specific measures, together with our construction contractors on the Expansion Project.

As part of our work to prepare for construction of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project in Kamloops, resource specialists recently completed the salvage of cryptogamic crust in Kenna Cartwright Park. The crust, made up of mosses, lichens, algae and bacteria, which are important for building soil and promoting plant growth, will be stored offsite and used as part of reclamation activities to return the area to its original state after construction. Strategies like this, outlined in our Environmental Protection Plans, will be employed at all stages of construction. Throughout construction, work will be monitored by Environmental Inspectors and Indigenous Monitors.

With pipeline construction set to begin soon, we’ve reached out to Kamloops hotels, motels and commercial accommodation providers to assess capacity to support our workforce, in compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

Work is currently underway at the new Black Pines pump station, with 144 of the necessary 362 piles driven, and crews have mobilized to begin pouring the concrete foundation and ground grid installation on site. Pump stations are a critical component of the operations of our pipeline system. They contain electric motors to drive the pumps that maintain the pressure and flow rate in the pipeline.

As part of the Expansion Project, Trans Mountain is building two new transmission lines. The transmission lines provide additional power to pump stations, which help move our product through the pipelines.

Anchoring and pole setting for the Kingsvale transmission line is nearly complete and the conductors, which are the lines that transport the power, are being strung. Work on the transmission line is being undertaken through a partnership with Lower Nicola Indian Band Development Corp. (LNIBDC) and Valard Construction, with a long term agreement for LNIBDC to own, operate and maintain the line. This will be the first electricity transmission line to be constructed, majority-owned, operated, maintained and financed by an Indigenous group in Canada.

The majority of hiring for the Project will be done by the contractors responsible for building the pipeline and facilities. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit resumes directly to the selected contractors for their area of interest. If you’re interested in jobs or procurement opportunities, click here for more information.

For more information about construction or to sign up for our community construction updates, please visit our interactive map.