| B.C. construction proposals reach new high |
Photo courtesy Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure The $198-million Pitt River Bridge in Vancouver is one of the major construction projects completed in the last few months. The number of proposed major construction projects in British Columbia has risen to a record high of 516, as stated in the latest Major Projects Inventory (MPI). According to the Ministry of Small Business, Technology, and Economic Development, the number of proposed projects rose by 21 from the 2009 third-quarter report to the fourth quarter. The government suggests this increase shows investors are confident in the province and are positioning themselves at the forefront of the low-carbon economy. As another indicator of the strength of B.C. construction, employment in the industry is up by nearly 88,000 positions from 2001—well above historical levels. The value of the projects planned or underway is $187.1 billion, near the all-time high of $189 billion. There are 87 projects listed in the MPI aiming to be certified under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Green Globes. Nine of the 10 top-valued projects proposed during the October to December period also focus on clean energy, including: • Rocky Creek Wind Energy Project (Tumbler Ridge)–$1.2 billion;• Machmell River Hydropower Project (Campbell River)–$900 million; • Metro Vancouver Waste-to-Energy Incineration Facility (Vancouver)–$500 million; and • Upper Lillooet River Hydroelectric Project (Pemberton)–$222 million.
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