BC Hydro is facing accusations of misleading the public regarding the planned route of a 500 kV North Coast Transmission Line in Thornhill .. Local officials claim the utility used deceptive tactics during a regional district board meeting on September 25, 2026, to obscure the project's impact on community assets.
The 'Bait and Switch' at the September 25 Board Meeting
James Cordeiro, a City of Terrace councillor and Kitimat-Stikine regional district director, has publicly accused BC Hydro of employing a "bait and switch" strategy. According to the report, Cordeiro expressed frustration over a meeting that BC Hydro initially designated as confidential, only for attendees to discover that the discussions contained no sensitive information that required secrecy.
Cordeiro argued that the utility's insistence on an in-camera session was an attempt to shield the public from the actual intentions for the power line. He suggested that BC Hydro was attempting to "sneak" the plan past the community to avoid the predictable public backlash that would follow the disclosure of the preferred route.
Towers on the Skeena Golf and Country Club Greens
The proposed 500 kV North Coast Transmission Line is designed to run from Prince George to a substation south of Terrace, but the current right of way is too narrow to accommodate the new infrastructure. As reported, a memo from strategic initiatives manager Ted Pellegrino indicates that the preferred route would force BC Hydro to place at least one new tower directly on the property of the Skeena Golf and Country Club.
The impact extends beyond the golf course ,with transmission lines proposed near the backstop of the Terrace Rod and Gun Club.. The Skeena Golf and Country Club has identified nine specific concerns, including the risk that a new right of way would facilitate unauthorized off-road vehicle access, which could destroy putting greens and fairways. Meanwhile, the Terrace Rod and Gun Club has raised eight issues, noting that the proposed route would disrupt their current range design.
The Industrial Push from Prince George to Terrace
This dispute is part of a larger provincial effort to facilitate large-scale industrial projects in northwestern British Columbia, which require the massive energy capacity provided by a 500 kV line. The tension in Thornhill reflects a recurring conflict in Canadian infrastructure development: the clash between high-level provincial energy goals and the preservation of local land use and environmental protections.
The stakes are particularly high in Thornhill because the existing line and two towers already sit on regional district-owned land specifically acquired to protect the aquifer that supplies local wells. By expanding the right of way into club-owned and Crown land, BC Hydro is navigating a complex landscape of environmental sensitivity and private property rights that often leads to protracted legal battles in similar energy corridors.
Who will pay for the Terrace Rod and Gun Club's losses?
A critical point of contention remains the financial viability of the affected clubs. The Terrace Rod and Gun Club has explicitly stated it lacks the financial capacity to mitigate the changes in range standards necessitated by BC Hydro's route. Terrace mayor Sean Bujtas has demanded that BC Hydro provide full financial coverage for all impacts if the utility persists with its preferred path.
While the regional district board has unanimously passed a motion to present these concerns to BC Hydro, several key questions remain. It is currently unclear exactly how BC Hydro intends to compensate the clubs for operational losses, and the utility has yet to respond to the request for meetings involving the premier, relevant ministries, and the chief councillors of Kitselas and Kitsumkalum.
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