Fraser-Fort George Regional District directors granted Thursday a three-year temporary use permit to Trans Mountain Corp. to operate a work camp near Valemount in conjunction with its pipeline expansion project.
It will be located on a 17.9-hectare (44.2-acre) site in the Cedarside industrial area on Whiskyfill Road south of the community of slightly more than 1,000 residents 285 kilometres east of Prince George.
To consist of temporary modular trailers containing dorms, kitchens and recreation rooms and associated parking, it will house about 600 people with room to expand to 900, according to a staff report.
Concerns regarding affordable housing, noise, traffic, air quality and security were raised at a public consultation meeting, held in late November. In reply, TMX representatives committed to establishing a camp management committee that will allow the FFGRD to forward any concerns.
Some permitting with government agencies remains to be completed, a TMX spokesperson said, but the plan is to begin site preparation by spring 2020.
Work on the Alberta section of the project to nearly triple the capacity of the 1,150-kilometre pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby began on Dec. 3.
