Crews from Valard Construction and Arctic Power have begun stringing transmission line on Phase 1 of the Carmacks-Stewart project. Line stringing on the spur to the Minto mine began yesterday, while similar work on the main line started earlier this month. So far 48 kilometres of the main line has been strung.
Meanwhile, an all-woman digging team of seven is among the crew of 17 Yukoners employed in a machine-free zone along the route. The area, near Tatchun Creek, must be worked by hand and from the air because of difficult and environmentally sensitive terrain. The women were hired by the Carmacks Development Corporation, one of four local partners working with Valard Construction to build the transmission line. Their job, along with two other teams, is to hand dig more than 60 holes for transmission poles and log anchors, and to install 300 pound culverts in each hole. The culverts will prevent the holes from caving in prior to the poles being installed. Holes for the transmission poles are about nine feet deep and close to four feet round, and holes for the log anchors are six feet deep and about six by four feet at the surface.
“By the time this part of the project is complete, the digging crews will have excavated about 7,500 cubic feet of rock, earth, clay, cobble and boulders, all by hand,” Valard Construction Project Manager Adam Budzinski said. “Everyone at Valard is excited about this little piece of old-school powerline work, as well as the way it is being implemented with maximum participation from the local First Nations.”
“This is augmented by the fact that we have an all-female excavation team working on what is probably the most physically demanding part of the entire project,” Budzinski added. “I understand that after seeing a number of the local men getting work on other aspects of the project, the women were very happy to have their chance at getting well paying jobs and new opportunities. I was told that one woman was so excited about coming to work that she couldn’t sleep for two nights before she started on the job!”
Once the excavation work is done, the transmission poles will be set in place using helicopters. This work will be done by Trans North of Whitehorse.
“Yukon Energy continues to be very happy with the way this project is proceeding,” Corporation President David Morrison said. “I would especially like to give credit to and thank the digging crews from the Carmacks and Selkirk Development Corporations working at Tatchun Creek. Their enthusiasm in the face of this challenging and very physical work is an inspiration to everyone else involved in this project.”
Along with giving substantial economic benefit to local residents, the Carmacks to Stewart line will provide long-term benefits to all Yukon ratepayers. It gives Yukon Energy a customer for its surplus hydro, and allows Pelly Crossing to switch to clean hydro for its electricity needs.
Transmission line construction is being done by a joint venture partnership with Valard Construction of Edmonton, Arctic Power and the three Northern Tutchone Development Corporations. Valard Construction employees 450 people in the construction of transmission and distribution facilities across Canada and is committed to regional socio-economic development through the participation of local businesses and First Nations in all its projects.
The Carmacks-Stewart transmission line project has been through an extensive environmental screening by the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board and through three public hearings by the Yukon Utilities Board.
The line is expected to go into service at the end of September.
Contact:
Janet Patterson
Supervisor, Communications
Yukon Energy Corporation
(867) 393-5333
janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca
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