Site C Dam to Bear Name of Late BC Premier John Horgan

British Columbia is paying tribute to the late premier John Horgan by renaming the Site C hydroelectric dam in the northeastern part of the province in his honour—even though he was never a fan of the project.

The $16 billion megaproject on the Peace River near Fort St. John has been officially renamed the John Horgan Dam and Generating Station in honour of the former NDP premier who lost his battle with thyroid cancer in November 2024 at the age of 65.

B.C. Premier David Eby announced the name change during a May 21 press conference, saying it recognizes Horgan’s leadership and commitment to the people of British Columbia.

Choosing to name the dam in memory of Horgan was more about honouring his leadership than about linking him to a project he was passionate about, Eby said. In fact, Horgan was less than keen about its construction—which began in 2015—because he thought the money could be better spent elsewhere.

B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix said the new name acknowledged Horgan’s “difficult decision” to complete work on the dam after assuming the role of premier in December 2017. Horgan said at the time the project was too far along to be shut down.

“He had lots of views on Site C over the years,” Dix said during the press conference. “What made John a great premier was he considered all sides, engaged the debate fully. He really thought about it and then he made a decision in the public interest.”

Eby also referenced this during the renaming event, which was attended by Horgan’s wife and other family members.

“It would be completely disingenuous to stand here and pretend that John supported this project,” Eby said. “But his one north star that directed him in his time as premier was to put British Columbians and put the province first in every single decision.”

Dam History

Site C has had many starts and stops over the years. It was first proposed in the 1970s and was put on hold in the 1980s before being reintroduced in 2010. It was approved by then-Premier Christy Clark in 2014 at a projected cost of $8.3 billion.

Horgan called the dam a “$9 billion gamble” during his time as opposition energy critic and was once photographed holding a sign that said “Site C sucks.”

Experts in 2015 said the costs of the project could reach as high as $12 billion and opponents of the project were hopeful Horgan would put a stop to it after winning the 2017 provincial election.

Horgan wrote in his 2025 memoir, “John Horgan: In His Own Words” that he was concerned about the environmental impacts of the project, like the flooding of farmland and century-old First Nation burial sites. The flooding brought lawsuits and protests from the tribes and landowners affected.

But Horgan also acknowledged in his book B.C.’s need for more power and the jobs the dam provided.

“Building Site C was not something I would have done. I would have rather spent all those billions on alternatives because you can disperse them,” he wrote, but added that his position on Site C changed many times over the years and that his party is now “absolutely” glad to have the dam.

Dix said Horgan’s willingness to change his perspective mirrored his governance style.

“He heard people, he listened to people,” Dix said. “He made good decisions, and he stood by them and he stood up for them.”