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Major electric vehicle charging network announced

Stations to cover central interior and the northwest
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A wide-ranging network of electric vehicle charging stations has been announced for the central and northwestern areas of B.C. (File photo)

A long-awaited project to install Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations across the northwest has been announced this morning.

Using provincial and federal grants, along with the financial participation of local governments, the 55 stations will cost just over $1 million, helping to fill a gap in the central interior, along Hwy 16 east of Prince George, into the Nass Valley and on Haida Gwaii.

The installations will be managed by the Vancouver-based Community Energy Association which has worked with participating local governments over the past several years to put the wide-ranging project together.

Janice Keyes from the association says the next step is to secure contractors for the work.

“A request for proposals and site planning will take place in fall/winter 2020, followed by site assessments and installation in spring/summer 2021,” she said.

A Level 2 charger can charge a vehicle in approximately two to four hours. One of the ideas is to attract electric vehicle owners from away so that they’ll be encouraged to spend time in each participating community while their vehicle batteries are being charged.

Here’s a list of where the chargers will be installed:

* 100 Mile House (two stations)

* Ashcroft (two stations)

* Barriere (two stations)

* Burns Lake (one station)

* Granisle (one station)

* Haida Gwaii - Masset (one station); Tow Hill (one station); Sandspit (one station); Queen Charlotte (one station)

* Houston (one station)

* Kitimat (two stations)

* Logan Lake (two stations)

* McBride (four stations)

* Nisga’a Nation (five stations)

* Prince George (12 stations)

* Prince Rupert (two stations)

* Quesnel (two stations)

* Smithers (two stations)

* Stellat’en First Nation (one station)

* Stewart (one station)

* Sun Peaks (two stations)

* Terrace (two stations)

* Valemount (two stations)

* Vanderhoof (two stations)

* Village of Hazelton (one station)