The Keeyask Infrastructure Project (KIP) was reviewed and approved by the appropriate federal and provincial authorities. Construction commenced in early 2012 and was completed in July 2014.
Directly negotiated construction contracts for KIP were awarded to Amisk Construction, a Joint Venture partnership comprised of the Cree Nation Partners and Sigfusson Northern Ltd. Work on KIP began in early 2012 when regulatory approvals were received. Amisk Construction was responsible for the construction of:
- the North Access Road which provides access from PR280 to Gull Rapids
- Looking Back Creek Bridge which is required to cross the creek at km 18.5
- the temporary 125 person start-up camp located near the junction of PR280 and the North Access Road
- work areas
In addition to the infrastructure required to construct the Keeyask Generating Station, service contracts were negotiated with the four Keeyask Cree Nations and included: catering & janitorial, emergency medical & ambulance services, camp maintenance & operations, security, and employee retention & support.
Keeyask Infrastructure Project Monitoring Overview
Main camp
The initial phase of the main camp will house approximately 500 workers. The camp will later be expanded to house 2000 workers and will remain operational until the completion of the Keeyask Generating Station.
Additional work
Clearing of 31 hectares near the future site of the Keeyask Generating Station was completed. This work involved clearing access roads to borrow material, borrow material areas and work areas required to construct cofferdams for the generating station. The work was conducted over the winter to avoid disturbances to the migratory birds that may nest in the area over the summer.
Amisk sourced approximately 26,000 m³ of rock to be used by the General Civil Contractor for cofferdam construction. This rock was sourced from Work Area A which is inside the KIP footprint.
KIP environmental monitoring
Ongoing monitoring for KIP occurred consistent with licensing and regulatory approvals. Key components of the program included monitoring plans for terrestrial, aquatic and heritage resources, and the socio-economic environment.
