BC Hydro taking family to court over blocked work on major transmission line

A worker walks in the BC Hydro Skeena Substation while under construction in Terrace, B.C., on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

British Columbia’s Crown utility is taking a family of ranchers in Vanderhoof, B.C., to court for allegedly blocking access to properties that BC Hydro needs to enter as it prepares for work on the $6-billion North Coast Transmission Line.

Prime Minister Mark Carney was in Terrace, B.C., last month to announce that his government would designate the transmission line a “nation-building” project.

BC Hydro filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court last week alleging that Kenneth Fawcett, Carolyn Fawcett and their daughters have wrongfully prevented the utility and its contractors from accessing properties under right-of-ways that permit crews to conduct maintenance and construction work.

The respondents own Little Valley Farms, a multi-generational, family-owned beef producer, and Kenneth Fawcett is the president of the BC Breeder and Feeder Association.

Court documents detail months of correspondence and conflict between the utility and the family as BC Hydro sought permission to access the lands, most of which are covered by existing right-of-ways.

The documents show the family expressed frustration over crop and field damage, gates being left open, fences being cut and four horses “being killed on the road.”

An email from September 2025 sent to various BC Hydro officials by a property contractor said Kenneth Fawcett had told him that BC Hydro was “squatting on his land.”

The email, filed along with affidavits in the case, said the property contractor had told Fawcett that they needed five days to complete the work and had the “legal right” to enter.

“He responded, ‘bring it on,’” the email said. “I’m not sure how he would respond if we enter … although I would suggest having some security present that would be capable if something escalated.”

Other emails show the family sought more financial compensation than the utility was offering, and wanted cattle guards installed and a bridge replaced at BC Hydro’s expense.

An email from the farm to a representative of the utility dated Oct. 6 said an “agreement with BC Hydro will impact future generations to come.”

“We do not take it lightly,” the ranchers’ email said.

No one from the family was available for an interview on Wednesday but it did issue a brief statement by email.

“We just found out from a reporter yesterday and have not seen all the materials. Our intention has been and will always be to find a workable solution for all involved.”

The utility claims it needed to finish its work by October, and it had “no choice” but to seek a court order after being repeatedly denied access to the lands.

The petition says the transmission line, once built, will “become an essential part” of the province’s hydro infrastructure and crews need access to the lands for forestry, archeological, environmental and surveying work before construction can begin.

The utility’s petition says it has reached agreements with other landowners along the line’s route for access outside of areas covered by existing right-of-ways, and has been in talks with the respondents since 2023 without reaching agreement.

The petition says delaying the first phase of construction could have “broader implications,” including rate hikes for customers, economic impacts and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

The petition has not been tested in court and the respondents have not filed a reply.

This report by Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press, was first published Dec. 3, 2025.