John Horgan disappoints both Site C opponents and supporters in northeast B.C.

Premier JohnHorganmanaged to disappoint both supporters and opponents of the Site C dam in northeast B.C. when he reluctantly approved the continuation of the multi-billion-dollar project on Monday.

Ken Boon, who lives ashort distance from the dam site,said he was "devastated" by the decision to move ahead with the dam's construction.

• B.C. government to go ahead with Site C hydroelectric dam project

"We've had a lot of let-downs on this project. This was probably the toughest," said Boon, whose longtimehome will likelybe movedto make way for the controversial dam.

Along with his wife Arlene, Boonhas been the face of the fight against Site C since it was put back on the table by the B.C. Liberals in 2010. The family first faced off against the damwhen Arlene's grandfather refused to sell his land to BC Hydro for an earlier version of the project in the 1960s.

Christy [Clark] didn't get us past the point of no return, but JohnHorganis about to.- Site C opponent Ken Boon

The pair was involved ina series of failed court cases against the dam, and almost exactly one year ago, they were told they no longer owned their property a portion had been expropriated by BC Hydro to make way for the dam.

"I cried," Arlene Boon said of that day.

"You're walking on the floor of your grandfather's house that you don't own... expropriation is a brutal process."

The pair hoped the new NDP government would cancel Site Cin the wake of an independent B.C. Utilities Commission review of the project's projected overruns.

That was not to be. Although Horgansaid Site C"is not the project we would have favoured or would have started, it must be completed," citing the effect on energy pricesif the project was cancelled.

Ken Boon said he felt "very bitter" about the news.

"Christy [Clark] didn't get us past the point of no return, but JohnHorganis about to," he said.

"If you're a B.C.NDPerwho voted forthem to do the right thing on Site C, you're going to be disgusted."

'He should be excited'

Even supporters of Site C in northeast B.C.said their opinions of the NDP were not changed by Horgan's decision, arguing it was, in fact,the B.C. Liberals who got Site Cto a point of no return.

Business owner and Fort St. JohnChamber of Commerce board member Ramona McDonald saidHorgan'sannouncement was "good news for a lot of people dependent on jobs," but the wayHorganpresented his decisionwasa let-down.

"His reluctance... was disappointing," she said.

"He should be excited that we can proceed with something of this value in B.C."

Art Jarvis, executive director of the Independent Business and Contractors Association of B.C. and a longtime Fort St. John resident, said he was glad construction would continue, but also criticized the way Horganframed the announcement.

"He made the statement that it's not a project they would have started," he said.

Still, Jarvis said many families tied to the project would be relieved by the news.

"It could have been a blue Christmas," he said.

Others in the city expressed support for Horgan's decision.

Businessman and community organizer Alan Yu posted a message to the Facebook group "Fort St. John for LNG" thanking the NDP for approving the dam.

"This decision gives us an idea of Horgan'sand the NDP's decision making process. There are no needless delays and [the] decision is ultimately based on what is good for B.C."

OnTwitter, Fort St. John Coun. Trevor Bolin wrote, "Not an easy decision... but a necessary one."

Challenges to come

Elsewhere, the Prophet River and West MoberlyFirst Nations promised to take the government to court, arguing Site C is a violation of the 1899 Treaty No. 8 agreement.

Ken Boon saidhe is hopeful challenges from Indigenous groups or defections from NDPand Green Party MLAscould still kill Site C.

"We're not packing up yet," he said.