Seabird Island gas bar fitted with EV fast chargers

A new fast-charging station for electric vehicles is coming to the Seabird Island community.

B.C. Hydro announced the charging site is operational adjacent to the Sqéwqel Gas Bar (3971 Chowat Road) as of March 11. This site is part of a network of more than 100 fast chargers across the province.

“Seabird Island Band is pleased to provide EV charging stations at our fueling station, in aid of a cleaner greener source of power for the traffic driving Highway 7 through our land and traditional territory,” stated Seabird Island Chief Jim Harris. “Protecting the environment is a task that belongs to all of us.”

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The charge site includes two 50-kilowatt charging units, which each add the equivalent of approximately 50 kilometres of driving time in about 10 minutes.

Minister of Energy, Mines and Low-Carbon Innovation Bruce Ralston said the installation is the latest in the province’s effort to make it easier for B.C. drivers to switch to greener, electric vehicles with a network of chargers spanning highways across B.C.

“This site in Agassiz was selected with safety, inclusiveness and convenience in mind,” stated Chilliwack-Kent MLA Kelli Paddon. “The site is wheelchair accessible and is right beside the well-lit Sqéwqel Gas Bar.”

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This installation is also part of B.C. Hydro’s broader Electrification Plan, which is an overall initiative to switch from fossil fuels to hydroelectricity.

We are building out charging infrastructure to ensure we can accommodate the volume and variety of electric vehicles that will be on B.C. roads in the coming years,” says B.C. Hydro President and CEO Chris O’Riley. “B.C. Hydro will add 325 charging units to its network at 145 sites within the next five years.”

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