The countdown is on for a Duncan, B.C. man trying to stop the Site C Dam.
Ion Delsol Moruso, the organizer behind an initiative to cancel the project, has been given 90 days to get signatures from 10 per cent of registered voters.
In a statement Tuesday, Elections BC outlined the massive undertaking: Moruso and any other registered canvassers must have signatures from one-in-10 voters in each of the province's 87 electoral districts.
The draft bill, titled "Site C Dam Project Cancellation Act," references a 2014 review that found inconsistencies in the plan, and a 2017 BC Utilities Commission Report which stated the project was not necessary to meet B.C. power needs.
Despite the review, the $10.7- billion BC Hydro project was given the go-ahead from the NDP government last year.
Those opposed are worried about the environmental impacts, and argue the electricity the dam would generate won't be needed for years.
For Moruso's petition to be considered, he must gather signatures from individuals who are already on the provincial voters list. They can only sign the petition sheet for the district in which they are registered.
He must then return the petition sheets to Elections BC by Oct. 1.
Any registered voter can apply to have a petition issued for a legislative proposal. Petitions must be written in the form of a draft bill that is within the province's jurisdiction, and organizers are charged a non-refundable processing fee of $50.
If a petition is submitted to the chief electoral officer with enough signatures and the initiator has complied with Elections BC's financing rules, their bill is then referred to a committee. The committee may choose to have an province-wide vote on the proposed law or amendment.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Bhinder Sajan
