A spokesperson with Trans Mountain says the planned pipeline expansion would bring about 700 jobs to Kamloops.

Kate Stebbings spoke at this week’s city council meeting, saying if the project is approved pre-construction would start this summer and the actual construction phase would last a year-and-a-half.

Kamloops mayor Ken Christian was asked if he thinks the number of workers would be good for tourism.

“It certainly could be but there are times of the year when we can’t accommodate those extra people so what happens then, how do they schedule the work in and around that? It was a good discussion and a good update from Trans Mountain for Kamloops city council.”

Stebbings says there won’t be a work camp set up in Kamloops, but one will be near Merritt.

“So at some point, between here and there the workforce will start to transition down into that camp. So although the whole section may be 18 months worth of impacts, the peak of that workforce would be a shorter period within that.”

Trans Mountain already has a community benefit agreement in place to provide $700,000 dollars for the city.

“In spite of all the economic activity and the tax benefits and the jobs and the business opportunities, we’re going to make a bit of a mess for a while. So this is just a bit of a recognition as here’s something we do to help compensate for that. And so we’re working with local governments to determine how those funds are going to be spent.”

The pipeline project is being reconsidered by the federal government and a decision is expected by late May.