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Former B.C. Hydro CEO earns half a million without working a single day

Jessica McDonald received $541,615 in compensation following firing
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Former B.C. Hydro CEO Jessica McDonald, here standing with former B.C. premier Christy Clark (left), earned more than $500,000 in the 2017-2018 under a compensation package following her firing by the current New Democratic government. (Government of B.C.)

Former B.C. Hydro president and chief executive officer Jessica McDonald received a total of $541,615 in compensation during the 2017-2018 fiscal year without having worked a single day for the Crown corporation.

She earned this money under a compensation package after the in-coming New Democratic government of John Horgan fired her. The previous B.C. Liberal government named her president and CEO of B.C. Hydro in 2014, and McDonald was a strong supporter of the controversial Site C dam project now going ahead following a review.

RELATED: Site C dam construction to start next summer

RELATED: Site C dam goes ahead, cost estimate now up to $10.7 billion

The current New Democratic government placed her on what financial disclosure documents call “salary continuance” effective July 21, 2017 — the day the government announced her departure.

According to financial disclosure statements, McDonald remained on “salary continuance” until Sept. 21 of this year. During this period, she earned $272,659, a figure that includes benefits, pension and other compensation.

McDonald — who used to be the deputy minister to former premier Gordon Campbell — is now working for Canada Post, which appointed her as interim president and chief executive officer in March.

She started in her new role on April 2, 2018, and now finds herself in the middle of managing a postal carrier strike.

RELATED: UPDATE: Canada Post workers in more than a dozen B.C. cities go on strike


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wolfgang.depner@saanichnews.com



Wolf Depner

About the Author: Wolf Depner

I joined the national team with Black Press Media in 2023 from the Peninsula News Review, where I had reported on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula since 2019.
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