[6] In addition to the benefits related to the clean energy generated, the construction of the dam and the reservoir also provided economic opportunities for the province of British Columbia, for the newly founded provincially owned electric utility BC Hydro, and for the large number of workers.

[16] It is debatable whether or not all of these elements were present in British Columbia at the time, but regardless, the development of the Peace River led to environmental changes that caused a minority of people to live in isolation, dependence, alienation, and illness.

[17] On the other hand, the hydroelectric projects realized by Bennett's Two Rivers policy created a large supply of less expensive energy in British Columbia, which provided industrial growth and therefore employment.

The policy stemmed from Bennett's desire to wrest control of resources away from the federal government in regards to power development in the province.

[20] Much to Bennett's dismay, the federal government of Canada dissolved the deal by asserting its right of control over international waterways and took over negotiations with the United States.

[19] This 'Two Rivers' policy faced opposition from people who thought that if the Columbia were developed, the electricity generated should be for Canada's sole use as opposed to America's.

[24] Because of his Two Rivers policy, Bennett was successful in pressuring the federal government of Canada to allow British Columbia to 'sell electricity' to the Americans for a thirty-year period for the lump sum of US$275 million.

[25] Ray Williston, the minister of land and forests for the provincial government at the time, proposed turning sections of the Peace and Columbia River basins known as the Rocky Mountain Trench into a source of power generation.

The "Power Trench", as it was known, would provide not only electricity, but give the ability to control water flow for flood prevention and agricultural purposes in the U.S. and Canada.

[26] In 1957 twelve locations along the Peace River were identified by the Wenner-Gren British Columbia Development Company as potential sites to build a dam.

The study led to the conclusion that it would be cheaper to build on the Peace River, but only if a public company was used due to lower interest rates available to crown corporations.

[4] The construction project was managed by Gordon Shrum, the appointed head of the newly created BC Hydro crown corporation.

[34] The construction of the W. A. C. Bennett Dam involved over twenty unions that were bound by ten-year contracts guaranteeing BC Hydro no lockouts or strike action.

This was due to the fact that British Columbia had the country's highest real per capita income which resulted in high standards of living for its residents.

[46] Bennett believed that any natural resource that was not used was wasted and pushed for the development of ways to harness the enormous unrealized hydroelectric energy power potential of the Peace River.

[48] The British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority Act, introduced by Premier W. A. C. Bennett in March 1962, laid out the plan in which he would pursue his Two Rivers Policy.

[53] For a minority of people, many of whom were Aboriginal, environmental changes caused by the damming of the Peace River meant dependence, isolation, alienation, and illness.

[17] When it became clear that the environmental impacts of the dam would render land unlivable to local Aboriginal groups who were dependent on the hereditary sites, the British Columbia government offered a settlement.

[54] Outside of relocation, Aboriginal hunting and fishing grounds around the Fort Grahame and Finlay Forks areas were severely impacted by ecological change.

These changes to First Nations independence through fur trade and the relocation of many Aboriginals to new reserves caused an influx in demand for government assistance through welfare.

Between 1965 and 1970, social assistance provided by the Provincial government to Aboriginal groups in the areas surrounding the Bennett Dam increased by 300 percent.

[10] The devastating impact of the dam is documented in detail in a doctoral dissertation by Daniel Sims, a Tsay Keh Dene First Nation member.

[56][57] The effects of the project on the Tsay Keh Dene First Nation were profiled in The Scattering of Man (DƏNE YI’INJETL), a 2021 documentary film by Luke Gleeson.

[12] In 1964, his vision would be validated as a result of the "instant town" of Mackenzie, where thousands of individuals would find employment with BC Forest Products.

[54] For residents who had lived in the surrounding areas prior to the dams planned construction, development caused many to be pushed off homesteads for small monetary settlements.

[17] However, for local residents of Anglo ethnicity, full-time waged work was more easily accessible due to the employment opportunities produced directly and indirectly by the damming project.

The dam has been responsible for less drastic fluctuations in the water levels of the downstream portions of the Peace River, creating modifications to both the plants and animals in the region.

The creation of the lake flooded a vast area of former forest land, drowning a significant amount of wildlife and creating drastic changes to the landscape.

A number of species were known to have thrived and it is estimated that there are more fish in the basin today than before the reservoir, but possessing levels of mercury indicating they are not entirely healthy.