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Pinawa Generating Station was the first hydraulic plant on the Winnipeg River and first to operate all year long under extreme cold weather and icing conditions. The station was a Winnipeg Electric Railway Co. development. Pinawa operated with a head of 14 m. Pinawa Generating Station was retired from service in 1951.
==First all-season hydroelctric plant in Manitoba==
Pinawa Generating Station was the first all-season hydroelectric plant built in Manitoba and the first on the Winnipeg River system.  It was also the first in the world to be developed in such a cold climate.  Procurement, construction, and commissioning had a lot of local involvement. A railway and a town were built for the construction. Design engineering was provided by engineer Fred Stark Pearson from New York.


Construction of the station was between 1902 and 1906. When first commissioned the station had 6 units with a total capacity of 8 MW. In 1907 units 7, 8, 9 were added which raised the capacity to 14 MW. In 1912 the capacity was re-rated to 22 MW.  
==Location==
The location of the dam is technically not on the Winnipeg River but on a much smaller branch called the Lee River. Under normal water conditions, the Lee River is a small tributary to the Winnipeg River; however, due to the topology of the area, water flows over a ridge and into the headwaters of the Lee River when the Winnipeg River is experiencing floods. This natural arrangement made it ideal for building a generating station in the dry while avoiding the powerful Winnipeg River flows. Pinawa is derived from the Cree word pinnowok, meaning “quiet water”, referring to the quiet and sheltered nature of water flow here.


Procurement, construction, and commissioning had a lot of local involvement. A railway and a town were built for the construction. Design engineering was provided by an engineer from New York.
==Winnipeg Electric Railway Company==
The construction of Pinawa demonstrated the willingness by its owner, the Winnipeg Electric Railway Company, to embrace new technology at a remote site with relatively basic equipment. The project was undertaken with no conclusive evidence that the river was an appropriate site for hydroelectric development or that the plant would be a reliable source of power during the winter months. Critics insisted that the estimated production of 18.6 megawatts was far beyond the needs of Winnipeg. Others questioned if electricity could be transmitted over such a great distance. All of this became moot when, ten years following the station’s completion, Winnipeg’s population had quadrupled and the demand for power soared.
 
==Logistics==
Transportation to the site was a major challenge. There were no roads or railways to the construction site and no bridges to cross the Winnipeg River. When existing ‘lumberjack trails’ became impassable, spruce logs were laid across them to create corduroy roads. In total, 26 kilometres of corduroy roads were built for the project. The river itself also provided a route for the transport of heavy equipment through Lac du Bonnet, by means of a scow in summer and by sled in winter. Between 50 and 75 teams of horses were used to haul material around the construction sites. Scores of handlers and, blacksmiths, and food for the horses were also a major logistical consideration. Although steam-driven derricks, shovels, and drills were used whenever possible, most of the labour was manual. Rock drillers were paid 15 cents an hour for their demanding work.
 
==Channel Improvements==
To allow more water to flow through the Lee River, the headwater channel was widened and deepened. Much of the area was composed of granite outcrops of the Canadian Shield that required a significant amount of drilling and blasting. The excavated material was piled alongside the new channel and is still recognizable today. Three weirs were placed within the main waterway of the Winnipeg River to divert water into the new channel, with a control structure at the channel entrance to regulate water flow to the Pinawa station. The structure was of such importance that employees lived on-site year-round and had a telephone connection to the station. Today, the upstream portion of the river is called the Pinawa Channel and the downstream portion is the Lee River.
 
==Construction Schedule==
Construction of the Pinawa Generating Station began in 1902 and was completed on 9 June 1906 at a cost of $3-million, or as much as $2-billion in today’s dollars. During its initial year of operation, six generating units produced 8 megawatts of electricity. Three more units were added the following year, bringing the total output to 14 megawatts.
 
==Power Enhancements==
In the years after its completion, demand for power grew to such an extent that additional capacity was needed. In 1912, modifications increased the elevation of the forebay by placing sluiceways and stoplogs along the top of the spillway weir and increased the height of the surrounding dikes. The result was an increase in water elevation (head) to 14 metres and an increase in station capacity to 22 megawatts.
 
==Decommissioning==
Through the 1940s and ʼ50s, the demand for electricity grew steadily, resulting in the expansion of the Seven Sisters Generating Station located downstream of the Pinawa Channel entrance.  Three units were added to Seven Sisters between 1948 and 1952, which brought its capacity to 150 megawatts. To maximize the generating potential of the Winnipeg River system, it was decided to return the water diverted to the Pinawa plant back to the river. So, before the final unit at Seven Sisters was commissioned, the small and inefficient Pinawa Generating Station was shut down in October 1951, after 45 years of successful operation. Any one of the six generators at Seven Sisters produced greater power than Pinawa’s entire output.
 
The station’s equipment was removed, and its buildings were dismantled. The main earthen works and concrete superstructure were abandoned.
 
==Provincial Heritage Park==
Today, the old plant and its surrounding area have been turned into the Pinawa Dam Provincial Heritage Park with pathways and placards highlighting the history of the site. Commemorative plaques recognizing the importance of the Pinawa Generating Station as a milestone in Canadian engineering were dedicated in 1987 (APEM) and 2008 (IEEE).
 
 
[[File:Pinawa - Post Decomm Aerial.jpg|thumb|center|none|400px|Pinawa: Post Decommissioning Aerial]]
 
[[File:Pinawa - Post Decomm Panoramic.jpg|thumb|center|none|900px|Pinawa: Post Decommissioning Panoramic]]


==Construction Photo Gallery==
==Construction Photo Gallery==
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<div><ul>  
<div><ul>  
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa - Dwg General Key Plan.gif|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Dwg General Key Plan]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa - Dwg General Key Plan.gif|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Dwg General Key Plan]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa - Dwg Plan of Winnipeg River Weirs.gif|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Dwg Plan of Winnipeg River Weirs]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa - Dwg Plan of Winnipeg River Weirs.gif|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Dwg Plan of Winnipeg River Weirs]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa - Dwg Powerhouse Plan View.gif|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Dwg Powerhouse Plan View]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa - Dwg Powerhouse Plan View.gif|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Dwg Powerhouse Plan View]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa - Post Decomm Aerial.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Post Decommissioning Aerial]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23f - Excavated Intake Channel 1905 05 20.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Excavated Intake Channel 1905 05 20]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa - Post Decomm Panoramic.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Post Decommissioning Panoramic]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 01 - Intake Channel Excavation 1905 10 20.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Intake Channel Excavation 1905 10 20]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 01 - Intake Channel Excavation 1905 10 20.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Intake Channel Excavation 1905 10 20]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 03 - Intake Channel Controle Structure.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Intake Channel Control Structure]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 02 - Winnipeg River Main Wier 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Winnipeg River Main Wier 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 21 - Construction Camp Building Homes.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Construction Camp Building Homes]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 03 - Intake Channel Controle Structure.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Intake Channel Control Structure]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24c - Corduroy Road.jpg|thumb|none|200px|Pinawa: Corduroy Road]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 04 - Powerhouse Intake Structure Downstream.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Intake Structure Downstream]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23b - Powerhouse Half Constructed Downstream View 1905 05 18.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Half Constructed Downstream View 1905 05 18]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 05 - Powerhouse Intake Structure Upstream.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Intake Structure Upstream]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23c - Powerhouse Half Constructed Upstream View 1905 06 27.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Half Constructed Upstream View 1905 06 27]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 06 - Powerhouse Downstream View.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Downstream View]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23d - Intake Tubes.jpg|300px|Pinawa: Intake Tubes|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Intake Tubes]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 07 - Overflow Spillway in Operation.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Overflow Spillway in Operation]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23e - McCormick Turbine Intake Tube.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: McCormick Turbine Intake Tube]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 08 - Spillway Downstream in Winter 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Spillway Downstream in Winter 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23g - Intake Tubes 1905 05 27.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Intake Tubes 1905 05 27]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 09 - View from Intakegate Structure 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: View from Intakegate Structure 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 04 - Powerhouse Intake Structure Downstream.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Intake Structure Downstream]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 10 - Spillway Downstream in Winter 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Spillway Downstream in Winter 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 05 - Powerhouse Intake Structure Upstream.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Intake Structure Upstream]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 11 - South Side Powerhouse in Winter.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: South Side Powerhouse in Winter]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 06 - Powerhouse Downstream View.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Downstream View]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 12 - Generator Room 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Generator Room 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24b - Sunday Ladies.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Sunday Ladies]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 13 - Control Floor with Operator.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Control Floor with Operator]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24d - Car.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Car]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 14 - Lombard Govenor.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Lombard Govenor]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24e - Break Time Refreshments.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Break Time Refreshments]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 16 - Tramsformer Gallery 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Transformer Gallery 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24f - Boaters.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Boaters]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 17 - Switchgear Room.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Switchgear Room]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24g - Three Bear Cubs.jpg|thumb|none|200px|Pinawa: Three Bear Cubs]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 18 - Group Photo for Initial Opening.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Group Photo for Initial Opening]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24h - Group Photo Tenting.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Group Photo Tenting]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 19a - Powerhouse Flood.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Flood]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24j - Turbine Installation.jpg|thumb|none|200px|Pinawa: Turbine Installation]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 19b - Powerhouse Flood.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Flood]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24n - Turbine Installation.jpg|thumb|none|200px|Pinawa: Turbine Installation]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 19c - Powerhouse Flood.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Flood]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24k - Dog Sled.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Dog Sled]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 19d - Powerhouse Flood.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Flood]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23a - Work with Horse Power 1907 05 28.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Work with Horse Power 1907 05 28]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 20 - Townsite Houseing.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Flood]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24a - Girls On Turbine.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Girls On Turbine]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 21 - Construction Camp Building Homes.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Construction Camp Building Homes]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24l - 60 kV Transmission Tower with Intrepid Climber.jpg|thumb|none|200px|Pinawa: 60 kV Transmission Tower with Intrepid Climber]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 22 - Staffhouse.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Staffhouse]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24i - Sitting On Trash Spillway.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Sitting On Trash Spillway]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23a - Work with Horse Power 1907 05 28.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Work with Horse Power 1907 05 28]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24m - Transformer Room _ Crew.jpg|thumb|none|200px|Pinawa: Transformer Room & Crew]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23b - Powerhouse Half Constructed Downstream View 1905 05 18.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Half Constructed Downstream View 1905 05 18]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24o - Hunting Party.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Hunting Party]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23c - Powerhouse Half Constructed Upstream View 1905 06 27.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Half Constructed Upstream View 1905 06 27]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24p - Intake Structure With Trashracks.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Intake Structure with Trashracks]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23d - Intake Tubes.jpg|300px|Pinawa: Intake Tubes|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Intake Tubes]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 02 - Winnipeg River Main Wier 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Winnipeg River Main Wier 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23e - McCormick Turbine Intake Tube.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: McCormick Turbine Intake Tube]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 07 - Overflow Spillway in Operation.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Overflow Spillway in Operation]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23f - Excavated Intake Channel 1905 05 20.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Excavated Intake Channel 1905 05 20]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 18 - Group Photo for Initial Opening.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Group Photo for Initial Opening]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 23g - Intake Tubes 1905 05 27.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Intake Tubes 1905 05 27]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 12 - Generator Room 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Generator Room 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24a - Girls On Turbine.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Girls On Turbine]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 13 - Control Floor with Operator.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Control Floor with Operator]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24b - Sunday Ladies.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Sunday Ladies]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 14 - Lombard Govenor.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Lombard Govenor]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24c - Corduroy Road.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Corduroy Road]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 16 - Tramsformer Gallery 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Transformer Gallery 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24d - Car.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Car]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 17 - Switchgear Room.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Switchgear Room]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24e - Break Time Refreshments.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Break Time Refreshments]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 25 - Trasformer Gallery _ Blacksmith Shop.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Transformer Gallery & Blacksmith Shop]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24f - Boaters.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Boaters]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 08 - Spillway Downstream in Winter 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Spillway Downstream in Winter 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24g - Three Bear Cubs.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Three Bear Cubs]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 09 - View from Intakegate Structure 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: View from Intakegate Structure 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24h - Group Photo Tenting.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Group Photo Tenting]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 10 - Spillway Downstream in Winter 1908 01 10.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Spillway Downstream in Winter 1908 01 10]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24i - Sitting On Trash Spillway.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Sitting On Trash Spillway]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 11 - South Side Powerhouse in Winter.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: South Side Powerhouse in Winter]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24j - Turbine Installation.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Turbine Installation]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 19a - Powerhouse Flood.jpg|thumb|none|200px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Flood]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24k - Dog Sled.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Dog Sled]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 19b - Powerhouse Flood.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Flood]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24l - 60 kV Transmission Tower with Intrepid Climber.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: 60 kV Transmission Tower with Intrepid Climber]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 19d - Powerhouse Flood.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Powerhouse Flood]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24m - Transformer Room _ Crew.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Transformer Room & Crew]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 22 - Staffhouse.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Staffhouse]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24n - Turbine Installation.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Turbine Installation]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 20 - Townsite Houseing.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Townsite Housing]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24o - Hunting Party.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Hunting Party]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 26 - Aerial Vew During Operations.jpg|thumb|none|300px|Pinawa: Aerial View During Operations]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 24p - Intake Structure With Trashracks.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Intake Structure with Trashracks]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 27 - Fred Stark Pearson, Engineer 1905.jpg|thumb|none|200px|Pinawa: Fred Stark Pearson, Engineer 1905]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 25 - Trasformer Gallery _ Blacksmith Shop.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Transformer Gallery & Blacksmith Shop]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 26 - Aerial Vew During Operations.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Aerial View During Operations]] </li>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Pinawa 27 - Fred Stark Pearson, Engineer 1905.jpg|thumb|none||300px|Pinawa: Fred Stark Pearson, Engineer 1905]] </li>
</ul></div>
</ul></div>


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[[Category:Civil Engineering]]
[[Category:Civil Engineering]]
[[Category:Generating Stations]]
[[Category:Generating Stations]]
==Compiled by==
Ryan G. Bernier PEng
Review
#Glen N. Cook, PEng (SM), FEC
Edited by James A. Burns, PhD.
Posted by Glen N. Cook, PEng (SM), FEC
If you have feedback on this article please contact the webmaster at APEGM.heritageeng@gmail.com

Latest revision as of 09:50, 30 July 2025

First all-season hydroelctric plant in Manitoba

Pinawa Generating Station was the first all-season hydroelectric plant built in Manitoba and the first on the Winnipeg River system. It was also the first in the world to be developed in such a cold climate. Procurement, construction, and commissioning had a lot of local involvement. A railway and a town were built for the construction. Design engineering was provided by engineer Fred Stark Pearson from New York.

Location

The location of the dam is technically not on the Winnipeg River but on a much smaller branch called the Lee River. Under normal water conditions, the Lee River is a small tributary to the Winnipeg River; however, due to the topology of the area, water flows over a ridge and into the headwaters of the Lee River when the Winnipeg River is experiencing floods. This natural arrangement made it ideal for building a generating station in the dry while avoiding the powerful Winnipeg River flows. Pinawa is derived from the Cree word pinnowok, meaning “quiet water”, referring to the quiet and sheltered nature of water flow here.

Winnipeg Electric Railway Company

The construction of Pinawa demonstrated the willingness by its owner, the Winnipeg Electric Railway Company, to embrace new technology at a remote site with relatively basic equipment. The project was undertaken with no conclusive evidence that the river was an appropriate site for hydroelectric development or that the plant would be a reliable source of power during the winter months. Critics insisted that the estimated production of 18.6 megawatts was far beyond the needs of Winnipeg. Others questioned if electricity could be transmitted over such a great distance. All of this became moot when, ten years following the station’s completion, Winnipeg’s population had quadrupled and the demand for power soared.

Logistics

Transportation to the site was a major challenge. There were no roads or railways to the construction site and no bridges to cross the Winnipeg River. When existing ‘lumberjack trails’ became impassable, spruce logs were laid across them to create corduroy roads. In total, 26 kilometres of corduroy roads were built for the project. The river itself also provided a route for the transport of heavy equipment through Lac du Bonnet, by means of a scow in summer and by sled in winter. Between 50 and 75 teams of horses were used to haul material around the construction sites. Scores of handlers and, blacksmiths, and food for the horses were also a major logistical consideration. Although steam-driven derricks, shovels, and drills were used whenever possible, most of the labour was manual. Rock drillers were paid 15 cents an hour for their demanding work.

Channel Improvements

To allow more water to flow through the Lee River, the headwater channel was widened and deepened. Much of the area was composed of granite outcrops of the Canadian Shield that required a significant amount of drilling and blasting. The excavated material was piled alongside the new channel and is still recognizable today. Three weirs were placed within the main waterway of the Winnipeg River to divert water into the new channel, with a control structure at the channel entrance to regulate water flow to the Pinawa station. The structure was of such importance that employees lived on-site year-round and had a telephone connection to the station. Today, the upstream portion of the river is called the Pinawa Channel and the downstream portion is the Lee River.

Construction Schedule

Construction of the Pinawa Generating Station began in 1902 and was completed on 9 June 1906 at a cost of $3-million, or as much as $2-billion in today’s dollars. During its initial year of operation, six generating units produced 8 megawatts of electricity. Three more units were added the following year, bringing the total output to 14 megawatts.

Power Enhancements

In the years after its completion, demand for power grew to such an extent that additional capacity was needed. In 1912, modifications increased the elevation of the forebay by placing sluiceways and stoplogs along the top of the spillway weir and increased the height of the surrounding dikes. The result was an increase in water elevation (head) to 14 metres and an increase in station capacity to 22 megawatts.

Decommissioning

Through the 1940s and ʼ50s, the demand for electricity grew steadily, resulting in the expansion of the Seven Sisters Generating Station located downstream of the Pinawa Channel entrance. Three units were added to Seven Sisters between 1948 and 1952, which brought its capacity to 150 megawatts. To maximize the generating potential of the Winnipeg River system, it was decided to return the water diverted to the Pinawa plant back to the river. So, before the final unit at Seven Sisters was commissioned, the small and inefficient Pinawa Generating Station was shut down in October 1951, after 45 years of successful operation. Any one of the six generators at Seven Sisters produced greater power than Pinawa’s entire output.

The station’s equipment was removed, and its buildings were dismantled. The main earthen works and concrete superstructure were abandoned.

Provincial Heritage Park

Today, the old plant and its surrounding area have been turned into the Pinawa Dam Provincial Heritage Park with pathways and placards highlighting the history of the site. Commemorative plaques recognizing the importance of the Pinawa Generating Station as a milestone in Canadian engineering were dedicated in 1987 (APEM) and 2008 (IEEE).


Pinawa: Post Decommissioning Aerial
Pinawa: Post Decommissioning Panoramic

Construction Photo Gallery

Courtesy the Manitoba Electrical Museum

  • Pinawa: Dwg General Key Plan
  • Pinawa: Dwg Plan of Winnipeg River Weirs
  • Pinawa: Dwg Powerhouse Plan View
  • Pinawa: Excavated Intake Channel 1905 05 20
  • Pinawa: Intake Channel Excavation 1905 10 20
  • Pinawa: Intake Channel Control Structure
  • Pinawa: Construction Camp Building Homes
  • Pinawa: Corduroy Road
  • Pinawa: Powerhouse Half Constructed Downstream View 1905 05 18
  • Pinawa: Powerhouse Half Constructed Upstream View 1905 06 27
  • Pinawa: Intake Tubes
  • Pinawa: McCormick Turbine Intake Tube
  • Pinawa: Intake Tubes 1905 05 27
  • Pinawa: Powerhouse Intake Structure Downstream
  • Pinawa: Powerhouse Intake Structure Upstream
  • Pinawa: Powerhouse Downstream View
  • Pinawa: Sunday Ladies
  • Pinawa: Car
  • Pinawa: Break Time Refreshments
  • Pinawa: Boaters
  • Pinawa: Three Bear Cubs
  • Pinawa: Group Photo Tenting
  • Pinawa: Turbine Installation
  • Pinawa: Turbine Installation
  • Pinawa: Dog Sled
  • Pinawa: Work with Horse Power 1907 05 28
  • Pinawa: Girls On Turbine
  • Pinawa: 60 kV Transmission Tower with Intrepid Climber
  • Pinawa: Sitting On Trash Spillway
  • Pinawa: Transformer Room & Crew
  • Pinawa: Hunting Party
  • Pinawa: Intake Structure with Trashracks
  • Pinawa: Winnipeg River Main Wier 1908 01 10
  • Pinawa: Overflow Spillway in Operation
  • Pinawa: Group Photo for Initial Opening
  • Pinawa: Generator Room 1908 01 10
  • Pinawa: Control Floor with Operator
  • Pinawa: Lombard Govenor
  • Pinawa: Transformer Gallery 1908 01 10
  • Pinawa: Switchgear Room
  • Pinawa: Transformer Gallery & Blacksmith Shop
  • Pinawa: Spillway Downstream in Winter 1908 01 10
  • Pinawa: View from Intakegate Structure 1908 01 10
  • Pinawa: Spillway Downstream in Winter 1908 01 10
  • Pinawa: South Side Powerhouse in Winter
  • Pinawa: Powerhouse Flood
  • Pinawa: Powerhouse Flood
  • Pinawa: Powerhouse Flood
  • Pinawa: Staffhouse
  • Pinawa: Townsite Housing
  • Pinawa: Aerial View During Operations
  • Pinawa: Fred Stark Pearson, Engineer 1905


References

Manitoba Hydro History and Timeline - Manitoba Hydro

Pinawa Construction

Historic Pinawa Generating Station Recognized as Engineering Milestone - IEEE Canada

Compiled by

Ryan G. Bernier PEng

Review

  1. Glen N. Cook, PEng (SM), FEC


Edited by James A. Burns, PhD.

Posted by Glen N. Cook, PEng (SM), FEC

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