March 28, 2024
Global Renewable News

HYDRO OTTAWA HOLDING INC.
Spring flooding no match for historic Chaudière Falls - Energy Ottawa powers through with Doors Open Ottawa event

June 5, 2017

Despite unusually high water levels and flooding this May, Energy Ottawa will open its doors to offer public tours of its historic hydroelectric facility at Chaudière Falls.

The historic building will be open for guided tours as part of Doors Open Ottawa this weekend, June 3-4. Generating Station No. 2, the oldest operating hydroelectric generating station in Canada, continues to power our city with clean, renewable power.

Please note that attendees are required to wear closed-toe shoes as it is a light industrial environment. The facility is not wheelchair or stroller accessible.

Quick Facts

  • Energy Ottawa, an affiliate of Hydro Ottawa, is Ontario's largest municipally-owned producer of green power.
  • Generating Station No. 2 is Canada's oldest surviving hydroelectric station still in operation.
  • Chaudière Falls was responsible for lighting Ottawa's streets with electricity and fueled the industrial explosion of the mid-1800s by providing water power for the vast complex of lumber mills that once occupied the shoreline of the Ottawa River.
  • Generating Station No. 2 was originally commissioned by E.H. Bronson during the lumber boom in 1891. Its longevity and importance to the power grid contributed to it becoming a heritage-designated building.
  • The station was entirely refurbished and fully automated in 2001 to ensure its long-term viability, however all of the heritage elements of the station were preserved - the original dials, meters and switches are still in the building - leaving the equipment looking the same as it did 100 years ago.
  • Doors Open Ottawa is an annual event providing individuals with the opportunity to explore the City's most historically significant buildings.
  • Thousands have toured Hydro Ottawa's Generating Station No. 2 since it began participating in Doors Open Ottawa in 2011. To see a short video from last year's event, click here.

Quotes

"This year, the Ottawa River put our facilities at Chaudière Falls to the test. But, Generating Station No. 2 has stood strong in the face of numerous threats - from flooding to fires. I welcome residents and visitors alike to come see this historic facility up close."
- Bryce Conrad, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hydro Ottawa

About Energy Ottawa

Energy Ottawa is a diversified and innovative energy company. It is the largest municipally owned producer of green power in Ontario, with hydroelectric, solar, and landfill gas-to-energy generating facilities. Its energy services group offers a wide range of energy management services for commercial customers. Its infrastructure management services include cable testing, power quality monitoring and engineering solutions. Energy Ottawa Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.

For more information

Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.

www.hydroottawaholding.com


Daniel Séguin, Manager, Media and Public Affairs
Hydro Ottawa
danseguin@hydroottawa.com
613-738-5499 ext. 345