In 1910, the BC Electric Railway Company (BCER) acquired the
land at the head of Brentwood Bay to build the third power plant on
southern Vancouver Island. Its intention was to be a backup to the
Jordan River Dam and the Goldstream Powerhouse (as mentioned in
my other cache) and provide power to the
Interurban trolley that went along Wallace Drive from North Saanich
to Victoria. The location was strategic since barges could easily
transport coal from Nanaimo to Brentwood Bay easier than going to
Victoria. When completed, it had a generating capacity of 6,000
kilowatts.
Wallace Drive in the day
Jordan River dam was the main supplier to Victoria and the
Goldstream powerhouse was puny compared to it. Jordan River dam
today is only a backup (running full-tilt, the reservoir would be
empty within three days. Up until World War II, the region's
electricity demand was very light. Most houses were self-sufficient
with wood coal or sawdust burning range.
Jordan River Dam (top) and Goldstream
Powerhouse (bottom)
Eventually with further upgrades to the electrical grid and
higher generating capacities elsewhere, Brentwood was phased back
to just being a substation and the smokestack stood quietly for 20
years. In one of the following years, a couple of curious kids
broke into the substation to look around and one was subsequently
electrocuted and killed. This was the beginning of the end for this
plant. BC Hydro soon after decided that the plant was unnecessary
and too much of a liability.
The
Electric Equipment of the Substation
On November 5, 1986, the 6-metre diameter, 80-metre tall
smokestack was brought down after two attempts by demolition crews.
The smokestack apparently had far more integrity than the engineers
thought. The rest of the plant was brought down with a 5-ton
wrecking ball and the 2.83 hectare site was subsequently sold to a
Vancouver developer.
The Condos aka "The
Abomination"
I think most residents and visitors to Brentwood Bay will agree
that the condos built on this site are just awful. Friends tell me
that there was quite a bit of old growth forest on the property and
that the development was not to look this obnoxious. What we got
instead was a gated community (I don't know anyone who lives there)
and a development you can see all the way from Mill Bay!
You can even see
them in the film, "The Mermaid Chair" Sigh...
Opinion is mixed whether people miss the old power station or
not. I personally would prefer it to what is there now. The
smokestack was apparently a great landmark for boaters returning to
Brentwood. What's better? I'll let you decide.
