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Stave Falls Dam 100th anniversary Saturday

The free family friendly event features carnival games and tours
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The work crew for the Stave Falls dam

The Stave Lake Dam and Powerhouse is celebrating its 100th birthday this Saturday, and the public is invited to come check out the facility.

The Aug. 11 event kicks off at 10 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m., and features carnival games, crafts for kids, facepainting, powerhouse/visitor centre tours and more.

At 11 a.m., a formal ceremony with messages from BC Hydro, the District of Mission, and National Historic Society begins.

Admission is free with a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the Mission Food Bank.

Construction of the original Stave Falls Dam and Powerhouse began in 1909 and was completed by Jan. 1, 1912.  A second component, the Alouette Powerhouse, was added in 1928.

The Stave River generation complex is comprised of three dams and power stations: Stave Falls, Alouette and Ruskin. The three powerhouses have a production capacity of 205 megawatts of electricity.

An additional generator was installed in the Ruskin Powerhouse in 1950 to meet increased electrical demand in the region, while in 1999, a new Stave generating station came into service.

In 2000, after supplying reliable and clean energy for almost 90 years, the power house at Stave Falls was decommissioned, but it was turned into a museum and visitor’s centre opening its doors on Mother’s Day in 2002.

To date, 125,000 visitors have toured the centre, including 100,000 students, and the Stave Falls Dam and Powerhouse is recognized as a Canadian National Heritage site.

The power house is located at 31338 Dewdney Trunk Rd., just north of Mission. For more information call 604-462-1222.