Knowledge

Goldstream Powerhouse

Source 📝

367: 395: 94: 381: 122: 102: 110: 130: 86:. This plant provided electricity to Victoria for 60 years and is one of the little-known and ingenious chapters in the history of Victoria. This plant was one of the first hydro plants of this type on the west coast of North America. The structure is over a century old and is unsafe to inhabit. It is within the boundaries of the watershed lands owned by the 162:
and spending the night at Goldstream. Located along the Cowichan Waggon (sic) Road, the powerhouse meant a long walk for the residents of the Lubbe House, (located only a short distance from the powerhouse, and associated with its early history), whose children reportedly used to walk to town and back.
298:. Using Thetis Lake had ultimately been a failure because it was simply too small, and as a result was only used for three years. The company, headed by entrepreneur Theodore Lubbe, then turned to a series of lakes located northwest of the city. Using mainly Asian labourers, seven lakes were developed. 161:
The Goldstream Plant was staffed by full time operators, who recorded in their journals the daily activities, comings and goings, and events. A day excursion on the E & N Railway to the Powerhouse was a popular event in the early years of operation. Other entries tell of hobos riding the rails
341:
These lakes have been decommissioned and are being allowed to return to nature. It was determined that the Mavis and Jack Lake dams would need a seismic refit as well. The decision was made to release the water from these reservoirs, since these sources were no longer required. Cabin Pond has two
256:. Following the closure of the plant, the equipment was scavenged and was sold in the basement of the Capital Iron store, located in Victoria, and was lost to history. All that remains is the structure itself and a British Columbia Electric Railway sign, which cannot be safely removed. 169:
came online in 1912 and dwarfed the Lubbe plant. Turbines one and two were taken offline and the plant continued to operate until 1957 as a 1500 KW facility. Rumours tell that the plant was torn down but the building in fact still exists to this day.
251:
The building's dimensions are 42 feet (13 m) x 24 feet (7.3 m) x 56 feet (17 m) and contains three rooms. The first room contained the generators, while another housed the Pelton waterwheels, and the third, the
422: 342:
cabins on its shore where watershed caretakers once took up residence. These lakes are now a part of the Sea to Sea Regional Park Reserve and public access is not permitted.
511: 311:
These lakes are currently used as a secondary drinking water source by the CRD. Every January, the CRD switches to this system in order to allow inspection of the
218: 146:(BCER) came to an agreement to generate power by using the water from the high elevation reservoirs to generate electricity. The water would be run through 315:, the main artery transporting water to the city from Sooke Lake. The dams on these lakes underwent a $ 3.5 million refit in 1995 due to concerns about 182:, not far from the construction site. Following the offloading of equipment, the components were hauled up the road with manual labour using horses and 264:
The plant began with two Pelton waterwheels, likely manufactured in San Francisco. Additions were made later on as the electricity demand grew.
207: 38: 179: 506: 143: 31: 17: 516: 291: 114: 83: 79: 75: 87: 400: 150:, where the water would then flow into the Japan Gulch Reservoir and subsequently be used for 8: 225:. From there, it was transported down a 7,920 feet (2,410 m), 33-inch (84 cm), 117:
would leave the structure here and begin their 12 miles (19 km) journey to Victoria.
232: 90:
and is inaccessible to the public due to its proximity to a drinking water reservoir.
443:
90 Years of Public Utility Service on Vancouver Island - A History of the BC Electric
154:
purposes. The plant was expanded in 1898 and again in 1905, each time adding another
490:, The Mining Record, Dec 1903., www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/bib84740.pdf 271:
Turbine 2: 38 inches (0.97 m) : 360 KW (included with plant construction)
268:
Turbine 1: 38 inches (0.97 m) : 360 KW (included with plant construction)
211: 183: 166: 477:, Page 25, BC Parks, 1976., www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/bib84740.pdf 461:, Page 26, BC Parks, 1976., www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/bib84740.pdf 410: 500: 372: 312: 236: 222: 203: 71: 53: 40: 386: 178:
The heavy equipment and supplies for the powerhouse were shipped in on the
147: 295: 253: 195: 316: 287: 151: 394: 240: 93: 380: 155: 121: 101: 210:. The electricity from this plant provided power to the city's 109: 229: 226: 294:
as a water supply, while Esquimalt had attempted to exploit
274:
Turbine 3: 54 inches (1.4 m) : 500 KW (added 1898)
129: 488:
Goldstream-Victoria Water Power and Electrical Transmission
286:
At the beginning of settlement in the region, Victoria and
199: 290:
had an adversarial relationship. Victoria had developed
362: 469: 467: 453: 451: 142:In 1897, Esquimalt Waterworks Company (EWWC) and 512:Hydroelectric power stations in British Columbia 498: 243:of 285 pounds per square inch (1,970 kPa). 281: 214:of the day, as per an agreement with the BCER. 464: 448: 423:Royal BC Museum - Goldstream Powerhouse 1920's 133:The only lasting remnant of the plant's past 435: 217:The plant fed upon water sourced from the 480: 336: 221:located 655 feet (200 m) above the 128: 120: 108: 100: 92: 27:Hydroelectric plant in Victoria, Canada 14: 499: 346:Cabin Pond (the Lubbe plant's source) 194:Before the plant, the only source of 306: 246: 189: 24: 25: 528: 416: 144:British Columbia Electric Railway 393: 379: 365: 32:Timeline of the CRD Water System 277:Turbine 4: 1000 KW (added 1905) 173: 167:Jordan River Hydroelectric Dam 13: 1: 428: 475:A History of Goldstream Park 459:A History of Goldstream Park 301: 282:Esquimalt Waterworks Company 7: 356: 259: 137: 10: 533: 84:Victoria, British Columbia 76:Goldstream Provincial Park 29: 97:The Goldstream Powerhouse 507:Dams in British Columbia 401:Renewable energy portal 337:Decommissioned sources 134: 126: 118: 106: 98: 54:48.46389°N 123.58500°W 132: 124: 112: 104: 96: 70:is a decommissioned 68:Goldstream Powerhouse 219:Cabin Pond Reservoir 59:48.46389; -123.58500 517:Juan de Fuca region 445:, Page 18-19, 1953. 74:plant located near 50: /  148:Pelton waterwheels 135: 127: 119: 107: 99: 307:Secondary sources 16:(Redirected from 524: 491: 484: 478: 471: 462: 455: 446: 439: 403: 398: 397: 389: 384: 383: 375: 370: 369: 368: 247:Plant schematics 239:with an immense 190:Power generation 184:block and tackle 125:A row of windows 65: 64: 62: 61: 60: 55: 51: 48: 47: 46: 43: 21: 18:Lubbe Powerhouse 532: 531: 527: 526: 525: 523: 522: 521: 497: 496: 495: 494: 485: 481: 472: 465: 456: 449: 440: 436: 431: 419: 407: 406: 399: 392: 385: 378: 371: 366: 364: 359: 339: 323:Goldstream Lake 309: 304: 284: 262: 249: 192: 180:E&N Railway 176: 140: 58: 56: 52: 49: 44: 41: 39: 37: 36: 34: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 530: 520: 519: 514: 509: 493: 492: 479: 463: 447: 433: 432: 430: 427: 426: 425: 418: 417:External links 415: 414: 413: 411:Sooke Flowline 405: 404: 390: 376: 361: 360: 358: 355: 354: 353: 350: 347: 338: 335: 334: 333: 330: 327: 324: 308: 305: 303: 300: 283: 280: 279: 278: 275: 272: 269: 261: 258: 248: 245: 191: 188: 175: 172: 139: 136: 105:Valve Building 30:Main article: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 529: 518: 515: 513: 510: 508: 505: 504: 502: 489: 483: 476: 473:Wuorinen, P: 470: 468: 460: 457:Wuorinen, P: 454: 452: 444: 441:Myers, T.R.: 438: 434: 424: 421: 420: 412: 409: 408: 402: 396: 391: 388: 382: 377: 374: 373:Canada portal 363: 351: 348: 345: 344: 343: 331: 329:Butchart Lake 328: 325: 322: 321: 320: 318: 314: 313:Kapoor Tunnel 299: 297: 293: 289: 276: 273: 270: 267: 266: 265: 257: 255: 244: 242: 238: 234: 231: 228: 224: 220: 215: 213: 209: 205: 201: 197: 187: 185: 181: 171: 168: 163: 159: 157: 153: 149: 145: 131: 123: 116: 111: 103: 95: 91: 89: 85: 81: 77: 73: 72:hydroelectric 69: 63: 33: 19: 487: 482: 474: 458: 442: 437: 387:Water portal 340: 310: 285: 263: 254:transformers 250: 216: 193: 177: 174:Construction 164: 160: 141: 67: 35: 486:Jacobs, E: 332:Japan Gulch 319:stability. 296:Thetis Lake 206:located in 204:power plant 196:electricity 57: / 501:Categories 429:References 349:Mavis Lake 326:Lubbe Lake 237:powerhouse 223:powerhouse 212:streetcars 115:powerlines 45:123°35′6″W 42:48°27′50″N 352:Jack Lake 302:The lakes 288:Esquimalt 357:See also 292:Elk Lake 260:Turbines 241:pressure 233:pipeline 208:Rock Bay 152:domestic 138:Overview 80:Langford 317:seismic 235:to the 227:riveted 156:turbine 82:, near 202:fired 198:was a 230:steel 200:coal 165:The 113:The 66:The 88:CRD 78:in 503:: 466:^ 450:^ 186:. 158:. 20:)

Index

Lubbe Powerhouse
Timeline of the CRD Water System
48°27′50″N 123°35′6″W / 48.46389°N 123.58500°W / 48.46389; -123.58500
hydroelectric
Goldstream Provincial Park
Langford
Victoria, British Columbia
CRD



powerlines


British Columbia Electric Railway
Pelton waterwheels
domestic
turbine
Jordan River Hydroelectric Dam
E&N Railway
block and tackle
electricity
coal
power plant
Rock Bay
streetcars
Cabin Pond Reservoir
powerhouse
riveted
steel

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.