Continued from page B19 banks, adjacent to the dam. The flows on the right bank, in particular, had been problematic since the dam’s construction, and a specially designed cut-off wall was installed to alleviate that problem. Seismic upgrades were also made to the powerhouse structure and the historic heritage facade was restored. There was no sense in preserving the historic location and not pay attention to that detail, according to BC Hydro spokesperson Susie Rieder. Four of the five new dam spillways were installed, a gargantuan task that had to be repeated four times in a series of installations, and two of the three new generating units at the site were installed. The switch-yard was relocated from its previous location on the roof of the Ruskin powerhouse to the east bank, behind the powerhouse. While stopping short of calling the previous arrangement dangerous, a contractor who worked at the site (and who wished to remain anonymous) described the previous situation as “not the best idea anyone ever had.” In all, said Rieder, the project has been incredibly complex and a testament to all the people who have worked toward its successful completion. Beyond the heavy construction work, project considerations had to take into account the impact of the work on the surrounding community and the environmental concerns generated by a project of this kind. Recreational trails and traffic was disrupted and when the hillside above Wilson Street was disturbed as part of the seismic upgrades, concerns about hillside erosion and surface runoff were critical as the site was above Hayward Lake, which was both a
Ruskin Dam has just been renovated. drinking water source and a salmon habitat. The slope had to be re-contoured and planted with a variety of native trees to mitigate those concerns. In another instance, Hydro’s tree clearing schedule had to be revised in the same area as it had the potential to disrupt re-nesting
eagles during critical breeding times for the birds. A monitoring program was put into place through cooperation with the Kwantlen First Nation. But, according to Rieder, the project is in its final phases with only the commissioning and testing of the last remaining generating
unit and the installation of the final dam spillway gate still to be done. “It’s been an incredibly large and complicated project, but the positive results in terms of public safety and energy efficiency have made it all worthwhile.”
Real Estate • Residential Sales and Purchases
MAPLE RIDGE PITT MEADOWS
A-LIST 7
Fa T H E N E S 2 0 1 y W vo urite Notar
• Refinancing • Rezonings and Subdivisions • Disclosure Statements • Commercial land David A. Riddell Law Corporation
development • Joint Ventures, General and Limited Partnerships
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B20 MAPLE RIDGE & PITT MEADOWS OUTLOOK 2017