BC Hydro Mica Dam

[@user-em9np4lt3z]

I worked at Mica Dam. First on the diversion tunnels and then on the river bottom in preparation for the dam. The fur traders n the 1800’s would traverse the Selkirk mountains and head down the Wood River to the Boat Encampment. There they would load their canoes with trade goods and make their way to Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River. They would then make a return trip with furs heading to Fort Saskatchewan. Hard to believe they made these journeys as the force of the river was astronomical. The real Kimbasket Lake was a small fraction of the Kimbasket today even though it was quite large. I along with a buddy fished it several times. When the wind came up it was test of one’s pucker power. The Big Ben highway was built during the Great Depression. Once completed it was only open from mid-June to the end of September or mid-October. The snow storms of 3’ or greater were the norm and it snowed daily. A snow pack of 30’ was the norm. And rain? Boy could it rain. When we were excavating the river bottom, once it started to rain, we had to shutdown the job. The road out of the bottom was a 17 degree slope and it would be very snotty. The Kenworth Darts had Allison transmission which were very high torque and with less road surface tension they would blow the ring gear on the differential. I was on the last night shift on the 2 week tour when it started to rain about mid morning. I thought that the shift was going to get cancelled and packed my gear to leave. Of course those that make the decision to cancel were dragging their feet as usual. I put my gear in the car nd waited for the announcement when my cross shift appeared at my door and told me there was no way we would be putting in the shift. I jumped in the car and high-assed out of camp which was at the dam site. It was 7 miles to the townsite and another 7 miles to Birch Creek. The road bypassed the town so it was “clear sailing” to Birch Creek. By the time I got to birch Creek, the water was flowing over the bridge deck. Half an hour later the road washed out around the bridge. I made it home to Penticton about 18 hours early and had an extra day off while bridge repairs were done. I worked on the Duncan and Hugh Kleenlyside dams as well.

[@stickynorth]

Still one of the most remarkable civil engineering works in Canadian history. Very cool!

Back when politicians had vision and they cared about their constituents and not just about how much they can fleece the taxpayers

[@NormanSilv]

Good to plan for future of our Province

[@parkermcmillan8653]

Back when this was a Very respectable company...

[@daavid1974]

in 2008 i when down backward to the generator room in a rock tunnel almost one quarter of a mile down ounce there a crew member told me welcome 900 feets under ground. that day i deliver electrical component from Montreal Qc. i took many great photos of the site in the beautifull British Columbia Canada

[@ChrisPollitt]

My father-in-law Leon Houle worked on the electrical for this dam. IBEW Local 213.

[@philipdamask2279]

Very interesting. This project along with others provided excess power that was sold to electric utilities in the US. It was called Canadian Entitlement Power. These power purchases by US utilities helped the economics of this bold undertaking.

[@Rs-bm1gy]

My grandfather worked at Mica dam in the early 70's as a journeyman carpenter

[@billdang3953]

It would have been interesting to have driven the Big Bend Highway and visited the Boat Encampment site prior to them being inundated by the Mica and Revelstoke dams.

[@traceyball8461]

The village had a huge party.

[@rickrayn]

There was also a road that went north towards Valemount. I took it with my Dad.

It's amazing that the reservoir stretches all the way to Valemont

[@stickynorth]

@@rickrayn Just wish they rebuilt it as part of the project so that Valemount, Mica and Golden were still accessible to each other

[@rickrayn]

My Dad was the 1st representative of the Allied Hydro Council at the dam. The council was made up of all the unions working at the dam site. I would visit him and later spent 3 summers working there(1971-1973) staying the Potlatch camp.