Ontario Power Generation

AUBURN STATION

PLANT GROUP: Small Hydro Division
DRAINAGE BASIN: Lake Ontario
RIVER: Trent
TRIBUTARY: Otanabee
NEAREST POPULATION CENTRE: Peterborough
IN SERVICE DATE:
UNITS 1-2 - 1911
UNIT 3 - 1912
ACQUIRED BY HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER COMMISSION OF ONTARIO: 1916
FROM: Electric Power Company
Asset Transferred to Ontario Power Generation: April 1, 1999
NUMBER OF UNITS: 3
CONTROL: Northbury

HISTORICAL NOTE:
In the early history of power development in Peterborough, a woollen mill company obtained water rights on the Otonabee River, from the government, at a point which at that time was situated north and just outside of the city limits. A few years later a timber dam with stone piers was built at this point. The power obtained was utilized for driving a woollen mill on the east side of the river and also to generate power which was supplied to the city of Peterborough. Later, the power plant was bought out by the Auburn Power Company who operated for a number of years, utilizing water from the old Auburn woollen mill dam. The old equipment of the Auburn Power Company consisted of one 250 kW, 2300 volt, three-phase, 60-cycle generator and exciter, one 100 kW and one 40 kW unit, the two latter units being 550 Vdc compound-wound railway generators. These were all driven by water wheel. Power and light were distributed in Peterborough as well as to the Peterborough Radial Railway company. In 1910, the Auburn Power Company was purchased by the Electric Power Company including the water rights of the Auburn Woollen Mills Company. A larger development was planned to economically utilize the minimum flow of the river at that point. In October 1910, work commenced on an entirely new and up-to-date plant which was completed and placed in operation in early 1912. The plant operated in parallel with the company's Otonabee plant upstream (now Peterborough U.C.) and the American Cereal Company plant from which a block of power was purchased (now Quaker Oats).