Ontario Power Generation

WAWAITIN GENERATING STATION

PLANT GROUP: Northeast Plant Group
DRAINAGE BASIN: Hudson/James Bay
RIVER: Mattagami
NEAREST POPULATION CENTRE: Timmins (26 KM (16 Miles) Northeast)
IN SERVICE DATE:
UNIT 1-2 - 1912
UNIT 3 - 1913
UNIT 4 - 1918
ACQUIRED BY HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER COMMISSION OF ONTARIO: November 1, 1944
FROM: Northern Ontario Power Company
Asset Transferred to Ontario Power Generation: April 1, 1999
CONTROL: Remote from Porcupine TS

HISTORICAL NOTE:
Wawaitin generating station was initially placed in service in 1912 to supply mining and domestic customers in the Porcupine area.

Mr. E.A. Wallberg undertook the construction of the plant. Meeting with financial difficulties he turned over his interests to a syndicate headed by Mr. Alex Fasken and this syndicate completed the installations at the powerhouse and constructed transmission lines leading into the Timmins mining area.

In June 1912, a company called the Northern Canada Power Company was formed by a group which appears to have had interests in the Montreal River plants. This company took over the holdings of the Porcupine Power Company and those of the Wawaitin syndicate and proceeded to add generating capacity at Sandy Falls and Wawaitin, and later on, in 1923, to develop a 8000 kW station at Sturgeon Falls, 48 km (30 miles) down the Mattagami River from Timmins. Still later when these three Mattagami River plants were taxed to capacity, the company built a large plant upon the Ottawa River at Ka Ka Kee Falls in Quebec, which they called the Quinze plant.

Since the Mattagami River plants were 25 cycles, the Quinze plant was also built at 25 cycles and the Quinze power was made available in Timmins by the construction of a suitable transmission line. A portion of the Quinze power was also made available to the Rouyn mining area in Quebec.

The Kirkland Lake area commenced to assume importance in 1911 but was somewhat slower in developing than either the Cobalt or Timmins areas. The first hydroelectric power supplied to this district came in 1914 from a small plant located on the Blanche River near Charlton. This small supply soon proved inadequate and since silver mining at Cobalt was now on the wane, it was only natural to bring in power from the Montreal River plants. This was done by the construction of transmission line from Cobalt sub-station direct to Kirkland Lake, in 1917, and later by constructing a 3600 kVA hydro plant at Indian Chutes on the Montreal River about 19.3 km (12 miles) from Elk Lake and 48.3 km (30 miles) from Kirkland Lake. The Blanche River plant was then shut down.

The available 60 cycle-generation did not long meet the demands. There was, however, ample 25 cycle power available from the Quinze plant and to make this available it remained only to construct a transmission line from Quinze to Kirkland Lake and to install at the latter point suitable frequency changer, transformer and switching equipment. This was readily arranged since by this time control of both the Canada Northern Power Company, and the Northern Ontario Light and Power Company had passed to Nesbitt Thompson Company Limited of Montreal, in 1925 and 1926 respectively.

In order to simplify operations as among Cobalt, Kirkland Lake and Timmins on the one hand, and between Ontario and Quebec on the other, further changes in the organization were made in December 1928. By arrangements made at this time two new subsidiaries were created, one the Northern Ontario Power Company Limited controlling all operations in Ontario, and the other the Northern Quebec Power Company operating similarly in Quebec. Upon completion of this new organization, the head office of the parent body, viz. the Canada Northern Power Corporation Limited, was moved to New Liskeard.

The Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario began operating the generating stations and other properties of the Northern Ontario Power Company on March 15, 1945 which it had acquired under a purchase agreement November,30, 1944.