Ontario Power Generation
ALEXANDER STATION
PLANT GROUP: Northwest Plant Group
DRAINAGE BASIN: Lake Superior
RIVER: Nipigon
NEAREST POPULATION CENTRE: Nipigon (16.9 km (10.5 Miles) South)
IN SERVICE DATE:
UNIT 1 - October 1930
UNIT 2 - December 1930
UNIT 3 - March 1931
UNIT 4 - 1945
UNIT 5 - April 1958
BUILT BY: Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario
Asset Transferred to Ontario Power Generation: April 1, 1999
NUMBER OF UNITS: 5
CONTROL: Remote from Thunder Bay
HISTORICAL NOTE:
It was built to supply power to the Commission's Thunder Bay system, the principal market for power being in and near the City of Thunder Bay. This was a distance of about 130 km (80 miles) from the generating station.
MISCELLANEOUS:
The Fishway - In all the developments on the Nipigon River, present and prospective fishways are essential. Lake Nipigon is a clear fresh water lake with an essential fishing industry. In order that fish may have free passage between Lakes Nipigon and Superior by way of the Nipigon River, a fishway was built at the Alexander station. It was built to the requirements of the Department of Game and Fisheries of the Province of Ontario. The Fishway is a ladder type, with the passageways at the intake end spaced to suit varying levels of headwater. This type of fish ladder is economical in the use of water, the ports supplying the flow being under a head of not more than 0.46 m (18 in) at any time. The velocity through these ports does not exceed 3 m/s (10 ft/s), as this is considered the maximum velocity against with which the fish will migrate. Today, the fish ladders no longer exist. Perhaps this is a good thing due to the sea lamprey problems in Lake Superior after opening the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Canadian National Railway - A spur line of the Canadian National Railway passed a short distance from the easterly end of the Main dam on the opposite side of the river from the generating station. In view of the existing connection from that railway to the Cameron Falls powerhouse, less than 1.6 km (1 mile) away, it seemed advisable to connect the Cameron Falls station with the Alexander station for convenience in the operation of both plants. Thus, the latter station had its service from the Canadian National Railway by way of Cameron Falls. These plants are no longer connected by rail. Roads have replaced the rail lines.
This involved building two standard type plate girder bridges, designed for E-40 loading plus impact; the one over the Nipigon river a short distance below Cameron Falls, and the second over Fraser creek, a small tributary flowing through a wide deep valley not far above the Alexander development.
The location proved of material value during the construction period, in giving access to sand and gravel pits, through which the line passed, and to the old yards of the Cameron Falls development, as well as the stone quarry near the latter plant, from which crushed stone for concrete aggregate and track ballast was obtained.
For permanent service to the new station, spurs were built at two levels; one into the station at generator floor level, and the second at the level of headworks deck, giving access in the latter case for a locomotive crane to be used for handling headgates, racks, etc.
From the track at the lower level, a short spur serves the transformer station, and from this point to the powerhouse the track is supported on concrete to guard against settlement when transferring the transformers into the powerhouse for maintenance and repair work. The upper track where it joins the headworks is carried by a short girder span from the adjacent rock outcrop to the headworks deck. The maximum grade for the lower track does not exceed 2.5 per cent when corrected for curvature, and that for the upper line is less than 2.5 per cent with correction.
Permanent track throughout is built of 36 to 38 kg (80 to 85 lb) rail, with
gravel and crushed stone ballast, with the exception of the portion from transformer
station to powerhouse referred to above.
