WATER-POWER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, Issue LIV, 19 August 1920, Page 6

WATER-POWER

LlXTEirDillsiflN 7 CANADA

Of the total electric energy generated in Canada over 99 per cent, is obtained from water power, and, except for locomotive use, the consumption of coal for power purposes of all kinds is comparatively small—says Sir Adam Beck, chairman of the Ontario Hydro-electric Commission, in the course of an interesting article in the Manchester Guardian’s Canadian Supplement. Until the transmission of electric energy over long distances became possible, the use of water power was restricted to the needs of small hydro-electric stations serving very restricted areas, and progress on anything like the scale since l achieved was out of the question.

i Twenty or twenty-five years ago, however, higher voltages, resulting in transmission over longer distance, began to be used, and the energy of water power could be made use of at great distances from the falls themselves, thus opening up large markets for power. At that period tho prosi perity of the Dominion chiefly cteI pended upon inland navigation, ag'ricultnre, the timber trade, and the juse of coal, but the extended use [of water power in the form of electric en-'rgy has opened up new industries of every description, be- ! sides adding to the comfort of home life. The use of electricity in Canada has grown to vast proportions; large pulp and paper mills, factories and workshops of every description, and electro-che-mical and electro-metallurgical industries, taking thousands of horsepower? have been established; many miles of electric railway and tramway lines have been built.; the increase in public and domestic lighting and the use of all kinds of domestic electrical appliances, such as toasters, coffee percolators,, vacuum cleaners, washing machines smoothing irons, fans, electrical heaters, and so on, is very great, ami (he demand for more power is growing daily, as will be indicated later. Tire popular use of electricity in most homes in Canada, is very much greater than iu Great Britain. )

The province with the largest populations in Canada aro Quebec and Ontario, and in to water-powers two distinct policies have been adopted. In the former, the Federal Government carry out work such as the building of dams and the creation of reservoirs, tending to make available (under the best conditions of regulation and conservation) the various water-powers of the province as

may be required. Leases of waterpowers are then granted to private ; interests, which develop them with 'private capital. The effect of this policy has rather been to secure the establishment of a comparatively few largo industries located close to the source of power than to serve the needs of the sriiall industries and the public generally. Contrasting strongly with conditions in Quebec are those obtaining in Ontario, where the Provincial Government, at the request of certain. municipilaties, created the Hy-dro-electric Power Commission of Ontario about 14 .years ago. As a result of this there has come into being, by the power of co-operative action, an undertaking wduch has grown from one w r hich in 1910 supplied about 4000 horse-power to 12 municipalities to one which now embraces the supply of nearly ,‘140,000 horse-power to about 250 municipalities distributed over an area nearly as large as that of England.

Power was first obtained by purchasing’ it at Niagara Falls from one of the existing power companies, but now the Hydro-electric Power Commission of Ontario owm and operate systems utilising a total of ;«7,170 horsey-power.